Don't be shy, send me a message! Today, I’m talking about: (1) T is for… Thomas I talk about my experience in China, with Chinese social media and blogs, which led me ultimately to creating my @FlemingNeverDies Instagram account, and this podcast, which I chose *not* to give the same name. (2) What have I learned? Social media works best when it is more 'social' than 'media'. Where you stand depends on where you sit; as I gained perspectives from around the world, and as ...
Dec 20, 2022•30 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! British Christmas traditions feel universal and timeless to us Brits... yet as my interviewee Caine explains, Christmas has changed a great deal since the time of the first Christians in Britain, and indeed, since the first Christians! This is a special two-hour truly deep dive into what makes Christmas special, and what aspects are specially British. There are little breaks, so feel free to listen to this in installments. That's how we intended it to be...
Dec 16, 2022•1 hr 57 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! The number one movie on Netflix (UK) right now is the latest adaptation of D.H. Lawrence's "Lady Chatterley's Lover". Joining me to talk about this remarkable novel is British author Roland Hulme, described in his Amazon biography as "a digital Don Draper with a Hemingway complex - one of the world's foremost experts on social media and interactive marketing" . Roland was born in the UK, but is currently living and working a...
Dec 13, 2022•34 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! This week's episode looks at: Edith Nesbit: British children’s author, novelist, and poet. Among many other stories, she wrote, '5 Children and It' which I talk about here. The Dreyfus Affair: a sandal that captured the world's attention (and was obliquely references in 'The Railway Children'). The TV Show: starring Jenny Agutter in BBC black and white glory. The Film (1970): there are, of course, many movie adaptations, but this...
Dec 06, 2022•34 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! That's right! If you can guess the topic of my forthcoming episode, on a certain Edwardian children's story, then you can win an ' A is for... Albion ' mug! Just for fun, and for the three other reasons I give, along with many, many clues in the episode. Send answers to me on Instagram ... ...or by e-mail: [email protected] Recommended Rabbit Hole: The Dreyfus Affair . Thank you also to everyone who recently subscribed to my newsle...
Nov 29, 2022•11 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! Thanks to Frank on Instagram (@HansGruberr) for suggesting this topic. In fact, ‘007’s Drinks’ was the request, but since I have covered some of these on my Youtube channel already ( www.youtube.com/britishculture ), I thought I’d broaden it out to include food from the original James Bond novels by as well. The key reference books I use in this episode are: " For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming + James Bond " by Ben Macintyre " License to Cook &qu...
Nov 22, 2022•27 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! If you’ve lived under two British monarchs and three Prime Ministers, you may only be a few months old. Recent events have been (almost) unprecedented, as since so much of the UK’s image abroad can depend on our political representation, I touch on the topic of politics once again. This episode in in three parts: first I give context to recent events, especially the short tenure of Liz Truss ; then in the longest part I address the many questions (below) I wa...
Nov 15, 2022•30 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! By request of many, many listeners, I am covering ' Lawrence of Arabia ' (1962) in the final episode in my trilogy covering the films of British Imperial history. I previously covered the events that inspired the films Zulu (1964) and The Man Who Would Be King (1975), each with Michael Caine. This time, it's the David Lean classic starring Peter O'Toole. If, like 28% of respondents to my poll on Instagram, you haven't seen the film, o...
Nov 08, 2022•27 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! This is a REISSUE of my Bonfire Night (Guy Fawkes Night) special episode from last year. My style has changed a little since then, and I considered simply re-recording this, but there is honestly so much information packed in here, I truly think I cannot do better. Whether it is new to you (many people have discovered my podcast in the last year), or whether it's been a year since you heard it, I very much hope you enjoy it. Remember, remember, The Fifth...
Nov 04, 2022•20 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! I take a NO SPOILERS look at the 1975 film ‘ The Man Who Would Be King ’, and the original 1888 short story by Rudyard Kipling. I also recommend the books: ‘ The Great Game ’ by Peter Hopkirk' ‘ Inside the Kingdom ’ by Robert Lacey If you are one of the 47% of my Instagram friends who hasn’t seen the film ‘The Man Who Would Be King’, check it out! Do let me know what you think of it! You can e-mail me: [email protected] You can find me on Instagr...
