I started investing in late 2008, so I usually look at the Jan. 2009 — Dec 2011 return — but it's always good to remember that this gives
a very rosy view compared to other starting dates.
The mainstream
view of Britain's colonial past is
very rosy; even many figures on the left seem to regret the loss of the empire, a veiw that's almost universal on the right (including among the current government, whose representatives do get quite a lot of airtime).