British Culture: Albion Never Dies

Don't be shy, send me a message!In the alphabet of Britishness, 'A' is for 'Bloody Hell'... according to my many, many of friends on Instagram!'B' can also stand for Barbour, Belstaff, Baracuta, Brownsea Island, blimey, Brexit, banter, bunting, Blackadder, Battle of Britain and Bradford!Thank you to everyone who messaged me. This episode is for all of you!If you'd like to get in touch, you can find me at:  www.instagram.com/flemingneverdies/Support the show

Don't be shy, send me a message!In the alphabet of Britishness, 'A' is for 'Albion.... but what does it mean? I asked on Instagram what I should talk about this week, and 69% of respondents voted for this topic. I'm sick with a cold at the moment, so I've done my best with this one and I hope you enjoy listening to my definition of 'Albion'. After all, it is in the title to this podcast!You can contact me on: https://www.instagram.com/flemingneverdies/Support the show

Don't be shy, send me a message!British Bond Addict returns, this time to delve into the world of Ian Fleming's 007. Thomas has 10 questions about James Bond which we thoroughly ignore for half an hour because frankly the topic is so good! However, we do get to them. If you'd like to give Thomas your answers you can contact him at: https://www.instagram.com/flemingneverdies/You answers will get read out in future Bond-related episodes. The 10 questions are:1. What does he wear?2. Does he always get the girl?3. Who are his friends?4. Who are the bad guys?5. Why do women like 007 / Why does anyone like him?6. Does the past trouble James Bond?7. Technology8. What does he drink?9. Is he a strong man? 10. Is he a good man? You can find British Bond Addict here: https://www.instagram.com/britishbondaddict/Support the show

Don't be shy, send me a message!Remember Somali piracy? This was a serious issue that, for many people, just suddenly came and went out of the news. With so much of the maritime industry based in the UK, Thomas Felix Creighton was well placed, as a former RNR officer, to research this at the height of its relevance. Now, seven years on, we have a one-off retrospective episode examining this.  This is a recording of a university lecture which was broken down into three parts:The ProblemThe SolutionsThe ethical and legal implications  Youtube version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHgdZfCvKiw&t=1576s Contact Thomas: https://www.instagram.com/flemingneverdies/  Support the show

Don't be shy, send me a message!Aside from the (King James) Bible and Shakespeare, what are my favourite books?1. 'The Lord of the Rings' by J.R.R. Tolkien 2. 'Kim' by Rudyard Kipling 3. 'From Russia With Love' by Ian Fleming4. 'Ataturk: The Rebirth of a Nation' by Lord Kinross5. 'The Dogs of War' by Frederick Forsyth Listen to find out why. You can contact Thomas at: https://www.instagram.com/flemingneverdies/ Support the show

Don't be shy, send me a message!Today, Christopher Morales joins me, who you might know as Instagram’s “That One Bond Guy”. We talk about his passion for Kingsman, James Bond, Dr. Who, and all things British. You can find him on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/thatone_bondguy/ …and on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ7xMlDhbc1ltEG7G-oWKQw You can contact me anytime on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flemingneverdies/  The clip from Thomas the Tank Engine featuring Pierce Brosnan is from here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZQ1YBRDXvk The Kingsman clip from here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_JZZsqboNo  I hope you enjoy this week’s episode as much as I enjoyed making it!Support the show

Don't be shy, send me a message!In this episode, I interview Chris Hunt, known on Instagram as ‘British Bond Addict’, you can find him here: https://www.instagram.com/britishbondaddict/ He and I work together to identify The Seven Pillars of Britishness:(1)   Humour (spelt with a ‘u’)(2)   A stiff upper lip(3)   Embracing a range of accents(4)   The class system (5)   Gentlemenliness (not a word)(6)   Patriotism (7)   TeaWe also talk about the British inability to let go of the past, and how we teach what Britishness is to children. You can always find me on: https://www.instagram.com/flemingneverdies/ Message me and tell me, do you say ‘scone’ or ‘scone’?Also, also: you can find more from Chris here, being interviewed by another Chris talking about James Bond movie posters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTjAj7lye3Q Support the show

Discover the fascinating British heritage in Hong Kong through the lens of James Bond films. Explore how Ian Fleming's experiences shaped the portrayal of this vibrant city. Dive into the Peninsula Hotel's rich history during World War II and its evolution into a luxurious landmark. Indulge in the charm of British-style afternoon tea at the hotel's elegant lounge, where breathtaking views of Victoria Harbour await. Themes of cultural transformation and historical legacy tie together this captivating exploration.

Don't be shy, send me a message!Thank you to everyone who contacted me after the last episode, in which Caine and I talked about tea and biscuits. We asked, 'What are biscuits in the USA?'Thank you to 'Ladies Who Bond' on Instagram for giving me a great answer. You can find her great account here: https://www.instagram.com/ladieswhobond/ Also, thank you to Jon Auty, who also contacted me. He runs the podcast, 'Behind the Stunts'. You can also find him on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/behindthestunts and also find him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestunts/  You can contact me here: https://www.instagram.com/flemingneverdies/   Perhaps you have something to say about how I pronounce 'scone'?Support the show

Don't be shy, send me a message!Last week, I travelled 5 hours by high-speed train from just north of Hong Kong to Fuzhou, in Fujian, famous for its tea culture. I met with an old friend called Caine who is an expert both on British culture and Fijianese tea. This is the second part of our discussion.In this episode, we talk about the quality of tea in teabags (as opposed to loose tea). Caine asks me about Turkish tea culture, and we also talk about what different people have with tea. We don’t shy away from the big debate; are ‘Jaffa Cakes’ actual cakes or biscuits?  We also touch on tea culture in Hong Kong, Taipei, and Malaysia.  You can find Caine’s Youtube series on Fujianese tea here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLniTySl7qc  P.S. Serious question: What are ‘biscuits’ in the USA? Respectfully, this baffled us throughout our discussion. Message me your answers on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flemingneverdies/   Support the show