For 160 years, Dartmouth in Devon has had a railway station, but no trains. A video by The Tim Traveller.
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“Good Luck It’s Christmas,” by UK Indie band Tellison. Video: Carl Peck.
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“Lonely This Christmas,” recorded by Lucky Soul, 2007. Vocalist: Ali Howard. Written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, who recorded the song (in the style of Elvis) with their band Mud in 1974. Versions have been recorded by other UK artists including KT Tunstall and Los Campesinos.
Lucky Soul website
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In 1980, the world’s first Pantomime Horse of the Year Show was held in Basingstoke, Hampshire. The Tweseldown and Wellington Horse Trials are held nearby. England has excelled in breeding these high-spirited Panto Horses for over a century. In recent times, the London Pantomime Horse Race has run a point-to-point pub-to-pub course in Greenwich.
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Your grandparents may remember Bertram Russell (1872 –1970), British philosopher, logician, and social critic. He remembers his own grandfather, who met Napoleon, in this 1952 interview.
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The English bulldog has become a four-footed symbol of British determination, and this intensified during WWII due to the canine breed’s resemblance to saggy-jowled wartime PM Winston Churchill. There must be shock in the Sceptered Isle over the UK’s Royal Veterinary College recommendation that animal lovers stop buying English bulldogs. The poor pups are plagued by health issues — breathing, skin, eye, and tooth problems — caused by breeding practices. The warning applies to other pups with punched-in faces, French bulldogs and pugs.
More:
“Dog health: Don’t buy a bulldog until breed is reshaped, vets plead,” Helen Briggs, BBC News
“English Bulldogs in the UK: a VetCompass study of their disorder predispositions and protections,” Dan G. O’Neill, Alison Skipper, Rowena M. A. Packer, et al., Canine Medicine and Genetics
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Top image: U.S. Marines Mascot Lance Cpl. Chesty XIV at the 2013 Barracks Row Fall Festival, Washington DC. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
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UK commentator Jonathan Pie gives a proper “Ta ta!” to Tory Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Jonathan Pie website
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Tory buffoon and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson quit, but he’s staying on as a “caretaker”until his Conservative Party chooses a new PM in September or October. When a PM quits, he or she may choose a senior party member to act as interim PM so the stench of a rotting administration doesn’t waft out of Number 10 and pervade Downing Street.
And many Tories have been proposed as caretaker Prime Ministers, and the list ranges from Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab to Theresa May to Peppa Pig, but Mr. Johnson insists on extending his odious administration into autumn. The reason? He’s scheduled a lavish wedding reception for himself and Carrie, the mother of his last two children, on July 30th at Chequers, the Prime Minister’s official country estate. And we all know Boris loves a good party.
More:
“Boris Johnson plans July wedding party with Carrie at Chequers,” Jessica Elgot, The Guardian
“UK Conservatives say ‘toxic’ Boris Johnson should be replaced now,” Andrew Macaskill, Reuters
“Boris Johnson’s plans to remain as PM are ‘unwise’ and ‘unsustainable’, warns Sir John Major,” Sky News
“Boris Johnson will cause ‘carnage’ if allowed to stay on as caretaker prime minister, Dominic Cummings says,” Mary Bulman, The Independent
“Boris staying on until October would be like PM ‘working with own firing squad,’” Josh Layton, The Scotsman
Related:
“Who wants to be UK prime minister? Just about everyone.” Cristina Gallardo, Politico
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After his boozy parties at 10 Downing Street during COVID lockdown, turning a blind eye to sexual misconduct allegations against one of his top Tory officials, and the mass resignations of his administration’s cabinet ministers and officials, Boris Johhnson refuses to resign. If you’re asking why, you’ve mistaken Mr. Johnson with someone with an ounce of shame.
More:
“Boris Johnson’s tenure has been defined by scandal. Here are some of the biggest ones,” Ivana Kottasová and Tara Subramaniam, CNN
“Boris Johnson Freaks Out After Giuliani Arrives in London to Help Him,” Andy Borowitz, The New Yorker
“Boris Johnson and wife Carrie to host lavish Chequers wedding party while he clings on,” Pippa Crerar, Daily Mirror
UPDATE:
Saying “Them’s the breaks,” Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson joined the ranks of unemployed New-York-born television novelty performers. Maybe he’ll move to Mar-a-Lago.
“Boris Johnson resigns as UK prime minister,” Jen Kirby, Vox
“Boris Johnson resigns: Five things that led to the PM’s downfall,” Owen Amos, BBC News
“British Lawmaker’s Live Analysis of Boris Johnson’s Resignation Drowned Out by ‘Benny Hill’ Theme Music,” Dan Ladden-Hall, Daily Beast
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The United Kingdom’s Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating her Platinum Jubilee, commemorating 70 years on the throne. The Sex Pistols are observing this milestone by re-releasing their 1977 hit record “God Bless the Queen,” originally released on Liz’s 25-year Silver Jubilee. Back then the disk blew up the charts despite being banned from the nation’s radio airwaves.
The Pistols aren’t the only platinum profiteers. Brits are buying over $350 million in Jubilee merch and memorabilia. Add that to the unknown millions in public funds spent on 3,517 public events and the cost of lost labor during the two-day national holiday, you’re talking heavy pound sterling poundage.
More:
“Sex Pistols aim to give queen’s jubilee a touch of punk,” Jill Lawless, Associated Press
“Brits to celebrate Queen’s Jubilee by spending millions on royal memorabilia,” Joanna York, France 24
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