We really can’t get enough of trees. From enjoying their majestic green splendor to the enriching oxygen they provide, trees offer us much and should be a part of any garden. Of course, for the Anglophile, if you want to recreate the majestic splendor of English gardens at your own home, you’ll want to consider an English tree or two. There are plenty of these trees that … [Read more...] about Top 10 English Trees for Your Garden
Britishness
Ten English Flowers to Make Your Garden a Little More English
England’s gardens are some of the best-known in the world. From naturally growing green spaces to the crafted landscape gardens of Capability Brown, you’ll find many different types of beautiful flora throughout the country. Of course, just because it’s over there doesn’t mean you can’t bring some of it here. Plenty of flowers in England’s gardens do quite well in the United … [Read more...] about Ten English Flowers to Make Your Garden a Little More English
Adventures in Anglotopia: Book Excerpt – The Age of Things (in Britain)
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from my book Adventures in Anglotopia, recently released in paperback. Details on where to buy at the bottom. This is one of my favorite chapters! The small town in Indiana where I live, LaPorte, was founded in 1832. Where I come from, that qualifies as old. My favorite town in England, Shaftesbury, doesn’t have a firm founding date. It’s … [Read more...] about Adventures in Anglotopia: Book Excerpt – The Age of Things (in Britain)
Eating Irish in America: Fiddler’s Hearth, South Bend’s Salute to the Celtic Nations
In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, I'm highlighting one of my favorite Irish-American pubs, Fiddler’s Hearth in South Bend, Indiana. As a Celtic pub, Fiddler’s also celebrates the food, drink, and cultures of Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, Brittany, and Galicia, which adds to the fun. I’ve visited dozens of Irish pubs across America over the years, and Fiddler’s … [Read more...] about Eating Irish in America: Fiddler’s Hearth, South Bend’s Salute to the Celtic Nations
Eating British in America: The Iconic AGA Cooker
I’ve been dishing up lots of soups, stews, and other cold weather comfort foods lately, and thinking about comfort foods reminded me of one of my favorite British kitchen icons: the AGA cooker. I read a lot of Mills & Boon novels when I was growing up, and I remember being mystified by the occasional references to AGAs. These seemingly magical appliances could roast a … [Read more...] about Eating British in America: The Iconic AGA Cooker
Men in Kilts: A Brief History of Kilts in Scotland
There’s a certain romance to kilts in our modern culture imparted by films such as Braveheart or television shows such as Outlander. Some people tend to think that kilts stretch back for centuries back to the days of Roman Britain, though the real history is much more recent than that. Since the 16th Century, kilts in Scotland have come to represent not only clan or family … [Read more...] about Men in Kilts: A Brief History of Kilts in Scotland
Great British Icons: Tate & Lyle Sugar
At one point the world’s largest sugar refiners, Tate & Lyle was formed in 1921 by the merger of two family businesses. One was founded by Henry Tate, who began as a grocer in 1839, and the other by Abram Lyle, who created Golden Syrup, an iconic British product still sold today in British grocery stores, in a tin with the original 1885 design. These businesses both ended … [Read more...] about Great British Icons: Tate & Lyle Sugar
Boxing Day 101: What is it and how do you celebrate?
When Americans first try to read up on British Christmas traditions, they’re often confused by Boxing Day, which always falls the day after Christmas. It’s not a religious holiday and there’s nothing to actually celebrate. So, what exactly is it and what is it for? Well, fear not, we will try to lift the shroud of mystery and show you what it’s all about. It’s Basically An … [Read more...] about Boxing Day 101: What is it and how do you celebrate?
One Anglophile’s Take on The Snowman – An Exploration of a British Christmas Classic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGmOiccZFJM Every year since I started to branch out into reviews, I seriously considered writing a review of The Snowman. Somehow, I always failed to do so. Even when I somehow managed to find a copy of the original book at Costco and bought it, I never got around to reviewing it. But this year, of all years, a year where I prefaced a lot of my … [Read more...] about One Anglophile’s Take on The Snowman – An Exploration of a British Christmas Classic
Brit Language: Top Ten Scottish Insults
Scots Gaelic and Scottish English are wonderful languages and anyone who’s spent time in Scotland can tell you that they’re a people who know how to swear. There’s something about the Scottish accent that gives an extra amount of force to curses and insults so much that you may find yourself blown away by even the mildest of offenses. Needless to say, Scotland has quite a … [Read more...] about Brit Language: Top Ten Scottish Insults
Great British Icons: Meccano – A British Christmas Gift Staple For Generations
Frank Hornby had no training as an engineer, but he had a natural talent for working with his hands, and an enthusiasm for trains and models. He created a system for his son of sheet-metal parts that could be bolted together to make different models of cranes and trucks. Giving up his job as a bookkeeper, he started a factory to sell these kits, and he built an industrial … [Read more...] about Great British Icons: Meccano – A British Christmas Gift Staple For Generations
The History of Voting Rights in the United Kingdom
In the United States, voting is almost something we take for granted today. In 2016, almost half of eligible voters, over 100 million people, didn’t vote. Since this country was founded, the ability to participate in the government has been a constant uphill battle and the United Kingdom has known the same struggle. Hundreds of years ago, the only voice that mattered was the … [Read more...] about The History of Voting Rights in the United Kingdom
Eating British in America: Jungle Jim’s Caters to Your British Cravings
