Odd things in an English house
We all know that England is a quirky place. There is the left hand traffic, the pound sterling and the funny sockets and plugs and of course the famous two taps on sinks. Perhaps tourists also notice that windows…
If you want to get ahead, get a hat!
The English love their hats. Perhaps nothing represents that better than a scene in the film, the Darkest Hour, when Clemmie says to Churchill: 'Go. Be. Yourself!' then Churchill responds: 'Which self?' and he turns to a wall on…
Thames Valley Stories
It has been a few months that I launched a series on Facebook about the Thames Valley Stories. In case you are not following the blog on Facebook, I collected some for you. So here you go Thames Valley…
5 English Eccentrics
Perhaps it is less of a surprise that the English aristocracy is full of eccentrics. Of course, there are eccentrics everywhere in the world, but I could not think of any other country that would be as famous for…
Locks on the Thames, murders and ghosts
The Thames is the longest river in England with its 346km and the second longest river in the UK after the river Severn. The source of the Thames is in Gloucestershire and enters the North Sea at Southend-on-Sea. The…
The Boat Race
Rowing is certainly one of the most British sports. I must admit, rowing always reminds me of the intro of the Persuaders (a 1970s TV Series) where on one side the life of the British Brett Sinclair (starred by…
A very English pastime: bird feeding
The English love feeding their wild birds and spend an incredible amount of £200-300 million on bird food per year which is double the amount spent on the continent. Almost every household has a bird feeder and different types…
Gargoyles and grotesques of Windsor Castle
Perhaps it is not unusual that a medieval church and also St George’s Chapel in Windsor are full of gargoyles. If however, we take a closer look at the walls of Windsor Castle, we realise that it is full…
Thames Valley trades and crafts
There are some traditional and less traditional industries in the Thames Valley and the neighbouring Chilterns. Some of them go back for hundreds of years, but the majority were established in Victorian times. 1) Furniture making The Chilterns were…
When in England, do as the English Do
As The Saying goes "When in Rome, do as the Romans Do" so this is how you could do this when you visit England! 1) Wear typically English clothing, footwear and accessories. A pair of brogues, wellington boots in…