MPs could be forced to move out of the Houses of Parliament after subsidence has caused Big Ben's clock tower to lean by an alarming 18 inches. Report by Sophie Foster. … [Read more...]
Video: Leaning Big Ben to force MPs to move out of the Houses of Parliament
January 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment
A derelict building has stories to tell in Oxford
January 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment
A unique artistic collaboration will turn a dilapidated building in Oxford into a giant compendium of strange, amusing and haunting stories in May this year. Other Worlds is a series of installations in 25 rooms in Rochester House, an empty Victorian building that is destined to be a museum of … [Read more...]
History of England Podcast: Cnut the Conqueror
January 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment
This week, a Podcast about England's most famous Danish king - Cnut, or if you are a Dane, Cnut the Great. For the complete story, come to www.historyofengland.typepad.com. History of England Podcast - Cnut the Conqueror Cnut and Svein didn't have it all their own way; Aethelred's son Edmund … [Read more...]
The anatomy of a genius – Da Vinci Exhibition Coming to Buckingham Palace in May
January 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The largest ever exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci’s studies of the human body is to go on display in May at the Queen’s Gallery, next to Buckingham Palace. Leonardo was not just one of the great artists of the Renaissance: he was also a pioneer in the understanding of human anatomy. He wanted … [Read more...]
This is Awesome: Rooms to rent in an ancient castle in Durham
January 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The 11th-century Durham Castle is benefitting from a £5-million refurbishment – and now offers holiday accommodation within its ancient walls. The UNESCO World Heritage Site in north-east England is home to Durham University’s oldest college and its rooms are available to rent for bed and … [Read more...]
Brit Movies Reviews: The Iron Lady – Meryl Streep Shines by The Film Glosses Over History
January 14, 2012 By 1 Comment
Editor's Note: This if the first review for Anglotopia's new staff Brit movie reviewer - James Bartlett - a British Expat living in LA. Period dramas and classic novel adaptations aside, in many ways this is perhaps the most British movie released for many years, as it is a biopic of Margaret … [Read more...]
An English Butler Talks about the Modern Butler Industry
January 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The Guardian has a wonderful - and frank - article written by a modern day butler about how the industry has changed compared to what we see in shows like Downton Abbey and Upstairs Downstairs. Here's an excerpt: As the travelling butler to a self-made Asian industrialist who sleeps less than … [Read more...]
Guest Post: A Brief Guide to Britain’s Sporting Attractions and Museums
January 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment
This is a guest post by by John Evans, Editor of sportcloseup.co.uk Becoming Jane, the 2007 biopic of the writer Jane Austen re-run over the holidays by the BBC, may not seem the most obvious contender to be a movie about sport – but that was just the start of the festive surprises. What … [Read more...]
Walker’s Rights: A Guide to Walking in England from The Economist
January 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The Economist has a great article on the concept of Walker's Rights in Britain that I thought was worth sharing. Here's an excerpt: PACKHORSES first crossed the Old Bridge in Ilkley in 1675, probably bringing wool to market from the sheep farms that still dot the Yorkshire Dales. The modern … [Read more...]
No Queen Please, We’re Jamaican – Jamaica Plans to Ditch the Queen
January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment
During her inaugural address Jamaica's new Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller says the time has come for her country to cut ties with the British monarchy. While Jamaica is an independent country - they kept Queen Elizabeth as they're head of state. They now plan to end this tradition. See … [Read more...]
Royal Mail Releases Roald Dahl Themed Stamps – Images Inside
January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The Royal Mail is releasing a series of stamps in honor of Roald Dahl book characters - as a lover of stamps and Roald Dahl - this couldn't get more awesome. Each stamp features illustrations by Quentin Blake, whose drawings are synonymous with the children's classics. Here's a gallery of the … [Read more...]
Video: A guided tour around Dickens’ birthplace
January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment
There is no author more connected with Christmas than Charles Dickens. On the eve of the 200th anniversary of his birth, The Telegraph takes a tour around the house where he was born with Lucinda Dickens Hawksley, his great-great-great granddaughter. … [Read more...]
Bringing the world into the home at the Geffrye Museum in London
January 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment
An exhibition at London’s Geffrye Museum will look at the cosmopolitan nature of London homes over the past 400 years. At Home with the World will show how homes in England have been shaped by many diverse cultures, from Chinese porcelain and the great craze for ‘taking tea’ in the 18th … [Read more...]
The art of the sword at the Wallace Collection
January 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The Wallace Collection in London’s West End is planning an exhibition that will tell the story of the skilled artistry of swords in the Renaissance period. Centuries ago, warrior knights used their swords as weapons and symbols of their elite class. In the 16th-century Renaissance, civilian … [Read more...]
Sleaze and beauty in the royal court at Hampton Court Palace
December 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Hampton Court Palace is to host a new exhibition from April about the beauty, debauchery and decadent art of the late Stuart court. From 5 April to 30 September The Wild, the Beautiful and the Damned looks at the meaning of beauty, and at the lives and loves of the courtesans and libertines in … [Read more...]
