A deckchair higher than a double decker bus has been erected to celebrate summer on Bournemouth beach in Dorset. Report by Sam Datta-Paulin. Very cool! … [Read more...]
Weird Britain: World Snail Racing Championships
February 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Norfolk is to snail racing what Newmarket is to horse racing. It's damp and low lying and so a very good area for breeding fast snails. These world championships have been taking place in Congham for 30 years and the village prides itself on being able to breed fast snails...something to do with the … [Read more...]
Weird Britain: World Toe Wrestling Championships
February 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Predatoe nailed this year's World Toe Wrestling Championship Toe wrestling began in 1976 when regulars at the Ye Olde Royal Oak Inn, in Wetton, Derbyshire set about searching for a game that the British could win. With a lack of any talent in existing sports, a decision was made to invent a new … [Read more...]
Guest Post: Puppy Love: Cute or another Quirky British Obsession?
February 6, 2012 By 5 Comments
For those visiting from abroad, the British obsession with pets and all things furry can come as a bit of a surprise. Most countries, particularly those in the Western part of the world, keep pets. Dogs have been domesticated since early times. We know that the Egyptians saw cats as important … [Read more...]
Weird Britain: Brit Builds his Own Rocket Pack in his Back Yard
February 2, 2012 By 1 Comment
A British man has built his own rocket back in his back yard. Awesome. … [Read more...]
Weird Britain: British Car Jumping Championship – The seduction of destruction
January 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The Hollywood-style action, albeit minus the glamour, took place at Angmering race track in West Sussex. Spectators were treated to an increasingly rare glimpse of 'gladiator' style Motorsport in this increasingly sterile land where "Health & Safety" often prevails. The brave (or possibly … [Read more...]
Weird Britain: Complete Guide to Britain’s Quirky Events in 2012
January 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Britain wouldn't be the same without it's wealth of quirky events, we've rounded up as many as we can think of, so if you fancy a spot of swamp football or perhaps think you could become the World Marble Champion then now's your chance. JANUARY THE LOONY DOOK When: 1 January 2012 Where: Grand … [Read more...]
Weird Britain: Bicycle Umbrella Jousting
December 16, 2011 By 1 Comment
The jousting fence, which forms the barrier between each jousters course, is created by stretching a rope between two old-fashioned wooden hat stands. Most sports require specialised clothing and bicycle Jousting is no different with blazers, waistcoats and a nice pair of flannel trousers being … [Read more...]
Weird Britain: Following the Obby Oss in Cornwall
December 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The first day of May is Obby Oss day in the Cornish town of Padstow in south-west England. Obby Oss is local dialect for Hobby Horse and on May Day Padstow locals who were born in the town traditionally wear white decorated with red if their family follows the ‘Old Oss’, or with blue if they … [Read more...]
Weird Britain: New Exhibition Imagines What Post-Apocalyptic Manchester England Would Look Like
December 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A British artist has done a series of drawings imagining what Manchester England would look like after the apocalypse. It's a strange yet interested look at Britain's 'second city.' Check out the gallery below: Source. … [Read more...]
Weird Britain: Paul Toole’s Extreme Christmas lighting in Somerset
December 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Paul Toole's Christmas light show uses over 40,000 bulbs and attracts people from across Somerset. … [Read more...]
Weird Britian: British Man Lives In 1930′s Time Warp
November 22, 2011 By 2 Comments
One would think a local Riddleton, in the West Yorks, has stepped back into the late 1930's. However, Michael McTigue, hasn't he is living and breathing in 2011. Mr McTigue has a passion for the era and lives his life, when he is not driving a school bus as if it were 1938. What does living in … [Read more...]
Weird Britain: Britain’s Knitted Village
November 17, 2011 By 1 Comment
At first sight, this looks like a classic British village. There's a beautiful two pubs, a shop, a school, a village hall, a huge Georgian manor house with landscaped gardens, cricket pitch and dozens of red-brick cottages with gardens in full bloom and vegetable patches bursting with cabbages, … [Read more...]
Weird Britain: Britain’s Other Olympics – The Olympicks
November 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The 2012 Olimpick Games will include cannon-fire, wrestling, shin kicking, swordplay, fireworks and a torchlight procession. The annual Robert Dover’s Cotswold Olimpick Games will take place on 1 June on Dover’s Hill in the Cotswold town of Chipping Camden, 400 years after the first sporting … [Read more...]
Weird Britain: Isle of Man Space Industry Looks to the Future
November 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment
To infinity and beyond? The Isle of Man believe their space industry could be worth over a billion pounds over the next few years. … [Read more...]
