The Website for People Who Love Britain - Anglophiles
It has been awhile since I've posted an update on my pregnancy. Things are so busy and I recently took a very long trip stateside, but now that I am back home in the UK and find myself taking a bit more time off my feet, I can finally make a little update! I'm glad I got to take a trip home and thoroughly discuss my antenatal care with friends and … [Read more...]
Several months ago I took a sabbatical from blogging, mostly because I found I was well settled and there were very few things that were new to me anymore. Well all that changed in mid-May when I found out I was pregnant with my first child. I'm 13 weeks pregnant today, and already have been thrust head first into the thick of the NHS. I … [Read more...]
On Valentine's Day, I took myself out for a single girl's date in London. I figured the most romantic thing I could do was to see "Sexual Nature," a temporary exhibit about the mating habits of animals. The exhibit features pictures, video, and animal sex taxidermy! We all knew the British were "stuffy" about sex ... You can see and hear my … [Read more...]
Since my last update a month ago I've learned so much about my family's past. So much that I don't think I could begin to fit it all into this blog. A few weeks ago my husband and I, equiped with nothing more than a camera and a few names and dates, took a short trip up to an area north of Hexham in Northumberland. I wasn't sure what I was going to … [Read more...]
A few months ago a mysterious advert featuring Dustin Hoffman rattling on about great stories went to air, advertising Sky Atlantic was "coming soon"... Well it is here, Sky Atlantic is a new channel which is free to all Sky subscribers (for the moment) and features HBO programming (with commercials of course) along with some other selected … [Read more...]
A few weeks ago I posted about how I didn't quite know what was next for me. Since then I've gone ahead and started doing some further digging into my family's past, particularly my maternal grandfather's line. Years ago my Uncle Tom- who passed away a few days before I moved to England in 2008- did a lot of research (and this was long before … [Read more...]
Breaking News up here in Seaton Carew! You really can't get much closer to the story than I am, as I live only a few doors down from where the Darwins lived while he was hiding out in a bedsit adjoining their seafront home. This morning as I took my dog for his morning walk I noticed a couple news crews parked along the sea front here. … [Read more...]
This year I will be celebrating my third anniversary in Britain. I've now been blogging about my life in Britain for over two years. There was a time when I could barely contain all the new interesting things I was experiencing into one blog post a week. A lot happens in two years, I've learned to grocery shop, use metric measurements, cope with … [Read more...]
In my 2 1/2 years in Britain I have had to learn a whole new set of vocabulary for grocery shopping, cooking and baking. I think the biggest variations come in the baking area where nearly everything has a different name and measuring is much more precise. At this time of the year when you may decide to try your hand at maybe a Christmas pudding … [Read more...]
This week of all weeks I had to head down to The Cotswolds for a two day training session for my new job. I did have quite an ordeal getting down by train on Sunday and arrived 4 hours later than I had expected, but most of my time that day was spent waiting in the cold at train stations. When Tuesday rolled around and it was time for me to head … [Read more...]
Over the next two weekends cities, towns and villages across Britain will be switching on their Christmas lights! Here is a guide to most of the Christmas Lights Switch On festivities I've found across the North East. The best things about these events are that they are free to the public, great for all ages and what could be a better way to start … [Read more...]
Two Saturdays ago I had the pleasure of attending a wedding in the Scottish village of Gretna Green. Gretna Green is perched right along Scotland's border with England, about 20 minutes North of Carlisle in Cumbria. I didn't know much about Gretna Green or its reputation for runaway weddings before we journeyed there, but at first glance I could … [Read more...]
This guide isn't just for expats themselves, it is really a two way street and keeping up traditions takes a little planning on both sides of the pond. So really, this is a guide to gift giving for expats as well as their family and friends back home. Living abroad is an amazing experience in so many ways, but clearly the one major downfall is … [Read more...]
I've been excited for this autumn to see what new television programs would fill the void of many great series that came to an end last season. One program I was especially excited about was a documentary orchestrated by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant called "An Idiot Abroad". They send their friend Karl Pilkington on a culture-immersed tour of … [Read more...]
When you arrive in Hartlepool, one of the first things that you notice is that unlike your typical English town of this size, the steeples of churches aren't the only thing you see rising above the roofs of houses. Here in Hartlepool, the closest thing we have to a skyline are the masts of HMS Trincomalee. This retired Royal Navy ship currently … [Read more...]
