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

Candid Pictures of Winston Churchill Painting in France in 1948 is a post from: Anglotopia.net

It’s widely known that Britain standing up to the Nazi onslaught was it’s proudest period of the 20th century. Inspired by this we scoured the web for our favorite British World War II propaganda posters and have added them to a gallery below!

From Keep Calm and Carry On to Someone Talked – check them out!

Click an image below to open up a gallery.

Which one is your favorite?

History: British World War II Propaganda Posters is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Got a spare $3 Million lying around? A painting by Winston Churchill and gifted to Franklin Roosevelt during the war is now for sale.

Here’s a few snippets about the painting:

• Winston Churchill painted and gave this work to President Franklin Roosevelt
• The Tower of Katoubia Mosque is the only painting Churchill attempted during the war
• It commemorates the pair’s trip to Marrakech following the 1943 Casablanca Conference
• This historically significant work bears a remarkable and complete provenance
• Signed “WSC” (lower right); Oil on canvas

Churchill Painting Gifted to Franklin Roosevelt Up for Sale in the USA is a post from: Anglotopia.net

After a restful full night’s sleep, I woke up early in the morning. I had two major events on the radar for the day: make an appearance on BBC Breakfast, and then head off to Chartwell to visit Churchill’s home.

As I wrote about yesterday, I had originally been scheduled to appear on BBC Breakfast (our equivalent to Good Morning America) during the Royal Wedding, but I was bumped to Saturday. I certainly didn’t mind! It’s such an honor, I didn’t care when it was.

I put my best suit back on and headed in a cab to Shepherd’s Bush where the main BBC headquarters is located. I arrived early and waited in the reception area for the producer to come fetch me. I really couldn’t quite believe that I was sitting in the reception area of the BBC!

The producer came and led me through a labyrinth of hallways to the BBC Breakfast studios. It was quite interesting to see behind the scenes of the BBC. I was led to the “green room” – which was little more than a cupboard, in all honesty. It was crammed with people, and I squeezed in. I couldn’t quite believe it, though. I was sitting right across from Simon Schama!

You may remember him as the host of A History of Britain a few years ago. You probably also saw him during the BBC’s coverage of the Royal Wedding. I was a little star struck, as I admire him quite a bit. I introduced myself and said it was an honor. There was a prominent journalist there, but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out his name. He knew Simon quite well, and they joked back and forth.

I also had the pleasure of meeting probably the most famous Royal photographer — Arthur Edwards — who was a very charming fellow indeed. I didn’t realize it, but I’d also met the lady who made Will and Kate’s wedding cake, and didn’t realize it until I saw her on the screen being interview ahead of me.

I met a charming American woman named Victoria who’d journeyed to Britain for the Royal Wedding, and she was going to be interviewed with me. We both were a little flabbergasted as to where we were.

After a bit, we were ushered into the actual studio, where the cake lady Fiona Cairns was being interviewed, and we waited for our turn. When the interview was over, we congratulated Fiona and introduced ourselves.

And then we were on!

The interview went great, if a little short. We talked about our experience on the Mall for the Royal Wedding. Sadly, no one was able to record it for me, and I wasn’t able to obtain a recording.

After the interview, we were led back to the green room, where I enjoyed listening to all the talk amongst the fellow people waiting their turns. After a short while, it was clear they were done with us, and we were led to the exit.

What a fabulous and wonderful experience. Many thanks to everyone at the BBC who contacted us and brought me on the air. Such a treat.

As I left the BBC, it was still early, thankfully, and I had plenty of time to take the Tube back to my hotel and change into more suitable clothes for the journey to Chartwell.

I grabbed a cab to Charing Cross station and bought a return ticket for my journey to Sevenoaks. The best way to get to Chartwell from London is to take a direct train from Charing Cross to Sevenoaks in Kent, and then take a cab from there to Chartwell. There are no daily buses to Chartwell, so the only way to get there is with a cab or by renting a car.

I still had a few minutes to kill before my train, so I grabbed some delicious cookies from Millie’s Cookies, and then searched for my platform. I got on the train and waited to depart. The train journey was slow at first — which I didn’t mind.

Trains leaving Charing Cross cross over the Thames on their way toward South London, so it was cool to see the Thames, Houses of Parliament and London Eye in all their sunny glory.

I got to see some lovely parts of London as the train left. The train journey was only due to be about half an hour, and it ran on time. The train follows pretty built up areas until you’re almost in Sevenoaks, and then BOOM – you’re hit with beautiful rolling English Countryside.

It was quite a delight.

In no time, I arrived at Sevenoaks, which is all honesty, wasn’t the nicest of train stations. Thankfully, since it’s a busy station, there were plenty of cabs out front. I grabbed a cab from Beeline Taxis and had a quiet drive through country lanes to Chartwell. The driver wasn’t very talkative, which I didn’t really mind. I was too enthralled with where I was. In my own little personal heaven.

Soon I arrived at Chartwell, but you couldn’t tell really as the main entrance to Chartwell is well away from the house so you don’t see it until after you’ve paid your admission. I booked the taxi to pick me up in a few hours, giving myself ample time to explore the grounds.

Chartwell is run by the National Trust and is a pretty substantial little operation. It was also pretty expensive to get into Chartwell – almost £12 – but it was to be worth every penny. Once you’ve paid your admission, you follow a beautiful manicured path up to the main house. I was surprised to see many of my fellow countrymen there paying a visit, especially since it’s rather difficult to get to Chartwell.

