British Culture: Albion Never Dies

Don't be shy, send me a message!Why cover one topic, when I can cover three!?I talk about the energy crisis, always on trend for fans of 1974's The Man With the Golden Gun, and how I'm being charged £700 for one month's worth of electricity. Even taking into account accumulation payments, that's more than a family of four or five in a five-bedroom house. Something is clearly wrong. Happily, my local member of Parliament is taking an interest. The second topic is a perennial favourite of mine; local newspapers. I take a look at stories in the 'Fleet and Yateley News & Mail' and 'The Reading Chronicle'. My favoruites being a journalist who doesn't like cheese being sent to a cheese festival and her writing the report, a man who stole meat from M&S (I suppose rather than go to budget-friendly Aldi), and a woman who stole £81.75 worth of paint from a shop.The final subject is Haworth 1940s weekend, a historical reenactment event with the audience (mostly) in period wear. I hope to do a Youtube video on this very shortly, so do keep an eye out on my channel there, same name as this podcast. There was plenty to see, including a Winston Churchill lookalike (not soundalike), and a Spitfire flyover that thrilled. Lots going on here in the UK, and more real deep dives coming up soon. That includes a (triumphant) return of my very first guest, and man behind many deep dives... Caine! He gives us an insight into a Crown Colony which was featured in a very memorable James Bond sequence. In fact, his insight so good, it cannot be contained in just one episode, so a double-bill is one the way. If you have topics for the last remaining letters in 'The Alphabet of Britishness' then do message me, as I slowly prepare episodes for U, V, W, X, Y, and Z.  Message me anytime on Instagram, or e-mail: AlbionNeverDies@gmail.comCheck out my https://www.youtube.com/britishcultureCheck out my Red Bubble shopSeveral subscribers have their postcards and other little 'thank you's in the post, randomly drawn from the list, and one has a free mug on the way!Subscribe to my newsletter: https://youtube.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=b3afdae99897eebbf8ca022c8&id=5165536616   Support the show

Don't be shy, send me a message!It is the 4th of May, 2023, two days before the coronation of King Charles III and the world's favourite spy has his work cut out for him… Bond is sent at the last minute to thwart an attempt to disrupt the Coronation by the wealthy, eccentric and self-styled Athelstan of Wessex, who is on a deadly mission of his own to teach the UK a lesson. Can Bond dismantle his shady plans and defeat his privately hired team of mercenaries?So begins the latest official James Bond 007 continuation novel, from Ian Fleming Publications.British author Roland Hulme and I have both released Youtube reviews of this latest 007 adventure. Mine is very brief with some footage of the coronation celebrations in Hyde Park. Roland’s is a much deeper dive, where he shares his unique insights as a professional novelist. I ask him to further explain some of his points here. Please do check out his social media accounts, and Amazon profile:Roland Hulme on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rolandhulme/ Roland Hulme on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/rolandhulmeRoland Hulme on Amazon: Check out the "Knuckleheads Motorcycle Club" books. ***Message me anytime on Instagram, or e-mail: AlbionNeverDies@gmail.comCheck out my https://www.youtube.com/britishcultureCheck out my Red Bubble shopSomething that really is new is my newsletter. Several subscribers have their postcards and other little 'thank you's in the post, just randomly drawn from the list!Subscribe to my newsletter: https://youtube.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=b3afdae99897eebbf8ca022c8&id=5165536616Support the show

Don't be shy, send me a message!A second quick update from the special Bank Holiday to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III. I travelled from Yorkshire down to London to join in the festivities. After that, I spent some time with family outside London, including my Nana who is part of the 1% of the UK population who have adult memories of the previous coronation. I am just back in Yorkshire, so this is a quick update. More content is coming up later in the week (all being well) on: www.youtube.com/britishculture Instagram: @FlemingNeverDies E-mail: AlbionNeverDies@gmail.com Support the show

Don't be shy, send me a message!I'm in Hyde Park, where I watched the coronation of King Charles III!Support the show

Don't be shy, send me a message!Homer wrote in the Odyssey (VIII) that Cyprus was the birthplace of Aphrodite (Goddess of Love), and that she came to Paphos 'where she has a shrine with an alter fragrant with incense'. That's how far back British colonial official Captain C.W.J. Orr choses to go in the second chapter of his book "Cyprus Under British Rule" (published 1918). I go through this chapter, titled 'History to the British Occupation' partially in repost to modern ideas that those who lived in the Empire paid little attention to the histories, lives, and stories to those they ruled. This is the second part, but it can be listened to without having heard the first. There are also a few 'pause points' when music plays in the background, so no need to listen in one long go (unless you really want to). I am releasing these episodes in response to long-term requests that I cover Imperial topics (as well as religion and James Bond), I always like to do requests, if I feel I can. Cyprus is close to my heart, as I lived there for seven years. Indeed, I am just back from a visit. Expect more on this topic, although not such a long episode!Message me anytime on Instagram, or e-mail: AlbionNeverDies@gmail.comCheck out my https://www.youtube.com/britishcultureCheck out my Red Bubble shopSeveral subscribers have their postcards and other little 'thank you's in the post, randomly drawn from the list, and one has a free mug on the way!Subscribe to my newsletter: https://youtube.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=b3afdae99897eebbf8ca022c8&id=5165536616   Support the show

