Can we all leave the national stereotypes at the door, please?
It's an honest question, so, I see no harm. I don't think the UK has more of a love for the series than, say, the US does, though. In fact, considering their adoration for all things monster-related, the Japanese might have both our nations beaten on that score.
It's useful to note that Cameron encountered a lot of stubborn attitudes from the crew who had worked on '
Alien' and felt the sequel should be helmed by someone on their side of the pond, again. It was working with him which led to them gaining respect for what he could do.
Also worth keeping in mind is the state of the British film industry... Back then, all we were pretty much famous for were churning out period dramas and the like. It's got a bit better since then (mostly during the early 2000s), but by and large, '
Alien' has been an extremely rare example of a film made with a lot of British talent, which qualified for the big budget science-fiction spectacle side of things 'done well'. You can look at the various classic James Bond films and see a similar air of celebration around them, too.