Here’s a question for you. When it comes to Britain’s heritage and the things that have made this country great over the centuries, which of these has played the biggest role?
a) Sir Isaac Newton
b) Paddington Bear
c) A bacon sandwich
It’s a tricky one, isn’t it? I mean, I love a bacon sandwich as much as the next non-vegetarian social media manager, but has it really put our country on the map? And then there’s Paddington Bear. He’s won a place in the hearts of British children since 1958, but, if I’m not mistaken, wasn’t he from deepest, darkest Peru? Which, technically at least, should rule him out as a british “great”. So that leaves Isaac Newton. His genius gave us laws of motion, colour theory (refraction and defraction), the reflecting telescope, the law of universal gravitation, the law of cooling and calculus. Oh, and he also helped promote British apples and inspired Dan Brown novels.
So, it’s a no-brainer really. Well, actually it’s a huge-brainer. Isaac Newton’s contribution to Great Britain (and the world) is surely more significant than bears and sandwiches. And that’s why I’m puzzled. You see, the Great Exhibition 2012 has been set up to celebrate all that’s great about Great Britain in the year we host the Olympics. Everyone can vote for their favourite British “great”. And, currently, Isaac Newton is in 37th place, behind the bacon sandwich and Paddington Bear and that’s clearly just not right.
Admittedly, Grantham’s most famous son is just ahead of Wensleydale cheese, which is quite encouraging, but he should be up there in the top 10, with Leeds United and A Cup of Tea. So we need to get the country voting today to right this injustice. Please do your part to spread the word however you can – Twitter, Facebook, email, SMS. Please forward this to as many people as possible. Do it for Grantham. Do it for Isaac Newton. Do it for Great Britain!
Vote for Isaac Newton as your favourite British “Great” here.
Right. I’m off for a bacon sandwich now!
