one of my favorite things about being in the uk is that i am constantly asked “Are you alright?” “Alright then love?” “Are you ok?”. it is a standard greeting, but still i check myself every time and say “Yes, thanks. Are you alright?” The answer is usually affirmative and we both go on reassured. repetition breeds relief.
This is actually an essential part of the British character. I can highly recommend “Watching the English” for a thorough insight into what this and all manner of other English people’s behaviour is all about. It’s by Kate Moss, a cultural anthropologist who decided to take her own, peculiar culture apart to try to discover what are the “rules of Englishness.” It’s a fascinating book that sheds light on why the Brits do the sometimes odd and often endearing things that they do (and where some of our standard “Canadianness” comes from).