Don't be shy, send me a message!Have you ever been to an Anglican church service? I have had requests to set out what it's actually like to attend a Sunday service from listeners in the USA, Spain, Bulgaria, East Asia, and more. Thank you to Bradford Cathedral,  who allowed me to use their recordings as part of this podcast. Please do check out their media accounts:Website: https://bradfordcathedral.org.uk/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BfdCathedralInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bfdcathedral/The book I refer to is: "England's Cathedrals"  by Simon Jenkins Message me anytime on Instagram, or e-mail: AlbionNeverDies@gmail.comCheck out my https://www.youtube.com/britishcultureCheck out my Red Bubble shopSeveral subscribers have their postcards and other little 'thank you's in the post, randomly drawn from the list, and one has a free mug on the way!Subscribe to my newsletter: https://youtube.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=b3afdae99897eebbf8ca022c8&id=5165536616  Support the show

Don't be shy, send me a message!REISSUE: I talked to Caine (normally in Fuzhou) about St. George's Day, which is April 23rd. It is often taken as a celebration of English culture and identity.  But, who was St. George, where was he from, why is he important to the English, and how can you celebrate this special day?We ask "Does it matter that St. George wasn't English?" and I feel we get a definitive answer.Check out Caine's Youtube channel, called 'Videos by Caine', lots of interesting new content coming, which he gives a sneak peak of in this episode. Also, if you haven't already, check out his previous contributions to this podcast, such as the Deep Dives into... Tea, Ink (British Tattoo Culture), Christmas and British Men's Wardrobes.Again, that's: www.youtube.com/VideosByCaineYou can find me on Instagram: @FlemingNeverDiesYou can e-mail me: AlbionNeverDies@Gmail.comCheck out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/britishcultureCheck out my Red Bubble shop: https://www.redbubble.com/people/british-cultureSupport the show

Don't be shy, send me a message!Many people have requested me to do an episode on The British Empire, which is such a vast topic, it can be hard to know where to start. For myself, the most obvious place is to start with the familiar; the island of Cyprus, where I lived for seven years. I have quite a collection of books on the topic. However, as an introduction, I as Chat GPT about the topic, to see what it predicts a 'normal' person would say. I then look at an authoritative but non-specialist source, The Encyclopedia Britannica.  At 15 minutes into the episode, I start a long reading from a truly interesting source;  "Cyprus Under British Rule" by Captain C.W.J. Orr, published 1918. Out of print (and out of copyright in the UK), this account gives us a real insight into the times. Indeed, I find it such an interesting insight, I may return to the topic, and indeed, the book... Message me anytime on Instagram, or e-mail: AlbionNeverDies@gmail.comCheck out my https://www.youtube.com/britishcultureCheck out my Red Bubble shopSeveral subscribers have their postcards and other little 'thank you's in the post, randomly drawn from the list, and one has a free mug on the way!Subscribe to my newsletter: https://youtube.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=b3afdae99897eebbf8ca022c8&id=5165536616  Support the show

Don't be shy, send me a message!Ian Fleming's James Bond 007 is 70 years old, Casino Royale having been published on April 13th, 1953. But for the films, he may well have been forgotten, so here, I finally give my (not so definitive) rankings of the films. This order changes regularly, but my favourite for each Bond, that stays the same. I orignaly wrote this for Country and Town House magazine, but here I expand on it greatly. You can check out the original article here: https://www.countryandtownhouse.com/culture/best-bond-films/  Message me anytime on Instagram, or e-mail: AlbionNeverDies@gmail.comCheck out my https://www.youtube.com/britishcultureCheck out my Red Bubble shopSeveral subscribers have their postcards and other little 'thank you's in the post, randomly drawn from the list, and one has a free mug on the way!Subscribe to my newsletter: https://youtube.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=b3afdae99897eebbf8ca022c8&id=5165536616 Support the show

Don't be shy, send me a message!If you are unsure what a 'Canon' is, or the difference between a church and a cathedral, or curious about the relationship between England's state church and the state executive, then this is the podcast that answers all those questions. I am joined by Canon Ned Lunn, at Bradford Cathedral, in an interview recorded in their Peace Chapel (there will be echoes). Thanks to the media officer at the Cathedral, we can also hear some of the music from a Cathedral service. Little correction, I say we recorded this in the Peace Chapel; actually we recorded it in the Chapel to the Holy Spirit ~ there is no Peace Chapel there, my mistake! We further talk about the City of Bradford, which will in 2025 host the UK's City of Culture, something Ned is unusually well qualified to talk on. Please do check out the work of the Cathedral here: https://bradfordcathedral.org.uk/ In Spring 2023, I will be covering the three most requested topics: What is 'The Church of England'? What was The British Empire really like? What is my personal ranking of the 007 films?Thank you to all those who have encouraged me to take on these, and all those who have helped me create the forthcoming episodes. Message me anytime on Instagram, or e-mail: AlbionNeverDies@gmail.comCheck out my https://www.youtube.com/britishcultureCheck out my Red Bubble shopSeveral subscribers have their postcards and other little 'thank you's in the post, randomly drawn from the list, and one has a free mug on the way!Subscribe to my newsletter: https://youtube.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=b3afdae99897eebbf8ca022c8&id=5165536616 Support the show