Now that Dragon*Con has released the finalized schedule for the Con - the tireless folks over at Brit Track have updated their official schedule to reflect the 'officially official' panels and times. Check out the Finalized Brit Track Schedule here. And as always: Be Sure to Check the Daily Dragon … [Read more...]
Ask the English Girl: Just Who Is Doctor Who?
August 31, 2009 By 2 Comments
This week on Ask the English Girl - she talks about just who this Doctor Who character is. Interesting perspective on something a lot of Anglophiles know a lot about. … [Read more...]
Anglophile Oddities: Strangest Airport in the World – Gibraltar
August 30, 2009 By Leave a Comment
The British outpost of Gibraltar on the Mediterranean Sea is another one of those holdovers from Britain's imperial past. Today it's mostly a holiday destination and because of this - it has one of the strangest airpots in the world. It's the only airport in the world that has a major road running … [Read more...]
The Official Anglotopia DragonCon Survival Guide – DragonCon Tips
August 30, 2009 By 4 Comments
When I first attended DragonCon last year - it was incredibly overwhelming. So overwhelming that I was not able to make the most of the trip. In the year since, I've had a chance to reflect upon last year and figure out some ways to make this year's convention go a lot smoother. The Official … [Read more...]
The DragonCon and Brit Track Plan for This Week
August 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment
As I've been talking about on Twitter and on the Blog, I'm heading down to Atlanta this week for Dragon Con and plan to report heavily on the happenings at Brit Track - the DragonCon Anglophile gathering. To facilitate this - there are a few temporary changes to the blog that will only last for the … [Read more...]
For Royal Watchers: Mandy’s British Royalty
August 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment
I don't write much about the Royal Family - it's not that it doesn't interest me - there is just so much out there that I don't know that I'm not an expert on the subject. Well, I've found an expert. I've just discovered Mandy's British Royalty - which is styled as the source of independent … [Read more...]
British Travel: Is Stonehenge a Big Letdown?
August 29, 2009 By 8 Comments
The Times Online recently listed Stonehenge as one of the world's biggest tourism disappointments. From the article: STONEHENGE, UK THE BUILD-UP Stonehenge is famous, its stones astonishingly huge and its setting dramatic. The summer solstice ceremony held by druids and New Agers confirms … [Read more...]
Real Life Tardis Falling into Disrepair
August 29, 2009 By 2 Comments
The iconic Blue Police box, made famous by the British sci-fi TV show Doctor Who, used to grace villages and town all across the UK. Now, they are but a distant memory - but there are a few left. And one is crumbling down. From the BBC Article: A community is trying to save a listed Tardis-style … [Read more...]
BritTrack: It’s the most wonderful con of the year!
August 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment
We're quickly approaching Dragoncon 2009. I will be moderating a panel called "Brits on the Net" which will be on Saturday, 5 Sept at 2:30 in the Valdosta room at the Sheraton. Jonathan Thomas (Anglotopia's Anglophile-in-Chief) will be joining me as well as John Rosenauer and Dana Franks. We'll be … [Read more...]
The 500th Post – The State of Anglotopia Report
August 26, 2009 By 2 Comments
Well, folks this is Anglotopia's 500th post! This is a huge milestone for us. When I started this site over two years ago, I've seen it grow my leaps and bounds beyond anything I'd ever dreamed. It's opened doors for me and created fantastic opportunities to help feed my passion for Britain. We've … [Read more...]
Top 11 Things I’m Looking Forward to at Dragon*Con 2009 – #DragonCon
August 26, 2009 By 1 Comment
Dragon*Con, held every Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, GA, is so much more than a sci-fi convention. It's an experience. I had the pleasure of attending Dragon*Con last year for the first time and I was totally overwhelmed by the scale of it. Despite that - I had the time of my life. Next Thursday, … [Read more...]
Dispatches From The North: Ruling the Waves – Life in Britain’s Royal Navy
August 26, 2009 By 2 Comments
Alright, so the Royal Navy doesn't exactly rule the waves these days as they have in the past. In fact, the Royal Navy currently has less than 40,000 personnel which is fewer than the number of students at my alma mater, Michigan State University. Still, the Royal Navy is the Senior Service … [Read more...]
Listen to Columnist Mike Harling on BBC Oxford
August 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Mike already blogged about this today - but since the BBC makes you use their iPlayer and scan through the whole thing, I thought I'd capture a recording and post it here for everyone to listen to. Click the player below to listen to Mike Harling talk about the differences between the USA and the … [Read more...]
Dispatches From the South – Anglophiles on the Air
August 25, 2009 By 2 Comments
We interrupt our regularly scheduled dispatches to bring you this special bulletin. Your dispatcher from the south was on BBC Oxford today (25 August) for a five-minute interview on the differences between the way American and the British celebrate. Click the link and move the counter to 32: … [Read more...]
Happy Birthday British Airways – 90 Years Young
August 25, 2009 By 1 Comment
Love them or hate them - it's hard to deny the effect British Airways has had on global air travel. Well, they're turning 90 today - making them one of the oldest commercial airlines still operating. Despite recent troubles, British Airways isn't going anywhere and for many Anglophiles on their … [Read more...]
