I've had so many other questions about U.K. wiring that I haven't gotten to the question of color codes. So.....
The original British color ("colour" if you want to be REALLY British!) code is:
hot=red, neutral=black, earth=green.
Unfortunately, it's a little more complex than that, because in 1970 we adopted a common European system for the flexible cords on appliances:
hot=brown, neutral=blue,
earth=green/yellow stripes
Fixed wiring cables cotinued with the old colors, although the plain green for ground has now given way to green/yellow.
For fixed 3-ph. wiring the phases are red, yellow, and blue, or for wiring installed prior to 1965, red, white and blue.
