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Narrator: For centuries,
The united kingdom has been known
For its military and naval might,
A land of conquerors, kings, and queens.
(upbeat music)
But embedded in the very fabric of the nation is also
A profound love of the arts and culture,
One that has inspired the creation
Of some of the world's finest art,
Music, literature, and film.
Come see how the arts have shaped this kingdom,
And how the kingdom has shaped its artists.
Discover the rock and rollers who changed the face of music,
And the story of a boy who would never grow up.
Meet one of the most notorious families of westeros,
And a boy wizard who took a magical train ride
Through these highlands.
We'll visit the hometown of the world's greatest playwright
And race through the scottish countryside
Like England's greatest superspy.
Join us as we explore
Some of britain's finest cultural achievements
And the people who were moved to create
Some of the world's most celebrated works of art.
(seagulls squawking)
(lively orchestral music)
The united kingdom, these islands in the north atlantic
Have influenced cultures all over the world.
But England, wales, scotland, and northern ireland
Maintain regional pride and identity as well.
For many years, great britain has led the world in producing
Some of the top artists, musicians, actors, and writers.
(upbeat music)
But none have made quite as big an impact
On the country's legacy
As the musicians who emerged from here.
As the sun rises in the northern english city of liverpool,
The early morning light casts a warm glow
Over the country's most beloved sons,
John, paul, george, and ringo.
Unveiled in 2015, the monument,
Which stands just steps from the waterfront,
Pays homage to the world's most
Influential rock band, the beatles.
It's been more than half a century
Since the fab four became global superstars,
But their presence and legacy is still
Very much alive in their hometown.
Today, fans congregate here,
Inspired by john and paul's early life in the city.
As a child, john lennon attended garden parties here,
A place that inspired him to write
One of his most personal songs, "strawberry fields forever."
At this stop, the "shelter in the middle of a roundabout"
From "penny lane," young paul boarded
The bus to john's house.
Today, it's part of a magical mystery tour,
Taking fans around the various locations associated
With the band, including a yellow submarine.
During the summer, the submarine functions
As a floating hotel where guests can spend a night admiring
The 1960s-themed psychedelic interiors.
The '60s and '70s influenced the band's growth
As artists and activists.
This monument on king's dock commemorates
John lennon's lifelong dream of world peace.
(birds chirping)
Hidden in the quiet
Monmouthshire countryside of wales,
These old farm buildings give little hint
Of the pivotal role they once played
In the history of another iconic rock band.
(upbeat music)
This is rockfield studios,
The world's first residential recording facility.
For years,
Artists from motorhead to coldplay have come here
To live, write, and record.
The facility has two studios,
The coach house and the quadrangle studio.
It's here, in 1975, where the band queen recorded
One of the greatest rock anthems of all time,
"bohemian rhapsody."
(playful music)
About 50 miles south of london, in the town of brighton,
Stands this centrally massive dock,
Jutting out into the english channel.
The brighton palace pier, as it's known,
Is a cultural icon in its own right.
Over the last century, the pier has appeared
In several films and novels and even inspired a rock opera.
(lively rock music)
Pete townshend, composer and lead guitarist
Of the rock band the who, drew upon a time in his youth
When he spent a night underneath this pier.
This experience would help him to write
The successful album "quadrophenia."
(upbeat rock music)
The industrial city of manchester in northern England
May be best known for its football team.
(crowd cheering)
But it's also got a reputation for being the birthplace
Of many famous and influential rock bands.
The city takes pride in its working class roots
And the inherent dignity of the every day man.
And some of the world's most innovative bands
Arose from its modest surroundings,
The smiths, joy division, the buzzcocks, and new order.
(gentle guitar music)
The suburb of burnage is just four miles
South of manchester.
Following world war ii, this town, and others like it,
Saw a massive population explosion.
(lively music)
Inspired by groups like the smiths and the beatles,
Brothers liam and noel gallagher formed
Their band oasis not far from here.
This playing field was the backdrop to the music video
For their hit song "shakermaker."
The lyrics include a nod to sifters record shop,
A favorite haunt of the gallagher brothers growing up.
Another rocker whose ordinary background influenced
His music calls this coastal town of wallsend home.
Wallsend once marked the eastern end of hadrian's wall,
A great relic from the roman ages
Located in northeast England.
