Tuesday, June 05, 2012

My 10 Favorite British Things - in Honour of the Queen's 60th

First, the obligatory sheep photo though. It's been raining, raining, raining. The sheep must be sick of it although the grass is growing like crazy.

Sheep in rain the other evening
Thought I would share my 10 favorite British Things with you all in honour of good Queen Elizabeth. Feel free to add your favorite British things and link them if you can so we can all have a good look around the net.

(in no particular order.....)
  1. Portobello Road
  2. Charleston and Monk's House -the creative homes of Vanessa Bell, Virginia Woolf, Duncan Grant and families
  3. The Oxford Natural History Museum
  4. Contemporary pottery from Mary Rose Young and Isis Ceramics
  5. Antique Mason's Ironstone and Gaudy Welsh Blue and Orange jugs
  6. Liberty of London
  7. Yorkshire Gold Tea  - I get it here if I can't find it locally.
  8. Harris Tweed fabric
  9. The colors of the Scottish Highlands including purple heather and gold gorse 
  10. The Conde Nast Magazine World of Interiors (available by monthly at B&N) and British Country Living
Can't wait to see your favorite British things.

24 comments:

Daisy said...

Agatha Christie, gothic novels, and Downton Abbey.

Devon said...

Good list,,I would add-
British Accent
Thatch roof Cottages
The Tudor years
Castles
Jane Austen
Beatrix Potter

just a few of mine,,have a great week and I hope the rain goes away for you soon..
Devon

sandi said...

I would add:
The Victoria and Albert Museum
Bath
Jammie Dodgers (it a cookie)

Love the sheep photos - when do you shear?

ayarnsnackaday said...

1. Archibald Alec Leach, aka Cary Grant.
2. My great grandmother's Scottish shortbread recipe, made every year by my mom for Christmas...yum.
3. Shetland ponies, Welsh Corgis, and Clydesdales.
4. Pimm's and Cucumber sandwiches
5. Prince Harry and the Duke of Edinburgh.

Robin said...

Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post! I am planning to travel to London with a side trip to Edinburgh over Thanksgiving. I've never been. You have some great suggestions and I'm looking forward to picking up more from your readers!

Anonymous said...

Love the V&A, Liberty of London, Mollie Makes, British handknits, Harris tweed, the Lake District and Cotswold, the whole custom of tea, my collection of Adams mixed pattern calyxware, Cabbages and Roses, Country Living, English gardens, Jane Brockett's quilts, Kaffe Fassett, ....

Am planning to make a few pieced union jack pillow covers in various prints to celebrate!

Anonymous said...

Mary Rose Young totally rocks your style but on pottery. Oh my goodness. She should be all over your table! :D if I'd seen that independent of your blog I still would have thought that...your colors, your flowers, your style! Cool. Separated at birth perchance? LOL.

Love the list...for me it's my birthplace.
The V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum) is my fave. It's online (see their vintage knitting patterns-free), in person it's at great place to see costumes and jewelry, etc., and in a very visitable scale.
Although the British Museum and the Tate are also not to be missed.
The Cotswold's
Devon and the southwestern coastline villages and towns.
--elizaduckie

710 East Myrtle Avenue said...

The Brontes, Mary Norton and James Herriot <3

Unknown said...

Yorkshire pudding (gluten-free!): http://www.pamelasproducts.com/recipe/Yorkshire_Pudding_/755.aspx

Brown Betty teapots: http://www.englishteastore.com/brown-betty-teapot-8-cup.html?lsku=DTP_BB8C

Fortnum and Mason tea (and a lovely shop and tea room in Piccadilly): http://www.fortnumandmason.com/c-10-tea-fortnum-and-mason.aspx

Our new local PBS station that is all UK programming 24/7: http://www.weta.org/tv/uk

The Ritblat Gallery at the British Library: http://www.bl.uk/whatson/permgall/treasures/

The King's Library at the British Museum: http://www.britishmuseum.org/about_us/the_museums_story/kings_library.aspx

The whole lovely town of Oxford: http://www.oxfordcity.co.uk/

fish and chips (or chicken and chips, just for a change)

And Elizabeth Zimmerman, of course.

Adaliza said...

You've done us proud Kristen! I have a great collection of Mary Rose Young - her early stuff that used to sold from her shop in Bath, by her Mum!
Native breeds of horses but for me it's all about the Welsh breeds - ponies & cobs!
Designers - well aside from Cath Kidston which is very popular, there's Susie Watson whose fabrics I use all the time and welsh wools from Melin Tregwynt and Curlew Weavers (in the village where I used to live in Wales). Now, if you're visiting and want to get a great taste of England - then Winchester, Bath and Salisbury should be on your list. I'll send anyone more details of my favourite shops if they're into wools and fabrics! And my secret tips for the best beaches - go to Cardigan Bay in Wales (in the sunshine)!
Great post Kristen - you've got me thinking!

Stephanie said...

