Anne Boleyn is known as the second wife of Henry VIII and the first British Queen executed. Her rise to power was quick and intoxicating and her fall from grace was spectacular. While the outcome of Anne’s life is well-known the facts leading to Henry’s decision to send the woman he loved to the executioner’s block are clouded. Charged with treason, adultery and incest Anne was forced out – but why?

Differing opinions of Anne’s demise are heavily debated amongst leading historians. In fact her death is so controversial that the execution is a topic of conversation that spans hundreds of years. Now in the new BBC Two documentary Hilary Mantel, David Starkey, and Philippa Gregory amongst others debate their differing theories as to why Anne fell out of favor with her King.

The Last Days of Anne Boleyn airs on BBC Two Thursday, May 23^rd.

The post Brit TV Preview: The Last Days of Anne Boleyn appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

The Cadet Life of Prince Harry by Vasile Michael is a detailed account of what a cadet enduring the 44-week program at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (or RMA Sandhurst) in Surrey, must experience… told as Prince Harry might have seen it. And when I first cracked the book open I have to admit, I didn’t know what to make of it. Michael is retired Navy officer whose native land is Romania, and the fact that English is not his first language was a little obvious. The sentence structures were a bit stilted and there were many, many exclamation points. Plus, I kept thinking, “How does THIS guy know what Harry was thinking?”

After a while, though, I just sort of started to go with it… and I gotta say, I learned a lot. My brother was a US Marine, but I know very little about his training. Most of my ideas about military training or life come from episodes of Gomer Pyle, USMC.

Reading about required the exercises and study – especially their final test – a simulated recon exercise, gave me renewed respect for anyone who’s been through basic military training. And Prince Harry? Well, I picture him sometimes as the naked guy playing pool in Vegas. Or just a spoiled rich kid. But that’s obviously not who he is… He’s a young man who’s not afraid of hard work, willing to put his life on the line for his country – a fitting representative for his country.

 And while the author, of course, couldn’t possibly know what was going through Prince Harry’s mind while in training, he might know what it means to typical cadets. And Michael does insert some of his own philosophies and reflections into Harry’s musings, but he makes valid points, and he does have significant military experience under his belt.

I remember when my brother went into the Marines, he was a college student who drank and slept more than he studied… but when he returned he had been transformed into a highly disciplined, honorable, hard-working machine of a man. I knew very little of what happened to effect his metamorphosis… until now.

 And my own life – well, it’s pretty loose. This book, though, has caused me to examine where good habits of self-discipline might be beneficial in creating character and growing me spiritually and intellectually. So… if you can get through the sort of awkwardness of the English as a second language, and the sort of oddness of the topic and execution, Michael’s book has something pretty interesting to say.

The post The Cadet Life of Prince Harry appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

The name of the grasshopper is “Harold.”
Image credit: MJ Kim/MPL Productions

Paul McCartney’s long history of Animal rights activism actually made for a truly touching scene on May 6, when, at a concert in Goiania’s Serra Dourada Stadium, a swarm of Esperanca Grilo grasshoppers (at least that’s what the NME said they were) swarmed the stage. One remained on his shoulder for the entirety of the three-hour show. Most of us would have either swatted the grasshopper or done the comparatively non-violent act of brushing it off, McCartney decided to introduce the 47,000-strong crowd to his new friend “Harold.” Of course, given that Paul is the long-time spokesman for an organisation which is well known for getting its knickers in a twist at events like the President of the United States swatting a fly on national television, this action may not be too surprising.

When performing “Hey Jude,” after singing the line “the movement you need is on your shoulder,” he added “it certainly is now.” The gig was part of McCartney’s latest Out There ! tour. For those of us who aren’t as interested in the revelation that Paul is a friend to all animals, even including the ones that can easily destroy a person’s livelihood, it should be noted that it seems Paul is dusting off a whole mess of classics that haven’t been performed live in decades just for this tour.

Some of the songs that haven’t been performed since Paul’s Days in the Beatles: “Eight Days a Week,” “Your Mother Should Know”, “All Together Now”, “Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite”, “Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da” (started in 2009); “Lovely Rita”

Songs dating to his days in Wings that haven’t been performed since: “Junior’s Farm” (which had its first appearance since 1975 in 2009), “Listen to What the Man Said” (not performed since “Wings over the World.”), “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five” (performed first in 2010), “Mrs. Vanderbilt” (first in 2008),

Songs that have been just plain out of commission for a while:”Paperback Writer” (1993-2009), “Hope of Deliverance” (from Off the Ground, performed for the first time in 20 years last year), “We Can Work it Out” (not since 2004), “Another Day” (not since 1993),

Songs from “Kisses on the Bottom” that haven’t been performed because nobody expected him to perform them: “My Valentine”

Granted, my definition of “songs newly performed” may be extremely lax, but, given that the last time I saw Paul live, I was still in High School, I ask for some indulgence.

The post Paul McCartney’s gig in Brazil appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

Visit Scotland has partnered with United Airlines to offer up a chance to win a dream trip to Scotland.

Here are the prize details:

The prize is for four people (1) winner will receive the prize and the winner will be able to choose three travel companions to accompany them on the trip. The prize comprises:

Car hire for the duration of the trip – the winner (and/or travel companions) must have a full, clean drivers license valid for use in the UK and adhere to the car hire company conditions of hire
6 nights accommodation for 4 people on a B&B basis in Scotland
Glasgow city treasure trail with Treasure Trails Scotland
Whale watching cruise with Sealife Adventures, Oban
Visit of Eilean Donan Castle with lunch
VIP guided tour of Coigach and Assynt in the North Highlands with Scottish Wildlife Trust expert
Cruise and visit to Urquhart Castle with Cruise Loch Ness
Outdoor activities with Boots N Paddles
Personal guided tour of Edinburgh Castle and the Scottish Crown Jewels
4 one-day Edinburgh Passes

Sounds like an awesome chance for a family to explore everything Scotland has to offer.