But today, it's better known as the hometown
Of international superstar gordon sumner,
Also known as sting.
Sting grew up here, in this red brick terraced house,
Now a fast food outlet,
And spent his childhood near the swan hunter shipyard.
He first rose to prominence
As a member of the rock band the police.
After several hits and a successful run,
Sting decided to go solo.
Memories of his hometown have had
A profound influence on sting's work.
The title track of the singer's 1991 album
"the soul cages" is filled with references to newcastle.
It won the first ever grammy award for best rock song.
(lively music)
The legendary rock band ac/dc got their start
In this scottish suburb.
Brothers malcolm and angus young were born in cranhill
In the 1950s and spent their early years here
Before the family moved to australia.
In 1973, the youngs met a fellow countryman named bon scott.
Together, the three men rocked the world as ac/dc.
Scott was instrumental in helping propel ac/dc
To global stardom before his sudden and tragic death
At the age of 33 in 1980.
In 2016, to help commemorate scott's legacy,
Diehard fan john crawford and his friends arranged
For this bronze statue to be erected in town.
Completely funded by fans across the globe,
It's a testament to scott
And the band's influence on the world.
(gentle guitar music)
This remote 18th century cottage of golden hill,
Or bron-yr-aur, in northern wales bares
An unassuming facade of a quiet getaway.
It was here that two young musicians worked
On one of the most famous rock albums of all time.
(upbeat rock music)
At the time,
This was the holiday home of the plant family.
Robert plant and his band mate jimmy page had just completed
A long north american tour.
They escaped to this cottage
To write and partly record "led zeppelin iii."
Today, it remains a mecca
For dedicated zeppelin fans throughout the world.
From rock gods to mythical rulers,
Legends have always played a strong role in british culture.
(gentle music)
In the westernmost part of England,
Extending out into the celtic sea,
Is the peninsula of cornwall.
(waves crashing)
With a history that spans many centuries,
Cornwall is home to many fabled heroes,
Including England's most legendary king.
In north cornwall, standing at the edge
Of this dramatic cliff,
Are the remnants of the ancient castle of tintagel.
It's where the legendary story
Of king arthur is said to have begun.
It's here that uther pendragon
And lady igraine conceived their son arthur,
The boy who would one day become
Britain's greatest legendary king.
Although all that remains
Of the castle today are these ruins,
Tales of the heroic king, his magical sword,
And the legendary quest for the holy grail
Continue to live on.
(gentle piano music)
Landmarks of arthur's tale are scattered
Throughout great britain, etched into its very countryside.
Here in scotland
Is 350-million-year-old arthur's seat,
A great vantage point offering the best views
Of the city of edinburgh.
But this place is more than just a tourist destination.
Legend says that this was one of the locations
Of the kingdom of camelot,
The mythical realm of arthur and his noble knights.
Tales of camelot have long played
An important role in popular culture.
The symbolism of the round table
Where the knights would sit is said to speak
To arthur's qualities as a leader,
Treating everyone as equals with no one seated at the head.
(triumphant music)
But british legends don't just revolve
Around iconic figures.
The country also has a rich history
Of legendary mythical creatures.
(gentle music)
Just west of edinburgh,
At the eastern entrance to the clyde and forth canal,
Stand two monumental steel sculptures named
After the mythical water spirits they portray, kelpies.
These mighty water steeds were said
To inhabit scotland's rivers and lochs.
Malevolent in nature, they would often appear as horses.
But as shapeshifters, they could also take on a human form.
Stories of the kelpies often told
Of the wicked creatures shapeshifting
To prey on and devour humans.
These stories likely served a practical purpose.
They kept children away from dangerous waters
And warned young women to be cautious of strangers.
(gentle music)
The welsh have no shortage
Of folklore associated with their lands.
Brecon beacons national park is one
Of the three national parks in wales.
It's centered around this mountain range,
The brecon beacons.
Just beneath the peaks of pen y fan,
The tallest summit of the park,
In the lake of llyn cwm llwch,
Live the tiniest creatures said to inhabit wales,
The tylwyth teg, or in english, fairies.
According to welsh legend, every year,
A magical doorway would appear to humans
That would lead to an enchanted fairy garden.
Unfortunately, after a human took advantage
Of the fairies' hospitality,
The fairies closed off access to their world.
And the door to their enchanted island
Has never been seen again.
