please empty your brain below
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Wonderful.
NiC | Homepage | 18.08.09 - 9:00 a.m. | #
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Goos post DG. And Best of British to your mate - I hope they never have cause to regret it.
Marc | 18.08.09 - 9:15 a.m. | #
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14 out of 24.....I'll be packing my bags and leaving the country right away
bblb | 18.08.09 - 9:20 a.m. | #
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God save DG
mind you verse 5:
From every latent foe
From the assassins blow
God save the Queen
O'er her thine arm extend
For Britain's sake defend
Our mother, prince, and friend
God save the Queen
Strandman | 18.08.09 - 9:32 a.m. | #
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and verse 2 while we are here:
O Lord our God arise
Scatter her enemies
And make them fall
Confound their politics
Frustrate their knavish tricks
On Thee our hopes we fix
God save us all
Strandman | 18.08.09 - 9:34 a.m. | #
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I failed too. 17 out of 24, and I work for the flippin' government...
Baldassaro | 18.08.09 - 9:43 a.m. | #
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16/24 - some of those questions were ridiculous!
Embo | 18.08.09 - 10:09 a.m. | #
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I failed the (trial) test - whoooopeeeee!!!
Bina | Homepage | 18.08.09 - 10:22 a.m. | #
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16 as well, although I keep telling myself I was only just out on a couple of them!
Loved the write up of the ceremony. However, isn't it odd that they have to swear allegiance to the Queen to become citizens. If we have a monarch, surely we're subjects, not citizens...
Chaz | Homepage | 18.08.09 - 10:28 a.m. | #
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Er didn't so well in that test either. Do I have to leave the country now?
Ian | Homepage | 18.08.09 - 10:37 a.m. | #
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By coincidence, there was a programme on Radio 4 yesterday with Hardeep Singh Kohli on the subject of tea, biscuits and British citizenship ceremonies. I guess it'll be on their listen again thingy. In fact, it is, here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epi...uits\\_Episode\\_1/
graybo | Homepage | 18.08.09 - 10:38 a.m. | #
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Though I am a touch sceptical about the test and the cost and all that... something about your description of this ceremony and reading about the people going through the process moved me.
Welcome to our new brothers and sisters.
Josh | Homepage | 18.08.09 - 11:52 a.m. | #
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Scary thing is that although I am a British Citizen I don't actually live there, wasn't born there and have only ever visited for a total of about 8 weeks. Nor did I bother to study. 
Nice to know that I deserve that part of my inheritance.
You have passed the practice citizenship test.
Questions answered correctly: 19 out of 24 (79\\%)
Time taken: 05 minutes 03 seconds
Antipodean | 18.08.09 - 11:58 a.m. | #
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20/24 in 3mins 49secs. Pleased with that!
SELondoner | 18.08.09 - 11:58 a.m. | #
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Failed with only 58\\% of the questions being correct, shame. Lovely post though DG.
Cxx
Christian | 18.08.09 - 12:03 p.m. | #
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Despite having being born and spending most of my life here in Britain, I am an Irish citizen instead. Still, I felt a degree of pride and warmth reading your piece DG - a sign that I'm becoming more comfortable with my own Britishness as I get older...
THC | 18.08.09 - 12:06 p.m. | #
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"One of the best things about this moment, she argued, is that from now on you'll able to vote in council and general elections."
Actually, this is partly correct. It depends on that person's nationality. If they're an Irish or Commonwealth citizen, they can already vote in UK elections (council, national and EU parliamentary) as long as they're legitimately resident in the UK (ie. not an illegal immigrant or a visitor/tourist). They can even stand in British parliamentary elections and can, theoretically, become Prime Minister - Gordon Brown watch out!!
John K | 18.08.09 - 12:22 p.m. | #
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17 out of 24. No bad for a bloody Yank.
Josh | 18.08.09 - 1:02 p.m. | #
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17 out of 24. I'll get my coat.
What a bizarre collection of questions.
Dave | 18.08.09 - 1:59 p.m. | #
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"no nasty criminals please, because the Daily Mail wouldn't approve"
And you would?
