The Website for People Who Love Britain - Anglophiles
Coming up to the 4th of July now, one of the two holidays that never fails to make me nostalgic for the States (the other is Thanksgiving). I supposed that’s because, unlike a lot of the other holidays, rather than being celebrated, but in a different fashion, they are totally ignored: no … [Read more...]
I might have titled this post “2012 Olympics-Bound” or something similar, but I didn’t want to be sued. Seems the UK Olympic committee has copyrighted the term “2012 Olympics” (darn, now I owe them another fiver). (Editor's Note: I'm not afraid to use 2012 Olympics) (Side Note: As I … [Read more...]
This week, I am reporting to you from the south of Scotland, the very south of Scotland. At the tip of the Mull of Galloway is the Gallie Craig Rock, reputed to be the most southerly point in Scotland. We were staying n Kurkcudbright, which was only 60 miles away, so we couldn’t resist … [Read more...]
One of the major differences between living in Sussex and living in Clifton Park is that, while I was living in New York, I rarely ever left my apartment and walked into town to find it teeming with men and women dressed in all manner of strange get-up, festooned in jingle bells and prancing about … [Read more...]
What’s the use of having a column if you can’t use it to your advantage once in a while. I don’t have much to say these days because I’ve been busy working on another book. Just for you (yes, you). This book covers the second half of my first decade in Blighty. If you liked the … [Read more...]
It has been no ordinary week. The wedding, as you are well aware, went off with nary a hitch and I was able to sit and watch it in the comfort of my own sitting room (drinking tea out of our commemorative Kate and Wills tea mug) while Jonathan braved jet-lag (as well as a crowd of more than a … [Read more...]
These are exciting times to be in Britain. In addition to the exhilaration that comes from living on the knife-edge of national bankruptcy, we have a Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games coming up. Oh, and a Royal Wedding. This is a new thing for me (Charles and Camilla don’t count) so I am … [Read more...]
I understand. You're an Anglophile, you've been dreaming of visiting Britain your whole life, now here you are on your first trip abroad, delighted to be in the company of real, live Brits. So why do they seem annoyed with you? Maybe it was something you said. In order to avoid spending most of … [Read more...]
My wife and I went to the cinema to see “The Ghost†this week. It was a terrific book, and the movie, while perhaps longer than it should have been, was equally good. I recommend both, though if you are in America, you'll need to look for “The Ghost Writer†because, for … [Read more...]
Even as you read this I may be exercising my civic duty as a UK citizen by voting in my first General Election. Then again, I may not be; I may have already voted by now, so I'm probably down at the pub discussing the weather or the economy, or, just perhaps, the election. This is a significant … [Read more...]
I'm standing outside my kitchen door trying to imagine American-sized appliances in there. Currently, we have a washer, dryer, refrigerator, freezer and a stove in there. The reason I'm standing out here trying to imagine it is, if they were all American-sized, I can't imagine being able to fit in … [Read more...]
Photo from Flickr To continue with my “I've been here how long?†theme, this week we'll take a look at some of the things I would like to adapt to, but just can't seem to get the hang of. On the up side, I am pleased to say I can now travel around without getting lost (too often), … [Read more...]
I have just passed my eight-year anniversary. On February 28th 2002, I left the US with no home, no job and a new appreciation for what it means to be homeless—as if most homeless people are flying off to Europe on a trans-Atlantic jet. My fiancée's parents took me in, so I didn't … [Read more...]
It's always a crap shoot when you agree to meet up with another blogger. I'm happy to say, however, that I have a good track record (and still regret not being able to meet up with Jonathan) and that today was no exception. I used the last of my 2009 holiday allowance (25 days a year, oh yes!) … [Read more...]
I don't generally do reviews, but this was something special: War Horse is a book by children's author Michael Morpurgo. The book was made into a West End play and my wife and I went to see it this past weekend. You must see this play. It was, without question, the most dramatic, moving, … [Read more...]
Mike Harling - our excellent American Expat columnist living in Britain who writes Dispatches from the South - was featured on BBC Oxford on Friday. Mike talks about the differences between the USA and the UK and how they celebrate Halloween. Very interesting talk! Click below to have a listen - … [Read more...]
If you're in Britain on the 31st of October, don't expect to see a lot of ghosts and goblins at your door; trick or treating is not the done thing here. This shouldn't be taken to mean that the season of Halloween is not a festive time in the UK; it is, and then some. It's just that the candy scam … [Read more...]
One of the unexpected side effects you will discover if you become an expat is that you will often feel as if you are adrift in a sea of uncharted idioms. After seven years, I now know where most of the reefs are, but there is still the overall feeling that I am, ultimately, an outsider, both … [Read more...]
To me, one of the best, unexpected side-effects of living in Britain is that memories from my youth are often confronted with their reality here. And while reality can sometimes be disappointing, it is always a thrill to find myself walking down Drury Lane (where, if anyone had any sense they would … [Read more...]
Like many of the towns and villages in this coastal corner of the Northeast, Craster has a castle. And a golf course. As near as I can tell, both are the “must have†features of any successful municipality and, thanks to an uncharacteristically sunny day, we explored both on a wander … [Read more...]
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...]
Here I am, dispatching from the south—South Wales, that is. This time I'm in a Travelodge in Newport with a mild hangover and a dodgy internet connection. Life doesn't get much better than this (and you thought being an ex-pat was all glamour and good times). So far, Newport is an … [Read more...]
Okay, let's get this out of the way from the get go: the biggest difference between cops in the UK and cops in the US is guns. It really mystified me when I came over here and saw cops without any side arms. It still does. The result of this disparity is apparent if you watch those “Cops … [Read more...]
Mike already blogged about this today - but since the BBC makes you use their iPlayer and scan through the whole thing, I thought I'd capture a recording and post it here for everyone to listen to. Click the player below to listen to Mike Harling talk about the differences between the USA and the … [Read more...]
We interrupt our regularly scheduled dispatches to bring you this special bulletin. Your dispatcher from the south was on BBC Oxford today (25 August) for a five-minute interview on the differences between the way American and the British celebrate. Click the link and move the counter to 32: … [Read more...]
When people ask me what is different about Britain and I tell them, “everything,†they think I'm exaggerating. But when something as simple and ubiquitous as a sandwich can cause confusion, you know you are dealing with decidedly disparate cultures. First of all, the British have … [Read more...]
When I moved here, I expected a lot of differences, and assumed these differences would follow me into my place of employment. But my move from a US to a UK work environment was not nearly as much of a culture shock as my move from a public sector job to private industry. After 25 years as a civil … [Read more...]
One of the many advantages of living in the UK is that little bit of heaven known as the Full English Breakfast (or the Full Scottish, Irish or Welch, depending on where you are located). I won't try to convince you that breakfast in the UK is bigger than an American breakfast (really, what is?) … [Read more...]
If you've been paying attention (and if not, why not), you will have noticed my regular column has not been here for the past three weeks. That was my son's fault; he got married. And insisted I attend. As is generally the case when my wife and I attend North America, we flew into … [Read more...]
Mike has gone on vacation and while he's away we have a treat for Anglotopia readers. Mike has been kind enough to post some excerpts from his excellent book "Postcards from Across the Pond." If you'd like to buy Mike's book - you can do so here. People in Britain name their houses. The … [Read more...]
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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.
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