It is important to remember for people travelling to Britain (and especially England) for business or pleasure, that the people are well known for being undemonstrative. Public displays of affection or generally seen as a bad thing and people from other countries should be careful not to make any social faux pas.

This means no hugging, no back slapping and certainly no kissing in business scenarios and even socially you have to be careful. Try not to maintain eye contact with a person for too long or you may be accused of eye balling them. The Brits prefer third party introductions and the nature of the handshake is very important. If it is too weak then it will be judged negatively – you may be considered weak and feeble. The British are emotionally detached and do not enjoy Americanisms such as ‘Have a nice day’, being quiet and polite is often the best idea.

Here are some other tips for public behaviour in Britain:

1. Do not make the V sign in public. It is very rude.
2. If there is a queue, wait patiently and go to the back.
3. If someone says ‘How do you do?’ the response is very easy to remember: (if not a little confusing) ‘How do you do?’

The British character has been like this for many hundreds of years. Look at this extract from a letter written in the 18th century by a politician called George Canning. Canning had found himself criticised by many members of the House of Commons because he ‘touched’ the Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger on the shoulder:

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The complaint was that my manner with Pitt in the House of Commons is too familiar – but whereas other persons, Country gentlemen and others, some of great consequence, and have known and supported Mr. Pitt for years – treat him with the utmost respect and distance, and if they venture to address him at all, do it in a manner, the most humble and deferent, I, it seems, stand in no awe whatsoever – but talk to him without reserve or hesitation at all times and laugh and make jokes – and once was seen, when I wanted to talk to him, and he was looking another way, to put my hand on his shoulder. How can you conceive a more silly thing to trouble people’s heads than this? … I feel it is natural to take by the arm, or touch upon the shoulder even… but if it is wrong, it must be altered.

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Canning recovered from touching Pitt on the shoulder and went on the briefly become Prime Minister thirty years later.