Nov 01, 2022•15 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! Did you know that Halloween has its roots in the British Isles, especially from an ancient festival called 'Samhain'? Welcome back to our special returning guest, Caine, who gives us all the details. He previously gave us: the ' Deep Dive Into Tea '; the ' Deep Dive Into British Men's Wardrobes '; the ' A Deep Dive Into Ink: British Tattoo Culture '; the ' Deep Dive Into Christmas '; a ' Shallow Dive...
Oct 28, 2022•1 hr 4 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! Thank you very much to the chaps in the Facebook Group, ' The Gentlemen's Society for the Appreciation of the British Empire ' who provided so many great insights into the REAL Battle of Rorke's Drift, portrayed in the 1964 movie. There were over 300 comments, and I draw from as many as I am able to, as well as the following books: 'Rorke's Drift' by Adrian Greaves 'The Rise and Fall of the British Empire' by Lawre...
Oct 24, 2022•35 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! Every year, on October 28th, the Royal Navy celebrates Admiral Nelson’s most famous victory. But, what if Nelson had lost? And how can we celebrate this night? I draw upon three books: ‘ The Rise and Fall of the British Empire ’ by Lawrence James ‘ Empire of the Seas: How the Navy Forged the Modern World ’ by Brian Lavery ‘ HMS Victory ’ by Peter Goodwin I also recommend the movie ‘Master and Commander’ (2003), the TV show Hornblower (1998-2003), and the clas...
Oct 20, 2022•27 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! What's coming up on the podcast? A trilogy of British Empire classics, the first two as part of our 'season of Michael Caine'! Next week (24th October, 2022): 'Zulu' (1964) starring Michael Caine, and based on the Battle of Rorke's Drift (1879). The next week (31st October, 2022): 'The Man Who Would Be King' (1975) starring Sean Connery and Michael Caine, based on the short story by Rudyard Kipling (first published 1888...
Oct 17, 2022•11 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! Last week, I appeared on the podcast ' From Tailors With Love ', talking about the 1987 movie 'The Fourth Protocol'. That film was adapted by Frederick Forsyth from his own novel after Michael Caine read it and loved it. I also appeared on ' The Bond Experience ' on Youtube, talking about Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III, and of course James Bond 007. Thank you to the many, many people who have engaged me in conversation ther...
Oct 10, 2022•23 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! It is the guiding question of this whole podcast! After a tumultuous month, it's time to get back to basics. I asked a Facebook group, 'What is Britishness?' and their answers were outstanding. Thank you to everyone who took part in the discussion and made this episode possible. *** Subscribe to my newsletter: https://youtube.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=b3afdae99897eebbf8ca022c8&id=5165536616 Check out my Youtube channel: https://www.yo...
Oct 04, 2022•25 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! I watched Queen Elizabeth's funeral procession from The Mall, the road that leads to Buckingham Palace. It was a moving occasion. I this episode, I talk about how the news broke for me, how the transition looked from West Yorkshire, and my trip down to London to pay my respects. Subscribe to my newsletter: https://youtube.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=b3afdae99897eebbf8ca022c8&id=5165536616 You can find me on Instagram: @FlemingNeverDies Check out ...
Sep 26, 2022•24 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! I spent this morning at The Mall, in London, watching the funeral procession of Queen Elizabeth II. These are my brief thoughts as I travel home, a longer episode is coming soon. This is a day to be remembered. Support the show
Sep 19, 2022•2 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch, has died at Balmoral aged 96, after reigning for 70 years. With her passing, we mark the accession of Charles, formally Prince of Wales, as King Charles III. Prince William is the new Prince of Wales. The initial announcement was made from Balmoral, with a statement from Prime Minister Liz Truss following from Number 10 Downing Street. King Charles was subsequently proclaimed King from St. James'...
Sep 12, 2022•28 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! Liz Truss has just been elected leader of the Conservative Party in the UK. As the leader of the party with the largest number of Members of Parliament, it is expected that The Queen will invite her to become Britain's third Prime Minister... ...But who is she? I draw largely upon the (online) Encyclopedia Britannica article on her, giving my own observations and answering four questions from listeners about her. You can continue to contact me with quest...
