National Treasures

Nominate people from your country who are still alive ~ no historical figures please ~ who you believe deserve to be thought of as 'national treasures' and briefly state why in your own words. Subjectivity is the order of the day.

Michael Palin for [1] being a member of the UK's most celebrated comedy team (perhaps with the most appealing personality out of them) [2] for his wonderful (and now much imitated) travelogues on TV in which we saw countless hours of his insightful, modest, philanthropic and ironic/wry sense of humour [3] for somehow encapsulating an appealing side of Britishness in all his endeavours in a way that few other TV stars can claim to have done.

Originally posted by FMF
Michael Palin for [1] being a member of the UK's most celebrated comedy team (perhaps with the most appealing personality out of them) [2] for his wonderful (and now much imitated) travelogues on TV in which we saw countless hours of his insightful, modest, philanthropic and ironic/wry sense of humour [3] for somehow encapsulating an appealing side of Britishness in all his endeavours in a way that few other TV stars can claim to have done.

Teemu Selänne

Stephen Fry ~ comedian, actor, writer, TV presenter, raconteur, intellectual. Widely loved and respected in the UK.

Her Maj The Queen

Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden, Barry Cryer and Colin Sell.

Sue Barker

Sir Simon Rattle

Richard Dawkins?