This sweepstakes is open to persons aged at least 18 and over and must be a legal resident of the country selected upon entry. This is a global contest.

Limit: Limit one (1) entry per person or email address.

You have until December 14, 2013 to enter.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO ENTER!!!

The post Scotland Alert: Win a Trip to Scotland to Explore the Highlands! appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

There is no shortage of guides to British Culture on the market these days and we’ve pretty much read them all as I love learning about every aspect of British Culture. So, I was rather dubious to the idea of yet another British Culture Guide coming on the market.

I was wrong to be so negative!

The British: An Awfully Useful Guide by Toby Hill  is a lovely little book that seeks to explain some of the biggest mysteries of British Culture. This book bills itself as “everything you ever wanted to know about the British but were too polite to ask.”

It’s certainly a concise book – at only 92 pages so it’s certainly not a comprehensive exploration of British culture. But there are plenty of nuggets of information in there that even I didn’t know.

This book makes a great gift for the Anglophile in your life, it’s a quick easy read and is filled with lovely and humorous illustrations that try to clarify certain points of British culture. It’s divided into several sub-sections that focus on: traditions, leisure time, food and drink, manners, language, etc. It’s all great fun.

The post Brit Book Reviews: The British – An Awfully Useful Guide by Toby Hill appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

The New Forest, designated a royal forest by William the Conqueror covers southwest Hampshire and extends into southeast Wiltshire and includes the last remaining tracts of unenclosed pastureland, heathland and forest in the South of England. It consists mainly of heathland rather than forest although there are of course plenty of wooden areas and two main rivers running through the area.

The area is well known for its ponies which is one of the recognised mountain and moorland or native pony breeds of the British Isles and they roam freely throughout the park. They are valued for hardiness, strength, and sure-footedness and I couldn’t resist including one in my first image.

New Forest Pony © Derek Fogg – British Landscapes Photography

My base for my stay in the New Forest was close to Ober Water which drains the heathland to the west of Brockenhurst and is the western most tributary of the Lymington River. On my first evening I was fortunate in there being nice light just before sunset and took the opportunity to walk down to Ober Corner and to wander around unhindered, apart from the ponies, capturing images of the wonderfully shaped trees and their reflections in the water.

Ober Water © Derek Fogg – British Landscapes Photography

The following day I took a walk, which I can highly recommend on the eastern side of the Forest, covering a variety of habitats and some of the best areas that this part of the Forest as to offer. The walk is approximately seven miles and starts near Beaulieu Road station taking in Rowbarrow which consists of mainly huge oaks in their dotage and silver birch followed by an area of working forest with felled pines and evidence of replanting and regeneration.

“Lonesome Pine” © Derek Fogg – British Landscapes Photography

Beyond the working forest you enter some of the one hundred or so Inclosures so much a feature of the Forest. The process of enclosing open land for timber production in the New Forest began in the 1700s with the most recent Inclosures dating from 1968. The fences keep out commoning animals which can damage young trees.

“Timber” © Derek Fogg – British Landscapes Photography

Finally passing through Denny Wood and returning to the start across open heathland.

The majority of the Forest landscape is short of opportunities to capture wider vistas although there are areas of modestly high ground – up to 420 feet above sea level in the north and west of the area, creating scenery not too dissimilar to that of Exmoor. In the south and east, gently undulating land dips gradually down towards the sea. One such area of high ground is Mogshade Hill which allows a wonderful view over Bratley with another lonesome pine which from certain viewpoints resembles an oversized bonsai.

Bratley View © Derek Fogg – British Landscapes Photography

Although my time in the area was very limited it has certainly given me plenty of inspiration for that return visit.

The post British Landscapes Photography: The New Forest – Britain’s smallest National Park appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

Photo by the Michael Molloy Estate and Sunday Best Records.

The NME articles that made up this story have been in my queue since early April. From what I have been able to understand, Michael Molloy, from Liverpool was heading home from the Bestival festival on the Isle of Wight when the coach he was on crashed. 50 people were injured and he and two others were killed.

However, Michael Molloy wrote several songs, at least two of which, “Rise and Fall” and “Hope you Know”, were written a year before the crash and recorded in July 2012, three months before his death. The tracks were completed by his friend, bandmate, and collaborator Alex Evans. They were made available April 30. The tracks were released by Bestival’s sister record label, Sunday Best.

Quoth Michael’s brother Joe: “It was Michael’s ambition to have his music recognised by the wider world. He never fulfilled that ambition so we, his family, are fulfilling it for him. Michael can never come back and we will never cease to grieve for him. We think about him every hour of every day. But Michael’s passion for music and his talent was one of the qualities which defined him and we want the rest of the world, through his music, to understand and appreciate in a small way just what a special human being he was… The release of the single is both in memoriam and in celebration and we wish to thank Sunday Best and all of the people who have supported Michael over many years.”

Rob da Bank, Radio 1 DJ and Bestival organiser added: “It’s obvious to me that Michael was a young and rare talent and that music was an extremely important part of his life. I’ve heard he absolutely loved Bestival and had a great time at Bestival 2012, so I feel privileged to be able to help his family fulfil his and their ambition of gettting Michael’s music out there.”