Weird Britain: Pumpkin House – Video
October 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Halloween horticultural draws tourists to a Sussex shed roof. For most of the year, little passes for news in the very sleepy West Sussex village of Slindon. Perhaps the biggest events recently were the closure of the local pub and post office. But come October - all that changes and the talk of … [Read more...]
Weird Britain: British Man Mummified for Science – Video
October 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A British man, Alan Billis, has become the first person in 3,000 years to be mummified like an Egyptian pharoah. Report by Sophie Foster. … [Read more...]
Weird Britain: The Sheep Racing Grand Nationals – Video
October 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment
It might not have had the glitz and glamour of the real Grand National but the annual sheep Grand National saw a classic race with Mint sauce winning in style. As with many great English sports, the origins of sheep racing can be attributed to alcohol. For it was in early 1989 at a dinner party … [Read more...]
Weird Britain: The Pedal Car Museum – Video
October 20, 2011 By 1 Comment
Entrepreneur Phil Collins, 60, has opened a museum to exhibit his vast collection of toy pedal cars -- the largest of its kind in Europe. He has spent the past decade travelling all over the World collecting over 400 pedal cars and other antique toys. It all started back in 1986 when he was in … [Read more...]
Weird Britain: National Town Criers Championship 2011
October 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Some 20 of Britain's top criers met for the National Town Criers Championships. A valid, competition-grade cry must begin with the traditional "oyez, oyez, oyez!" After two rounds which were the "Home cry" and "Sun, Sea and Sand - Hastings is Grand" the winner was announced - last year's champion … [Read more...]
Weird Britain: Robin Reliant Racing – Top Gear Fans Would love This!
October 9, 2011 By 1 Comment
Britain's Reliant Robin car has been the butt of many jokes among motoring enthusiasts, not least because one is used by the family in the country's favourite TV comedy, Only Fools and Horses. But the fibre glass three-wheeler that's now out of production is still a favourite among some drivers and … [Read more...]
Weird Britain: The Bingo Calling Championships
October 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The perception of Bingo as the quaint English game played on a seaside pier has long gone. Bingo is played by huge numbers of the public across the country and in many other parts of the world. Bingo has come a long way from its halcyon days in the 1950's when it was found on sea piers. In the … [Read more...]
Crazy Anglophile Moves to Island Feet from Buckingham Palace, Dies and no one notices
October 3, 2011 By 1 Comment
This is a strange story I thought was worth sharing. An American Anglophile who was obsessed with The Queen moved to a island in St James Park to be as close as possible and then died. His body was found 3 years later. From the Telegraph: The details of his life – which has drawn … [Read more...]
Odd Britain: Lawnmower endurance race in West Sussex
September 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment
I used to thing that Lawnmower racing itself was odd but this just takes the cake! Teams of eccentric racers take on the 2012 12-Hour lawn mower endurance race in West Sussex. … [Read more...]
Pics: Where Double Decker Routemaster Buses Go to Die
September 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The folks over at How to be a Retronaut have posted some great pictures of a Routemaster Bus graveyard in the UK. Here's a couple pictures: I wouldn't mind having one of these in my back yard! Would make a great office! Check out all the pictures here. … [Read more...]
Doctor Who: Man Who Doesn’t Like DW Owns World’s Largest Dalek Collection
September 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
File this under the 'eccentric Brit' category. It eccentric enough to own the world's largest collection of Daleks. It's downright crazy if you're not even a Doctor Who Fan. Rob Hull, from Doncaster, would be a real match for Doctor Who! He has a collection of nearly 600 Daleks and is a Guinness … [Read more...]
Heinz Changes Recipe to Cherished HP Sauce – Brits Revolt
September 13, 2011 By 1 Comment
Lovers of HP sauce say forcing the concoction to contain substantially less salt has ruined its taste. Jon Snow investigates. … [Read more...]
Amazing Story: Paraplegic man flies from England to Australia in mircrolight
August 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Pilot Dave 'Wheely' Sykes has reached Sydney in Australia after an epic journey flying from West Yorkshire in England. Report by Dominic Mason. … [Read more...]
Odd Britain: Pulling faces at an ancient fair at the Egremont Crab Fair
August 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The Egremont Crab Fair – one of the oldest fairs in the world – takes place on the third Saturday in September on the Cumbrian coast in north-west England. The fair was first held in 1267, to celebrate the generosity of the Lord of Egremont, who gave crab-apples to the poor. These are small … [Read more...]
What Does Britain Look Like to a 2 Year Old? Video Inside
August 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A British dad wanted to know what the world looked like to his two year old daughter, so he devised a clever experiment. He put a camera on her head and observed the results. Check out the video below: … [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.
