Those folk at Wood's 100 Old Navy Rum have been busy - following on from their revelation that fewer people had heard of Collingwood than Hardy, they've now released the results of their recent survey - asking just how important the Royal Navy is to British identity.
70% of Brits still see themselves as an island race giving them a distinctive national identity and that’s how they want it to stay. They recognise the massive influence the sea and the Navy has had on the country’s history and identity and that it’s vital to keep that knowledge alive. With the recent announcement of a £3billion investment on two new aircraft carriers reasserting the importance of the Navy, a huge 75% of the people questioned on behalf of Wood’s 100 Old Navy Rum, stated their belief that British history has been influenced by the Navy and its traditions.
Despite that optimistic outlook, the ignorance of Naval influences on British traditions is already rife. For example, nearly a third of people incorrectly thought that nursery rhymes had their roots in our maritime past, and, despite young people’s interest in fashion, only 16% of 18-24 year olds were aware that flared trousers are based on the bell bottom trousers of the sailor’s uniforms. 13% of people wrongly thought that singing Auld Lang Syne at New Year was down to the Navy - this was even higher amongst the 18-24 year old group, at 21%.
Encouragingly 77% of people agreed that Britain’s Naval heritage should be taught at school, with 67% of the most recently educated 18-24 age group rating it as 'important'. The survey identified the top three most significant naval influences in British society as:
Rule Britannia 47%
Sayings 20%
Rum 16%
...despite a full fifth of people recognising the impact of the Navy on everyday sayings, there was confusion about which had their roots in the Royal Navy and which did not. For example, while 39% of people recognised that “blood is thicker than water” had a nautical background, 31% thought that “free as a bird” and “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” had similar salty origins.
Only 17% of people recognised that when something has “turned the corner” has Naval connections. And, although people associate rum with the Navy, there is a general ignorance about Black Tot Day. Although it was as recent as 31st July 1970 when the Navy stopped issuing a daily ration of rum to its sailors, a staggering 95% of people had not heard of it.
According to Sarah Pace, the Brand Manager for Wood’s 100 Rum, “Traditionally the Navy has been the ‘silent service’ - as an island nation it has been assumed that everyone knows Britain needs a Navy but perhaps the time has come for the Navy to shout about its oft-forgotten contributions and make people better aware of its influence on our national identity. There is a willingness among the younger generation to learn and at Wood’s we are trying to play our part in raising awareness of traditions. Rum played an intrinsic part in the Navy’s history and therefore that of the country. Black Tot Day marked the end of a centuries-old tradition which, we believe, like Trafalgar Day, should be remembered.”
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