What’s the difference between England, Great Britain, the United Kingdom, and the British Isles? And where do Scotland and Wales fit in? Are they countries? States? Provinces? Is a Scotman British? It’s understandably confusing to anyone who doesn’t (a) live there, or (b) spend a fair bit of time visiting or studying the area. What …
If you’ve travelled in the UK or watched a lot of British TV, you may have encountered “ready salted crisps” and wondered what they are, or how they got their name. Why do they bother to specify “ready salted”? Does anyone even sell unsalted crisps? Why don’t they just call them plain, or original? What …
Read moreWhat are Ready Salted Crisps? The Quirky History of “A Packet of Ready Salted”
January 15-20 in 2020: Lonely Planet is having their big sale – 45% off all their travel guides, no coupon code needed. Click HERE to shop the sale, or browse the featured guides from the British Isles below (all of which are on sale for these five days). Whether you’re actively planning a trip …
British money has a lengthy history, so it’s not surprising that it’s evolved and changed over the years. Whether you’re watching British TV, reading British books, or just planning a trip to the UK, it’s understandable you might have questions about how it works. Even among Brits, you’ll find many don’t understand the older British …
Read moreUnderstanding British Money: What’s a Quid? A Shilling?
If you’ve watched the Welsh drama Keeping Faith over on Acorn TV, you’ve no doubt seen the bright yellow mac (waterproof coat) Eve Myles wears as Faith Howells. It’s almost like a character in its own right. Side Note: If you haven’t already seen it, Season 2 of Keeping Faith is now available. It’s safe …
If you’ve ever watched Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, you’ll have seen a bit of Preston, Lancashire. Though Hetty herself lived 15 miles away in the market town of Darwen, a couple of episodes included forays into the nearby city. While it’s not a city at the top of many tourist lists, that doesn’t mean it’s not …
Read moreOffbeat Britain: Preston, Lancashire – Where to Stay & What to Do
We get a lot of food and drink questions around here, and one that came up a few times over the Christmas season was this: “What is a Buck’s Fizz?” It’s a very popular drink in the UK, but it’s almost unheard of in the United States – though it’s not an unfamiliar concept, as …
We recently posted about the best places to see Christmas lights in London, and while the post was popular, we saw a lot of social media comments from people who said they’d love to go, but it just wasn’t in the cards for them. Some people were challenged by budget, others by family obligations, …
Read more12 Walking Tours of London’s Christmas Lights in 2019
For as lovely and awe-inspiring as it can be, Scotland can also be incredibly spooky at times – as anyone who’s walked around Edinburgh’s Old Town at night can attest. It’s not that it’s dangerous. Scotland is an incredibly safe country. It’s more about the feeling places have, and perhaps some kind of lingering sense …
Read more13 Spooky Places in Scotland that Prove Just How Creepy it Can Be…
The UK has had its fair share of cursed gems, but one of the most intriguing is the Dehli Purple Sapphire. This rather unremarkable stone was mis-identified as a sapphire back in the 19th century, and though it’s actually an amethyst, the name stuck. Though amethyst has long been believed to have positive spiritual …
Read moreThe Curse of the Purple Dehli Sapphire in the Natural History Museum in London