After a twisting path, there it was — Chartwell. It’s not a particularly remarkable house by grand British House standards, but it’s remarkable in that for one man, it symbolized everything he loved about Britain. It was his cherished home. His bit of England. The place that inspired him. The place where he wrote his speeches, books and entertained Britain’s finest.

The house was filled with history. Unfortunately, you’re not allowed to take pictures on the inside. Their excuse is that the National Trust can display the paintings and images in the house, but they don’t own the copyright on the images, so you can’t go around snapping pictures or taking video.

The house works on a timed entry system where you pick a specific time you want to go in, and then they let you in in phases so the house doesn’t get too overcrowded. It was a bank holiday, so it was pretty crowded already. I stood outside the house and took a million pictures while I waited for my scheduled time.

The most astounding thing about the place, and the very reason why Churchill bought the place, is the view. Words cannot describe how beautiful it is. So, here’s picture.

When the time came to enter the house, I was let in with a small group of people. There are no guided tours of the house, but in every room there are experts who highlight various bits of Churchillian trivia worth knowing. It was nice, but a little more structure would have been nice. Once inside, I discovered the biggest problem of all — you can spend as much time in the house as you like, which makes it difficult to explore the house as no one is in an hurry to get a move on.

I explored the rooms and listened to the guides, studied the art on the walls. My favorite room was Churchill’s study — still featuring everything the way it was when he died. It was quite a treat to peak at his bookshelves and examine his taste in art. I got through the house pretty quickly. I probably should have lingered more considering the time and expense it took to get there, but I saw enough for one visit.

Here’s a picture of the study someone braver than I took:

Outside, you’re free to walk around the grounds and admire the views. I took a bajillion pictures and admired the house, which was beautiful. I called home to my wife to thank for her letting me come on this trip. It was a dream. I was in a dream. and I didn’t want it to end.

I explored the grounds, admired Churchill’s gardens and made my way through the property to the other highlight of the day — Churchill’s studio where he painted. It’s still as he left it and features a massive selection of his paintings on display, which were such a treat to look at. The man had such talent at painting. Once that was over, I ventured through the gardens and looked for the brick wall that he built with his own hands (he even got a union card, he laid so many bricks).

I looked at the time and had quite a bit of time until my cab was due to come pick me back up. I’d seen it all, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to fill time time. I left the grounds of the house and headed to the restaurant to see about something to eat. The menu didn’t really appeal to me (I’m a very picky eater). so I opted for tea and cake instead. The tea was all right, but the chocolate cake was awful.

After that, I spent quite a bit of time in the gift shop, which was a mecca of Churchill-related items, and I was presented with a problem: I wanted to buy everything in the store. But as I had a small suitcase, that wasn’t a good idea!

I had plenty of time, so I gave it considerable thought. I had purchased two beautiful programs when I bought my ticket, so I didn’t feel the need to buy anything about the house. I have a pretty good library of Churchill books at home, so didn’t want to stock up on books. There was, however, one book I really did want — a giant hardcover dedicated to Churchill’s painting life and how it affected his political life. It was a definite keepsake/heirloom. The problem was that it was really expensive.

I decided that I shouldn’t buy any books, I can get them cheaper and VAT-free on Amazon.com. My usual policy is not to buy anything while traveling that I can get easily at home.

Oh, how I wish I hadn’t listened to myself. Much to my dismay, when I returned to London, I learned the book is out of print! The only place to buy it was at that store!

Still, I came away with 3 keepsakes from the Churchill store — a very large print of Churchill’s painting of Chartwell, a smaller 8×10 picture of Churchill with a famous saying, and a photograph of his studio. Still lovely souvenirs, which were going to be difficult to get home unscathed. But very beautiful.

Even after the shopping, I still had an hour to kill, so I sat on a bench and admired the views.

The cab drive back to the train station was much more interesting as the cab driver was more talkative, and we talked about many topics. Back at the train station, I picked up a bunch of newspapers (they were the commemorative editions about the Royal Wedding). The train ride back to London was uneventful, and I arrived back to my hotel without trouble. Before I went back to the hotel, I made a pit stop at the London Transport Museum to pick up a special gift for the lovely wife who made it all possible.

I bought her a beautiful teaset designed from old Tube posters. Check it out below.

I spent my final night in London watching Doctor Who, eating room service, and enjoying my last hours in London.

I’d planned to write about Day 5 of the trip in London tomorrow, but really, there’s not much more to write about. When I woke up the next day, I packed with a heavy heart and took the Heathrow Express back to the airport.

I had a special meeting at the airport with a business associate, and I’ll be able to talk more about that in a few weeks if everything gets approved. Stay tuned!

I spent my last couple hours in the airport terminal picking up last-minute souvenirs and eating a hearty lunch.

Leaving England, my life is at a crossroads. My family has started, my career has shifted, and I’m not sure when I’ll be able to come back to England. We hope this fall, but that all depends on if we can make a go at Anglotopia, if we can turn enough profit from this business to live and fund our adventures in Britain.

There’s just SO much possibility right now.

As the British Airways plane took off, I knew I’d be back. When and for how long was a question mark. Still, I was glad to be going home.

One day England will be home.

Check back next week for more posts about my Royal Wedding Trip to London, where I review my hotel, flight and much more!

Royal Wedding Trip Diaries – Day 4 – Final Day – Appearing on BBC Breakfast and Journey to Chartwell is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Did you know that there was a National Churchill Museum in the USA?

I didn’t either until yesterday and normally I’m pretty on top of these things.

The National Churchill Museum on the campus of Westminster College in Fulton, MO is the only North American institution fully devoted to immortalizing the life and work of Churchill. Founded in 1969, the Museum was recognized in 2009 as ‘America’s ‘National Churchill Museum’ by the United States Congress.

