Category Archives: British
Pain at the pump
The next time you start to whinge about the rising prices of gas at your local gas station, think for a moment of the Brits.
Fuel prices are currently running £1.50 per litre of petrol (translation: gas) as fuel shortages are hitting the U.K. hard in the run up to Easter.
£1.50 per litre? What’s that in real money?
Well, one litre is equal to .26 U.S. gallons so we’re talking about roughly £6 per gallon. At the current exchange rate, that is an exchange of $9.50 a gallon. To fill a mid-size car with a 16-gallon tank, that’s $152!
By comparison, gas prices in the U.S. are averaging about $3.92 per gallon.
I guess the message is that gas prices here are bad, but not that bad.
Make Bradford British
What does it mean to be British?
This is the subject of the Channel 4‘s cracking new two-part series starting Thursday, which explores the very notion of British culture through the lens of Bradford, a diverse Northern English town and its residents.
I’m excited that it’s already trending big globally on Twitter and is shedding light on this national debate.
Watch the preview, take the citizenship test and see how well you fare. Post your score and I’ll share mine, too, in a bit!
Tasteful Royal Wedding memorabilia
I love shopping on Etsy. I recently discovered HouseThatLarsBuilt that does some delightful (and tasteful!) royal wedding memorabilia, including dinner plates, mugs and this sweet processional map.
Happy Epiphany
I just had an epiphany last night … that today is Epiphany! The 12 days of Christmas are finally done (yes, so many Americans believe the 12 days of Christmas comes in the run up to Christmas Day but in fact, the countdown begins after Christmas is over).
What’s it all about? What’s it all mean?
Read the rest of this entry
2011 Pressie Guide
This weekend, I will be boosting the American economy by finishing the rest of my Christmas shopping. Okay, I’m being optomistic, but we can all hope for a little Christmas miracle.
In that spirit, I proudly present the first-ever Britrish.com Pressie Guide. Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.
Monocle Magazine’s Five Issue Gift Subscription, £45. Ships to the US or anywhere else on the globe. A discerning read for a discerning recipient.
Jonathan Adler’s British flag coaster set, made from 100% wool needlepoint. $45. The perfect partner to an IPA or creamy stout.
Adagio Teas 16-Ounce Ingenuitea Teapot, $17.45. The most convenient teapot you will find anywhere.
London map handkerchief, $12.95. Because runny noses like London, too.
London in a box. $17.95. Recreate your favorite London memories with this wooden collection, which includes Big Ben and the London Eye.
Kate Spade hedgehog coin purse, $95. Stylish little hedgehog purse puts boring coin purses to shame.
Masterpiece Theatre: Downton Abbey, $13.99. An already small-screen classic.
Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London’s Ottolenghi, $21.63. Vibrant veggie recipes for carnivores and herbivores, alike.
Trunki, $39.99. The perfect pack, ride and pull along suitcase for trips to the UK and invented by a Brit.
Gruffalo, $6.99. This British Book Award winner is a sweet read for kids and grownups alike.
2011 Pressie Guide … Tomorrow!
Don’t forget to return here tomorrow for Britrish.com’s 2011 Pressie Guide, my top 10 gift picks for the pickiest of anglophiles (and their kids)!
The Californian’s definition of cold
This week, we’ve had terrible rain in California. And by terrible, I mean about 3/4 of an inch of rain in a day. Highs in the 60s Fahrenheit (around 17 degrees Celsius). Nothing crazy. Certainly nothing to warrant the medley of parkas and ski caps that I’m already seeing around here.
Last week I blogged about how Brits put on their summer’s best when the weather reaches a balmy 70 degrees. By the same token, Californians are guilty of dressing like New Englanders the moment temps dip into the low 60s.
One of my favorite parts of LA Story is an LA weather report from Steve Martin’s character Harris Telemacher:
Harris: And when the weather dropped down to 58 degrees this weekend, how did you cope?
Man on the Street: I went to make sure all the windows were shut.
Harris: And, what about your pets? Were they outside? What happened?
Man on the Street: Well, the cats were out till around ten. But it got a little too cold for them and they came in.
Harris: The cats were out till around ten. But it got a little too cold for them and they came in! Well, that’s how LA coped with that surprise low of 58 degrees that turned the weekend into a real weenie shrinker!
And on that note, may your weekend be warm and rain-free! Have a good one!
American vs. British news theme songs
I’m sorry to say I’m late to the game in discovering the awesomeness that is British comedian/actor/musician Bill Bailey. But thanks to Brian Braiker, I’ve discovered his hilarious look at the differences between American and British news themes.
Sarnie heaven
I’m no fan of Subway sandwiches, or Quizno’s or any of the so-called fast food sandwich places that dot the American landscape.
It’s not that I don’t love sandwiches. I do. It’s just that every single deli sandwich I see here fails to live up to the standards of sarnies (translation: sandwiches) you can get in Britain.
Case in point: Pret a Manger, a chain sandwich shop in the UK.
Pret a Manger means Ready to Eat in French.
You run in and choose a sandwich, already boxed and ready to go, the cashier rings you up. Done!
The lengthiest part of that process is deciding whether you want the pole and line caught tuna and rocket (translation: arugula) or the topside of beef and watercress or the Moroccan falafel and humous. I love the variety of choices and the sometimes unexpected combination of ingredients.
Best of all, everything is made fresh on the premises that day. Quick. Inventive. Delicious.
It makes the menu at Subway look positively primeval.
A wee bit o’ Billy Connolly
Last week I posted about Hunter wellie season and my mother in law responded by emailing me a link to comedian Billy Connolly‘s infamous “If it wisnae fur yer wellies” song.
It reminded me of how funny and so very Scottish he is. If you aren’t familiar with Billy Connolly’s stand-up comedy, here’s just a taste.
BRITRISH.COM 