(gentle music)
Legends come in all sizes here in britain,
From the tiniest of fairies to the enormous creatures
Who are rumored
To be responsible for this unique landscape.
This is the giant's causeway in northern ireland.
As if tumbling into the sea
On the rugged north antrim coast,
This pathway formed after a period
Of intense volcanic activity.
This may be the scientific explanation
Of how the causeway came to be,
But locals have a much more imaginative story
To explain its origins.
(dramatic music)
According to folklore, the causeway is the ruin
Of a landbridge to scotland
Built by the irish giant finn maccool
After being challenged to a fight
By the scottish giant benandonner.
A fight he gladly accepted and won.
Either way, this dramatic natural wonder remains
An inspiration to anyone lucky enough to experience it.
(gentle music)
One of the biggest cultural contributions
The united kingdom has offered
The world is the english language.
The origins of the language date back
To the mid-5th century.
Although there have been several evolutions since,
Versions of english have been preserved
In writing since its conception.
(gentle music)
Just under a hundred miles northwest of london,
Sitting alongside the river avon,
Is the small market town of stratford-upon-avon.
Today, this small provincial town attracts
Over two million visitors a year,
But that might have something to do with its association
With a certain world -renowned playwright.
(lively music)
William shakespeare, the man widely regarded
As the world's greatest dramatist,
Was born and raised here, in this house on henley street.
In 1585, shakespeare left to find his fortune
In the big city of london.
Life in shakespearean times was not easy.
The bubonic plague was rampant in europe
And waves of outbreaks washed over England many times
During shakespeare's life.
While the bard himself was able to avoid the plague,
It is speculated that shakespeare's
Only son hamnet was killed by the disease at the age of 11.
(gentle music)
Many scholars believe this loss greatly impacted his work
And might even have inspired the creation of "hamlet."
Despite these hardships, shakespeare managed to complete
An impressive body of work by the time of his death in 1616.
He is buried here, in the chancel
Of stratford's holy trinity church,
Where he had once been baptized.
Shakespeare's legacy and work live on well past his death.
In the back garden of the house
On henley street is a small outdoor theater
Where students regularly perform the bard's works.
Man: How bright and goodly shines the...
Narrator: By fostering such a rich literary legacy,
Great britain has produced an impressive array of authors
Who have impacted the world.
(bell tolling)
Every so often, an author manages
To capture childhood imagination so well
As to be loved by generations of children.
This house, in the north cardiff suburb
Of llandaff in wales,
Was once home to the great literary hero roald dahl.
(gentle music)
The author of great english books,
Like "james and the giant peach" and "matilda,"
Was born to immigrants from norway
And his first language was norwegian.
Growing up in llandaff had a profound impact on dahl.
As a child, he and four of his classmates were punished
For placing a dead mouse in a jar of gobstoppers
To torment a local sweet shop owner.
Gobstoppers, a favorite sweet amongst british schoolboys,
Were referenced in one of dahl's most famous books.
In "charlie and the chocolate factory,"
A candy shop manufactures a fictional sweet
Known as "everlasting gobstoppers."
(gentle music)
A childhood literary idol was born in this house
In kirriemuir, scotland.
Author j.M. Barrie drew on his childhood here
To create the fantastical world of neverland
And the treasured hero peter pan,
The boy who refused to grow up.
Barrie is said to have based the character
On his older brother david,
Who died in an ice skating accident
The day before his 14th birthday.
The loss had a profound impact on barrie and his mother,
Who eventually found some comfort in the belief
That her departed son would remain forever a boy
And would never leave her.
A statue of peter pan stands in the garden of the house
And celebrates the concept of eternal childhood.
(gentle music)
This house, east of london in rochester, kent,
Once belonged to an author regarded by many
As the greatest novelist of the victorian era,
Charles dickens.
Eastgate house, as it is called,
Had a profound impact on dickens's writing,
Inspiring several memorable houses featured in his books.
In the garden of the eastgate estate,
Stands this unusual feature, which was moved here in 1960.
Dickens's swiss chalet originally stood
At his home in gad's hill,
A town just a few miles northeast of here.
Dickens had arranged the building
So that the upper floor,
Where he would do most of his writing,
Would give him a view of the thames,
A river often featured in his works.