Not only is it an entire museum dedicated to Churchill – it’s located within a church designed and built by Sir Christopher Wren that was dismantled piece by piece and brought to the USA.

From their website:

The most visible element of the Museum is the magnificent Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury, a 17th century Christopher Wren church. This church left in ruins courtesy of German bombs in World War II was brought, stone by stone, to Fulton and resurrected on Westminster’s campus in 1969. The Church serves both as a permanent memorial to Sir Winston’s life and to his visit in 1946 when he delivered possibly the most famous speech of his long career, the “Iron Curtain” address.

Very very cool! I’m going to have to make an effort to visit this place! And it’s actually an inspiration for a future article – top British places to visit in America.

Here’s more info on the statue unveiling and if you’re in the area on Friday you can attend:

Edwina Sandys, Churchill’s granddaughter, will help dedicate a new sculpture of Sir Winston Churchill created by noted St. Louis sculptor Don Wiegand at a special unveiling ceremony at 11 a.m., Friday, May 13, at the National Churchill Museum, located on the campus of Westminster College in Fulton, MO.

Sandys, an acclaimed artist herself, is responsible for “Breakthrough,” a sculpture on Latshaw Plaza at the Westminster campus that she made from eight sections of the Berlin Wall in memory of her grandfather. The work is the longest contiguous section of the Berlin Wall found in North America.

“This new sculpture, which will be erected on the newly constructed Plaza in front of the National Churchill Museum, will create a much more dramatic entrance to attract visitors to our remarkable Museum,” says Dr. Rob Havers, Executive Director of the National Churchill Museum. “The piece captures the decisive moment when Churchill vividly described the Iron Curtain that had fallen across the Continent and, in doing so, provided the metaphor that would encapsulate the Cold War for the next 40 years.”

The bas relief sculpture showcases the moment when Churchill delivered the famous “Iron Curtain” line at Westminster College in his landmark address with a metaphor which defined the Cold War for a generation.

The sculpture is the work of Don Wiegand, a St. Louis artist of national and international reputation who has won countless awards for his work.

Born in St. Louis, Wiegand is responsible for numerous pieces in and around the St. Louis area, including the George “Buzz” Westfall Memorial in the St. Louis County Government Center’s Memorial Park in Clayton. His work may be viewed at the Anheuser-Busch Visitors Center, Cathedral Basilica, Cervantes Convention Center, Jefferson Memorial Museum, Missouri Botanical Garden, and Lambert International Airport.

Outside of St. Louis, his work is on display at public institutions such as the John F. Kennedy Library, Mark Twain Home and Museum, Ellis Island, NASA Space Center, U.S. Senate Building, Texas Stadium, The Vatican and the White House.

His stainless bas reliefs of “Charles A. Lindbergh” and the “Spirit of St. Louis” became the first bas relief sculptures in space.

The Churchill statue has been donated by Richard J. Mahoney of St. Louis, who is a Churchill Fellow and a member of the Board of Governors. He is a longtime supporter of the Churchill Museum and a lifelong admirer of Winston Churchill. He was instrumental in the creation of the “Winston S. Churchill: A Life in Leadership Gallery” at the National Churchill Museum.

National Churchill Museum Website.

Churchill Statue Unveiling This Friday in Missouri at the National Churchill Museum is a post from: Anglotopia.net

I caught site of this info on Slashfilm and I thought it was worth sharing. Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt had a very fascinating relationship during World War II.

So fascinating – it was the subject of a book called Franklin and Winston – which I’ve read and was fantastic.

Now, it’s apparently being made into a movie by Angelina Jolie with Anthony Hopkins tipped to play Winston Churchill.

From Slashfilm:

Anthony Hopkins revealed in a recent interview that he’s been talking to Angelina Jolie about taking on the role of Sir Winston Churchill in Churchill and Roosevelt. Although I haven’t heard too many details about the film, it’s probably safe to assume that Churchill and Roosevelt will focus on the two leaders’ professional relationship during World War II.

Jolie is said to be “developing” the film, though it’s not clear whether her official role will be that of a producer, director, actress, or some combination thereof. She’s apparently very excited about the project, however — Hopkins said that Jolie has “got a thing about Churchill,” whatever that means.

Jolie recently sent a synopsis of the script to Hopkins, but the actor has not yet confirmed his involvement. One thing holding him back may be the politician’s famously rotund physique: “I don’t know, I’d have to put on some weight to play Churchill,” Hopkins joked to the interviewer. “I’ve just taken the weight off, I’d have to put it back on again.” The project is still seeking a Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Source.

I’m really looking forward to this – they really did have a fascinating relationship that would make a great movie. The only treatment we’ve had of the friendship so far was from the movie “Into the Storm” which really glazed over it too quickly. Hopkins would make a great Churchill.

We’ll watch this project closely.

British Movies: Churchill and Roosevelt Film in the Works is a post from: Anglotopia.net

I’m a huge admirer of Winston Churchill, and if everything goes to plan, on this very day, I’ll be journeying from London to his home at Chartwell in Kent. To mark this occasion (and lifelong dream for me), I thought it’d be appropriate to share my favorite Churchill quotes and one liners.

“Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.”

“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.”

“Although prepared for martyrdom, I preferred that it be postponed.”

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

“A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject.”

“Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put.”

“I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.”

“I am prepared to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.”

“If you are going through hell, keep going.”

“It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.”

“My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me.”

“Never, never, never give up.”

“We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”

“You can always count on Americans to do the right thing – after they’ve tried everything else.”

Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

Churchill: My Top 14 Favorite Winston Churchill Quotes is a post from: Anglotopia.net

photo credit: wit

Blenheim Palace near Oxford — the magnificent palace given to Winston’s ancestor John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough by Queen Anne in recognition of his famous victories over the French in the early 18th century — is a popular destination for visitors to England. The palace, where Winston was born, contains much Churchill memorabilia and a display highlighting the wartime friendship between the British Prime Minister and President Roosevelt.

Before entering Blenheim’s superb grounds, take a little time to visit the nearby village of Bladon. At first glance this is a quiet,  unremarkable village overlooked by the church of St. Martin. But St. Martin’s churchyard holds the last resting place of the greatest Englishman of the 20th century.

Sir Winston Churchill could have been buried with the greatest men and women of British history, in Westminster Abbey or St. Paul’s Cathedral. Instead, he left instructions that he should be laid to rest in a humble English churchyard, surrounded by the graves of his family. No floodlights, no soldiers on guard duty. Just a churchyard like hundreds of others with local people nearby going about their daily business, representing a way of life that Churchill was determined to preserve. (“We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be.”)

See and admire Blenheim; but remember that a man whose achievements were even greater than John Churchill’s chose a simpler monument.

Official Blenheim Palace Website.

This post was written by John Bateson of Historical Quests History Tours of England.

Guest Post: Guide to Winston Churchill’s Final Resting Place is a post from: Anglotopia.net

This book is a lovely little self-pulbished title that was sent to me for review. Everyone knows I’m a huge admirer of Winston Churchill and this book provides a fascinating insight into the man and how he thought.

The book is called What Would Churchill Do and is a unique look through history at Churchill’s qualities and how they can be used today in a business setting.

The author, Stuart Finlay, has carefully done his research and it shows. The book is well written, thorough and joy to read.

I soak up anything about Winston Churchill and this book has made an excellent addition to my Anglophile Library. Finlay provides illuminating commentary backed up by primary source documents. All in all, it makes a very interesting read.

One neat thing about the book is the way it portrays Churchill as a person, a person who knew how to use people in order to get things done. There’s a lot of good nuggets in the book about how to manage people so this book succeeds in it’s intentions to show the business world how a few lessons from history will help them have a better business.

As a small business owner myself, it’s fascinating to take the problems I face everyday and put them into a context like Winston Churchill. It’s fun to think that I can take things he learned and apply them to my own life.

So, if you’re looking for a way to combine work with Churchill, this is the book. Well worth the money.

Anglophile Reviews: What Would Churchill Do? is a post from: Anglotopia.net

This is old news and I’m not sure why I didn’t know about it at the time, but The New Yorker published a long profile of Winston Churchill last August.

Here’s an excerpt:

Seventy years ago this summer, in June of 1940, an aging British politician, who for the previous twenty years had seemed to his countrymen to be one of those entertaining, eccentric, essentially literary figures littering the margins of political life, got up to make a speech in the House of Commons. The British Expeditionary Forces had just been evacuated from France, fleeing a conquering German Army—evacuated successfully, but, as the speaker said, wars aren’t won that way—and Britain itself seemed sure to be invaded, and soon. Many of the most powerful people in his own party believed it was time to settle for the best deal you could get from the Germans.

At that moment when all seemed lost, something was found, as Winston Churchill pronounced some of the most famous lines of the past century. “We shall go on to the end,” he said defiantly, in tones plummy and, on the surviving recordings, surprisingly thick-tongued. “We shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.” Churchill’s words did all that words can do in the world. They said what had to be done; they announced why it had to be done then; they inspired those who had to do it.

That fatal summer and those fateful words continue to resonate. Revisionism, the itch of historians to say something new about something already known, has nicked Churchill without really drawing blood. In American conservative circles, he is still El Cid with a cigar, hoisted up on his horse to confront the latest existential threat to Western civilization (though his admirers tend to censor out the champagne or cognac glass that this ferocious Francophile kept clamped there, too). In Britain, it’s a little different. Just as J.F.K. is adored abroad and admired at home—where by now he’s seen as half liberal martyr, half libertine satyr—Churchill in Britain is revered but quarantined, his reputation held to the five years of his wartime rule. The Labour grandees Roy Jenkins and Denis Healey treat Churchill in their memoirs as a historical figure deserving of affection and respect but not really part of the story of modern Britain. (Jenkins eventually wrote a life of him, and ended up surprised by his own high opinion.) The revisionism from Churchill’s own side is more marked; some on the British right even see him as the man who helped lose the Empire in a self-intoxicated excess of oratory that was the sort of thing only Americans would take seriously. It is typical of what his American fans can miss that a writer for the Wall Street Journal recently quoted Gore Vidal calling Evelyn Waugh a kind of prose Churchill, and thought this flattering to Waugh. In fact, Waugh disliked Churchill, prose and politics alike—his alter ego, Guy Crouchback, calls him “a professional politician, a master of sham-Augustan prose, a Zionist, an advocate of the popular front in Europe, an associate of the press-lords and of Lloyd George”—and his dry-eyed, limpid, every-pebble-in-its-place language was utterly remote from Churchill’s sonorous, neo-Latinate sentences, and meant to be so.

Read the rest here.

It’s well worth a read!

The New Yorker Profiles Winston Churchill is a post from: Anglotopia.net

This iPhone app is very cool – but not very useful. The Winston Churchill estate has released an official iPhone app that features the wit and wisdom of Churchill.

It also features:

• Great Speeches
• Biography
• Book
• And Myths Debunked

It’s a fun app – but it’s lacking in a few areas – for example it only has the text of his speeches. It would be nice to have the audio of his speeches – something that is readily available in many places on the internet. It’s also not optimized for the iPhone 4/iPod Touch. This won’t affect a lot of users, but the nicely designed app looks like crap.

