Our beloved country is a curate’s egg. (Consult google if in doubt.)
We have a parliamentary democracy (good?) that regularly disappoints (bad?). Be honest, when did we have a competent PM unsullied by dishonest proclamations?
More importantly, we have sports teams that make inconsistent look unbeatable! Today Wales are the best, England are their usual inscrutable (and Scotland?). Come on, N Ireland!
Milk and sugar, Vicar?
Boadicea's Chariot 
Haw Janus! How very dare you?
Sans Google, I am almost certain that the Curate’s reply to the Bish referred to ‘excellent’ and not just ‘good’. As I recall, it was something along the lines of ‘No, my Lord, I can assure you that parts of it are excellent.’
I was a bit of a ‘Punch’ geek from age 14, thanks inter alia to Alan Coren, Angela Milne, Bill Tidy, Quentin Blake, Bernard Hollowood, early Malcolm Muggeridge, Paul Crum and so many other contributors.
Still sans Googling, I’ll see your egg and raise you ‘Bilious old gentleman feels sick’ and ‘Bang went saxpence’, ‘Punch’-memorabilia-wise.
In fairness, Paul Crum is only in my list because I had to Google to find out who was responsible for my always thinking that it was Tuesday.
I second your ‘Come on, N Ireland!.
Mea culpa JM. I always understate the case, as you know. 😎
I’m not a football fan, nevertheless I thought the Welsh result absolutely great. A tiny country like Wales sticking it to the Russians who’s have thunk it.
Sorry ‘Wales’. Maybe the eds can fix it ?
But you see, the big guns have fired now – the Beckhams back Bremain. Game over.
And who’d have believed it …. Northern Ireland qualify for the last 16! And
I read Wales will play either France or Northern Ireland in the knock out stage.
Yes, PG, all the boyos done good. And the Brit Isles could get a clean sweep with the Republic qualifying too. But all this pales to irrelevance against the serious diplomatic turf wars. Yes, grass. Three awful pitches are the fault of consultants from (yes) Britain – so say the froggies.
The nightmare scenario looms: Iceland end up 2nd in their group, then beat England! 😱