Daventry U3A columnist Trisha celebrates everything she finds great about Great Britain

This week's piece is written by Trisha Dawkins.

Trisha, who worked as a nurse, has two grown up children. Between her and her second husband, Thomas, she also has five grandchildren.

I am really pleased to have been born into our little island of Great Britain

There are many positives in having a British passport and here are a few.

Our Queen deserves our respect. By the virtue of her birth she has been a constitutional monarch since 1953 and in my eyes she is a Queen to be loved and respected.

Our weather due to its variety always gives us something to talk about, our weather is mild in comparison to other countries that experience typhoons, hurricanes, earthquakes, droughts and severe floods.

We are governed by a democracy which is so much better than being ruled by a despot intent on his own preservation and not those of his people.

We also live in a welfare state, where if there's no work we are guaranteed benefits. Imagine living in a country where there was no work, no pay, it would be terrible.

We have access to a health service that provides 24 hour service if needed. I know we pay for it through national insurance that comes out of our wages, but what you do not get you do not miss.

Many complain of our NHS but when you think of the number of people who go through its doors everyday, complaints are few and far between.

We are guaranteed an education from the age of 5 to 16 years, and if taken advantage of gives us every opportunity to better ourselves.

We are a nation of clever people, look how our scientists are working on climate change, research into medicine and the recent vaccines so necessary to protect us from the present pandemic.

Yes, perhaps we can find things to criticise as we always can if we look hard enough but I say look at the positives of our little island and thank our lucky stars we can call Great Britain our home.

If you'd like to comment on any of the Daventry U3A columns, please email [email protected]