It’s still worth having – I’m sure they’ll include the speech audio later and update for iOS4. Until then, it’s still fun to read through his best quotes.

The Churchill App costs a reasonable $1.99.

Click the link below to Download:

Winston Churchill Officially Comes to the iPhone is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Editor’s Note: The following is another guest post from Raffaele Lagattolla, a young Englishman who wanted to share his passion his homeland and wants to encourage Americans to take an interest in it. Thanks Raffaele!

Four infamous words, coined by Winston Churchill after French and British Forces had been driven off Dunkirk in 1940. WWII is in my mind THE iconic moment in man’s history, but Britain’s role in the Allied victory is one of intense debate. After the invasion of France in 1944, the European conflict became an American show, ran by Eisenhower and powered largely by US forces.

The number of times I have been in the US and heard the phrase “we saved your asses in WWII” I do not care to count. I actually accept that this statement is somewhat true. I would argue that while Britain was more than capable of holding the Germans off on her own, but lacked the resources and man power available to actually defeat the Germans in Europe. This is where the US came in, however I feel that to many people the role played by Britain before America’s entry to the war in December 1941 is oft forgotten. This is why I have chosen to write about The Battle of Britain. Like it or not, had the UK lost this crucial engagement, America wouldn’t have had a chance to enter the war against Germany.

“What General Vegel* called The Battle of France is over… The Battle of Britain is about to begin…” Churchill in 1940 was certainly on roll with his speeches, and produced some fine rhetoric still quoted today. Defence of Britain from air attack by the Luftwaffe was first on everyone’s minds. However the UK certainly had the resources to do so (despite being outnumbered about 3:1), we had coined the finest fighter defence system in the world, equipped with state of the art radar. Our fighters (the infamous Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire) were either a match or superior to the Luftwaffe’s fighters (the Bf/Me-109E). In short we were well prepared, and in some ways the Germans shot themselves in the foot regarding the command of the Luftwaffe. I’ll explain…

The Luftwaffe was headed by Hermann Goering, and ex WWI fighter ace who was pompous, inept, arrogant and a morphine addict. He did not understand modern air tactics and often quarrelled (unbeknownst to Hitler) with his subordinates (Adolf Galland and Albert Kesselring). In fighting was commonplace, and went as far as Galland infuriating Goering with the statement “To win this battle, I shall need an outfit of Spitfire’s for my squadron.” Hugh Dowding, Keith Park and Leigh Mallory led the RAF in comparison. While the occasional squabble was not unheard of, the three men agreed on most issues and ably led the RAF against the German Luftwaffe.

Today “The Few” are remembered, come to Britain and many tourists will still find a love of Britain’s WWII servicemen who fought in the Army, Navy or RAF. The Battle of Britain is an iconic moment in British history, chiefly because we defied all the odds. The US at the time predicted a crushing defeat of the RAF by the Germans, and many thought Britain was doomed. This is why air shows around the world still proudly display a flyby of Spitfires, Hurricanes and Lancaster bombers, often with Churchill’s speeches being aired over loudspeaker. Or more rarely the music from the 1969 film “The Battle of Britain” ringing out across the airfield.

By gaining victory over the skies of Southern England the UK was able to hold off a German invasion. It is highly unlikely that come December 1942 (aka Pearl Harbour) Hitler would have felt a need to declare war on the United States if Britain was occupied. Even if he had, America would have had extreme difficulty in first crossing the Atlantic and then invading occupied Britain with no help from anyone, however it took four years for the combined British, American and Canadian fleets to destroy the German Navy in the Atlantic, for America to do that on her own would have been nearly impossible (don’t forget, with Britain paralyzed Canada as part of the Empire would have gone with her).

The Battle of Britain 70th Anniversary has just past in the UK, with a flyby taking place up Whitehall in London, the sound of Churchill’s “Never before in the field of human conflict, was so much owed, by so many, to so few…” speech in people’s ears. I was one of the thousands strong crowd, many with a tear in the eyes as the fighters flew over. Many veterans were also present, and were universally respected by all of the younger generations, standing resplendent in 1940′s style RAF uniforms. Forget those old men being proud, we were proud to see them alive and well.

*I believe this is the correct spelling, however don’t sue me if I am wrong…

Guest Post: The Battle of Britain is a post from: Anglotopia.net

You can file this under ‘I wish I was in London today.’ To mark the 70th anniversary of Churchill’s famous Battle of Britain Speech – a special ceremony was held in London today outside the Churchill Museum.

The star of the show was one of the last original Spitfires doing a flyby along with some Hurricanes. Very cool.

Here’s a couple videos from ITN News of the day.

Spitfires Mark Churchill Speech Anniversary is a post from: Anglotopia.net

There were a lot of happenings in the Britosphere today, so I thought I’d try something new and put together a larger posts similar to Mandy’s Royal Round-up (Every Tuesday like clockwork!).

Patrick Stewart Knighted Officially

We reported earlier this year that Patrick Stewart was given a Knighthood by the Queen in her New Year’s Honours list. Well, yesterday she finally physically gave it to him and he can now be called Sir Patrick Stewart.

Stewart Praised a Teacher that inspired him:

”When I leave here I will be going to a luncheon that has been arranged and sitting on my right will be a man called Cecil Dormand who was my English teacher when I was a child.

”Although many people in my life and career have had great influence on me, without this one man, none of it would have happened.