The renowned author of such works
As "oliver twist" and "a christmas carol"
Was very much influenced by his surroundings.
The city of rochester inspired
Some of his most famous characters
Including those found in "great expectations."
(gentle piano music)
This brick-faced home on aspinall street was once home
To one of the 20th century's greatest writers, ted hughes,
Perhaps better known for his troubled marriage
To american novelist sylvia plath.
Plath had infamously suffered
From crippling depression most of her adult life,
And in 1963, she took her life at the age of 30.
She is buried here, in st. Thomas becket churchyard
In heptonstall, not far from hughes's home.
Her gravestone once read her full name,
"sylvia plath hughes," but throughout the years,
The name hughes has been scratched out.
Devoted fans blame ted for her eventual demise.
Ultimately, both writers are remembered
As two of the most brilliant literary minds
Of the 20th century.
Sylvia plath's "the bell jar" is still an influential
And widely read novel.
Many natural wonders in great britain have sparked
The imagination of writers.
(dramatic music)
This extraordinary landscape is the brecon beacons
Mountain range in wales.
The awe-inspiring sight served as the main inspiration
For j.R.R. Tolkien's misty mountains
In his much beloved series "the lord of the rings"
And its prequel "the hobbit."
In "the hobbit," the mountains are where bilbo baggins
First stumbles across the one ring,
A powerful talisman controlled by an evil force.
The one ring plays a central role in all three books
In the subsequent "lord of the rings" series.
(dramatic music)
While some writers find inspiration
In great britain's natural wonders,
Other novelists draw on real life britons
As central characters.
Here, in lower largo, fife, in scotland,
Stands the statue of a privateer and royal navy officer
Known as alexander selkirk,
The real-life inspiration for robinson crusoe.
Selkirk was best known
For spending four years as a castaway
On a desolate island in the south pacific ocean.
Abandoned by his captain and facing incredible odds,
The privateer managed to survive
Using only the island's resources.
After his rescue and return to England,
His experiences on the island and story of survival sparked
The curiosity of the entire country,
Including that of writer daniel defoe.
He modeled his famous character
On alexander selkirk's heroic island adventure.
(bird squawking)
Drama has played an important role in british culture
Since the early days of roman occupation,
When it was first introduced.
After all, in the words of England's greatest playwright,
"all the world's a stage."
(gentle music)
In cornwall, atop a rocky outcrop jutting into the sea,
Lies the open-air auditorium known as minack theatre.
The theater was the creation of rowena cade.
In the early '30s, a local village group of players decided
To perform a rendition of "the tempest."
Miss cade graciously offered the garden of her house
As a location for the play.
With the help of her gardener,
Miss cade fashioned a terrace and rough seating
For audiences from materials found around her house.
In 1932, "the tempest" opened
In her backyard to much success.
Over the course of her life,
Miss cade devoted herself to improving
Her outdoor garden to what it is today,
A proper theater registered as a charitable trust.
With such a rich and vibrant theatrical history,
It's no wonder so many of the world's
Finest actors have roots here.
This town on the south coast of wales is home to one
Of the largest steel foundries in the world,
Employing one in 10 of its population.
(mellow music)
It's also home to two of wales's most iconic actors.
Sir anthony hopkins was born in margam,
A suburb of port talbot in 1937.
At age 15, after an encounter with a famous welsh neighbor,
Hopkins decided to enroll in a drama school,
And the rest is history.
That famous neighbor was none other than sir richard burton.
Burton, whose birth name was richard jenkins,
Was born in this modest terraced house
In the nearby village of pontrhydyfen in 1925.
He was number 12 of 13 children,
And lived here for two years before the family moved
To port talbot following his mother's death.
(gentle music)
Years later, when burton visited the village
With his then new wife elizabeth taylor,
Locals remember the occasion
As something similar to a royal visit.
(gentle music)
Actors need a good story with strong characters,
And great britain has had its share of both,
Producing many iconic movies.
This is the palace of westminster,
The principal seat of british government.
About 400 years ago, it was also the location
Of a notorious plot that would go on
To inspire popular culture featured in film and television.
(gentle music)
(dramatic music)
In 1605, a band of catholic rebels hatched an elaborate plot
To assassinate the protestant king james I.
In passageways running beneath the building,
They hid 36 barrels of gunpowder,
Enough to obliterate the palace and everyone inside.