His mum Frances added: “The release of Michael’s single will represent a small step in the long and hard job of rebuilding our lives. We will always be thankful for the fact that he was the happiest 18-year-old alive at the time of his death. He was fulfilled and full of hopes and dreams. One of those dreams was for his talent to be recognised.”

It entered the charts at #38, and dropped off the charts the next week.  Fortunately for his memory, Molloy will also be honoured at this year’s Liverpool Music Awards. The ceremony, which is now in its second year, will dedicate its One To Watch award to him.

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The post Bestival Crash victim’s song released as a single appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

Click the image to download the full resolution version.

Click Here to Download the Full Sized Version.

After the interest expressed last week, we will put together a calendar for 2014 using these images. Expect details on ordering this summer. We have to find the right printer (and we want to make sure it will have the UK Holidays!).

The post Desktop Wallpapers – England’s Green and Pleasant Land – Dorset appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

Well, I have to hand it to Stephen Moffat. While I’ve generally been dissatisfied with his run on Doctor Who, he’s really pulled off something quite amazing.

All I can say is that it’s going to be a very long wait until the 50th Anniversary Special on November 23rd.

Read our full review on Tardistopia here.

The post Doctor Who: Series 7 Episode 13 Review – The Name of the Doctor – NO SPOILERS!!! appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

Links
The American Red Cross to help w/ the Victims of Hurricane Sandy
Earth Station Who Amazon.com E-store
ESW on iTunes
ESW on Stitcher
TARDISTOPIA

If you would like to leave feedback or a comment on the show please call the ESW feedback line at (404)963-9057 (remember long distance charges may apply) or feel free to email us @ eswpodcast@gmail.com

Download: earth-station-who-ep-38.mp3

The post Earth Station Who Episode 38 – Nightmare in Silver appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

P Diddy in his new role on Downton Abbey. Photo by The Sun from a screencap from the Funny-or-die video.

You’ve probably read the title of this article and asked yourself, surely there’s no way that the makers of Downton Abbey decided that rapper Sean Combs (aka Diddy, P. Diddy, Puff Daddy, Puffy, Puff, and a whole mess of other variations on the same themes) would be perfect for a role in the international hit show. And you’d actually be right.

On May 15, he made this announcement on his Twitter account: “MY BIG NEWS: So happy to announce that Im a series regular on DOWNTON ABBEY-my favorite show+i’ll be debuting a sneak peek tonight 12am PST!”

He made the following announcements prior to dropping the bombshell: “How many of y’all out there are Downton Abbey fans?” “I’m going to be making a big announcement in the next hour-im excited for yall to hear!” and “I have to admit that Downton Abbey is one of my favorite shows – and thats why Im so excited today @DowntonAbbey”.

However, a source from Boston’s WGBH, which produces Masterpiece, which exports Downton Abbey insisted that “[Diddy] hasn’t been cast in Downton Abbey.” Of course, one might be tempted to think, the Eavises denied up and down that the Stones would play Glastonbury until March. And now they’re the headliners. Maybe they’re doing something similar.

However, it turned out that, the announcement was, in fact, an elaborate hoax; On May 16, website Funny or Die released a spoof of Downton Abbey starring Combs, who had had some acting experience, including several one-offs in shows like Hawaii 5-0, CSI: Miami, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, a recent reprise of Sidney Poitier’s role in a TV adaptation of A Raisin in the Sun, and a role in Oscar-winning drama Monster’s Ball so small that, if you look it up on IMDb, you have to pull up the “full cast and crew” to confirm it.

I originally wanted to post the video here, but I couldn’t embed the Funny-or-Die video here, and I’m sure any Youtube versions of the video would have a very short life if I posted them, so here’s the video.

The post P. Diddy reveals he is joining the cast of “Downton Abbey”… or not! appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

Welcome to the latest episode of Londonist Out Loud, a podcast about London.

Londonist Out Loud is presented and produced by N Quentin Woolf. This week’s guests are Francis Marshall, Senior Curator of Art, and George Young, Senior Curator of Contemporary History at the Museum of London Docklands.

The guests take a tour of the museum’s latest exhibition, Estuary, while discussing the landscape, history and influence of this compelling environment.

Estuary opens today at Museum of London Docklands and runs until 27 October 2013. Open daily 10am-6pm, free entry. 

See also:

• The abandoned Estuary sea forts
• Museums of London’s upcoming late event with live entertainment, food, drink and a Londonist-hosted quiz

This week’s show is sponsored by Audible.co.uk and to celebrate we’re offering you a FREE digital audiobook from their expansive catalogue.

Click here to claim your free audiobook today

Choose any title from their online library of over 60,000 digital audiobooks, with a special 30 day free trial of the Audible service. You can listen to your audiobook on all iPods, iPhones, iPads and on compatible phones and MP3 Players – you can even burn to a CD and listen in the car. Your free audiobook is yours to keep, whether you decide to cancel in your trial period or not.

Interested in sponsoring this podcast? Contact us on hello@londonist.com for more details.

The post Londonist Out Loud: A Podcast About London, 17 May 2013 appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

The only piece we have on Noel this time.

Noel recently attended Temples’ gig at London venue The Lexington, and, while he liked it, he wished he could see it at someplace bigger than the small pub, like the Death Star.

