I have been enjoying my nice, legally purchased access to UK telly, via UKTV2C.com, and I am making a lot of random finds and observations that I have as someone who has addictively watched American cable since first getting it in my 20's. And I thing the Americans have stolen all the wrong ideas, … [Read more...]
Talking Telly: A Welcome Change In Direction For BBC America
September 29, 2009 By 3 Comments
Jack Davenport (who will forever be Steve from "Coupling" for me, but is probably Norrington from "Pirates of the Caribbean" for others) recently did an interview with The Daily Telegraph where he talked about his new ABC show "FlashForward", which is performing really well for a new show and might … [Read more...]
Extreme Morris Dancing – Funny Movie about Morris Dancing
September 29, 2009 By 2 Comments
Morris Dancing is one of England's stranger traditions, not many people understand it or the point of it for that matter. However, it can be rather entertaining to watch. Well, now it's getting the comedy mockumentary treatment and it looks hilarious! The movie is called Morris: A Life with Bells … [Read more...]
Dispatches from London: Exploring London’s Other Markets
September 29, 2009 By 1 Comment
A sunny Friday in London with my boss out of town led to a perfect opportunity to take up my new friend Sally's invitation for lunch at Borough Market. She claims to have seen Jude Law the last two times she strolled its isles, however with Jude away in New York for his role as Hamlet on Broadway, … [Read more...]
Pictures of the Treasure Find in England
September 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment
England was in the news last week because a humble metal detector treasure hunter found a haul of Anglo-Saxon gold that is practically priceless. It's being hailed as the biggest discovery since Sutton-hoo and will shed new light on the lives of the original Anglo-Saxons, who controlled England … [Read more...]
Demo of the Incredible UKTV2C Expat British TV Service – British TV in the USA
September 27, 2009 By 5 Comments
Mike Gamble, the owner of UKTV2C, the premiere UK TV Slingbox provider, asked me to put together a short screencast detailing the service, it's features and cost. I really think that UKTV2C is the best solution for getting British TV anywhere in the world, including in the USA. It's legal, easy … [Read more...]
From the Heart… of England: Ten Tips from a True Brit to Help You Discover Real Englishness
September 25, 2009 By 5 Comments
1. Don't worry too much about the weather! Yes, I know, we Brits are obsessed with the weather. We really do talk about it all the time. However, it's actually a case of politeness, rather than a deep fascination with Meteorology. The fact of the matter is, that we have a very temperate … [Read more...]
Australia Turns Into Mars – Sort Of
September 24, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Australia was in the news this past week for getting hit by some freak dust storms. The dust storms whipped up red sands from Australia's interior and blew it to the coasts, creating an alien Mars like atmosphere in big cities like Sydney. Here are some pretty incredible images of the … [Read more...]
Dispatches From the South – Here There be Pirates
September 24, 2009 By 1 Comment
This week, Dispatches From the South is coming to you from The North—further north, even, than our northern correspondent, Lisa in Hartlepool. We're in Northumberland, in a holiday cottage on the coast. Very scenic, very relaxing and very isolated. (I had been planning to post in real-time … [Read more...]
Royal News Roundup: 9-24-09
September 24, 2009 By 1 Comment
Welcome to the latest Royal news roundup! This week we take a look at some of the blogs out there that report on the Royal families of the world: The Daily Kate is a blog dedicated to the life and style of Kate Middleton, the longtime girlfriend of Britain's Prince William. As the Number One … [Read more...]
Dreams of Britain: How to Get Into London’s Top 10 Tourist Attractions for Almost Nothing – London on the Cheap
September 24, 2009 By 4 Comments
London is an expensive city but that's not going to stop people from wanting to visit it. So, you need to be a savvy traveller in order to make the most of your London trip. Most of the major London tourist attractions are very expensive to get into - some as much as £25 per person! Thankfully, … [Read more...]
Awesome Travel Tool: Handheld Digital Luggage Scale
September 23, 2009 By 2 Comments
Airlines are charging every extra fee that they can these days so travelers have to be more savvy than ever so they don't get ripped off. The best solution to dealing with airline fees is to be prepared before you depart for the airport. So, check with your airline to see what your baggage … [Read more...]
Introducing Anna: Our New English Country Lady Blogger
September 23, 2009 By 2 Comments
Exciting news for all those looking to get an inside look into what it's like to live in the English countryside. Anna, a former BBC news correspdondent who now lives with her family in Oxfordshire has agreed to write a weekly column about Britain and living life in the English countryside. She … [Read more...]
Dispatches from the North: Parmo- Teesside’s Local Delicacy
September 23, 2009 By 10 Comments
Maybe delicacy is an inappropriate word. As with most "local delicacies" like Italian Beef in Chicago or Clam Rolls in coastal Massachusetts, "Parmo" is fast food. You can get a Parmo at pretty much every pizza place and fish and chip shop in the Teesside area. Parmo is a term that has been … [Read more...]
Dispatches from London: Guide to Couch Surfing in London
September 22, 2009 By 2 Comments
Editor's Note: After a busy summer in London - our intrepid American Expat Blogger, Kat, has returned to a regular posting schedule. Welcome back Kat! We look forward to reading about your fall adventures in London! I've been quite a lazy blogger, but not a lazy resident of London this summer and … [Read more...]