I realize that I'm posting this right at the end of the summer, possibly not the best timing for a post such as this but I've had so much excitement this summer from the process of getting my ILR Visa to the Tall Ships Races here in Hartlepool and Red Dreams Pitch Invasion music festival last weekend that I just haven't had the opportunity to … [Read more...]
I'll cut to the chase, I received my Indefinite Leave to Remain visa just a little over a week ago and I am now permanently settled in the United Kingdom! The final process of filling out all the paperwork was by far the easiest part, the hardest part for me was parting with £840, especially since we are living on my husband's income alone and … [Read more...]
I came, I saw, I had my say. I realize this is a long post, so I've split it into two parts for your benefit, first about the experience in general, and then specifically about my brief appearance. Behind the scenes of BBC Question Time The entire experience was amazing from start to finish and something I'll never forget and always feel … [Read more...]
BBC One's Question Time is visiting Hartlepool this week, and even better- I'm going to be in the audience!!! Following last week's Question Time they mentioned the next stop was going to be Hartlepool so I went online and applied to be part of the audience. I got the call yesterday that I was selected! I had to submit one question in advance … [Read more...]
Well let's get right to it- I PASSED! Yes, on my first try I passed the Life in the UK Test. I found it quite simple really, although I can understand where the challenges lie for people who come from different cultures and don't speak English as a primary language. It took me less than 10 minutes to finish all 24 questions and review my answers … [Read more...]
Through my involvement with Hartlepool's local radio station Radio Hartlepool I've also become connected to a local charity called Red Dreams that supports young musicians in the town. I volunteer for Red Dreams as a vocal coach and also have the privilege of being exposed to the music and creativity this newest generation of muscians from the … [Read more...]
I can't believe I've been here for nearly 2 years. Now that my UK Spouse Visa which gave me temporary residency is running out, the next step to permanently settle in the UK is to apply for an Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) Visa. The process for this visa requires another hefty application fee as well as passing a Life in the UK Test. I've now … [Read more...]
Last year was my very first experience with the Eurovision Song Contest, and I was hooked immediately. It was so ridiculous and thoroughly entertaining. I have been looking forward to this all year long and it definitely delivered lots of great entertaining moments and a few full on nearly rolling off my couch belly laughs. I'm not sure what is the … [Read more...]
In my opinion one of the biggest advantages to living in the North of England is that you are just a short drive from Scotland. My husband has worked in Scotland for over a decade stationed at both of the Royal Navy bases in Scotland, Rosyth right outside of Edinburgh on the East coast of Scotland and Faslane just outside of Glasgow on the West … [Read more...]
If you listen to most of the London-based headlines it is easy to believe that the recession is over and the UK is on its way to recovery. This may be true in the South East of the country which has rebounded quickly. However, the reality up here in the North East is much harsher. Northerners were the first into the recession and it seems we will … [Read more...]
[picappgallerysingle id="8762039" align="center"] This morning the sun rose on a new government in Westminster, after 13 years of a Labour government Britain is now under a new era with Prime Minister David Cameron leading a Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition government the likes of which haven't been seen here since 1945. I should … [Read more...]
So since today is General Election Eve I probably should be writing about my experiences and views about the candidates and parties and hot button election issues. However, I can't stand talking about politics and its my birthday so I don't think I should spoil my birthday by discussing my least favorite topic. Instead I'm going to talk a bit … [Read more...]
We are coming up on the one year anniversary of adopting our dog Max from Dogs Trust, a charity that rehomes unwanted and abandoned dogs in the UK from several centers throughout the country. Max has been an amazing companion and this past year has been so memorable with him in our lives. Owning a dog in the UK isn't that much different than in the … [Read more...]
Spring has always been my favorite time of year, first of all because my birthday is in the Spring but also because I love watching flowers bloom and things starting to green up. Living in Chicago for three winters where I walked everywhere in the bitter cold, Spring was such a reprieve from a seemingly endless winter and the moment the snow … [Read more...]
Seaton Carew, the little seaside village where I live, made national headlines in Britain in 2002 when John Darwin went missing off the North Sea coast after paddling out to sea in a canoe. Five years later in 2007 Seaton Carew then made international headlines when Mr. Darwin stumbled into a London police station claiming amnesia, but his story … [Read more...]
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Anglotopia was founded by Jonathan and Jackie Thomas in 2007 in a closet in Chicago. Anglotopia is for people who love Britain - whether it's British TV, Culture, History or Travel - we cover it all. Anglotopia is now our full time jobs and we spend our time working on the site and planning our yearly trips to Britain. Join us as we explore Britain and everything it has to offer!
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