Thomas | 18.08.09 - 2:09 p.m. | #
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By amazing coincidence I read this post just after returning from attending my own citizenship ceremony this morning in the London Borough of Merton. I confess I went to it with more than a touch of cynicism. My main purpose of enduring the rigmarole of applying for citizenship was to obtain the British passport that makes travelling so much easier - e.g. no more waiting 6 weeks for an appointment for a Schengen visa, just to go on a weekend jaunt to Paris. But this morning I found the ceremony surprisingly moving and I was sincere when I took the pledge of allegiance. And in addition to the all important certificate, Merton also gives all the new citizens in their borough a medal to commemorate the occasion - an object which I am surprisingly proud of. Only 1 small glitch to the entire proceeding...... one of the new citizens pinched the fountain pen which we had all used to sign the register!
Ann | 18.08.09 - 2:48 p.m. | #
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"one of the new citizens pinched the fountain pen which we had all used to sign the register!"
Other than "LOL" I have absolutely no comment to make.
Exit, Pursued by a Bear | Homepage | 18.08.09 - 2:51 p.m. | #
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'You can attend a hospital without a GP's letter only in the case of an emergency.'
They claim this is True, it isn't as you can attend with a Dentists letter ,you can also attend with a Consultants letter from another hospital if they want a second opinion.
Now if they'd said 'a referral from a medical practitioner' then the answer would be accurate.
Oh yes I have indeed been referred to the local hospital's X Ray department by my dentist more often than by a doctor (I live up to the bad teeth steotype )
Beth | 18.08.09 - 3:22 p.m. | #
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12/24. Worst yet looking at the scores above.
Kennamatic | Homepage | 18.08.09 - 4:58 p.m. | #
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I had my citizenship ceremony last year, and it was slightly more glamorous than your experience. We actually had the mayoress of Westminster in full regalia in attendance, and a fully orchestrated National Anthem to go with it. (Probably the first time I've sung in public while sober). Mind you, the tea an biscuits were pretty much the same.
Two things I'm still not allowed to do, by the way: Joining the Territorial Army, and working for MI5 / MI6. Oh, well...
xplicit | 18.08.09 - 5:22 p.m. | #
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11/24 (46\\%) Pathetic!! Weird questions. I was expecting British history.
Last year I took out US citizenship, (ridiculously easy test!!) but only because our Green Cards were expiring and it was cheaper, (and more handy) than renewing them!
I think I've become MORE British since then!!
*sings *There'll always be an England*
CornishCockney | 18.08.09 - 5:55 p.m. | #
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Somehow I managed to pass with 19 out of 24. I have to assume it's because I listen to the BBC news and read several bloggers from England though I must admit there were also a few lucky guesses.
Ann | Homepage | 18.08.09 - 7:22 p.m. | #
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I got 21.
But, I thought the whole point of the citizenship process was to ensure that those seeking it were also seeking to become fully integrated into the community and life of Britain.
How then, in this case, did the person whose ceremony it was need to invite someone who he'd never met in real life to be one of his two guests? Just curious.
Blue Witch | Homepage | 18.08.09 - 7:49 p.m. | #
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I became British in March. Similar experience to Ann above (but the signing pen wasn't a fountain pen and no one stole it). We were separated into the two groups as well. Oath takers versus Allegiance takers. For the record, you don't have to be an atheist to take fall into the allegiance group. Agnostics are welcome too.
ellie | Homepage | 18.08.09 - 9:36 p.m. | #
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I didn´t have a clue that there was something like that ceremony. Must be nice to officially become HM subject. Tried the test and have a looong way to go though... 14/24
Pavla | 18.08.09 - 10:35 p.m. | #
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I failed dismally too - only 46\\% - but some of the questions I felt were pretty obscure - nice post dg
daveb | 18.08.09 - 10:53 p.m. | #
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Blimey, that test is hard. 10 out of 24! Isn't it funny that prospective UK citizens are expected to know obscure things that most of the indigineous population won't have a clue about?
Andrewh | 19.08.09 - 1:01 a.m. | #
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Took the test again...13 out of 24. How peculiar...
Andrewh | 19.08.09 - 1:06 a.m. | #
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Failed! 12/24 - but then I read through the real answers and did the test again and got 24/24 in 1 minute 35 seconds! Just goes to show that I never felt the need to know when women got the right to divorce, or indeed how many days schools have to be open (which IMHO seems less and less these days).
allotmentqueen | 19.08.09 - 1:10 a.m. | #
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True patriots. They choose to pay with their time, money and hard work to become citizens of this country.