Quoth Noel: “It’s not really music that should be played in a pub. It’s cosmic space music – it should be played in an empty Death Star. Even an empty arena during soundcheck would be better. Imagine what they’d sound like with all the echo… I thought it was fucking great and I love them. When I was listening to it I was thinking about what the record’s going to be, and the future of the galaxy depends on that record and the Jagwar Ma record. If those two records are right, then the imperial – what are they called, the imperial forces… those c*nts – will be defeated.”

When asked about what he’s doing, he said: “I’m working on a building of love. I’m going to build it for everyone.” And that is all he has to say about that.

Liam and Glastonbury: I’m really in my wheelhouse here.

Liam has crushed any chance that Beady Eye could ever do Glastonbury. Oasis headlined in both 1995 and 2004, with a spot on the NME stage in 1994. But it looks like he’ll never do it again: ”Never, ever doing that thing ever again because it’s a nightmare.” He said the sound is: “shit and really quiet … It’s like Bond Street with mud, with loads of celebrities walking around in their boots and umbrellas. I’m not having it.”

Liam’s possible feud with the Stone Roses.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Gallagher Brothers article if either Liam or Noel didn’t try to trash someone. This time, it’s the Stone Roses he’s turned on. Liam, a long-time fan whose new band Beady Eye even supported the Stone Roses at Heaton Park last summer, crossed some sort of line in Dubai. According to The Sun:  “It’s all gone a bit sour recently with Liam and The Roses. There was an ugly incident in Dubai when Liam said a few things that were totally out of order. It didn’t go down well at all. Ian, John and Reni are all low-profile lads and don’t subscribe to aggro of any sort. They were also getting a little bit pissed off with him ballooning on the side of the stage every time they played a gig. He had to be escorted off at one show and put behind the mixing desk because he was making such a scene. He was then slung out of there for spilling beer on the desk. He was generally being a bit of a knob – and The Roses can’t be arsed with the pantomime.” Yep, that’s our Liam!

Of course, Bonehead, former Oasis rhythm guitarist is unconvinced: “I wasn’t in Dubai with Liam, I was in Barcelona with him for the first gig at the Razzmatazz, [he was] totally well behaved and a good night was had by all. First I’ve heard he was kicked out in Dubai, I’m sure I’d know if he was though. I don’t believe a word of it, he was out with his wife and kid.” The Stone Roses have refused so far to comment.

Liam still hates Noel.

But, naturally, he still hates Noel. He recently credited Noel performing with Blur with “killing Britpop.” Quoth Liam: “What killed Britpop? The fucking fakest cuddle in my entire life, that’s what fucking killed Britpop. Noel and Damon Albarn killed Britpop. Why? Because they thought they invented it, that’s why. And when? You know when, ha ha.” Odd. I thought Radiohead killed Britpop in 1997 when OK Computer turned out to be a huge hit and Oasis’ new album Be Here Now didn’t.

Liam added: “I’m into the Teenage Cancer Trust, but that was bollocks. If you think that was genuine you must be living on the fucking moon. Why do I know that? Because I know my brother. That’s how I feel. He’s full of shit. I think Damon’s alright. Graham Coxon sees right through it, but you know our kid. It’ll be Robbie Williams next week.”

He also said this: “We’ll keep it as two because there’s too many people loitering in the past. We can’t be doing 10 of them in the set, we’re not Oasis. Noel does quite a bit, but that’s his fucking thing: splitting up Oasis and putting half the fucking songs in your fucking set, it’s schizophrenic. If you want to play fucking Oasis songs put the band back together and stop being a fucking gobshite. But he hasn’t got the balls to go and do High Flying Birds on his own, like we did [playing just Beady Eye songs initially]. That’s just the nature of the man.” *Sighs* Liam, you  and your brother owe your entire goddam career to “loitering in the past.” Let’s forget the fact that the reason every single record Oasis, Beady Eye, and even Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds has sold so well is because of the success of Definitely Maybe and (What’s the Story) Morning Glory. You and your brother have spent so much of your career trying to emulate the success of a band that has recorded a grand total of three songs since 1969. And, seriously, it’s fine that you want to promote your new material, but remember why all those people are here. Besides, all four Beatles have performed Beatles songs at their solo concerts. Hell, in his 1974 tour, George Harrison performed “In My Life,” a song he neither wrote nor even sang on, and nobody complained about that. Granted, they complained about everything else in the show, but not that. But, seriously, say what you will about Noel. He wrote the vast majority of Oasis’ songs. He even produced the albums and we’ve got the ringing ears to prove it. I can’t say you have to perform a lot of Oasis songs, but, I can say your rationale for not doing so leaves much to be desired.

B.E.

Regarding his new album, BE, he’s got several things to say. First of all, the title wasn’ t his idea. Quoth Liam: “[The title] is nothing to do with me. I wanted to call it ‘Universal Gleam’. But at Columbia [their record label], a lot of people got their knickers in a twist, putting out a record called ‘Universal Gleam’ when we’re not on [the label] Universal. So yeah, it’s ‘BE’. ‘BE’. ‘BE’ who you are. ‘BE’ whatever you fucking want to be. ‘BE’. Fucking bumble-’BE’. I find that a bit more hippy-ish than fucking ‘Universal Gleam’” When asked about what “Universal Gleam” means, he said: “‘Universal Gleam’ was when John [Lennon] and George [Harrison] met up with [Beatles publicist] Derek Taylor when Brian Epstein died. They went to meet him and he just said that they had a universal gleam about them. I wanted to call it that, but other people were going, ‘No no no’, so I went, ‘Look, call it what you fucking want.’”

