The internet is a treasure trove of wonderful old videos featuring London and Britain as a subject. So, this is in an ongoing weekly video series (Video Thursdays) highlighting my latest find of the week. I hope you enjoy them. To see the rest of the series, click here. I'll probably get in … [Read more...]
Dispatches from the South: Around the Maypole
April 30, 2009 By Leave a Comment
May Day tomorrow, and that means two things: 1) I get another three-day weekend (yes, the first of May is an official holiday here), and 2) the Morris Men, Maypole Dancers, Latter-Day Druids and other New Age revellers will all be getting their robes, knee-breeches and frocks out of moth balls in … [Read more...]
Dispatches from the North: North East Wedding Traditions
April 29, 2009 By 5 Comments
I actually started out yesterday wanting to blog about something completely different. Then last night at my choir rehearsal my friend Valerie shared a fascinating story with me and I just had to share it. Valerie is a retired school teacher and she sits next to me in choir practice. She has the … [Read more...]
Pictures of England – Westminster Abbey
April 28, 2009 By 1 Comment
This is part in an ongoing series where I will feature some of my Photography of London and England up until we leave for our trip in November. I'm an avid amateur photographer and love sharing my photos. If you'd like to see all the pictures in this series check out the gallery here. This week's … [Read more...]
Dispatches from London: St. George’s Day With the Girl Guides
April 28, 2009 By 1 Comment
Ten screaming 6 year old girls in red sweatshirts ran between two walls of the gym while one lone five year old tried to catch them as they ran past. I had entered the scene of my new volunteer post: Rainbows Troup Assistant in The Girl Guides. The Girl Guides are England's version of the Girl … [Read more...]
Where Would You Go in History?
April 28, 2009 By 1 Comment
If you could travel back in time, what period of history would you choose to go to? A recent post over at Brave New Traveler wrote up a post of the 10 Best Destinations of a historical Time Traveler and England Made the list, specifically London. From the Post: 5. London, 14th … [Read more...]
Want to be a living statue in Trafalgar Square?
April 27, 2009 By 4 Comments
Trafalgar Square is one of my favorite London attractions and many people don't know that there is a empty plinth (stand) for a statue that was never made. Now, instead of an empty plinth, it's given over to various art projects to display something that reflects modern London. This summer, … [Read more...]
Dispatches from the East: Same Old Story
April 27, 2009 By 1 Comment
So check this out. Norwich is old. I mean, really old. We're talking invaded by actual Vikings on longboats in the 9th century old. There are Roman roads here, for Pete's sake. They're not in very good shape, sure, but they're here. And for a Kansas kid who grew up thinking the founding … [Read more...]
Cool London Courses Courses from The School of Life
April 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment
There's an interesting little organization that's making big waves in London. It's called the School of Life they seek to offer good ideas for every day living. I got an e-mail from them the other day and learned that they're offering some cool sounding courses that might be worth attending if … [Read more...]
Anglophile Alerts: Win a Trip to Britain from Setanta Sports
April 27, 2009 By 2 Comments
Setanta Sports and VisitBritain have teamed up to offer a contest for a tree tip to Britain. Contest Details: Watch a Barclays Premier League Game at Home on Setanta or Away in Britain, the Home of Soccer Follow your favorite team on Setanta and win tickets here to watch your team in person in … [Read more...]
Anglophile Alert: Record Low Prices to New Zealand
April 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment
If you're looking to travel to New Zealand, it's never been a cheaper time. I got this alert a few days ago and the prices are insanely cheap, not that much more than it would be to fly to Europe from the USA. It's going into the winter in Australia and New Zealand, but that doesn't mean it still … [Read more...]
Anglophile in Exile: Introducing Franz Ferdinand
April 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Franz Ferdinand (via last.fm) Music has been invaded by Franz Ferdinand. No, not the Archduke of Austria, but four guys from Scotland. Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy, Bob Hardy and Paul Thompson make up this smartly dressed quartet formed in 2002. You may ask yourself, "Did they really name … [Read more...]
Introducing Dispatches from London
April 23, 2009 By 1 Comment
Very exciting news here at Anglotopia, we now have an American Ex-pat blogger based in London! Kat Martin, a former student turned lawyer in Britain has agreed to write a weekly post for us on Tuesdays telling us all about her life and adventures living in London. I'll get out of the way and let … [Read more...]
Dispatches From the South: The Color Purple
April 23, 2009 By 4 Comments
It's Bluebell season here in the southeast, and for those of you who have never had the opportunity to stroll through a bluebell wood, all I can say is you are missing one of the prettiest sights on God's green earth. The Bluebell is a woodland plant that flowers during the spring, squeezing into … [Read more...]
Dispatches From The North: A Question of Sport
April 22, 2009 By 6 Comments
I am not a fan of sports, I never really have been. I can get into live sports, especially if there is drinking involved, but I absolutely can't watch sports on television. This is not ideal for a person living in Britain. This nation loves their sports, and they are on all the time and when they … [Read more...]
Happy St. George’s Day!
April 22, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Today is St. George's Day in England. It's like St. Patrick's day except just for the English. St. George is most famous for slaying a dragon, though it wasn't in England and the man probably never visited England. So, what the heck is St. George's Day? From the Wikipedia Article: St … [Read more...]
