I think the Good Soldier has it about right..

England is whatever it is for whomever lives here, but for me it's essentially about being and *doing* - not about fantasies of 'blood' or faded historical characters, or even the bloody history of oppression from which it has been birthed.

It's the air I breathe which goes into my lungs and out again, the landscape around me that I see with my own eyes (be that council estate or village), the woodlands I go illegally trespassing through, the folk clubs I sing at, the Beebs essential Dickens production (which tells us it must be Christmas again) that I will inevitably watch like everyone else this winter, it's the Austen that will make me laugh again in Spring when I revise those old volumes, or the Mighty Boosh which does the same whenever I pull it up on YouTube, it'll be backpacking along the Suffolk coast this Winter Solstice, gathering Holly and Ivy on Xmas Eve, it's the Chinese takeaway we're having for Sunday lunch while watching an old film on telly, it's being an outsider in my own village as the elderly locals slowly die away to be replaced with estates of faux classical housing for commuters. That's England "My England" for good or ill, because it's the life I live, drawn from all that one may find that is readily available to both me and everyone else here. Elements I'm not so content with - hence me searching for a new part of the country in which to reside, but it's up to me at the end of the day to either like or lump, or better still take action. The closest thing to an 'inner-dreaming' of England I have is probably to be found on threads on Mudcat, filled with a bunch of quirky old beardy folkies - like The re-Imagined village. I do like it there I must say, and as I'm searching for a new place to reside, would quite happily re-locate to East Rivington if there were a means..

But if people like Lizzie, really don't like the England they're a part of, why not simply get out there and become an *activist* investing energy in those things that are worth creating, supporting and maintaining so everyone can continue to appreciate them, and err like 'make this England a better place?' or something.. ;-)

PS Lizzie, this one is especially for you, it's an excellent organisation and I'd strongly suggest you sign-up and make a difference to something that seems to matter strongly to you:
Liberty - Take Action!