To Q, he talked about his misgivings for the album’s success: “Well, if we’re barking up the wrong tree with this record, I don’t know if I can be arsed barking up it again.” When asked what he’d do if he didn’t play music, he said: “Maybe I’d just sail off into the distance and enjoy my life, instead of worrying what some spotty little twat from Hastings thinks about the record.” Of course, he said:  “The album’s gonna come out, hopefully people’ll like it, and business as usual will be resumed.”

And now for the weird stuff:

Did you know Liam was allergic to Peanuts? Liam didn’t until recently. He knows this because a blue peanut M&M just tried to kill him. He swallowed the treat one day and had to be taken in for shock.
He told the Sun: “I’ve done some stuff over the years but never, never did I think a fucking blue M&M would be the thing that could have killed me.” Of course you didn’t, Liam. Everyone knows that you’d die because you cared too much, and the NHS still isn’t giving the numbers for that.

The story in Liam’s words: “I was in a hotel on holiday and got in about the mini bar. I was bored and hungry, so it’s what you do, man. I’ve always liked M&Ms so I got into them. I had a blue one. My mouth started to swell up and I could feel it tightening my throat, man. I had to go to the docs and get it checked out straight away.”

In what appears to be a spectacular lack of judgement, several weeks later, Liam did the same thing. He now takes precautions. “I’ve got to carry a syringe about with me in case of emergencies. Proper Pete Doherty gear.”

On another note, Made in Chelsea star Francis Boulle has recently revealed that Liam is a huge fan. That is, if he didn’t mistake him for anyone else. Quoth  Boulle: “I was coming out of the loo and spotted him. So I said, ‘I’m a really big fan’. Liam goes, ‘I’m a really big fan of you, man. Where’s your wand?’ I said I wasn’t a magician, then he asked if I was going to go on a ‘wand-er’. I think he thought I was Harry Potter. But if he did recognise me, that’s pretty cool! He was pretty friendly.”

However, he was less forgiving with a homeless man he found scrounging around his North London home. He spoke to The Standard about it:  “This tramp kept hassling me at my house. I know he has been a problem for other people round our way. He was ringing our buzzer early in the morning and kept asking if I would pay for his pay-as-you-go phone. Proper mad. The final straw was when he started messing with my recycling bins. I’m a bit anal about my recycling and he ended up shoving his crutches in my bin. I came out and squared up to him and he had a bit of a go. Put it this way, I don’t think he’ll be coming back round my way again.” Our hero, ladies and gentlemen.

And on a lighter note…

Did you know Liam liked gardening? Apparently so, because he’s recently asked for VIP tickets to take in the sights at the Chelsea Flower Show. The show runs from May 21-25, and according to The Sun,  he will be attending on the same day as the Queen, as well as the likes of Rod Stewart, Lily Allen and Ringo Starr. A source said: “Liam is one of the most unlikely guests in the event’s history. His rampaging days are definitely over – which is a relief to organisers given the importance of some guests.” Very strange; he seems like he’s the same old Liam we know and… well, at least we listen to him.

In conclusion, a message to Noel.

Noel, I’ve devoted almost 2000 words to writing about your Brother’s antics from the past couple weeks. This may very well be the longest article I’ve ever written for this site. Start acting like a prat like your brother. I don’t want to seem like I’m just picking on him. I want to make fun of both of you equally.

The post Gallagher Brothers Scandal Sheet: May 2013 edition. appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

Broadcasting live from Malmo, Sweden Europe once again comes together as one to celebrate the yearly singing contest.  With entrants from Ireland, Moldova, Ukraine and Denmark to name a few the battle heats up to crown the winner of the annual competition amongst the members of the European Broadcasting Union.  Since 1957 The United Kingdom has won the competition five times with the last being in 1997 with Katrina and the Waves.

Representing the UK this year is international pop star Bonnie Tyler singing Believe in Me. Speaking about the contest Bonnie said, “I am truly honoured and delighted to be able to represent the United Kingdom at Eurovision, and especially with such a fabulous song. I promise to give this everything that I’ve got for the UK!”

Here is the official video for Believe in Me.

The Eurovision Song Contest airs on BBC One Saturday, May 18^th with commentary by Graham Norton.

The post Brit TV News: Bonnie Tyler Represents The UK at Eurovision 2013 appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

The pub culture in Britain began with the introduction of roads by the Romans, necessitating the creation of inns or weary travelers. Many of the oldest pubs in Britain started as inns, and in some cases, still provide lodging. What follows are some of the oldest working pubs in the United Kingdom. The distinction of being the oldest pub is hotly contested among a few of these pubs, and the unavailability of historical documents to prove it keeps the debate going.

1. The Old Ferry Boat (St. Ives, Cambridgeshire) – Reported Date: 560 A.D.

The Old Ferry Boat is a great example of one of the pubs that started as an inn and still operates as such today. Though no documents apparently exist of when the Inn actually began, one record stated that liquor was served there as early as 560 A.D. and the foundations are reportedly another century older. Visitors to St. Ives can book one of the Inn’s seven rooms and can mix with locals and other travelers in the bar and restaurant.

2. Ye Olde Fighting Cocks (St. Albans, Hertfordshire) – Reported Date: 793 A.D.

The current Guinness Book of World Record holder, the building dates back to the 11th century, but the site goes back three-hundred more years with the foundations dated around 793 A.D. Tunnels under the original location of the pub lead to St. Albans Cathedral (at the time St. Albans Abbey) and connected to the beer cellars where the monks stored the ale they brewed. When the Abbey dissolved in 1539, the pub moved to an old pigeon house. It was known as The Round House until the name was changed to reflect the popular sport of cockfighting in the 18th century.