1. The British Library
2. Using the word "rubbish" to mean crap or junk.
3. Fort Mason tea
4. gin & tonics
5. wonderful trekking/hiking trails
6. BBC
7. Cornish pasties
8. Gilbert & Sullivan
9. Daphne Du Maurier
10. Absolutely Fabulous

Sallie said...

1. The Wallace Collection
2. Sticky Toffee Pudding
3. Scones
4. Fish and Chips
5. The Courtauld Gallery
6. The Underground
7. St. James Park
8. Tower Bridge
9. The Button Queen
10. The Beatles

Auntie Shan said...

I happen to be half British - can trace the direct Ancestry back well over 400 years! However, the last time I was There was pretty much exactly 35 years ago! I was AT the "Silver" Jubilee.

A lots changed...

Hopefully, I can get back in the next few years. Will need a good 6-weeks though, whatwith all the friends, living relatives, "dead" relatives to visit and check out... And, of course, WOOL to buy!

- Have to actually SEE Hadrian's Wall -- I was asleep on a bus the last time. Thankfully, I have a cousin who lives a few miles south of it.

- Still need to see Stonehenge, too...

- Must revisit Warwick Castle. BTW, they had THE Best Scones ever!

- Need to go to Derbyshire [family seat] to literally check out the Family-Haunts!

- Pop over to Ireland for more than 4-hours this time!

- Go to Wales too!

- Have to check out some pottery places too... Which, reminds me, I need to do some research on MASON's - I had a great-whatever-granny who was a Mason...

:-D

MicheleinMaine said...

Sticky toffee pudding
Scones
Downton Abbey/Highclere Castle
British accents
Kaffe Fassett
Lessons and Carols at King's College Cambridge (on my list someday!)

Bash said...

Rowan yarns and all of their patterns and designers, particularly Martin Storey.
The Royal Ballet
BBC 3
Morse
Judi Dench
Maggie Smith
Agatha Christie
The Guardian particularly their food writers....love Otto.
Katy Kay
Paul McCartney and his daughter too

Unknown said...

1. My husband, who came to Canada at the age of 20, was my blind date for a nursing school dance and we have been together ever since (38 years).
2. the Royal family, especially the new generation - William and Harry.
3. Liberty of London - sigh!
4. iKnits - great yarn shop near the Eye in London.
5. BBC - radio and film.
6. quaint villages, castles, and beautiful countryside.
7. Victoria and Albert Museum - incredible. You could spend days in there.
8. the rail system - I know the Brits complain about it but you can go almost anywhere in Britain by rail. It's a great way to see the country.
9. English country gardens.
10.Manchester United football club. Hubby is a lifelong fan so I have, by necessity, come to love them too.

dfs0716 said...

What a great list!

I'd add:
ice cream with Cadbury twists (especially on hot days)

Wimbledon

Harrod's Food Court

zumbaqueen said...

Pink Roses, Wimbleton, Cream Tea, Downton Abbey, Inspector Morse, 007, Masterpiece Theatre, Jane Austen, Doc Martin, Helen Mirren, British Beer, Scones, and my many British Friends.

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Beau said...

What fun! Some great items posted. Some of my favorites:

1. Scones with clotted cream and conserves at The George on High Street in Rye (Walk down the street a bit and look out onto Romney Marsh and the home of Romney sheep.)
2. Listening to the organ at Yorkminster
3. Shopping in the Shambles in York
http://www.britainexpress.com/cities/york/shambles.htm
4. The oh-so-good Cheddar cheese.
5. Kingscliffe or what remains of this old RAF base used by the USAAC during WWII - My father was stationed here.
6. Wansford and the old hotel
7. Polo mints
8. Piccadilly Circus which looked exactly the same when I was there as it did in the black and white photos my dad took during WWII.
9. Fortnum & Mason - especially enjoyed my lobster bisque and all the fruits from so many places. What a joy to be able to get fresh figs!
10. Ha'penny ..... Glad I was able to get a couple before they disappeared from use.
11. The 100 Acre Wood and those who live there.

Chantelle said...

The British Museum and how easy it is to get around on the Tube.

Vermont Designs said...

I was with my family in Cornwall for the Jubilee celebrations, and attended a local Street Party - a good time! then watched the Thames parade on the telly, and the concert next night. Now can drink my Yorkshire Gold (I get it at Hannafords in Middlebury) in my Diamond Jubilee mug. Do have to bring loose leaf YG back with me tho. Can't tell you how many Cornish Cream Teas I had.......sinfully superb.

Vermont Designs said...

A couple more things! Just got back from a knitting/garden/birding/walking focused tour to Shetland, Bath & Cornwall. Among other things we had tickets to my total favourite shanty group, Port Isaac Fisherman's Friends - sat in the front row at the Minack Theatre for their concert last month (Google them). Then we visited PI to stand on the Platt and look at Doc Martin's cottage, blurry in a thick sea mist.
Sue Blacker gave us a tour of her mill & sheep farm in Launceston. I must stop and upload the pix to Facebook...Shelagh.

Nicole said...

That is such a fantastic photo of the sheep! Really mood-y and quite lovely.

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