Dear Readers: Due to a family emergency, I need to suspend blogging for several weeks.  I hope you'll take this opportunity to read through the website, if you haven't in a while.  Thank you so much for reading Anglophiles United!

Dear Anglophiles:  If we wish to set ourselves apart from the crowd, to shine brighter than the masses, there is no better or easier way to do so than to use exceedingly good manners.  The British are renown for their courteousness, though, even in Britain, many claim the art form is dying a fast death.  As Anglophiles, I believe we all should do our best, wherever we reside, to uphold this fine British tradition.  We are, after all, a distinctive lot! 

In this day and age, when we are in a situation that requires the nearly lost art of "small talk," we tend to whip out our cell phones and bury our noses in them, as though some pressing matter has captured our attention.  An exercise I suggest we all try the next time we're in an awkward social situation is to keep our cell phones in our pockets, look the human being(s) we are with in the eye, and force ourselves to make pleasant conversation.  And remember: "pleasant conversation" is generally not defined as talking about ourselves; it's generally construed as talking about the weather or other innocuous topics or showing an interest in the other person.  This exercise may sound scary, but we're Anglophiles, and I believe we can master this!

In a book I purchased at Twinning Tea, in London, entitled The Etiquette of Politeness, Good Sense and Good Manners, one section is dedicated to conversation.  The book suggests these pointers when conversing with others:

• Moderate you voice (speaking neither too loudly or too softly).

• Do not introduce a topic suddenly; allow the previous subject to be completed, allowing others to express their opinions.  (And men should remember to be attentive listeners to women, which is sometimes not the case.)

• Do not display narrow-mindedness, nor make general statements (e.g., all lawyers/doctors are bad), which may cause controversy.

• Do not deliver long monologues; doing so will label you a Bore.

• Engage in story-telling judiciously.  And if you're on the receiving end of injudicious story-telling, try to use "Christian forbearance."

If you would like to learn more about British etiquette, the links below are for you!

• To read Ask Men's Etiquette of a Gentleman (The True Marks of a Gentleman), click HERE

• To read The Perfect Gentleman's A Gentlemanly Approach to Business and Networking, click HERE

• To read Culture Question's About the Manners of Gentlemen in Britain, click HERE

Courteous behavior, alone, is enough to make one rise to the top of the pack, but when we couple nice manners with nice dress, we achieve a true mark of distinction.  To get ideas about sartorial choices, check out GQ's Photo Gallery of Britain's "Best Dressed Men" HERE

British etiquette expert William Hanson has special words of advice for women.  To read his article in The Telegraph, entitled Five Ways to be a "Lady" in the 21st Century, click HERE

I recently saw Glamour UK's list of "Best Dressed Women" and was not amused with the photo of the winner, Kristen Stewart, in a dress that rendered her nearly nude.  The dress looked expensive, but it made her look cheap.  For a real style icon. . .for one that exudes fine taste. . .I believe we should study the sartorial choices of our beloved Kate Middleton, aka Duchess of Cambridge.  To see StyleList's Photo Gallery of Kate Middleton's  clothing, click HERE

Go to: BRITISH CLOTHING
Go to: BRITISH CARS
Go to: VISIT BRITAIN
Go to: HOMEPAGE

Dear Anglophiles: Here is a new sweepstakes for you to enter--one that sounds like great fun!  Vampire Academy, a series of romance novels about six young-adult vampires, is being made into a film entitled Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters,  which will be released February, 2014.  Although the story's setting is in the American West, much filming will be done in London.   And the winner of today's sweepstake will get a free trip to London and a chance to visit the set and meet the cast and crew!  Great fun, right?!

To enter the sweepstakes, click HERE  (Scroll to bottom of page)
Sweepstakes closes June 26, 2013

Grand Prize:  A 5-day, 4-night trip for two to London; round-trip airfare; hotel accommodations; a visit to the film's production set and meeting of cast and crew; a guided tour of London; and a flip camera to document the whole experience!

Go to: VISIT BRITAIN
Go to: BRITISH MOVIES
Go to: BRITISH TV
Go to: HOMEPAGE

Many Anglophiles dream of holding a title, of being "Lord" or "Lady" of a manor house.  And we may dream of possessing all the "trappings of wealth" that come with being part of the landed gentry.  (A burden to be sure, but someone must bear the burden, right?)

Well, dear Anglophiles, those of you who hold such a dream will be thrilled to hear that your dream can come true!  At least part of it: owning British land (i.e., Scottish land) and acquiring a title.  Yes, those parts of the dream can come true.  Kind of.  Sort of.  For a price.  Albeit, a relatively small price.  And provided you have the chutzpah to actually use your newly acquired title!

One can, indeed, buy courtesy titles of "Lord" and "Lady" (or "Laird," the Scottish equivalent of the English word "Lord").  But I emphasize, these titles are courtesy titles, not legal titles of nobility conferred by the Queen.  As courtesy titles, they may be used in the same manner as other courtesy titles, such as "Mr.," "Mrs.," or "Dr."  One such (reputable) company to buy a title from is Highland Titles, which sells small lots of land as a conservation scheme.  Purchasers actually own square footage (either 1, 10, 100, or 1,000 square feet), which they may visit and picnic or camp on . . . and will to their heirs.  In Scotland, one acquires a courtesy title through land ownership. 