3. The Eagle & Child (Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire) – Reported Date: 947 A.D.

Not to be confused with the Oxford pub frequented by C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, this pub saw its start as The Eagle & Child Inn in the middle of the 10th century and is one of the inns still in operation. Though the hotel is now known as The Royalist Hotel, the pub is located on the first floor. Much like Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, Eagle & Child also played host to blood sports such as cockfighting and also bear-baiting, in which various animals (and sometimes people) were put into a pit to fight the bear. Stow-on-the-Wold also lays claim to being the site of the final battle of the English Civil War.

4. The Skirrid Mountain Inn (Abergavenny, Wales) – Reported Date: 1110 A.D.

The first recorded mention of the Skirrid dates back to 1110 A.D. in which two men were tried and hanged in the pub for crimes of robbery and sheep stealing. Some pubs like Skirrid didn’t just serve as inns and alehouses, but also as courts of law and places of execution. Reportedly as many as 180 criminals were tried and executed prior to the end of Cromwell’s government. Historically, rebel Owain Glyndwr rallied his troops on the cobblestones in front of the pub before leading raids against English-supporting villages and waging war on King Henry IV. With this bloody history, several spirits are said to haunt the premises and it has been featured on several paranormal television programmes.

5. Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem (Nottingham) – Reported Date: 1189 A.D.

Known to locals as “The Trip”, this pub reportedly started as an inn and place of rest for crusaders on their way to the Holy Land (“trip” being the old word for a resting place). Part of the pub comprises a series of sandstone caves, including the rear rooms and the keg storeroom. Like the Skirrid, ghosts are said to haunt the pub and one of the bars features a model of a galleon said to be cursed. As the legend goes, anyone who has ever cleaned the ship has met with a mysterious death. There is also an antique chair that supposedly will make a woman more likely to get pregnant if she sits in it.

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Before I talk about this, I should talk about a man named Ron McNair. He was an accomplished saxophonist, physicist, and the second African-American to go to space. Sort of like Buckaroo Banzai, only real. He was also a friend of French musician Jean-Michel Jarre. He was set to perform at a special concert in Houston via a live feed from outer space. Unfortunately, said plans went up in smoke on 28 January 1986, after McNair was one of the seven astronauts to die in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Another saxophonist filled his place, but only from Terra Firma. You can find the concert, called, Rendez-Vous Houston, online. Fortunately, 27 years later, Astronaut Chris Hadfield fulfilled the promise McNair made, and he has become the first person ever to record a music video in space.

The video, shot from the International Space Station, is a cover of David Bowie’s first major hit “Space Oddity.” While the guitar and vocals, performed by Hadfield, were recorded in Space, there is a full arrangement recorded by producer Joe Corcoran and piano arranger Emm Gryner back on earth. And suddenly, the words “Here am I sitting in a tin can, far above the world, Planet Earth is blue, And there’s nothing left to do” take on a whole new life.

Hadfield tweeted the video with this intro: “With deference to the genius of David Bowie, here’s Space Oddity, recorded on Station. A last glimpse of the World.”

Emm Gryner, arranger of the backing track, and keyboardist for Bowie for his “Hours” and 2000 Mini-tour has said the following of the track: “The task was in front of me. I came up with a piano part. I then enlisted my friend, producer and fellow Canadian Joe Corcoran to take my piano idea and Chris’ vocal and blow it up into a fully produced song. Drums! mellotrons! Fuzz bass! We also incorporated into the track ambient space station noises which Chris had put on his Soundcloud. I was mostly blown away by how pure and earnest Chris’ singing is on this track. Like weightlessness and his voice agreed to agree. And voila! And astronaut sings Space Oddity in space! I was so honoured to be asked to be a part of this. You wouldn’t get too many chances to make a recording like this and not only that, to make music with someone who – through his vibrant communications with kids in schools to his breathtaking photos to his always patient and good-humoured demeanour – has done more for science and space than anyone else this generation. Planet earth is blue, and there’s nothing left for Chris Hadfield to do. Right. Safe travels home Commander!”

And now, the big question is, what next? If researchers in Antarctica can form a band, even if only for a few minutes, can a band in Space be far off?

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Based on the Kate Atkinson novels Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter) returns as street smart but easy on the eyes Edinburgh private investigator Jackson Brodie. The second series consists of three 90 minute episodes with each case brining more to the investigation than what it seems at first.

In episode one Jackson helps a young woman search for her birth parents. As he unearths clues and crosses paths with a former police officer the investigation leads him to a 1970s police corruption case and a 35-year-old secret. Busy with work Jackson must also juggle a complicated relationship with his love interest DCI Louise Monroe (Amanda Abbington) and care for his daughter Marlee.

Speaking about his character to the Edinburgh Evening News Isaacs said, “He wants to understand the human condition. It’s more that he connects with people and he understands who they are and what makes them tick and why they are lying as opposed to when they are lying. I can’t wait to put on the crumpled, witty, self-destructive, noble and naughty skin of Jackson Brodie again and dive into the unique flavour of Kate Atkinson’s worlds.”

Case Histories airs Sunday, May 19^th on BBC One.

