Don't be shy, send me a message! Humour (with a 'u') is one of the most defining characteristics of a culture, so what are the top three comedy TV shows from the United Kingdom and what can they tell us about British Culture? Here, writer Roland Hulme tells us about Blackadder (starring Rowan Atkinson), Fawlty Towers (starring John Cleese), Red Dwarf (we had to Google the main actor). No disrespect to the lead actor of Red Dwarf by the way, he simply embodies the role so well that ...
Dec 19, 2023•32 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! The King James Bible is one of the most influential works in English. As we approach Christmas, Thomas reads from the first chapter, the coming of Jesus. Support the show
Dec 15, 2023•10 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! Finally! I have Kyle on the podcast, who contributed enormously to the 'Alphabet of Britishness' series (which *will* return). I interview him about his love of the 2006 movie Casino Royale, which inspired his choice on Instagram handle: https://www.instagram.com/easysmilesandexpensivewatches/ We talk about the joys of the James Bond fan community, about attending special events, concerts, and screenings, and the other film franchises we love. Do ch...
Dec 12, 2023•28 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! This podcast episode has a whole 5 minutes on Bingley, the little town in the UK where I live. I then talk about the longest running soap opera in the world; The Archers , an everyday story of country folk. Broadcast since 1951, episodes are broadcast on BBC Radio Four every day, Sunday to Friday at seven p.m., and they're repeated the next day at two p.m. (except on Saturdays). Episodes are about 12 or 13 minutes, and you can listen for free on the app ...
Dec 05, 2023•31 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! In this episode, I respond to questions from my Instagram friends over at @flemingneverdies The Spice Girls! Are we getting any Christmas specials? Vodka Martini Stories British Science Fiction Britain Pre-Roman and Christianity Who should be the next M, Q, and Moneypenny for James Bond? Hannah Waddingham Energy! Top Places to go to enjoy England’s countryside Fleming’s London (Book Locations) Clive of India The Boer War MI6 What is a stiff upper lip? Best ev...
Nov 28, 2023•32 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! Mark Edlitz is the author of works such as ' How to be a Superhero ', ' The Many Lives of James Bond: How the Creators of 007 Have Decoded the Superspy ', ' The Lost Adventures of James Bond ' and most recently, ' Movies Go Fourth: 4th Films in Fantastic Franchises '. We talk about all of these, plus have a trip down memory lane as we talk about James Bond Jr., the cartoon, comic book, and toy range, from the 1990s. Ple...
Nov 21, 2023•35 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! Dr. Who's 60th anniversary is drawing closer and closer... At least, according to our perception of time, limited as it is by being only human. The eponymous Doctor is a Time Lord from Gallifrey, so he (or she) is not limited by the limiting limits of such limitations. He's not (or she's not) the only Time Lord out there, so Thomas Felix Creighton and Daniel Gaster can't help asking, is James Bond a Time Lord? Does that explain the differe...
Nov 14, 2023•30 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! Two important community events, Guy Fawkes / Bonfire Night, and Remembrance Sunday. One to celebrate, one to commemorate. Both draw people together from all backgrounds around the United Kingdom. Thank you to Bradford Cathedral for allowing me to use some of their sound recording of the 77th Bradford Festival of Remembrance. You can find their Youtube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@BfdCathedral and their Instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/bf...
Nov 07, 2023•22 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! Doctor Who reached some incredible heights in the '70s and 2000s, and indeed, ever since it started gracing our screens since 23 November 1963. But with such a long history, how can a new entrant to the series possibly catch up? What's happened so far? Who are the *most* iconic characters? How often do they return? How best to bridge the 'classic' and 'new' Who episodes? This episode reveals all. Well, much. Let's not get ca...
Oct 31, 2023•26 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! The new Netflix movie ' Boudica: Queen of War ' starring former Bond girl Olga Kurylenko (Camille, ' Quantum of Solace ') premiers today. But, who was Boudica? Was she really the Warrior Queen she is said to be? What is her significance in history? Check out this podcast episode to find out. Fact is often stranger - and more interesting - than fiction. The main content here was originally released February 28th 2022, as part of the 55 minu...
