Its those who do things half cocked and get away with it that annoy the heck out of me or those who are famous for being muppets ie drunken footballers etc
To me Brunel is what Britain should be striving towards not Celeb BB. Brits can achieve SO much, when we just forget about the safe ground and go for it. Other problem is that its a lot harder to get backing here to try new ideas and products than it is elsewhere, I've heard of people taking concepts to other countries as no manufacturer would give them the time of day here or simply give up. Resulting in one less invention coming from UK and/ or one disillusioned inventor who gives in prematurely.
Yes things have improved since the bad old days of Brit Leyland, but there are still a lot of "rogue" workers who either date from that era or have had that work ethic passed on to them during their training.
It gets my goat also to see people put down for doing well, or as some have put it "gittin ideas above their station in life, forgettin where they came from" <- umm ok, Someone who wants to better themselves and achieve something in life is in the wrong......only in the UK
Example I'm looking to change career due to downturn in IT (didnt even get a foothold really, a lot of people came into the market when I did so there are a lot of qualified IT people out there stacking shelves or on the dole) So far I have approached some places looking for trainees, answer I have got from most of them - well you seem very keen and interested and you have common sense, but we were looking more for someone no older than 18. (I'm 26 by the way for reference)
Compare that to Canada for example, where I know a few people in their early 40's who are undertaking trainee ships in construction and engineering as the employer is concerned more with the chance of the person finishing the trainee-ship and sticking with the company than how much less they can pay someone under 18 :(