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Honey and Preserves by Fortnum & Mason, a British institution since 1707 and the purveyors of fantastically wonderful jellies, jams, preserves, marmalades and honeys is a slim book, but packed with more information than the reader might suspect. The opening pages discuss the differences between jams and jellies, marmalades and chutneys, and even clear honey vs. cloudy honey. As one would expect, there is also a brief history of Fortnum & Mason, complete with their top-sellers list. I would love to get my hands on the Strawberry & Fortnum’s Champagne Extra Jam Preserve 61 or Rose Petel Jelly 15. There is a brief chapter about how the company got their start and some of the secrets to their famous honey! I was particularly impressed to learn that the bees feed from the gardens in Buckingham Palace, St. James Park and Clarence House—top quality gardens those are! It is all quite fascinating and quintessentially British at the same time. What I really wanted to get to, however, were the recipes I had glimpsed when I initially paged through the book.

The recipes are broken into “chapters,” with the usual suspects: appetizers, main courses, puddings (also known as dessert in American English), bakes (quick British to American English vocabulary lesson—these are items such as scones, macarons, and rolls) and then the moneymaker—recipes for jellies, jams, curds, and marmalades. I won’t lie to you, I hear the word “marmalade” and ALL I can think about is the scene in Bridget Jones’ Diary where she and dreamy Mark Darcy are making Bridget’s birthday dinner—the orange marmalade pudding – and about my own , ahem, “cooking” skills. However, Fortnum & Mason’s recipes seem like I might have a moderate amount of success with them. I am particularly keen to try the Prosecco Jelly with Summer Fruits, the Honey Crème Caramel and maybe even attempt the Lavender Ice Cream. If these recipes don’t work out, at least I know that my own Mark Darcy will love me just the way that I am—even if I serve him Game and Pistachio Terrine, which I suspect may only be appetizing if you were born British!

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Basically, he wants something like this, only real. Photo by Lee Carter / Retna Pictures.

Rather remarkably, The Pogues are actually a British band. I’m not kidding. The most Irish of all punk bands was formed in London with a man who was born in Kent. Isn’t it good when you don’t have to add a disclaimer that you’re going to cover a band that isn’t entirely British? Anyway, their frontman Shane MacGowan is looking for a fan who can fix his infamously bad teeth.

Nobody is quite sure as to how they got so bad, with answers ranging from police brutality to brushing his teeth with a bottle of Jameson to eating a Beach Boys record. Nobody’s entirely sure just how it happened, but the end result is that his mouth looks like a disaster area. That said, by all accounts, the bit about eating a Beach Boys record is true, though by the time he did so, the damage was well underway.

A few years ago, Shane had dentures fitted, and they’re the reason his mouth looks so presentable in this pic. However, apparently not considering them a good substitute for real teeth, he no longer wears them. His girlfriend, Victoria Mary Clarke has launched an appeal on her  Twitter  account, looking for a dentist to fix his face up. He could for a dentist to fix his gnashers and also promised that the frontman would front an advertising campaign in exchange for the work.

To quote directly from the Twitter account, she said: “Shane is keen to find a dentist, so he can star in Hollywood filmand (sic) Pogues/Shane fans who are great dentists please apply!” She later added, “Shane promises to do advertising campaign for the winning dentist!!!” Also, she recently said: “Shane would like to thank all of you fabulous dentists who got in touch! He is thrilled at the prospect of eating walnuts again.” Whether this means the search for the dentist is over, I don’t know, but she’s already given two shout-outs to dentists near Glasgow.

The Pogues’ official Twitter account added: “ALERT! Job offer of lifetime. Any Pogues/Shane Mac fans who are great dentists please tweet @Victoriamary to work on the great man himself!”

For those of you who want to see what the dentists are going to have to work with, you can get some shots and some kick-ass music in the newly-released live album and DVD ‘Pogues In Paris: 30th Anniversary Concert At The Olympia’, which features two shows in the French capital, which appears to be the only concert DVD the band has in print.

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Downton Abbey Series 4 will begin airing in the USA on PBS Masterpiece on January 5th and will run for 8 weeks.

This will greatly annoy Downton fans here in the USA as it will air in the UK in September and it will be very hard to avoid SPOILERS in the meantime.

This will also make Downton conflict with the Winter Olympics.

PBS is also bringing back the next season of Call the Midwife, which has also been a runaway hit.

They’re also going to broadcast the hit British show “Last Tango in Halifax” a comedy/drama starring Derek Jacobi about an elderly couple reunited in old age.

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Warner Brothers is offering up the chance to win a trip to London to visit the Harry Potter Studio Tour experience.

Here are the prize details:

 Sponsor will be awarding one (1) “Prize” to one (1) Grand Prize winner consisting of: (i) four (4) roundtrip economy/coach airline tickets for the winner and three (3) travel companions (“Guests”) via a Sponsor-selected air carrier(s) from a major commercial airport selected by Sponsor, in its sole and absolute discretion ($6,079 USD); (ii) a 3-night hotel stay (two (2) standard rooms based on double occupancy) with breakfast for the winner and three (3) Guests in London ($2,160 USD); (iii) ground transportation between the airport and hotel in London and between the hotel and Warner Bros. Studios in London for the winner and Guests ($880 USD); (iv) four (4) tickets to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter (“Studio Tour”) ($224 USD); and (v) travel insurance ($136 USD).

Sounds awesome! Would love to win this prize!

This sweepstakes is open to legal residents who are physically located in one (1) of the fifty (50) United States, the District of Columbia or Puerto Rico who are at least eighteen (18) years of age or older at the time of entry.

Limit: Limit of one (1) entry per person for the Entry Period will be accepted.

You have until December 31st, 2013 to enter.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO ENTER!!!

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And it looks brilliant!