K | 19.08.09 - 1:47 a.m. | #
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Lovely post. Thanks for sharing. I've always wondered what the ceremony was actually like and whether or not is was done with typical British Flair.
Jonathan Thomas | Homepage | 19.08.09 - 2:29 a.m. | #
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I'll be doing this test in 2 years and I have been putting off even reading a sample test or that guide book as I know it's more trivial than a pub quiz night. So I haven't clicked on the link yet... It's going to make me very angry indeed. I even heard there's could be a question about football... Perhaps I should just leave the country...? :-0
EskimoPie | 19.08.09 - 9:23 a.m. | #
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When I became an Australian citizen the Mayor did the ceremony in our kitchen - it was a small queensland almost ouback town.
When Mrs Wiz became a British citizen she received a letter in the post saying "congratulations, you're now a British Citizen", and two days later another letter saying that they had received her application and the delay would be about 3 months. A perfect introduction to British beaurocracy!
Simon | Homepage | 19.08.09 - 9:53 a.m. | #
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Of course, now they're British Citizens they can join her Maj's Forces and fight the FuzzyWuzzies in Afghanistan and become a statistic in their own right.
Exit, Pursued by a Bear | Homepage | 19.08.09 - 11:40 a.m. | #
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I failed too - 14/24.
Cal | Homepage | 19.08.09 - 12:22 p.m. | #
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DG, Thank you for writing about my citizenship ceremony. You have captured all the details that I was perhaps too moved to notice, and I am very glad I gave you the opportunity to witness 20 new citizens being welcomed in the UK.
I was initially going to have a private ceremony so I could invite all of my friends, but was put off by the price (£100 on a Tue, Wed or Thu, £200 on a Fri and can't remember what they said for Saturdays because I think I might have fainted).
So the 'max 2' guests I brought along were my boyfriend and DG who I had never met but that I was pretty certain would have enjoyed it and possibly shared it with his readers. I'm happy I did
Luca | Homepage | 20.08.09 - 9:42 a.m. | #
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Congratulations, Luca!
I got 15/24...
Nick | 21.08.09 - 10:49 a.m. | #
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17/24 and only lived in the UK for 3 years in the 1980s. Becoming a NZ citizen was fairly straightforward: 4 years on temp residency, 5 yeasr on permanent residency and rooting for the All Blacks (I still do that last one)
uroskin | Homepage | 25.08.09 - 7:03 a.m. | #
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Ask your friend in a year if he feels British.
I came to this country in 1971 from East Africa. I didn't have a choice as I was only 4 years old.
Most days I'm reminded that I am not british. By those who rather wished I wasn't here.
Maybe one day I'll feel british. I don't know. I married a Scot and he would never ever say he was British.
Plummy Mummy | 25.08.09 - 8:19 p.m. | #
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hello again, good question from plummy mummy whether in a year I'll feel British. Don't know. I wonder as well if even in 50 years' time I'll always be a bit of an outsider because I don't share memories of childhood tv programmes or snacks.
For now it does not matter too much. I feel safe that I am part of this country, that's all I wanted.
Luca | Homepage | 26.08.09 - 8:53 p.m. | #
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Luca,
One thing is certain in London...there are many people who do not have that shared experience of programmes and TV snacks. But equally, thanks to the diversity of this great city, you will have many opportunities to try those same snacks and many more.
Make sure you get out for a proper greasy caff breakfast or lunch which are especially good in the east end. Get down to an old sweetshop for some retro sweets (there is one such shop in Greenwich market or better still there are still some newsagents that sell retro sweets.) Or if you are internet minded, then there is always retrosweets.com.
As for TV programmes, well there are always those channels on the box that show old shows. I'm enjoying them all again with my toddler!
Reading your response, I realised that having lived in the UK for over 36 years, I have a lot in common with my Scottish (British) husband and that this shared history of TV and food is one of the things that binds us.
Congratulations on being a part of this country. It is fantastic that you have taken the time to gain your citizenship, something that I have always taken for granted.
Good luck!
Plummy Mummy | 27.08.09 - 6:10 p.m. | #
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