Oct 26, 2023•18 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting 3 local Members of Parliament, and Michael Gove , who has been a member of cabinet for 12 of the last 13 years. He has served 4 of the last 5 Prime Ministers (not Liz Truss). I was able to meet them all at a dinner thanks to parliament being in recess, when politicians return in Autumn to their shires and connect with their constituents. I talk about this, the ensuing lack of UK political news as all the 'great men...
Oct 23, 2023•30 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! Every year, on October 21st, the Royal Navy celebrates Admiral Nelson’s most famous victory, near Trafalgar in 1805 when 27 British Royal Naval ships defeated a combined French and Spanish fleet of 33 warships. 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 Pe...
Oct 21, 2023•27 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! Doctor Who has graced our screens since 23 November 1963. But with such a long history, how can a new entrant to the series possibly catch up? What's happened so far? What's the basic premise? Who are the iconic characters? What's the best 'classic' episode? And who is 'Who'? This episode reveals all. Well, much. Let's not get carried away. Have a jelly baby. You can find Daniel Gaster here: https://www.instagram.com/da...
Oct 15, 2023•32 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! In 1999's 'The World Is Not Enough' starring Pierce Brosnan as 007, we see a stunning boat chase down the Thames in the opening minutes of the movie. This was the first time we really see London used in a major action piece in a James Bond movie. In this episode, I talk to a number of fellow Bond fans about their favourite moments of this chase, give my own take, and talk about the significant sights. You can watch the chase for yourself on the...
Oct 09, 2023•27 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! My first ever movie review on this channel, 2 years on, time to share my first impressions of the 25th James Bond film from EON Productions. I give my views, and wander down a few little rabbit holes, as is my style. I talk about my personal journey with this film, three of the major talking points (full spoilers, so only listen if you've seen the film), and run through my highlights when watching. No surprise here if you've listened to Episode 118;...
Oct 02, 2023•32 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! In every Bond film there’s a real-life historical event that goes with it. Donnie's podcast researches and presents the history that inspired the stories. Here, he sets out the best *and worst* of the James Bond franchise. One of the 007 films is absolutely (in his view) beyond redemption . Yet there are several others that are "perfect tens". We focus on the extreme ends of the enjoyment spectrum, and find a way of watching 2015's SPECTRE...
Sep 25, 2023•36 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! She spoke better Arabic than Lawrence of Arabia, helped draw the borders of modern-day Iraq, and founded the National Museum arguing that historic relics should be kept in the country of origin. Yet Gertrude Bell is a relatively little-known British Imperialist. Perhaps as she was so ‘of her era’, as opposed to the more self-questioning heroes we might focus on now. I talk about my journey over the last few weeks, trying to find out more and more about her. I...
Sep 18, 2023•30 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! I have mentioned Yorkshire many times, but rarely focused on it. Time to rectify that. Yorkshire is a historic county of England, between the Pennies and the North Sea. It is England’s largest historical county with a history shaped by the Vikings (Danelaw), the War of the Roses (1455 – 1487), and the Industrial Revolution. Famous Yorkshire folk include: Sean Bean , best known as ‘006’ in Goldeneye, and as Sharpe a kind of Napoleonic 007. The original Bernard...
Sep 11, 2023•32 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! All rankings of the 25 007 films are purely personal preference, yet there are some listings that attract more controversy than others. Here, Chris Hunt (aka 'British Bond Addict') and I talk through our most unusual choices, including our views on; 'Thunderball' and 'Diamonds Are Forever' with Sean Connery, 'The Man With the Golden Gun' and 'For Your Eyes Only' with Roger Moore, and 'Quantum of Solace&ap...
Sep 04, 2023•23 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! In his 007th appearance on this podcast, Chris Hunt (aka ' British Bond Addict ') talks me through his top 6 James Bond films, his bottom 3, and we talk about how our rankings of all 25 differ. Chris is a Brit currently based in the USA, so naturally we find much to talk about in differences between the British and American fandoms, and how experiences in either country can change your (and have changed our) perceptions of the 007 films. Check out h...
