Gandhi, Churchill 'myth', Sherlock real for Britons

ExpressIndia.com ^ | Today | Brainhose

[Brainhose]

London, February 4:
Mahatma Gandhi never existed while Britain's wartime Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill was a fictional character.
Don't fret. This is only what most Britons think about the great leaders.

According to a survey carried out in Britain, many believe that Mahatma Gandhi and
Churchill are just mythical figures like Florence Nightingale, popularly known as the 'Lady with the Lamp'.

In fact, almost a quarter of the population have the popular notion that Churchill,
"the greatest Briton of all time", was made up.

Moreover, despite his celebrated military reputation, 47 per cent of respondents feel the
12th-century English King Richard the Lionheart is fictional, according to the survey of 3,000 British teens.

In contrast, a number of fictitious characters like Sherlock Holmes, King Arthur and Eleanor Rigby were given real life status.

While almost 65 per cent of respondents believe that mythical figure King Arthur existed and led a round table of
knights at Camelot, 58 per cent of teens think that Holmes really lived at 221B Baker Street.

Fifty-one per cent of respondents believed that Robin Hood lived in Sherwood Forest, robbing the rich to give to the poor,
while 47 per cent believed Eleanor Rigby was a real person rather than a creation of The Beatles.

The poll also revealed that nearly three quarters of those surveyed did not read history books while and 61 per cent
admitted that they changed channels rather than watching historical programmes on television.

"While there's no excuse for demoting real historical figures such as Churchill, the elevation of mythical figures
to real life showed the impact good films could have in shaping the public consciousness.

"Stories like Robin Hood are so inspiring that it's not surprising people like to believe these characters truly existed,"
the British media quoted Paul Moreton, the Head of UKTV Gold channel, which commissioned the poll, as saying.

[Brainhose]

So much for the sun never setting on the British Empire.
The sun has gone down and soon all that will be left is a crescent moon with a star next to it.
Sad thing is that sometimes I feel as if people I talk to who are just a few years younger than me are just as bad or worse here in the states.

[Labour-Watch]

Oh no, not this again. This was a typical cable channel survey - 100% made up. I’ve never met anyone who thought Churchill and Ghandi were fictional, although if you go to Baker Street on any summer’s day you will find dozens of Oriental tourists looking for “Sherok Horm”

[mtbopfuyn]

There’s a good many Americans who deny the Halocaust was real.

[Labour-Watch]

There’s a good many Americans who deny the Halocaust was real.

And even more who deny that Henry Ford had anything to do with it!

[chopperman]

Ignorant people should be denied the right to vote.

[dead]

Did they interview Harry Potter about this? I’d be interested to know what he thinks.

[The_Republican]

Sounds like there is a goldmine in Britain for Sean Hannity’s “Man on the Street” segment.

Don’t believe it though.

[Brainhose]

Whoa, whoa, whoa! I hope you're not implying that Harry Potter is fictional!
Next thing I know you'll tell me that John Carter never actually became the Warlord of Mars , or Heaven forbid that the Art Bell show is all a hoax!
Sorry gotta go, the black helicopter is here to pick me up. :)

[alwaysconservative]

LOLOLOL!