GREAT BRITAIN THIS HAPPY BREEDING BESIDES THE FACT THAT THERE WILL ALWAYS 
BE ONE, CLICHES ABOUT ENGLAND ARE ALMOST INFINITE IN VARIETY . 
IT RAINS ALL THE TIME ; THE COOKING IS MISERABLE NOTHING 
BUT MUTTON, TEA, SUETY PUDDINGS AND, GOOD LORD, THE BEER IS 
SERVED WARM . THEN THERE IS THE STEREOTYPE BRITISH MALE : 
A STOICAL, PIPE-PUFFING, BAGGY-TWEEDS TYPE WHO ESCHEWS SEX FOR A ROUSING 
GAME OF DARTS IN THE LOCAL PUB, AND WHEN HE DOES 
INDULGE IS AWKWARD AND PASSIONLESS . BRITISH WOMEN ARE, FOR LACK 
OF PRACTICE, FRIGID . NONE OF THESE THINGS HAS EVER BEEN 
VERY TRUE . BUT NOWADAYS, AS FAR AS SEX IS CONCERNED 
ANYWAY, BRITONS ARE SHATTERING THE WORLD'S ILLUSIONS ABOUT THEIR PROPENSITIES AND 
PROWESS . IN THE BARGAIN, THEY ARE SHOCKING THEMSELVES . " 
ARE VIRGINS OBSOLETE . ON THE ISLAND WHERE THE SUBJECT HAS 
LONG BEEN TABOO IN POLITE SOCIETY, SEX HAS EXPLODED ON THE 
NATIONAL CONSCIOUSNESS AND INTO NATIONAL HEADLINES . " ARE WE GOING 
SEX CRAZY ? " ASKS THE LONDON DAILY HERALD . " 
IS CHASTITY OUTMODED ? " ASKS A SCHOOL MAGAZINE FOR TEEN-AGERS 
. " ARE VIRGINS OBSOLETE ? " IS THE QUESTION POSED 
BY THE SOBER NEW STATESMAN . THE ANSWERS VARY, BUT ONE 
THING IS CLEAR : BRITAIN IS BEING BOMBARDED WITH A BARRAGE 
OF FRANKNESS ABOUT SEX AND FLOODED WITH A PUBLIC QUESTIONING OF 
THE LONG-ESTABLISHED VICTORIAN MORAL STANDARDS . WROTE THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, 
IN A RECENT SUNDAY TIMES ARTICLE, " TODAY THERE IS IN 
OUR SOCIETY AN IMMENSE OUTBREAK OF PREOCCUPATION WITH VENUS . THERE 
IS A DWELLING UPON SEX : THE SEX PROBLEM, THE ADJUSTMENTS 
OF SEX, INSTRUCTION FOR SEX, ADVENTURES OF SEX, STORIES OF SEX, 
WHAT TO DO WITH SEX, BRIGHTER AND BETTER SEX . " 
AND THE CANDOR WITH WHICH THE ONCE FORBIDDEN SUBJECT IS BEING 
EXPLORED IS POSITIVELY ASTONISHING . IT IS THE DECOROUS BRITISH BROADCASTING 
CORP . THAT LEADS THE DISCUSSION THESE DAYS . BBC PROGRAMS 
HAVE INCLUDED A LECTURE ON THE ARGUMENTS FOR PREMARITAL INTERCOURSE, A 
DISCUSSION OF HOMOSEXUALITY (KNOWN ON THE CONTINENT AS LE VICE ANGLAIS), 
A DRAMA ABOUT AN ABORTIONIST, AND ANOTHER PLAY ABOUT MEN REMINISCING 
ABOUT THEIR PAST SEX LIFE ( " HER BREASTS COULD FILL 
CHAMPAGNE GLASSES " ) . ON THE POPULAR SATIRICAL SHOW THAT 
WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS, THE YOUNG ESTABLISHMENT TYPES POKE A 
KIND OF SEXUAL FUN THAT WOULD MAKE AMERICA'S FCC BOSS NEWTON 
MINOW TURN PALE . TAKING OFF ON A GOVERNMENT REPORT THAT 
ONE BABY IN EVERY EIGHT BORN IN LONDON IS ILLEGITIMATE, BRASSY 
SINGER MILLICENT MARTIN LAMENTED AS SHE ROCKED A CRADLE : DON'T 
YOU WEEP, MY LITTLE BABY CAUSE YOU HAVEN'T GOT A DAD 
. GO TO SLEEP, MY LITTLE BABY, THINGS AREN'T REALLY QUITE 
SO BAD . THERE'S NO REASON ANY LONGER WHY YOU OUGHT 
TO FEEL SO BLUE . THE WORLD IS FULL OF BASTARDS 
JUST LIKE YOU . A DEBRIS OF CONVICTIONS . FACT IS, 
BOTH ON AND OFF THE AIR WAVES, THE BRITISH ARE DEEPLY 
CONCERNED WITH THEIR SEARCH FOR WHAT SOME CALL " A NEW 
MORALITY " TO FIT THE HUSHED-UP FACTS OF LIFE . " 
THE POPULAR MORALITY IS NOW A WASTELAND, " SAID DR . 