”Because he was the one that put a copy of Shakespeare in my hand, he was the one who told me it was a play and not a dramatic poem, he was the one who said ‘now get up on your feet and perform, this is a play, it’s life’.

”He was the one who said when I was leaving the secondary modern ‘have you ever thought of doing this as a profession?’.

”He put me in a play with adults, so I owe literally everything to this man.”

Read More About his day here at the Telegraph.

Last of the Summer Wine Cancelled

The longest running TV Show in the UK – Last of the Summer Wine has been cancelled by the BBC after 37 years on TV.

From the BBC:

Long-running BBC comedy Last of the Summer Wine is to be axed after 37 years, the BBC has announced.

The series – which has followed the exploits of Compo, Nora Batty and friends – made its TV debut in 1973.

Over the years it has featured a host of famous faces including Eric Sykes, Dame Thora Hird and Bill Owen as Compo.

Jay Hunt, controller of BBC One, said the final series to be shown this summer will be a “fitting farewell” to the well-loved characters.

It will feature Peter Sallis as Norman Clegg alongside several other cast members including Russ Abbott as Hobbo and Brian Murphy, who plays Alvin.

Every single episode of the sitcom has been written by Roy Clarke and produced and directed by Alan J W Bell.

Read the rest here at the BBC.

BBC America Gets a New Boss

Herb Scannell, a former Nickelodeon Executive has been appointed the head of BBC Worldwide America, effectively immediately.

His plans for the network?

In a telephone interview, Mr. Scannell said that he would push for BBC America to be fully distributed in the country’s 100-million-plus cable and satellite households. (It is currently available in about 67 million households.)

He said he harbors ambitions for the BBC to be “an expanded and more diversified producer of television.” That includes “made in America programs,” “which I’m hoping to usher in,” he said.

Last week the BBC announced the first such program, “Come Dine With Me.” A reality show featuring amateur chefs, it is based on a British format, and it will be produced in New York.

Eyeing potential ratings gains, Mr. Scannell said that programs made in the U.S. would be relevant to American audiences while maintaining “the D.N.A. of the BBC, which is smart, innovative and irreverent.”

Read more about the appointment here at the New York Times.

I question the logic in appointing an American to the role of running a British themed network – but we’ll see what he does. BBC America has been improving over the last few years, so hopefully that will continue apace.

Churchill Memorabilia Auction Snags £600k

File this under “I wish I had a huge amount of disposable income.” A huge collection of Winston Churchill Memorabilia from through his life went on the auction block yesterday.

One of the largest collections of Sir Winston Churchill memorabilia, including an unsmoked cigar, has sold for nearly £600,000 at auction.

The items were sold by US publishing magnate, Steve Forbes, who amassed them over three decades.

The collection also featured a candid letter from the wartime leader, and a set of his free trade speeches.

Auctioneer Christie’s says the items, being sold in three parts, provided an exceptional insight into the man.

The first sale, of about 150 lots, will be followed by a second in New York in December and a third in London next summer.

Described as “the most important and comprehensive private collection of letters and books related to Winston Churchill ever assembled”, the items realised £577,063 in total.

Read the rest at the BBC here.

Brit News Round-Up: Patrick Stewart Knighted, Summer Wine to End, New Head for BBC America and More! is a post from: Anglotopia.net

File this under “I wish I had a lot of money.” For the first time in years, a sizable collection of Winston Churchill related materials are going up for Auction.

From the Guardian today:

A Boer policeman described the missing prisoner in less than flattering terms: 5ft 8in, 25-year-old Englishman with a slight stoop, pale features, reddish-brown hair with an almost invisible moustache. “Speaks through his nose and cannot pronounce the letter S.” Also, “cannot speak one word of Dutch”.

The prisoner in question was Winston Churchill and the reason for the telegram was his escape from a Pretoria prisoner-of-war camp, just before Christmas 1899. The alert had little effect. The future leader had managed to vault a wall behind the toilets before sauntering down the road to a railway where he leapt onto a moving train to safety. The telegram is just one item in what is the most comprehensive private collection of Churchill items ever assembled. Christie’s today said it was to auction the hundreds of items in three sections beginning in London on June 2.

The collection, remarkable by any standards because of its historical importance, was assembled by Steve Forbes, grandson of Forbes magazine founder B C Forbes. It includes etters, books, photographs and even a cigar (unsmoked).

Sadly, the cheapest item up for auction is £1,000, putting these items out of most poeple’s price range. Still, it would be magnificent to own a piece of Winston Churchill’s life!

Winston Churchill Collection to go up for Auction is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Wow! It’s hard to believe we’ve now entered week 3 of the new series of Doctor Who! It’s been a roller coaster ride so far and I’ve been enjoying the new Matt Smith based series greatly. Karen Gillan is lovely and a great addition to the Doctor Who team. Can’t wait to see what showrunner Stephen Moffat has in store for us! The big news is that Series Five premieres in the USA this week on BBC America and BBC America HD.

Doctor Who Series 5 Premieres on BBC America Saturday

The big news for Doctor Who fans based in America is that this week, the new series finally makes it’s way to BBC America Saturday April 17 at 9/8c with the American premiere of The 11th Hour. To mark the occasion, BBC America managed to bring Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Showrunner Stephen Moffat to the US to make the publicity rounds.

Here’s a video from their appearance at the Apple Store in Manhattan Yesterday:

Victory of the Daleks Review Schedule

Victory of the Daleks airs in the UK Saturday at 18:30/6:30pm on BBC One. We plan to watch Victory of the Daleks live and have a review written as soon as it’s over. I’m very much looking forward to this episode as I’m a huge Churchill fan and am very interested in the time period.

