Oh Patrick, now you've started a whole other train of thought with those electric milk trucks...;-)

Thanks for the link hanl -- after I posted my message I went to the Beeb site to check, and found it. Sadly, at work I can't open the media file: will have to try it at home. (I thought the map was good -- I never knew where some of those strange-sounding places were).

This thread and the one about the Caroline Fox book are more entertaining than work this morning...

Gotta say The Beatles and Monty Python.

Real marmalade. Double cream.

Women in sensible shoes walking their Airedales off lead.
A quiet garden.
John Cleese.

Women in sensible shoes walking their Airedales off lead.>>>>>

There's a word for ladies like that.

Hi
There used to be a club in Brooklyn NY many years ago that makes me think of England. It was called "Warm Beer and Lousy Food".

"Sunny spells"

Sheep.

I wouldn't even want to hazard a guess as to how many sheep we say in the Lake District and Yorkshire.

Beer.

Every time I walk past the beer cooler in a store here, I look at all of that icy-cold beer, and think of how great a warmish pint of real ale would be (and think 'yuck' about the icy-cold stuff).

BIG monstrous SUVs in towns, and rising gas prices.

Makes me think of those practical little cute autos that seem to exist only in the UK.

We *saw* sheep

Stupid typing! Wish Fodor's had an edit function for cleaning up stupid stuff after posting...

PalQ,

shouldn't that be 'scattered showers and sunny spells'?

I used to know a poem about weather forecasting but the only verses I can really remember are the first

"You know the optimistic chap
Who stands before the weather map
What he endearingly foretells is
Scattered showers and sunny spells"

over the next few verses the weather gets progressively worse - until,

"So when the hurricane hits our shores
And loud and fierce the tempest roars
Above the hurricane he yells
"It’s scattered showers and sunny spells"

What is Michael Fish up to these days? :-)

>>Music by people who could only be English; Billy Bragg; Ray Davies and the Kinks; Richard Thompson; Viv Stanshall; Neil Innes.<<

Not Prefab Sprout, David? :-)

>>Carols from Kings College Cambridge<<

Yes, and John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers as well.
Shakespeare
Jane Austen
C.S. Lewis
J.R.R. Tolkien
Patrick O'Brian

Lee Ann

ElendiPickle,

My children used to love Neil Innes in Puddle Lane - he played a wizard!

But that has to be 20 years or so ago :-(

Hmmm... Rutles to childrens television - a good career move?

Phrases seldom heard in the US:
"Cheers" used instead of Thank You.
"Sorry" used instead of Excuse Me.
"Brilliant". I last heard Brilliant used by a much overworked airport attendant when I finally found my flight itinerary to present to her and she could shuffle me along. I still bring back that simple phrase when I close my eyes & long to be on my way through Heathrow for a visit to London.

Veering slightly OT: Bruce, we've been enjoying the recent Guinness commercials where a couple of well-meaning yet clueless cartoon guys come up with a "great" idea* that is greeted with cries of "Brilliant!" It has a definite Pythonesque flavor we enjoy :-)

*Most recent version has them putting Limburger cheese on their heads so that they will blend in at a football game.

One of those words with meanings that go in and out of fashion - for one use, see:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/fastshow...rilliant.shtml

But it can also be used sarcastically, much like Hyacinth Bucket's brother-in-law Onslow's "Oh nice!!!"

Alya, you quote a poem that I've been trying to find. The one that goes:
"You know the optimistic chap
Who stands before the weather map
What he endearingly foretells is
Scattered showers and sunny spells"

Nothing came up on Google. Any ideas where to find the whole thing? Title, or who wrote it? (Sounds a bit like John Betjeman, maybe?)

I first heard of the Shipping Forecast from Mrs. Bale, As Time Goes By.
Trying to fix a decent cup of tea
Visiting the British food shop
Green rolling hills, esp if misty
Britcoms/PBS Mystery/Masterpiece Theatre
Mother's family in England

SB traveler

I don't know who the author is but every year when I was a 'little one' I got a book of poems from Santa - its the one poem I can remember if only partially :-)

I know a new book was published every year and all the poems had 'Kinkade' ish illustrations.

I'm racking my brain and came up with another snippet.

"but still he stands and still he dwells
on scattered showers and sunny spells"

Sorry!

SB Travlr

The Fireside Book by David Hope, but it could be from any year 1970 - 1980.

Happy Hunting!

BEER

Something different - the beautiful Edwardian theatre actresses:
Carrie Moore
Phyllis and Zena Dare
Gabrielle Ray
Mabel Love
Pauline Chase
Marie Studholme, among others.
(No, I am not that old)
My mother used to recite me this poem from her early 1900s autograph book:
Why doesn't Mabel Love me,
Why doesn't Phyllis Dare,
Why doesn't Pauline Chase me,
We'd make a handsome pair.
I'd like to Marie Studholme,
They say she's rich, and I am poor,
But I bow down with sorrow,
For I cannot Carrie Moore ....