Jungle Jim’s International Market is both a multicultural festival and a supermarket on steroids. The Ohio landmark is the brainchild of Jim Bonaminio, who started selling produce from a truck by the side of the road in the early 1970s. Bonaminio opened his first brick-and-mortar store in Fairfield, Ohio - about 25 miles from Cincinnati - in 1975. The space has been expanded … [Read more...] about Eating British in America: Jungle Jim’s Caters to Your British Cravings
How To Make Your Own Nando’s Peri Peri Chicken At Home
One of our favorite places to eat in Britain is Nando’s Peri-Peri Chicken. It’s amazing spicy chicken, grilled and marinated in delicious peri-peri sauce and served with amazing chips (fries). We’re lucky that we actually now have Nando’s here in Chicago, but because of Covid, it’s been quite a long time since we were able to go - and even longer since we were able to have it … [Read more...] about How To Make Your Own Nando’s Peri Peri Chicken At Home
Ten Scots Language Words to Know
Howfur mony Scots wurds dae ye ken? Do you know enough Scots to read the last sentence? Scotland has two variations of the Scotch dialect: Scots and Scots Gaelic. Also known as Lowland Scots to distinguish it from the Gaelic form spoken mostly in the Highlands, Scots is Germanic like English. UNESCO regards Scots as a vulnerable language and as of the last census in 2011, … [Read more...] about Ten Scots Language Words to Know
The Brit Fiver – Five of the UK’s Largest Companies
Dominating the corporate landscape, British companies spread out over the world like the empire of old. Some have so many subsidiaries and brands, you may not realize that some of the products you use in your everyday life are from the UK. Trying to judge which of these companies is the largest can be done by a number of factors, but as is the way for capitalism, we’re going … [Read more...] about The Brit Fiver – Five of the UK’s Largest Companies
A Brit Back Home: There is nothing like British Place Names!
Every so often something lovely pops up on my Facebook feed, and last week it was a map of Great Britain. Not just any old map, but a map highlighting the silly and often rude names we have for places here. Anglotopia has already made an impressive start at listing all the weird and wonderful place names in the UK here. The maps are produced by a company called Marvellous … [Read more...] about A Brit Back Home: There is nothing like British Place Names!
Brit Slang: Ten English Insults Every Anglophile Should Know
Being American, you probably think you know all the insults there are in the English language, but England has many more to share. Whether you’re having it out with a mate and want to throw a good jab at him or you need to tell someone what a terrible person they really are, there are plenty of great insults for all occasions in England. We have identified ten of our … [Read more...] about Brit Slang: Ten English Insults Every Anglophile Should Know
A Brit Back Home: The Tea Travesty on Twitter
Now you know what us Brits are like for our tea? We can be very set in our ways when it comes to making a cuppa. Some people warm the pot by swirling hot water around before putting the tea or teabag in; others won’t use the water if it’s been off the boil for more than a few seconds, and many people won’t re-boil water in the kettle. (I’m none of these by the way.) When it … [Read more...] about A Brit Back Home: The Tea Travesty on Twitter
Eating British in America: The Joys of Cider
Autumn is the time of year when our thoughts turn to apples. When I was growing up, that meant visiting apple orchards, drinking fresh apple cider, and making taffy apples. However, I’d never heard of hard cider until a trip to England in the early 1990s. In the British Isles, 'cider' refers to an alcoholic beverage made from fermented apple juice. It was the first thing I … [Read more...] about Eating British in America: The Joys of Cider
The Repat Report: Marks and Spencer – confusing the heck out of this repat
Well, technically this whole column is about a confused, repatriated Brit, but Marks and Spencer have just really taken the biscuit. Into my UK inbox last week popped an ad from the very British retailer Marks and Spencer, which said, - well here, take a look … Notice anything amiss? What are they playing at? “Fall”?? At first, I thought it was from the US arm of Marks and … [Read more...] about The Repat Report: Marks and Spencer – confusing the heck out of this repat
Oxbridge: A Brief History of British Universities
Ah, the hallowed halls of academia, where young minds come to gain the knowledge and skills for their future careers and to further the collective knowledge of the world. Universities have a long history in the United Kingdom, and some of the best schools in the world can be found here. Oxford, Cambridge, University College London, and St. Andrew’s University are just some of … [Read more...] about Oxbridge: A Brief History of British Universities
Guest Post: British Piers. Peering into the history of piers
Editor's Note: This article was provided by Sir Gordan Bennet, purveyors of fine British crafted goods. Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside. Kiss me quick hats, Naughty Postcards, Stick of Rock Donkey rides and of course Piers. Having grown up by the sea from the age of 12, piers have held a real fascination. I watched the Weymouth Pier Bandstand explode and crumble into … [Read more...] about Guest Post: British Piers. Peering into the history of piers
Anglophile Vignettes: These Chips Taste Funny
We were somewhere in Hampshire. We were hungry. It was Sunday. Nothing was really open. We had a two-year-old and a six-month-old baby with us in our hire car. We were already tired from already being in the car most of the day. We were far from any large towns with anything resembling fast food. Then it clicked with us; we could have Sunday roast. We just needed to find a pub … [Read more...] about Anglophile Vignettes: These Chips Taste Funny
Anglophile Vignettes: An Ode to Chunky Chips
My favorite British food is not what one would think. It’s not a meat pie. It’s not fried fish. It’s not roast. It’s not marmalade toast. It’s not lemon cake. I do love all of those things (well, except for the fish). No, my favorite British food is what they call fries - chips. But not just any chips. Because there are many different kinds of chips in Britain. No, … [Read more...] about Anglophile Vignettes: An Ode to Chunky Chips
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. Join us as we explore Britain and everything it has to offer!