LSD Inspired The Concept of Regeneration

The BBC reported this week that the idea behind the Doctor’s regeneration was inspied by a bad acid trip.

From the article:

Doctor Who’s regenerations were modelled on bad LSD trips, internal BBC memos have revealed.

The Doctor’s transformations were meant to convey the “hell and dank horror” of the hallucinogenic drug, according to papers published on the BBC Archive.

Regenerations were introduced in 1966 to allow writers to replace the lead actor. New Doctor Matt Smith is the 11th Time Lord.

The papers also reveal the difficulties of bedding in a new Doctor.

In an internal memo dating from 1966, producers outlined how the original Doctor, William Hartnell, would be transformed for his successor Patrick Troughton.

Read the rest of the article here.

Series 5 – Episode 5 Synopsis Released – Flesh & Stone

The BBC have released the synopsis for the 5th episode of the new series:

There’s no way back, no way up and no way out. Trapped among an army of Weeping Angels, the Doctor and his friends must try to escape through the wreckage of a crashed space liner, in the fifth epsiode of Doctor Who, written by Steven Moffat.

Meanwhile, in the forest vault, the Doctor’s companion, Amy Pond, finds herself facing an even more deadly attack.

Flash & Stone airs Saturday 1 May, 6.25-7.10pm

Promo Stills and Pictures of Victory of the Daleks Released

The BBC have pushed out several excellent promo pics from this week’s episode Victory of the Daleks. I especially like the one of the dalek serving tea!

7 Big Changes in Doctor Who Series 5

SciFiWire is reporting that there are 7 BIG changes in series five worth noting (keep in mind this is geared towards Americans who haven’t seen the first two episodes). I’ve summarized them below:

The show is younger and sexier

The Doctor isn’t a loner anymore

Sexual tension is back

More stories will use time travel as a plot device

The sonic screwdriver, TARDIS interior get a makeover

The opening titles are different… unfortunately

This isn’t Season 5, after all

Read the details of each change here at SciFiWire.

Victory of the Daleks Intro Clips – SPOILERS!!!

Thanks to the wonderful Blogtor Who for posting these cool videos. Beware of SPOILERS!

Stay Tuned to Anglotopia for the latest Doctor Who news!

This Week in Doctor Who: BBC America Premiere, Victory of the Daleks Videos, Photos, Plot Details and MORE! SPOILERS!!! is a post from: Anglotopia.net

The fine folks over at Art of Manliness have put together a fine selection of Winston Churchill Related motivational posters.

Here’s my favorite:

The old codger was really a romantic at heart.

Check out the rest of the Winston Churchill Motivational posters here.

Winston Churchill Motivational Posters is a post from: Anglotopia.net

This book is a lovely little self-pulbished title that was sent to me for review. Everyone knows I’m a huge admirer of Winston Churchill and this book provides a fascinating insight into the man and how he thought.

The book is called Churchill’s Secret Skills and is a unique look through history at Churchill’s qualities and how they can be used today in a business setting.

The author, Binden Shovel, has carefully done his research and it shows. The book is well written, thorough and joy to read.

I soak up anything about Winston Churchill and this book has made an excellent addition to my Anglophile Library. Shovel provides illuminating commentary backed up by primary source documents. All in all, it makes a very interesting read.

One neat thing about the book is the way it portrays Churchill as a person, a person who knew how to use people in order to get things done. There’s a lot of good nuggets in the book about how to manage people so this book succeeds in it’s intentions to show the business world how a few lessons from history will help them have a better business.

So, if you’re looking for a way to combine work with Churchill, this is the book. Well worth the money.

5 out of 5 Union Jacks for informative history with a modern purpose.

Buy Churchill’s Secret Skills Today on Amazon for $14.95

Anglophile Reviews: Churchill’s Secret Skills by Binden Shovel is a post from: Anglotopia.net

I really enjoyed HBO’s recent airing of “Into the Storm” and will watch it a million times. However, it has serious flaws and I don’t think it’s on the same caliber as it’s predecessor “The Gathering Storm.”

The film, made in partnership between HBO and BBC Films is pretty much a direct sequel to “The Gathering Storm which aired several years ago. “Gathering” was all about the events leading up to World War 2 and Churchill’s warnings of an ascendant Hitler. But it wasn’t just about that – it was about Churchill the man and his relationship with his wife – whom he loved very much. And that’s the strength of “The Gathering Storm.”

The writer of “Into the Storm” (who was the same as the other one) seems to have forgotten about all that and decided to focus on the broad strokes of history. I’ve been salivating over the idea of a movie that focused on Britain during World War II. There aren’t that many these days as most films focus on American involvement, often ignoring the fact that the Brits stood alone for almost 4 years.

I think the biggest failure of this movie is that it was not longer. There was so much story to tell, so many events that were skipped over that I think it’s lacking. I think the characterization of Winston Churchill was good – however, I don’t think Brenden Gleeson was a very convincing Churchill. You could hear the actor’s Irish accent invading his acting and it was distracting. I really believe that Albert Finney played a better Churchill. The most maddening thing was the terrible lighting inflicted upon Brenden Gleeson – his really bad makeup on his fake bald head really stood out – creating a distraction that took away from the story.

One aspect of the movie I did like was how the relationship between Churchill and the King was portrayed. I really enjoyed those bits of the movie – even if it seemed a little tedious watching Brenden Gleeson make the trip up the stairs at Buckingham Palace a half a dozen times. The set design was nice, the scenes of World War II London were nice. I really liked the look behind closed doors of British Politics during the war.