GEORGE MORRISON CARSTAIRS, 46, PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE AT EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY, 
IN A RECENT BBC LECTURE . " IT IS LITTERED WITH 
THE DEBRIS OF BROKEN CONVICTIONS . A NEW CONCEPT IS EMERGING, 
OF SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS AS A SOURCE OF PLEASURE, BUT ALSO AS 
A MUTUAL ENCOUNTERING OF PERSONALITIES IN WHICH EACH EXPLORES THE OTHER 
AND AT THE SAME TIME DISCOVERS NEW DEPTHS IN HIMSELF OR 
HERSELF . " IN A VIOLENTLY CONTROVERSIAL REPORT, A GROUP OF 
THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS ATTACKED THE ONUS ATTACHED TO " 
A GREAT INCREASE IN ADOLESCENT SEXUAL INTIMACY " AND PREMARITAL AFFAIRS 
. " IT IS FAIRLY COMMON IN BOTH YOUNG MEN AND 
WOMEN WITH HIGH STANDARDS OF CONDUCT AND INTEGRITY TO HAVE ONE 
OR TWO LOVE AFFAIRS, INVOLVING INTERCOURSE, BEFORE THEY FIND THE PERSON 
THEY WILL ULTIMATELY MARRY, " SAID THE REPORT . THIS, CONCLUDED 
THE QUAKER REPORT, IS NOT SUCH A SIN . " WHERE 
THERE IS GENUINE TENDERNESS, AN OPENNESS TO RESPONSIBILITY AND THE SEED 
OF COMMITMENT, GOD IS SURELY NOT SHUT OUT . " A 
BLESSING . ALL THE HUBBUB OVER SEX HAS, TO BE SURE, 
CAUSED A LOT OF MISGIVINGS, AND FEW CHURCHMEN SHARE THE QUAKERS' 
LIBERAL VIEW . BUT MOST EXPERTS AGREE WITH WRITER V . 
S . PRITCHETT THAT " ALLOWING FOR ITS CRUDITIES, THE SEXUAL 
REVOLUTION HAS BEEN ONE OF THE FEW BLESSINGS IN THE LIFE 
OF THIS CENTURY . " THEY ATTRIBUTE THE NEW SEXUAL TOLERANCE 
AND THE LESSENING OF VICTORIAN SHAME TO A WIDE VARIETY OF 
COMBINED CAUSES : THE HEAVY IMPACT OF BOTH WORLD WARS ON 
THE OLD MORALITY, THE EMANCIPATION OF WOMEN FROM THE HEARTH, A 
GRADUAL INCREASE IN COEDUCATIONAL SCHOOLING, AND EVEN THE FACT THAT MORE 
BRITONS TRAVEL ABROAD FOR HOLIDAYS . BUT EXACTLY WHERE THE PRESENT 
ORGY OF INTROSPECTION WILL LEAD NOT EVEN THE EXPERTS CAN PREDICT 
. WHAT SEEMS CERTAIN, HOWEVER, IS THAT THE TYPICAL ENGLISHMAN OF 
A THOUSAND CLICHES IS DOING NO MORE THAN HE EVER DID 
; HE IS MERELY HIDING IT LESS . 