Anglophile Alert: Incredible Deal for London Flights From British Airways with Free Pass
April 21, 2009 By 2 Comments
British Airways announced this incredible deal on Twitter today that I HAD to share with you guys. Not only are airfares at record lows right now, but if you book by Thursday, April 23rd they'll also include a Free London Pass which gets you free access to many top London Attractions. Some airfares … [Read more...]
Happy Birthday Your Majestry!
April 21, 2009 By 2 Comments
The Queen's Birthday is today - her actual birthday - though it's officially celebrated in June. She is now 83 years young. I really admire The Queen - she is a very inspiring and calming figure. Britain is very lucky to have her. The Daily Beast has a very thoughtful article reflecting on the … [Read more...]
A Little Brit History: About Me – Andy Walsh
April 21, 2009 By 2 Comments
Editor's Note: Andy Walsh, who runs the cracking Tudor History blog Tudor Stuff, has graciously decided to write a monthly column for Anglotopia about British History. I'll get out of the way and let Andy introduce himself. Hi! My name is Andy Walsh and I am the author of the Tudorstuff blog, … [Read more...]
Anglophile Reviews: Last Chance Harvey London Movie DVD Review
April 21, 2009 By 1 Comment
I recently had the chance to Watch Last Chance Harvey and I've really been looking forward to it. It didn't get a very wide release so I was not able to see it when it was in theaters. So, a couple weekends ago, the wife and I sat down to watch this London themed movie. We're were a little … [Read more...]
Stunning Pictures of Scotland Then and Now
April 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment
I came across this really cool Scotland Themed Flickr photoblog the other day. It's old pictures of Scotland from the Library of Congress compared with a picture taken today. The result is pretty stunning. Here are two great examples: See the whole series of pictures here. … [Read more...]
Dreams of Britain: It All Started with Two Fat Ladies
April 21, 2009 By 2 Comments
Many moons ago. Well, the late 1990's to be exact. There was a cooking show on cable called Two Fat Ladies. I wasn't particularly interested in the food. I've pretty much always been interested in Britain even before I knew what the word Anglophile meant. So, what piqued my interest about the … [Read more...]
Anglophile Alert: Travelodge Sale on Thursday, April 23rd – £9 a night!
April 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment
According to the Telegraph, hotel chain Travelodge is getting desperate to fill their rooms, so they're offering an insane deal at all their 300+ hotels in Britain. Many rooms will be discounted to £9 a night while others will be priced at £19 a night. This is a steal! Anyone who's been … [Read more...]
Dispatches from the East: Beer, There, and Everywhere
April 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment
So spring has hit us this week in East Anglia, the low clouds and drizzle of winter parting to reveal a sun which suddenly remembers, 'Ah yes, Britain does exist, too'; and the artfully unkempt gardens in my neighborhood have started to splash out in vibrant colors. English gardens, even the small … [Read more...]
Winner of the Brideshead DVD Announced!
April 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment
First thanks must go out to everyone that entered Anglotopia's first contest! There will be many exciting things coming in the Anglotopia Monthly newsletter so stayed tuned. Now, on to the winner. And the winner is: Sarah Tyler!!! Sarah is a young Anglophile that had the luck to study … [Read more...]
Pictures of England – The First Picture – London Rooftops 2001
April 19, 2009 By 4 Comments
This is part in an ongoing series where I will feature some of my Photography of London and England up until we leave for our trip in November. I'm an avid amateur photographer and love sharing my photos. If you'd like to see all the pictures in this series check out the gallery here. This first … [Read more...]
8 Things a British Ex-pat Might Miss About Britain
April 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment
This really cool post comes via the excellent blog, A Brit out of Water - the tales of a British Ex-pat living in the USA. He recently waxed philosophical about 8 things he might occasionally miss about the UK. Here's a couple of my favorites: 4. You hear somebody saying that something is … [Read more...]
Cunard Releases 2010-2011 Cruise Schedule
April 19, 2009 By 3 Comments
I got an informative little e-mail from Cunard the other day that included a calendar of their cruise season for 2010-2011. Very interesting reading. One of my many dreams is to take a Transatlantic Cruise on one of Cunard's lovely ships (The Queen Mary 2 currently does the crossings). Cunard is … [Read more...]
Anglophile Reviews: Someday My Prince will Come by Jerramy Fine
April 16, 2009 By 2 Comments
This Anglophile Review was written by my lovely wife, Jackie Thomas. Let me first start by saying, this is not the type of book that I would usually read. Jonathan handed it to me and asked me if I would review it for Anglotopia. I am not a huge fan of the “chick-lit†genre, in fact … [Read more...]
Video Thursday: London in Stop Motion
April 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment
The internet is a treasure trove of wonderful old videos featuring London and Britain as a subject. So, this is in an ongoing weekly video series (Video Thursdays) highlighting my latest find of the week. I hope you enjoy them. To see the rest of the series, click here. This video shifts gears a … [Read more...]
British Pound Exchange Rate
Anglotopia was founded by Jonathan and Jackie Thomas for people who love Britain - whether it's British TV, Culture, History or Travel - we cover it all. Anglotopia was started to get us back to the UK for a trip and it did that in 2009. Now, the goal is for Anglotopia to make our dreams of traveling to the UK whenever we want a reality.