Aug 28, 2023•28 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! President of the British James Bond Fan Club www.007gb.co.uk gives me an insight into why he set up the club, what it involved, and why he has such a love of the long-running franchise. We naturally talk about the joys of 1974's ' The Man With the Golden Gun ' starring Roger Moore, as we both have a love for that film and have visited key locations. You can check out Philip Dewhurst's Instagram account here: www.instagram.com/upintheair.ph...
Aug 21, 2023•28 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! I am delighted to be joined this episode by a *far* more experienced podcaster! Joe Darlington has run ' Being James Bond ' since November 2006. He has done detailed rankings on the 007 films on a range of media, most notably, his Youtube channel. Recently, however, he shared a ranking that caused controversy, so I talk to him all about that, about his favourite Bond experiences, and - as in the title - why 1974's 'The Man With the Golden ...
Aug 14, 2023•31 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! This hard-hitting episode looks into the Daily Mail allegations that the Prime Minister of the UK is wearing suits "too small". Rory Tingle wrote: "Why doesn't Rishi Sunak buy suits that fit? Men's fashion expert is 'baffled' by the 5ft6in Prime Minister's attempt to look trendy with his ankle-skimming tailoring (and says the Noughties want their trousers back!)... ...In a forensic analysis of Mr Sunak's fashion ch...
Aug 07, 2023•33 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! 9 months after moving into an unfurnished flat, and slowly furnishing it, and I've been served my 'no fault' eviction notice. It has been sold, and the new owner wants to move in, so I'm out. However, I may be in with a chance of another little flat close by, so fingers crossed that all can work out. Life's full of little challenges. This podcast mainly focuses on my love of local news stories, drawing particularly from: The Gibraltar...
Jul 31, 2023•30 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! From Donald Campbell's 1960s land and water speed records ~ referenced in 2002's 'Die Another Day' ~ to how you could get involved with high speed racing, Instagram's 'British Bond Addict' gives us his unique perspective on motorsport. Why him? Because he's a no stranger to a racing podium himself, that's why! Chris last appeared on "T... is for Thunderbirds"! Check out his account here: https://www.insta...
Jul 24, 2023•29 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! It's good to go back to basics from time to time. So, this week, I asked Chat GPT, “Hi, I have a podcast on British Culture. Could you suggest ten topics please?” , and this is what it replied: "Certainly! Here are ten topics related to British culture that you could consider for your podcast: Traditional British Foods British Monarchy British Literature British Music British Sports British TV and Film British Comedy British Festivals and Traditions...
Jul 16, 2023•37 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! This second part of my exploration of the British Overseas Territory in the Mediterranean looks at what do to over a long weekend, and what culture you might be able to Google, glean, and observe. I am joined by my good friend Caine, who found all this out using the best method possible, by going there and doing the research. Although this is a 'Part 2', it can be enjoyed by itself, with 'Part 1' returned to later. This was fun to chat abo...
Jul 10, 2023•44 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! What do you know about a place called 'Gibraltar'? Hopefully, after this briefing, a lot more than you knew before! In this episode, I am joined by my good friend Caine, who has ten years of experience teaching about British culture in China. For the benefit of those of us in the West, he runs the Youtube channel "Videos By Caine" with a special focus on traditional Chinese culture. Caine previously guided us on our deep dives into tea, Br...
Jul 03, 2023•43 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! For 82 years, the Mediterranean island of Cyprus was a British colony. Here, I really focus on that era. Although I did two previous episodes on Cyprus, they are not ‘sequential’ and can be listened to in any order – reverse order can work as well as the release order. I draw on three key books: The Turks in Cyprus: A Province of the Ottoman Empire – by Ahmet C Gazioğlu Cyprus Under British Rule – by CWJ Orr (Army Captain) The Death of Friendship: A Cyprus Me...
Jun 26, 2023•34 min
Don't be shy, send me a message! We've seen Sean Connery's 007 fly in You Only Live Twice, Daniel Craig's James Bond pilot a plane in SPECTRE, as well as Moore and Brosnan over the last 60+ years. So, I asked pilot and James Bond content creator Christopher Morales for his views on flying in the Bond franchise. Who was the most realistic pilot? Listen to find out! You can follow Chris on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatonebondguy/ Watch his videos on Youtube: https://...
Jun 19, 2023•30 min