VIDEO: News interview of Stephen Rossiter, spokesperson for Highland Titles.

• To read Highland Titles "HOMEPAGE," where land & titles purchases may be made, click HERE   

        

• To read "ABOUT" Highland Titles, click HERE

• To read "FAQ" about Highland Titles, click HERE
  

Go to: VISIT BRITAIN
Go to: THE ROYALS
Go to: BRITISH HOMES
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Go to: HOMEPAGE

NOTICE: Dear Anglophiles, I am working on a large writing project and will be unable to blog for a while . . . however, I won't leave you hanging!  Each day I receive scores of interesting emails about Britain and British news, so my future blog posts, until I finish my writing project, will consist of links to some of these wonderful tidbits about Britain or videos that I find particularly interesting.  I hope you enjoy these nuggets!  (I also encourage readers to contact me about writing guest posts.)  Thank you so much for reading Anglophiles United!

The quaint, charm of Britain's villages and countryside is one of the many reasons we Anglophiles love Britain.  And what is more quaint and charming than a thatched roof? 

• To see Stickboy Photos' gallery of Thatched Roofs Around England, click HERE

• To read the article An Age-Old Dream: The Thatched Cottage in Daily Kos, click HERE

• To read How to Thatch a Roof in The Guardian, click HERE

• To watch a video on The Guardian website entitled Disappearing acts: Thatching a roof, click HERE

• Want your own thatched roof?  Check out McGhee & Co. Roof Thatchers HERE

• Want to stay in a thatched-roof cottage in the UK?  Get info HERE &  HERE

VIDEO: Thatched Roof in England (Photo Gallery)

Go to: BRITISH HOMES
Go to: BRITISH DRINKS
Go to: BRITISH FOOD
Go to: HOMEPAGE

 
Dear Anglophiles: A couple of news articles are on the agenda today. . . .  

• The Queen's husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, has been hospitalized for exploratory abdominal surgery.  A palace spokesperson says the Duke is "in very good health," but we all know that news could change on a dime, pending surgical results.  Please join me in wishing the Duke the best of health!  To read an article from The Guardian about the Duke's hospitalization, click HERE  

• Selfridges department store on Oxford Street in London was robbed!  Ordinarily, such news might fly under our radar, but since the ITV/Masterpiece series Mr. Selfridge, many of us Anglophiles have come to feel like Selfridges is our department store, and we take this robbery quite personally.  Humph!  To read a BBC News article about the robbery, click HERE
  

NOTE:  Listening to London radio news yesterday about Selfridges, I heard one talk-show host describe the robbery as "quite a kerfuffle."  Now really, I don't think I've ever heard a newscaster on this side of the pond use such a delightful description, and hearing this wonderful use of the English language made me an even more ardent Anglophile!

To listen to my favorite London radio station, LBC (London's Biggest Conversation), 97.3 F.M., click HERE

Go to: BRITISH NEWSPAPERS
Go to: BRITISH RADIO
Go to: BBC NEWS FEED
Go to: HOMEPAGE

 Dear Anglophiles: If anybody knows how to make the perfect pot of tea, it’s the British.  And if anybody within Britain qualifies as tea specialists, it would be the fine folks at Fortnum & Mason.  In the video below, a tea specialist from F&M tells us how to make The Perfect Cuppa.

Are your tea-making skills up to snuff?

VIDEO: How to make the perfect cup of tea (by Fortnum & Mason)

VIDEO: The Origins of Afternoon Tea (by Fortnum & Mason)

Go to: BRITISH FOODS
Go to: BRITISH DRINKS
Go to: BRITISH HOMES
Go to: BRITISH CARS
Go to: HOMEPAGE

Dear Anglophiles: Today's guest post is written by Kristen Hurst.  Enjoy!

HOW TO DRESS A ROYAL BUMP:
MATERNITY WEAR FIT FOR A QUEEN
by
KRISTEN HURST

Yes, truth be told, I’m a bit of an Anglophile.  Actually it’s more than a bit, but ‘bit’ sounds more English, like ‘Fancy a bit of sugar in that?’   Not that I use Briticisms often, well, I try to, but I receive odd looks from the stressed-out barista at the local Starbucks when I order a ‘cuppa’.  Bollocks to those wankers! 

Anyway, back to my love affair with all things English.  My lifelong penchant probably had origins from those charming Peter Rabbit stories, (the ones with the little animals donned to the Ts in English ensembles), forever etching their indelible stamp upon my childhood.  Even my own parents couldn’t understand my obsession with servants, serving trays, silverware, fox hunts, teatime and were often irritated with my desire to have ‘roasted pheasant and Yorkshire pudding’ brought into the ‘drawing room,’ which of course, we didn’t have. 