The pacing of the film just seemed off. They chose to tell the story in a non-linear fashion that I don’t really think worked as the scenes in Post War France just didn’t seem to have a point other than to show Winston grumbling at his wife and servants.

One thing that I really think they have included at the end was a post script letting viewers know that Churchill was actually Prime Minister again. His defeat to Attlee was not the end of his political career.

Another aspect that bothered me was the inclusion of a lot of material related to the Americans and Franklin Roosevelt. It just seemed forced into the movie, especially the scenes that Churchill wasn’t actually in. I suspect this material was inserted to appeal to American audiences whom would not have appreciated a solely British Perspective. While the relationship between FDR and Churchill is portrayed as rosy – history shows that they weren’t exactly best friends.

I did enjoy how they portrayed the tortuous toll the war took on Churchill – especially when it came to traveling to the various conferences, a process that meant travel by unheated plane for many days at a time.

Now, I know I am being harsh on the movie. I still enjoyed it greatly and I suspect I will be watching it many more times. One of my favorite World War II era movies is “The End of the Affair” – it shows what life was like for normal people during the blitz.

Does anyone else have recommendations for movies about Britain during World War II?

Into the Storm Earns 3 out 5 Union Jacks for a weak plot that focuses on the broad strokes of history, but is still a very adequate and enjoyable movie.

For more information on Into the Storm:

Official HBO Website
IMDB Profile

Anglophile Reviews: HBO’s Into the Storm – Winston Churchill During World War II is a post from: Anglotopia.net

I came across this pretty interesting blog post the other day. Daily Routines is a blog that posts about the daily routines of famous people in history.

It gives a pretty good insight into how history’s brilliant minds operated. The other day, they featured the venerable Winston Churchill.

Here’s an extract:

Despite all this activity Churchill’s daily routine changed little during these years. He awoke about 7:30 a.m. and remained in bed for a substantial breakfast and reading of mail and all the national newspapers. For the next couple of hours, still in bed, he worked, dictating to his secretaries.

At 11:00 a.m., he arose, bathed, and perhaps took a walk around the garden, and took a weak whisky and soda to his study.

At 1:00 p.m. he joined guests and family for a three-course lunch. Clementine drank claret, Winston champagne, preferable Pol Roger served at a specific temperature, port brandy and cigars. When lunch ended, about 3:30 p.m. he returned to his study to work, or supervised work on his estate, or played cards or backgammon with Clementine.

At 5:00 p.m., after another weak whisky and soda, he went to be for an hour and a half. He said this siesta, a habit gained in Cuba, allowed him to work 1 1/2 days in every 24 hours. At 6:30 p.m. he awoke, bathed again, and dressed for dinner at 8:00 p.m.

Dinner was the focal-point and highlight of Churchill’s day. Table talk, dominated by Churchill, was as important as the meal. Sometimes, depending on the company, drinks and cigars extended the event well past midnight. The guests retired, Churchill returned to his study for another hour or so of work.

As you can see his daily routine involved the consumption of copious amounts of alcohol.

Credit goes to Daily Routines – Winston Churchill.

Winston Churchill’s Daily Routine is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Google Recently teamed up with LIFE magazine to digitize their entire archive and post it for free on the internet, available to all. Many of the pictures are stunning and provide an unique insight into the life of yesteryear.

I did a search through the gallery to find pictures that might interest my fellow Anglophiles and it was a gold-mine of awesome picture. I’ve pasted some of the best LIFE Magazine pictures of London below.

What’s great is that if you really love a picture, you can buy a beautiful print directly from LIFE. Prints are reasonably priced. If you want to browse the Google LIFE gallery, click here. If you’d like to see British pictures, search for British related keywords. You can also download higher quality versions, many large enough to make desktop wallpapers.

Anglophile Pictures – London Through the Ages: Pictures from LIFE Magazine is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Churchill in his Art Studio at Chartwell

Many people don’t know that in between saving Britain from invasion from the Nazi’s and keeping the Cuban Cigar Industry afloat, Winston Churchill was an avid painter, and a pretty good one at that.

You can see some of his paintings in the very place her painted them at Chartwell, his home in the Surrey countryside. Since most people can’t make the trek, I’ve found as many of the paintings as I could and posted them here. If you find more, let me know and I’ll post them!

Check at the bottom for links to places to buy Churchill’s art as well as some books on his painting. He even wrote a book about painting himself!

Sunset Over the Atlas Mountains – 1935 in Marrakech

River Scene Painted by Churchill

A Convent Painted by Churchill

Being a navy man, Churchill liked boats and water. A scene featuring a harbor by Churchill

One of the many paintings he painted in Morocco

Churchill’s “A Study of Boats.” One of his most famous paintings. It was painted in 1933.

Churchill painted “A View From Chartwell” in 1938. Chartwell is considered his own personal Garden of Eden. What’s interesting is that this was painted on the cusp of the beginnings of World War II.

Churchill Painted “A View from Tenherir” in Morocco in 1951.

Churchill Paints some sheep in an idyllic country scene in the 1940′s.

Churchill Paints a pond

Churchill Painted Another Scene from Morocco (one of many)

Books on Churchill’s Painting

Winston Churchill Himself wrote a book about painting as a hobby and you can still buy it. It’s definitely on my Christmas list!

Buy Churchill’s own book on painting: Painting as a Pastime

This is another book about Churchill’s Paintings.

Buy Sir Winston Churchill: His Life and His Paintings on Amazon.com

Where to Buy Prints of Winston Churchill’s Paintings

Galleria Fine Art – Winston Churchill Collection
Winston Churchill Fine Art Collection

The Paintings of Winston Churchill is a post from: Anglotopia.net