Guest Post: Haunted London Will Send Shivers Down Your Spine
December 29, 2011 By 1 Comment
photo credit: jasminejennyjen London has been called the most haunted city in the world and with the abundance of spooky cemeteries, abandoned buildings and bloody tales of violence and nefarious characters, the city’s reputation makes sense. There are literally hundreds of haunted (or supposedly … [Read more...]
Manchester’s new football museum due to open in 2012
December 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The National Football Museum, due to open in Manchester in 2012, plans to show visitors the ‘greatest collection of football memorabilia ever assembled’. They will be able to see more than 140,000 objects, works of art and photographs. These include a shirt from the world’s first … [Read more...]
90 years of movies in the woods in Lincolnshire
December 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
One of Britain’s most unusual cinemas celebrates its 90th birthday in 2012. The unique Kinema in the Woods is in the Edwardian spa town of Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire in the east of England. It was originally a sports and entertainment pavilion, built in the late 19th century in the grounds of … [Read more...]
Memories of a Queen’s childhood – Queen Victoria’s Childhood at Kensington Palace
December 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Kensington Palace in London will re-open to visitors after a £12-million transformation with a new permanent exhibition that explores the life and reign of Queen Victoria through her own words. Visitors will learn about Victoria’s first day as Queen at Kensington Palace, the romance of her … [Read more...]
Return of a classic British Amusement Park – Dreamland Margate
December 16, 2011 By 1 Comment
Plans are taking shape to create the world’s first heritage amusement park to feature historic rides. Dreamland in Margate will have classic sideshows, vintage cafes, special events, festivals, creative interpretation and gardens. For many years Dreamland Margate on the Kent coast was the top … [Read more...]
Caledoniatopia: St Andrews celebrates 600 years of golf
December 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The very first festival of golf will take place in Scotland in March. The five-day St Andrews Golf Festival, from 28 March to 1 April, will celebrate over 600 years of golf in Scotland and around the world. Plans for the festival include talks, golfing events and exhibitions. Mungo Park, the … [Read more...]
Candid Pictures of Winston Churchill Painting in France in 1948
December 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment
One of our favorite blogs, How to be a Retronaut, uncovered some great photos of one of my heroes, Winston Churchill, Painting in France in 1948. Check them out below. Sources: HTBAR, LIFE … [Read more...]
Guest Post: A Brief Guide to Current British Fashion Trends
December 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment
At IndependentBoutique.com, we solely sell fashion and accessories from British-based designers. In a recent series of interviews we carried out with our designers, we asked; what makes fashion designed or made Britain, British? We wanted to understand what gave British design its appeal. … [Read more...]
Brit Book Review: England Is a Truly Magical Place
December 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Do you have a little Anglophile in your life? If so I have found the book for them. England Is a Truly Magical Place by Karl Woodbury and Tony Crampton is a children's story that is chalked full of British history that is accessible to children. This edition also comes complete with an audio version … [Read more...]
Guest Post: London Bridge is falling down – a story of London bridges
December 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment
There are many sights to see in London and definitely quite a few of them are dotted along the River Thames. But what often skips our attention are the pathways between the two banks - bridges. Some of them are not only functional, they also have great histories. So next time when you stroll out of … [Read more...]
Guest Post: Britain’s Lesser-Known Theme Parks – 5 of the Best
December 9, 2011 By 1 Comment
There’s no doubt that Britain is theme park crazy. Despite the country’s limited size and the fact that it’s impossible to operate outdoor attractions for much of the year, almost 30 parks consistently manage to attract enough visitors to stay afloat. Even that number isn’t enough to satisfy … [Read more...]
Your Guide to Royal Family Christmas Traditions – What’s Christmas like In The British Royal Family?
December 8, 2011 By 3 Comments
Like many of us, the Royal Family will gather together around a trimmed tree this Christmas and pause to reflect upon the passing year. The royals also celebrate the season, like many families, with traditions that have been passed down through the years. Let's take a look at some of the Royal … [Read more...]
British Airways Opens Revamped Museum at London’s Heathrow
December 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The British Airways museum at the airlines’ headquarters has re-opened its doors, as the Speedbird Centre, after an extensive redevelopment programme.The centre showcases the past, present and future of the airline and is open to staff, researchers and members of the public by … [Read more...]
History: Sudeley Castle celebrates the Queen’s 500th birthday
December 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire is to celebrate the quincentenary of a remarkable English queen. Katherine Parr was the last of Henry VIII’s six wives. Born in 1512, she married Henry in 1543 and after his death in 1547 she married Lord Seymour of Sudeley. She lived and died at Sudeley … [Read more...]
List of Free British Museums – Free UK Museums
December 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The British government recently marked the 10th anniversary of offering free admission to many of the nation's biggest museums. So, we thought it'd be a good idea to present a list of all those museums to help you in your UK trip planning. Here's the full list of Free UK Museums: Armagh County … [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.