Brit Recipes: A Cool British Watercress Soup
August 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Being a Brit, I've always had a fondness for watercress sandwiches, the kind one has for tea with the crusts cut off, but I've always wanted to take their sophisticated, contrasting flavors from the tea table to the dinner table. Here, then, is my take on an old favorite, now transformed into an … [Read more...]
Doctor Who: Interview with David Tennant and Russell T. Davies after Wrapping
August 24, 2009 By Leave a Comment
This comes via the excellent Boing Boing. One of their correspondents had to opportunity to sit down with Doctor Who star David Tennant and former executive producer Russell T. Davis at this year's Comic Con International. It's a long interview, but very worth watching if you're a Doctor Who … [Read more...]
Top 12 Scottish Castles – Top Castles in Scotland With Beautiful Pictures
August 24, 2009 By 11 Comments
Castles in Scotland have a certain romance about them. When you think of a Scottish Castle, you think of windswept highlands, battlefields and ramparts built to stand the test of time. Castles in Scotland certainly are a breed apart from similar structures in other parts of the UK. The Scottish … [Read more...]
Anglophile in Exile: An Ode to Stephen Fry
August 24, 2009 By 5 Comments
Writer. Actor. Director. Comedian. Television presenter. Game show host. Twitterer extraordinaire. National Treasure. Stephen Fry is all of that and more; a Renaissance Man of our time. A man who's brilliance knows no boundaries. Some even think of him as our modern Oscar Wilde. This … [Read more...]
VAT Returning To Normal Rate After the New Year
August 22, 2009 By 2 Comments
Britain will get a little more expensive on January 1st, 2010 when the UK government restores VAT tax to it's original 17.5%. To help battle the recession, they had lowered VAT - the value added sales tax on everything from goods to services - to 15%, which was a great savings to tourists. It meant … [Read more...]
Video Thursday: Yet Another Amazing London Stop Motion Video
August 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment
I know I've posted quite a few of these Time Lapse London videos before, but this video is very worth sharing. It seems that London is the cool stop motion video capital of the world. I don't mind. From the creator of Rush Hour London: An experimental Time Lapse film exploring rush hour in London. … [Read more...]
Dispatches from the South: Sandwiches
August 20, 2009 By 5 Comments
When people ask me what is different about Britain and I tell them, “everything,†they think I'm exaggerating. But when something as simple and ubiquitous as a sandwich can cause confusion, you know you are dealing with decidedly disparate cultures. First of all, the British have … [Read more...]
Britain’s Door to Close a Little Tighter
August 19, 2009 By 1 Comment
Bad news for Anglophile dreaming of working in the UK one day, it's going to get a lot harder. They've already changed the laws this year to make is much more difficult (and expensive) to consider working in the UK. Now, they're going to get even tougher. A government committee recommended today … [Read more...]
Live Like Farmer Oak From Far From the Madding Crowd
August 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Far From the Madding Crowd is by far my favorite British Novel. I love Dorset, where most Thomas Hardy stories are set and love to see traditional crafts kept alive. So, I was a little interested to see this article on the BBC Website about a couple who have started restoring traditional Shepard's … [Read more...]
Anglophile Alert: Enter to Win a Free Trip to London with Telegraph Subscription Purchase
August 19, 2009 By 1 Comment
One of my favorite British newspapers the Telegraph is launching a new weekly, world edition that will aggregate the best of the British paper and target it for an international audience. You can expect quality journalism, interesting articles and a get a wonderful 'it's British' feeling when you … [Read more...]
Dispatches from the North: My Accidental Journey Up England’s Steepest Road
August 19, 2009 By 9 Comments
I recently learned a very important lesson. Don't trust your satellite navigation system, it may attempt to kill you. If you have a satellite navigation system, you probably have seen the disclaimer at the beginning when you fire it up cautioning you to check your route before you set off. I … [Read more...]
What it’s Like to Become a British Citizen
August 18, 2009 By 3 Comments
Iconic London Blogger, Diamond Geezer recently wrote a very interesting post about what it's like to attend a British Citizenship ceremony. From his great post: Most of us take being British for granted, having had no say whatsoever in the country of our birth. But, for some people, choosing to … [Read more...]
From Bootsnall: 7 Places to Visit in England Besides London
August 18, 2009 By 3 Comments
I write an awful lot about London. There's several reasons for that. One being that I love it. Another being that so many other people love it that it's makes up the most popular posts on Anglotopia traffic wise. For the Anglophiles out there that may be a little Londoned out, Bootsnall has a … [Read more...]
British Student Gets Award for Riding the Bus
August 16, 2009 By 1 Comment
My colleague, humor writer Erik Deckers, recently wrote a funny blog post that I think highlights a uniquely British absurdity. Recently, a British School student was given an award for riding the bus. I'll let Erik explain: Bobby McHale will go far in his life. At least as far as the 8:35 to … [Read more...]
Welcome to Christine – Our First Brit Track Blogger: She *waves hello*
August 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Great news for Anglotopia! Not only will we be at Dragon*Con this year participating in Brit Track, but we also have the pleasure of welcoming Christine, who is going to blog about her experiences at the con. So, let's give a big Anglotopia welcome to Christine! I'm really happy to be a part of … [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.