Before anything happened,
The plan was discovered and the king escaped.
But the rebel leader guy fawkes
And his fellow conspirators met a grisly fate,
Every one of them hanged, drawn, and quartered.
Guy fawkes has become such
A seminal figure in british history
That his face is now associated
With a mask named after the man himself.
It has become a symbol of anarchy
And popularized by the hit 2005 film "v for vendetta."
(dramatic music)
On the banks of the river forth,
Overlooking the city of stirling,
Stands this striking memorial.
This scottish national hero is none other
Than william wallace, known by many from the 1995 film
That immortalized his legacy, "braveheart."
In the 13th century, wallace accomplished a monumental task,
Uniting many of scotland's fractious clans.
Together, they were able to resist an invasion
By the tyrannical edward I of England.
In 1297, just a few yards from this spot,
Wallace and his men defeated
One of the most powerful english armies
At the historic battle of stirling bridge.
(weapons clanking)
The impressive battle sequences in "braveheart" came to life
In part by its surroundings.
Much of the movie was filmed here, in the united kingdom.
The magic of the british landscape has certainly
Not gone unnoticed by filmmakers.
The british isles are full of fantastical locations
That have inspired unforgettable scenes
In several iconic films.
(gentle music)
This is alnwick castle,
The historic seat of the dukes of northumberland
And possibly the most
Photographed castle in all of England.
Although it has a complex history
Filled with decades long struggles featuring
The noble families of york and lancaster,
The castle is probably best known as the location
Where a boy wizard first learned to fly.
In "harry potter and the philosopher's stone,"
Alnwick's battlements became the walls of hogwarts.
This section was used as a backdrop
To the scene where harry is taught to fly
On a broomstick for the first time.
Today, a group of fans are recreating
The memorable broomstick lesson given by madam hooch.
The classes, which are open to all visitors
Above the age of six, are extremely popular.
They offer a chance for fans of the franchise
To get a small taste of harry potter's
Wonderful wizarding world.
(steam hisses)
(train rumbling)
(gentle music)
Just a few miles from scotland's ben nevis,
The highest mountain in the british isles,
Is the starting point of one of the most
Enchanting train rides in the world.
This old steam train, seen chugging along,
Is none other than the famous hogwarts express,
The train that brings harry and his fellow students
To the school of witchcraft and wizardry.
(train horn wails)
It crosses the magnificent 21-arched glenfinnan viaduct,
Which was opened in 1901.
The crossing provides two of the most stunning views
Of the glenfinnan valley and loch shiel to the south.
Passengers can imagine being transported
To the magical highlands
And heading straight for hogwarts castle themselves.
(train horn wails)
(dramatic music)
Fans of another mythical saga will be quick to recognize
This dramatic castle set amongst these towering cliffs.
Dunluce castle is better known as castle pyke,
The great home of the greyjoy family,
A prominent northern family with questionable morals
In hbo's hit series "game of thrones."
In real life, the castle was home
To powerful gaelic families.
It was once the stronghold of the irish
And scottish clans mcdonnel and macdonald.
Since then, the castle has deteriorated
And fallen into disrepair.
Today, the castle ruins are protected
As a monument under state care.
(choir vocalizing)
In addition to castles, the united kingdom is home
To an impressive number of houses of worship.
Sitting on this small hill,
Above the roslin glen in scotland,
Is a 15th century sanctuary known as rosslyn chapel.
The chapel was founded by william sinclair,
The first earl of caithness
And is the third sinclair place of worship,
Next to roslin castle and what is now the roslin cemetery.
In recent years, many popular theories
Surrounding the chapel have emerged concerning a connection
With the knights templar, the holy grail, and freemasonry.
The chapel catapulted to fame in popular culture
When it was included in the 2003 dan brown novel
"the da vinci code."
A film by the same name was released
Three years later starring tom hanks.
The chapel plays a pivotal role
As the location of the final message decoded
By professor langdon and cryptographer sophie neveu.
The 2015 "james bond" film "spectre" featured
An important scene filmed here, at blenheim palace.
(upbeat music)
The palace was originally built in the early 1700s
As the principal residence for the duke of marlborough.
But in the film, it acts as the palazzo cardenza,
A building in Italy where bond is able to infiltrate
A secret meeting of a criminal organization
By pretending to be a member.