But my British love affair has never ebbed; as a matter of fact, it’s even stronger today than ever before as I enjoy my latest and greatest British indulgence: Downton Abbey.  (No! Not Lady Sybil – How could it be, we hardly knew you? And Matthew? What can we say about that? Except, Blimey, the whole world’s gone daft!)

So you can imagine, with the wedding of William and Kate Middleton, my Victorian-lensed eyes feasted on their uber-glamorous wedding, one that didn’t fall short of my strict English expectations; an event steeped in royal tradition, regalia, gilded coaches, and be-hatted opulence.  And now, the much-anticipated pregnancy and impending birth of the newest royal has the entire globe holding its collective breath.  In the meantime, the always fashion-savvy Duchess of Cambridge continues to impress with her sophisticated taste, reflected in her choice of clean lines and chic pieces.  

If you are a misplaced Englishwoman and would like to include stylish pieces in your own maternity wardrobe, then take a look below.

• Style. Let’s face it: Kate’s looks consistently adhere to clean lines, elegance and sophistication.  She appears to prefer subtlety over brash and frills, and vibrant blocks of color over prints and pattern.  If you would like something similar, take a look at these maternity clothes.  The clothes are very affordable, timeless and classic (another very English trait).

• Accessories. What’s more British than crumpets or watercress? If I had to guess, I would  say hats.  The crowning piece on any God-fearing, Anglo wardrobe.  And for those of us who watched the royal nuptials, we were treated to ‘piece,’ not really a hat.  But for a quintessential British look, a hat definitely pulls the look together.  As a matter of fact, you are hard pressed to find photos of the Duchess of Cambridge without a hat. 

• Shoes. Well, of course, with all her busy royal duties, the Duchess must consider sensible footwear to accomplish her numerous tasks.  Fashionable and functional is essential not only for the amount of time spent on those royal feet but also for someone who is expecting.  This might be difficult  because her past look included higher-heeled shoes, but no doubt, if anyone can pull off a finished look, Ms. Middleton can. 

Like her deceased mother-in-law, Diana, the Duchess seems destined to be a trendsetter and a fashion icon with many admirers.  She handles her public role with the same poise and class as Diana; a legacy that once seemed impossible to replace, yet, Kate has struck a similar chord with the public.  She manages her obligations with a regal air of efficiency and is the personification of manners, class and dignity.

I do not think we need to worry about Britain’s future with this Duke and Duchess at the helm.  Instead, we can focus our efforts on whether we will be greeting a prince or a princess. 

GUEST WRITER:  Kristen Hurst is a stay-at-home mother of three who enjoys blogging.  She received her bachelor's degree in fashion marketing, and writes often about nursing clothes.  When she's not juggling the lives of Casey, Austin and Ben, she enjoys painting and catching up with a great Jane Austen novel.  You can find her on G+

Go to: THE ROYALS
Go to: BRITISH HOMES
Go to: BRITISH TEA CUSTOMS
Go to: HOMEPAGE

I would like to wish a happy anniversary to the Queen!  On June 2, 1953, she was coronated Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Abbey.  Westminster has held 38 coronations, with William the Conqueror being the first, when he was crowned King of England in 1066.  Today, the Queen and three generations of her family are attending a formal anniversary ceremony at Westminster.  If you subscribe to BBC-A, be sure to watch!

To see a Photo Gallery of the Queen's coronation on The Guardian website, click HERE

Go to: THE ROYALS
Go to: BRITISH RADIO
Go to: VISIT BRITAIN
Go to: HOMEPAGE

Dear Anglophiles:  If you are enamored by classic British automobiles and/or the "Golden Age of Travel," you may swoon, as I did, reading about the Fifth Peking-to-Paris Motor Challenge.  This classic car, endurance rally, which traverses half the globe, first ran in 1907--before Peking was renamed "Beijing" and before the rise of the Communist state, which forbade contestants to drive through Soviet territories.  Amazingly, in this first race, contestants had no maps and drove mostly off-road!

The Peking-to-Paris rally resumed in 1997, a few years after the fall of Communism.  The current race boasts entrants from 26 nations and 96 vehicles, with a route taking the teams through China, Mongolia's Gobi Desert, Russia, Eastern Europe, and on to France.  The race "prize" is a bottle of champagne!  (And, of course, priceless adventures and great prestige!)

Most of the vehicles in this year's race were manufactured in either Britain or America--but many were produced in other countries too.  Click through the links below,  and you'll see Bentleys, Rolls Royces, Mercedes, Jaguars, Land Rovers--as well as Volvos, Porches, etc.

• To see a map of the race's route, click HERE

• To see the list of race participants, click HERE

• To view the homepage of the Endurance Rally Association, which sponsors the race, click HERE

• To see a Photo Gallery of the race, click HERE   
  

• To read a Telegraph article about the race, click HERE

ALJAZEERA VIDEO: PEKING--PARIS

TELEGRAPH VIDEO: ON THE ROAD IN BEIJING