\paperw5100 \margr0\margl0\ATXph16380 \plain \fs20 \f1 \fs22 A small, lonely island surrounded by a rough grey sea. An entity apart from its European neighbours. Such is the imag
e of Britain that appears to emerge from the mists of time. Yet the sea did not isolate Britain, but rather provided an open highway for successive groups of settlers from Continental Europe. So although Britain has been free of invasion for almost one
thousand years, its earliest history is actually far richer and more varied than latter-day observers might imagine. The country was shaped over the centuries by different peoples who reached its shores from afar. Each brought customs and practices that
were woven into the intricate tapestry of national identity. That same core of what we think of as essentially British is in fact the fruit of a long tradition of overlapping historical experiences and cultures. Viewed from this perspective, todayÆs mult
iethnic society is really a continuation of a long tradition of permeability by foreign influence.
