the vast majority living in these islands are the direct descendants of those pioneers who reclaimed the land from the ice 12,000-odd years ago. There have of course been a few invaders over the years – a handful of Mediterranean Romans, some Angles and Saxons, a few Vikings and some Normans. But the genetic fact is their DNA has made about as much impact on the British bloodline as a few teaspoonsful of water added to an overflowing bath.
