The Website for People Who Love Britain - Anglophiles
In October, 2012, Les Miserables celebrates 27 years on stage, and there’s good reason for the staying power of the world’s longest running musical. Time and time again, the cast delivers superb performances. The show has always been my favorite. To this day, my two-disc CD of the original London cast recording continues to get a workout. … [Read more...]
Enjoying afternoon tea is one of my favorite things to do in London. Enjoying it at a luxurious five-star hotel is even better. During my last visit to London, I took part in this British ritual at Fortnum & Mason and Harrod’s. On this trip, I had the pleasure of trying out The athenaeum hotel’s new ‘Evergreen Tea’, which … [Read more...]
You know a place is an institution when it has an archivist. There’s a lot of history at Fortnum and Mason and Andrea Tanner, the lucky woman who serves as the department store’s archivist, knows just about every detail. For 305 years, F&M has been the go-to place for the aristocracy. Today, its clientele still caters to the … [Read more...]
Spending a semester abroad in London is one of my favorite college memories. Living in a big city, catching the Tube to class each day, and traveling around Europe was quite an experience for a kid from the suburbs. Back then, the IRA was still carrying out its terror campaign in the UK, and a Pan Am flight from Lockerbie blew up mid-air about a … [Read more...]
Borrough Market is a foodie’s paradise. After I watched a segment about this legendary market on the Travel Channel (thanks for the tip, Anthony Bourdain!) I put a visit on my Must-Do-In-London List. I wasn’t disappointed! Located near London Bridge Tube station, Borrough Market is one of London’s largest food markets. You’ll find … [Read more...]
The three weeks I've spent here in London have been amazing, and the experience of being a Gamesmaker is one I won't soon forget. My venue was at the photo workroom help desk in the Main Press Centre on the grounds of Olympic Park. Gamesmakers at this venue helped still photographers from the 80-plus global news organizations complete their jobs … [Read more...]
Pin trading isn't an Olympic sport, but it's a hobby that has caught on to thousands of spectators. On a side street near the entrance to Olympic Park, I decided to try my hand at the art of the trade to two Greek pin traders, offering a Samsung pin I'd received in the media center for a USA pin with the Olympic rings. I was pretty pleased with … [Read more...]
For my day off, my host,Sheila, was kind enough to take me to see some of the English countryside. Although I'm staying in what is technically Kent, it's really a bedroom community of London, and lots of residents travel into London for work each day. We took a drive into nearby Seven Oaks to see Knole, a sprawling estate that is still … [Read more...]
The Olympic Games have brought the world to London, and anyone who visits Olympic Park is not disappointed. Its a massive venue, but really pleasing to walk through - even in the rain. Normally, I take a special workforce bus for volunteers and other support staff from the Tube nearly to Olympic Park, and walk directly to my volunteer assignment … [Read more...]
One of the mottos of the London 2012 Olympic Games is "Inspire a Generation", so it seemed fitting that a group of young athletes served as torchbearers to light the cauldron at Olympic Park on Friday. Carrying the Olympic Torch is an experience you never forget. By far, opportunity I had to carry the Torch for the 2002 Olympic Games has been, … [Read more...]
It's hard to believe I've been in London for four days. Let me tell you, it's been a whirlwind! After my British Airways flight to Gatwick I found my way to my host's home in Kent, then it was off to collect my Gamesmaker uniform. It was great to see so many fellow Gamesmakers! The whole process took about an hour, and while waiting, I met some … [Read more...]
So here I am, sitting at an airport in Tampa, Florida waiting for my flight to London, about to fulfill a dream I concocted about five years ago when I first heard London would host the Olympic Games. The thought of actually going to London for an extended period of time was kind of a pipe dream - something I just thought about, but didn't … [Read more...]
My British friend, Sue, summed up my impending trip to London for the Summer Olympic Games best. “It’s like planning a wedding,” she told me. “You have so much time, and then it’s next bloody week!” I couldn’t agree more. My trip to London has been more than two years in the making. It seemed like a … [Read more...]
Mornings are not my thing. I can do them when required, but in general, I forgo breakfast meetings whenever possible. But the chance to meet one of the people involved in public relations for the London Games? That was a breakfast meeting not to be missed. Robert Wright is the managing director of Davies Tanner, one of the PR firms assisting … [Read more...]
I’m not sure when I first got the idea to travel to London for the 2012 Olympic Games, but now I’m just 100 days from my dream becoming a reality. It still seems a little unreal to me, even as I purchased my plane ticket a few weeks ago, and as I comb through travel guidebooks and websites highlighting the places I want to visit during my … [Read more...]
With the London 2012 Games about 100 days away, I didn’t need to leave my hometown to get into the Olympic spirit. I just headed to a popular waterfront park in downtown Tampa, Florida to enjoy the two-day Road to London Fan Zone. The Road to London Fan Zone is an interactive experience, where I got to try my hand at seven different sports, … [Read more...]
Editor's Note: There's no doubt that London 2012 will be a big deal this summer - so as part of our plans to cover it, we've brought on board a new columnist who's actually going to the Olympics! Candace Rotolo is a writer who has been lucky enough to snatch a place as a volunteer in the media center during the Olympics. Here's her first post - … [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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