<Strikes forehead in amazement at forgetfulness>

Of course - Victoria Wood!

You can't understand anything about this country unless you "get" The Ballad of Barry and Freda, and wet yourself at the mere thought of:

"I want to be Eileen Gumm,
Who calls herself ‘just a mum’.
I want to have three big lads
And a husband that I’ve driven nuts.

I’ll struggle and sacrifice
To make sure they have things nice.
I’ll give them such good advice.
They’ll absolutely hate my guts

I’ll make a bag for them to take their pumps in.
I’ll make pyjamas they can have their mumps in.
My mashed potato will have big grey lumps in.

I’ll control each family member.
I’ll make them gather round the Christmas table
And eat until to move they are unable.
They’ll wish that Joseph never found that stable.
I’ll put my sprouts on in November."

Bad teeth; wainscoating; tea and marmite toast; the "damp"; the smell of a wet wooly jumper; chipped, floral Royal Albert china; umbrellas; Lilywhite's; bad plumbing; gardens; wet, muddy dogs laying on granny's sofa; high streets; gateau with Devonshire cream; the fog rolling in; country churchyards; electric tea kettles.

Balenciaga: I'll have you know that I have extremely good teeth! :-)

PatrickLondon,

Womans weekly LOL, she writes wondeful songs.

We taped that show years ago and my DH is going to convert it from video to DVD. I don't even care how bad the quality is.

Benny Hill is being shown on BBC America a lot recently - I like to catch the beginnning of it just for the Thames Television music :-)

Borrowing the following two English magazines from our local library:

This England
History Today

And during the holiday period reading the current issue/s on line at:

http://www.thisengland.co.uk/index2....storytoday.com

apologies ..... a space or semi-colan before the www.historytoday.com ..... listed above.

alya,
That's exactly what I do. Sit and wait for the Thames TV fanfare with the double image of the London skyline. I would prefer it if BBC America then followed it with an episode of "Rainbow" preferably the infamous X rated one that Geoffrey, Zippy, George and Bungle did for the Christmas Staff party. Or is that an urban legend?

"Mind the gap"

Ani, Kylie Minogue is from Melbourne, Australia.
Sorry Mate.

henneth,

It wasn't an urban legend and it wasn't made for public viewing - more a gag for the staff and crew.

If you search online you should find a link - is saw it a couple of years ago and it is full of innuendo.

Very funny but not for children! :-)

BTW - I have friends here in the US who are suprised that my parents NEVER let me watch Benny Hill, they seem to assume we were raised on it :-(

alya: You never saw Benny Hill? To my mind you were extremely fortunate! :-) Benny Hill is not one of the exports that we're most proud of....

I can't believe they're still showing Benny Hill in the States, it's SO OLD. They never show it here anymore as I think it's deemed a little bit non PC (all that dirty man bottom groping).

oh, and Balenciaga, you really need to stop staying in those old cheap B&Bs. They're trapped in a time warp. Go for a boutique hotel next time darling

I've got all me teeth too and they are nice and straight.
They are clean but not neon white because to me that's a sign that teeth have been in a glass of bleach overnight.

This American tooth thing always tickles me because of my late mother.
She had to have false teeth much to her annoyance.
She saved her pennies and spent a lot of money so that she could have realistic looking teeth, not crooked or uneven, but with the sort of small imperfections that you get in normal teeth.
In her words she didn't want teeth that looked like a row of cups.
Now, Americans pay good money for just that look.

alya, if you want DVDs of Victoria Wood, there must be plenty about - not just the songs but also the wonderful "dinnerladies" ("I've told her, that's far too complicated a gusset for someone who won't wear their glasses") and "Pat and Margaret" ("NOT on the eiderdown?!"). Not sure whether they've been adapted for the US DVD zone, though, but I'm sure a Google would reveal all.

david, love how the shipping forecast comes up on 5live just when freddie is about to bowl his hat trick ball (or something crucial like that)....am reading (Attention All Shipping: A Journey Round the Shipping Forecast
Charlie Connelly) its funny!!! If anyone wants to listen to todays shipping forecast....goto

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/coast/shipping/

and bottom right corner, click on shipping forecast....Jane's voice is soooo soothing.

and adding

English Breakfast....sausages, bacon, tomato, mushrooms, beans, toast, hash browns and tea...hmmm

Why would I ever stay in a cheap B&B whilst in London, sweetie? I could stay at Aunt Judith's mansion on Redston Road in North London, or at Aunt Pat's in Old Windsor. Besides, darling, I am probably the only person on this website who has actually spent the night at Cliveden and Chatsworth.

I am thin and gorgeous.

PBS :)

Kate, get this!

Benny Hill is on TWICE a day 1-2pm and again 7-8pm!!!!!

PatrickLondon,

I think I'll take a look, perhaps one day BBCAmerica will come to their senses and show Dinner Ladies.

Can anyone explain The Peep Show? I watched 10 minutes and gave up. Is it worth persevering?

No, Balenciaga, dear.

You're the only one who would <i>mention</i> it.