Here’s the full synopsis:

At the age of 21, Tim is told an incredible family secret by his father: all the men in his family have the ability to relive their past. He can revisit any moment in his life to try things differently until he gets them perfectly right.

He decides to use his special new gift to win the heart of the beautiful Mary, but finds that the course of true love can be hilariously difficult — even with the ability to try, try and try again. And even when everything seems to be going well, an unfortunate twist in time means that he never met Mary at all… While his unique gift might just help him find true love, Tim discovers that it can’t save him from the ups and downs that life brings to everyone. In the end, he finds that making the most of love and life will mean giving up the past and living for the moment.

Richard Curtis is the writer of TV shows such as Not the Nine O’Clock News, Blackadder, Mr Bean and The Vicar of Dibley. His movies include Four Weddings and a Funeral; Notting Hill; Bridget Jones’s Diary; and Love Actually and The Boat That Rocked, which he also directed. Most recently, he co-wrote the screenplay for War Horse.

About Time opens in September in the UK and in the USA in November.

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Outgoing Controller for BBC One Danny Cohen commissioned the four new dramas as his last act. His previous commissions include Call the Midwife, The Voice UK, and Him & Her for the BBC. Cohen also worked at Channel 4 where he commissioned Skins and The Inbetweeners. In 2008 the Times dubbed him ‘the boy wonder of British television’. Cohen who is now the Director of BBC Television said, “It has been a joy and privilege to commission programmes for BBC One. I hope audiences enjoy the range and creative ambitions of these new dramas for the channel.”

The four new dramas are:

Our Zoo

The six-part 1930s drama tells the story of the man who created the Chester Zoo, George Mottershead, and the impact it had on his family.

Poldark Remake

Based on the Winston Graham novels the six-part drama follows the livelihood of Ross Poldark in 18^th- century Cornwall. As Ross returns from war he learns that his father has died, the family home is in ruins and his fiancée Elizabeth, is now engaged to his own cousin.

Dickensian

The multi-part series has many of Dickens literary characters bumping into each other in very surprising ways!

From There to Here

Set during the aftereffects of the Manchester IRA bombing in 1996 this three-part drama follows the lives of two different families as they come to grips with what happened.

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What could have been indeed….

Paul McCartney, Miles Davis, and Jimi Hendrix; three artists whose talents irreparably changed their respective genres: pop, jazz, and rock. And it has recently turned out that the three of them could very well have done some recording sessions, maybe they could have even created a new band in the wake of the Beatles’ breakup that may even have been more influential and perhaps even more popular than Wings turned out to be.

Sometime in 1969, Jimi Hendrix, fresh off his successful closing gig at Woodstock with his short-lived band Gypsy Sun and Rainbows and the breakup of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and a few months away from forming Band of Gypsys, was set to record a band with Miles Davis and his drummer Tony Williams. Davis had recently recorded his last undisputed masterpiece, Bitches Brew, with guitarist John McLaughlin. And Hendrix, Williams, and Davis sent Paul McCartney a telegram asking him to join them on bass.

On 22 October 1969, the three sent a telegram reading: “We are recording and (sic) LP together this weekend. How about coming in to play bass stop call Alan Douglas 212-5812212. Peace Jimi Hendrix Miles Davis Tony Williams.” For the record, the phone number in the telegram now belongs to a cosmetic dentist in New York, so unless you’re in New York and don’t like the way your teeth look, don’t call it.

So, this raises the big question: why don’t we have any Miles Davis LPs featuring Paul McCartney or Jimi Hendrix? Well, Peter Brown, one of the Beatles’ aides, explained that Macca was in Scotland on holiday and wouldn’t be back for two weeks. Why Hendrix pulled out, we have no idea. But, according to the Miles Davis sessionography, by Sunday, Miles Davis would be on tour in Italy with his quintet. No Hendrix or Macca, or, indeed, any other guitarist in tow. For that matter, Tony Williams wasn’t even taken. Hendrix would die less than eleven months later, so he never got a chance to gig with Miles Davis.

Apparently, some hard-core Hendrix fans knew of the telegram’s existence, but, likely, most of them refused to believe something so amazing could have been so heavily averted. But the telegram’s now on display in Hard Rock Cafe in Prague. All we know is that something amazing could have happened if Paul just hadn’t been in Scotland.

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Frankie Maddox (Eve Myles) and her team of dedicated district nurses live for their jobs no matter how trying and frustrating the work can get. The new six-part series written by Lucy Gannon is an examination of Frankie as she strives to take care of her patients all the while ignoring her own personal life. Episode one finds Frankie worried about several of her patients. Showing signs of dementia, Frankie encourages a daughter of a patient to seek the next level of care, heavily pregnant Heather tries to keep it together before her husband returns from Afghanistan, and then there is Ian, Frankie’s boyfriend, who always plans a surprise party for Frankie’s birthday which happens to be today.

Eve Myles said, “This is an incredible leading part for a female. It’s tremendous pressure but also tremendously exciting. I can’t wait to step into Frankie’s shoes and get on set. I’m desperate to start. Frankie is an infectious character, she’s electric, quirky, wonderful at her job and adapts to every situation. She’s a vibrant woman trying to live life in the fast lane and juggle a job. Lucy Gannon is an incredible writer and writes relationships so beautifully.”

Writer Lucy Gannon said, “I’m thrilled to be writing about strong modern people, people you and I might know, in our real life communities, a team of lively, varied people who all – whatever their flaws, are determined to make a difference, to make life better.”

Frankie airs on BBC One Tuesday, May 14^th.

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