The palace's filming history extends
Beyond its association with james bond.
In 2014, blenheim palace opened its doors
To tom cruise and jeremy renner when they filmed
The fifth installment of the successful
American spy franchise "mission: Impossible."
(car engine revving)
The lush hills and valleys
Of the scottish highlands are no stranger
To the silver screen,
And neither is this luxury brand sports car,
Synonymous with a certain double 0 agent working
For britain's top secret intelligence service.
Aston martin was founded in 1913,
But rose to stardom when the car was used
By the fictional character james bond
In the 1964 film "goldfinger."
Since then, the sports car and the character have
Both become british cultural icons.
In 2012's "skyfall," bond races his silver aston martin
Through the scottish highlands to his ancestral home
Here in the spectacular glencoe valley.
(gentle music)
While film and television are an integral part
Of british culture, so are the arts in general.
From the visual arts to the performing arts,
Britons find a way to celebrate
Their colorful history in all forms.
Artists are certainly admired in great britain.
Here, in the city of glasgow,
Are three murals of sir billy connolly,
One of scotland's most beloved comedians.
The murals are in commemoration of connolly's 75th birthday,
Which was celebrated in 2017.
Today, the standup comedian is world-famous
And has appeared in movies like "the hobbit" and "brave."
But back when he was in his 20s,
Performing on stage was the furthest thing from his mind.
Connolly first got his start
As an apprentice welder in a local shipyard.
He would later recall that his workmates'
Merciless humor was what inspired his love of comedy.
As an artist, connolly got a taste of the spotlight
When he performed at one of britain's
Most renowned annual art festivals.
(crowd applauds)
The edinburgh fringe festival,
Commonly referred to as the fringe,
Is the world's largest celebration of the arts.
Every August,
The city of edinburgh plays host to thousands
Of spectators and artists from all over the world.
The celebration allows a space for musicians,
Dancers, actors, and comedians from across the globe
To showcase their talent.
Here, along the royal mile,
The ancient cobbled street that winds its way
Through the heart of the city,
Street performers vie for space with those trying
Every trick in the book to promote their talent.
(gentle piano music)
Luckily, britons don't have to wait
For a yearly festival to enjoy art.
It can be found etched right into
The very landscape of the country.
Over 3,000 years ago, this piece of land art was carved
Into the upper hills of the berkshire downs.
One of the most distinguished pieces of land art in England,
This is the uffington white horse.
Though it has remained a part of berkshire for centuries,
People are still unclear of its significance.
The 360-foot-long figure's alignment with the midwinter sun
Might suggest a prehistoric spiritual connection.
(gentle music)
Some speculate that it may even represent
An ancient celtic deity.
Although its meaning has been lost
To time over the centuries,
The white horse has inspired similar creations
All around britain.
(gentle music)
On a hill near the village of cerne abbas in dorset,
A group of morris dancers are welcoming the rising sun
On the first day of summer.
This centuries old ritual may have something
To do with this, the cerne abbas giant,
Also known as England's most controversial land art.
The origins of the massive chalk figure are hazy,
But many believe, for one obvious reason,
The drawing represents an ancient fertility god.
The origins of morris dancing, however,
Are more readily accessible.
The folk dance dates back nearly 600 years,
And stems from a history with the moors.
Over time, moorish dancing became morris dancing.
Once banned by english puritans,
The dance was revived by 17th century farmers
Who would dress up and perform for money
When work was scarce.
(gentle music)
From the hillsides to its city streets,
England is overflowing with art.
This city of bristol in southwest England has had
A long history of a thriving arts scene.
In recent years, its urban landscape was the first canvas
Used by the most famous
Modern-day street artist, banksy.
The allusive graffiti artist is believed to be from bristol,
With dozens of his earliest works on display in the city,
Including "girl with a pierced eardrum,"
An homage to the famous vermeer painting,
The banksy version features a security alarm
In place of the original earring.
It's just one of the many innovative
And influential artworks that have emerged
From the united kingdom.
We've seen the places that have inspired
The creation of fantastical worlds
And the hometowns of the world's most legendary rockers.
(upbeat music)
We've soared over the landscapes
Immortalized in iconic films
And discovered the legends that continue
To inspire generations of storytellers.
Artists play an integral role
In the culture of the united kingdom,
And that culture continues to influence and amaze the world.
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