The Ultimate London Tube Map
September 22, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Recently, the London Tube map was given a refresh - and to the howls of London Underground Anoraks everywhere, the Thames River was removed from the map to make it 'less cluttered.' They pulled the switch while Mayor Boris Johnson was out of the country and when he returned and discovered the … [Read more...]
Talking Telly: A Surprising Beginning to ‘The X Factor’
September 22, 2009 By 2 Comments
This is only the second series of "The X Factor" I've even attempted to watch. To be honest, last year's competition was a lot like "American Idol" has become - lots of manufactured drama with the singers and the judges and not so much real talent. And Simon Cowell looked as bored as I was. … [Read more...]
Anglophile Relics: The Other Harrods Department Store – Harrods Argentina
September 21, 2009 By 1 Comment
Photo by Trey at Stuck in Customs No trip to London is complete without a visit to the iconic Harrods department store - where it's been said you can buy anything, even an elephant. But did you know that there used to be another Harrods? Yes, in 1912, Harrods opened a branch in Buenos Aires, … [Read more...]
Brit Recipes: Roast lamb worth the gambol
September 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment
We have a wonderful variety of seafood and meats here in the States. For instance, beef here is so good, I used to pack a rib roast and bring it to Blighty to share with my folks. They just loved it! That being said, I must confess, I do miss English or Welsh lamb. Sadly, Americans are not big lamb … [Read more...]
Dispatches from the North: Great North Run
September 20, 2009 By 2 Comments
I usually only post once a week on Tuesdays, but I think today warrants a special post. Today is the Great North Run! The Great North Run is the world's largest road running half marathon. Hard to believe that with so many high profile running events all over the world, this event in this … [Read more...]
Anglophile Alert: Win a Vacation to Wales
September 19, 2009 By 4 Comments
Another great contest for a free trip to Britain has come down the pipe. This time the grand prize is a dream holiday in Wales - that is if you ever wanted to go there. I'm sure this contest will appeal to Doctor Who and Torchwood fans. Ladies, Captain Jack doesn't REALLY live in Cardiff! The … [Read more...]
Why You Need to See QI According to Me…and John Hodgman
September 19, 2009 By 3 Comments
If you don't mind, I'd like to continue my Stephen Fry lovefest for just one more week. I love QI. It is hilarious and informative. It can be rude. But it is so fantastically British. Featuring a panel of celebrities (Alan Davies is a regular, semi-regulars include Jo Brand, Phil Juppitus, … [Read more...]
Help Decide the Future of Anglotopia!
September 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment
The Future is Bright... and Futuristic! With my recent win in the British Airways Face to Face contest and the overall success of Anglotopia over the past year - I'm starting to rethink the direction of the site as it grows and I need your help! I've put together a very short survey to gauge … [Read more...]
London Going “A Christmas Carol” for the Holidays
September 16, 2009 By 1 Comment
One of the things I'm looking forward to the most on our trip to London in November is that it will be late enough to catch the beginning of the Christmas season in London. It's something I've never experienced before and I think it will be rather magical. Well, I found out yesterday that it will … [Read more...]
Watch the London Tower Bridge Live on Ustream.TV
September 16, 2009 By 2 Comments
I have to tip my hat to the marketing folks promoting London on the web for the city itself. They are making great use of social media in their marketing efforts and are engaging Anglophiles on so many levels. The latest social media tool to come from them is that they've set up a live Ustream TV … [Read more...]
Dispatches from the North: Last Night of the Proms
September 16, 2009 By 7 Comments
This past Saturday night was an iconic annual British event called Last Night of the Proms. The Proms is a summer classical music festival that spans two months and this year consisted of over 100 promenade concerts. The Last Night of the Proms is televised by the BBC every year and the finale of … [Read more...]
New York British Airways Face to Face Contest Winners Get an Awesome Send Off
September 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment
As everyone knows by now, I recently won the British Airways Face of Opportunity contest - which is geared towards reminding businesses the value of international business travel. Well, today was the launch date for the New York winners and they got a fantastic send off by none other than the Mayor … [Read more...]
Royal News Roundup: 9-15-09
September 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Vic's Knicks Part of The Nation's Heritage Queen Victoria's bloomers are currently on display as part of the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection. Embroidered with a small crown and the initials VR (Victoria Regina), they have been given 'national designated status' by the Museums, Libraries and … [Read more...]
Talking Telly: Random TV Nuggets From Dragon*Con
September 14, 2009 By 4 Comments
Boy, there's nothing like writing a first column to give me writer's block. There is so much about British TV to talk about that it's hard to nail down stuff like the ultimate show or what show you should never, ever watch (that's Big Brother). So for now I'm going to talk about what me and everyone … [Read more...]
The Dalek Song – Hilarious Doctor Who Video
September 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment
When I was standing in line for my pass at Dragon*con, I had the ironic pleasure of meeting two Brits from Cardiff, Wales. I never caught their names, but the dude gave me his card and it said his name was "The Partyman." I went to his website and was presented with one of the funniest things I've … [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.