Sep 05, 2022•21 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! What is a Bank holiday? Why do we have Bank Holidays? What do people do on Bank Holidays? Most importantly, what am *I* doing on this August Bank Holiday. Listen to this little episode and all will be revealed. I also have a question for all listeners; have you ever tried to teach a dog to read? If so, let me know your findings. The reason for this question is, of course, in the podcast, and it makes perfect sense. Enjoy your every day. You can find me on Ins...
Aug 29, 2022•11 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! In Ian Fleming's 1957 novel, James Bond 007 visits Istanbul. The city is wonderfully described, from a British perspective. Having studied Turkish for over 20 years, I go through Fleming's chapters on Turkey, and give my own perspective. This is Part 3 of a series initially focusing on Fleming. You can listen to these in any order, having read the books or not. I give real-world insights on places visited by the world's most celebrated fictitio...
Aug 22, 2022•17 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! This week, I am looking at the Darlington and Stockton Times (North Yorkshire), seeing what I can learn about this very rural area of England. A schoolboy saves a man's eyesight, the merits of solar panels verses potatoes are debated, ospreys return after more than 200 years, and much more. The series 'James Bond in Istanbul' *will* return... You can find me on Instagram: @FlemingNeverDies You can find my Turkish account here: @JamesBond_Turkiy...
Aug 15, 2022•14 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! In Ian Fleming's 1957 novel, James Bond 007 visits Istanbul. The city is wonderfully described, from a British perspective. Having studied Turkish for over 20 years, I go through Fleming's chapters on Turkey, and give my own perspective. This is Part 2 of a series initially focusing on Fleming. You can listen to these in any order, having read the books or not. I give real-world insights on places visited by the world's most celebrated fictitio...
Aug 08, 2022•27 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! In Ian Fleming's 1957 novel, James Bond 007 visits Istanbul. The city is wonderfully described. Having studied Turkish for over 20 years, I go through Fleming's chapters on Turkey, and give my own perspective. This is Part I(i) of a series that will initially focus on Fleming. After that, how far I go, you can decide! You can contact me using any of the following accounts: You can find me on Instagram: @FlemingNeverDies You can find my Turkish accou...
Aug 01, 2022•17 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! Thank you to everyone who messaged me about my last episode. This week, I'm answering the top ten questions (decided by me) that I was asked this week about UK politics. They are (in order of me receiving them): 1) How is Brexit going? Did it work? 2) Is there anything like a libertarian party there? 3) How could politics be made more interesting, especially for young people? 4) Does the monarch have a role in politics? 5) Is it possible to draw parallel...
Jul 25, 2022•32 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! The Prime Minister is the most visible representation of the UK, after the Queen. Travelling around the world, I have often been asked my views on Thatcher, Blair, and the most recent incumbent of Number 10 Downing Street, Boris Johnson (BoJo). Since Boris Jonson announced his resignation on the 7th July, the Conservative Party has been focused on selecting its next Parliamentary leader. As this is the largest political party in the House of Commons, whoever ...
Jul 18, 2022•20 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! Enjoy this special bonus episode, just a couple of minutes long. It was originally made for my Chinese social media account several years ago, as part of a campaign to promote a large James Bond themed event. Mixing Martinis and Vespers was a highlight of the event, as was our Goldfinger singalong (aided by the libations). On Youtube, my "007's Drinks" videos have proven popular; perhaps especially as I review both alcoholic and non-alcoholic d...
Jul 13, 2022•2 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! Hello there! Many of you know me from my Ian Fleming / James Bond themed Instagram profile: https://www.instagram.com/flemingneverdies/ In this podcast episode, I delve into the importance of Queen Mary's Rose Garden in Regent's Park, London to the James Bond canon, which I recorded on location. The garden features in the second chapter of Ian Fleming's You Only Live Twice (1964). I also reflect on Fleming's other 1964 publication, Chitty-...
Jul 11, 2022•10 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! What could be more English than an Englishman abroad? Having spent the majority of my adult life outside the UK, and much of my time in the UK supporting international students, I'm giving my insights into the phenomenon of ' Culture Shock '. The five stage are: (1) Honeymoon (2) Denial (3) Anger (4) Escape (5) Maturity I give an outline of each stage, with real-life examples, and give practical solutions based on my own experience and observat...
Jul 04, 2022•30 min
