Regional Beers In The UK

Comment (0) Posted on Apr 13, 2008 by Jodie in English Culture, English Life, English Traditions

There are countless different types of beers in the UK – it would take hours and hours of reading and writing to detail each and every one of them. So, I took the easy way out and looked for a broader classification of the beers to be found in the UK. One good way to find out more about this beverage is to look at the different regions and see what they have to offer in terms of beer.

The Black Country
This area is known for being industrial in nature and includes Wolverhampton and the West Midlands. The Black Country is best known for its Mild Ales, which was the traditional drink for industrial workers after a hard day’s work. The area is still known for the Wolverhampton and Dudley breweries which currently produce mild ales as well as strong pale ales.

Kent and Surrey
Hops is the key word for Kent, which produces ales with the undeniable flavor of hop. Surrey, on the other hand, is quite famous for TEA. No, it’s not the traditional English breakfast drink but TEA as in Traditional English Ale.

London
Care to have a Porter? Not the guy who lugs your stuff around, but the well known type of beer that London is most known for. Porter was first brewed in the 1700s in the East End of the city and is still popular these days.

Scotland
Scotland in itself offers a wide variety of beers. The Caledonian Brewery is known to have made the strongest impact on the image of Scottish beer and anything from this brewery is nothing but excellent.

Beer – The UK’s National Drink

Comments (4) Posted on Apr 6, 2008 by Jodie in General

There is no doubt about it – beer is the refreshment of choice for majority of the British. Indeed, it has been referred to as the country’s national drink many times over. So what is the big deal about beer? Perhaps, in order to answer this question, it would be necessary to go back in time and see how beer came to play such an important role in the British culture.

Stason.org provides a brief but neat narrative about the origins of beer in the UK:

Something like beer has probably been drunk for many thousands of years. For centuries it has been an accepted part of northern European lifestyle. The largest brewhouses were to be found in religious institutions that catered for a complete community, but otherwise brewing was on a domestic scale. 19th century industrialisation had a profound effect on the size of breweries and started a continuous process of takeovers and mergers with breweries and brewing companies getting larger and more powerful. The wealth of the brewers lead to their establishing what today we call franchises - the tied house where the publican is a tenant of the brewery and sells only their beer.

Fortunately there are still breweries where you can see the traditional processes used for the last two hundred years.

In the 60’s the production of keg beer, increased rapidly. By filtering and sterilising before it left the brewery, then adding gas at the pub, the beer was easier to keep, always looked clear with lots of nice fizz. The economics of this operation and the marketing opportunities arising from it lead to an acceleration in the continuing process of takeovers, eliminating small brands, closing smaller breweries to build larger, more modern ones. Also at the time many brews suddenly became weaker.

I’d say that there is still a lot of pretty strong beer in the UK today. In the next posts, we’ll talk more about this beverage.

OffWestEnd: Your Guide To Alternative Theatres

Comment (0) Posted on Apr 2, 2008 by Jodie in English Culture

If there’s one thing about London and culture that any visitor MUST experience, it is the theatre. Of course, when one mentions theatre in relation to London, the foremost thing that would come to mind is the West End. There simply is no alternative – or is there?

OffWestEnd proves that though the West End is the premiere theatre scene in the city, there is no lack of brilliant theatres all around London as well. In this web site, theatre lovers can find anything and everything showing for over 50 of London’s Off West End theatres. The Guardian has even partnered up with this alternative source of all things theatre and features the best of London theatre in its online portal.

So why would anyone want to go to a theatre while in London? Well, for starters, London has had a long and glorious history when it comes to the performing arts. In fact, many performers from different countries around the world make it their goal to perform in a prestigious London theatre. Many of them use that event as a milestone to mark their success in the world of theatre. Watching a performance in a London theatre is sure to provide the audience with a world class experience, unmatched by many. More so, some of the best plays and musicals are presented in their finest in London theatres. If one wants to see the “original” version of a play or a musical, then a London theatre would probably his best bet.

So head on over now to OffWestEnd and see what’s new this April!

British Fashion: Aerosoul

Comment (1) Posted on Mar 27, 2008 by Jodie in English Life, General

When it comes to fashion, British brands are not always the foremost things to come to mind. There is, however, something new that the UK has to offer in terms of street wear – Aerosoul. To be honest, I do not own any item from Aerosoul but from what I have seen, it would be worth buying this brand.

So what is Aerosoul all about? This brand was founded in 1998 by Leke Adesoye, a graphic designer. His vision back then was to create a British brand for street wear and reach out to the rest of the world. Judging by the success that Aerosoul has achieved, Adesoye has fulfilled his vision.

In a feature article on October Online, further information is provided:

London-born Leke began his design venture in the early nineties when, greatly inspired by the burgeoning drum n’ bass and hip hop scene, he sought to capture that energy and innovation in his clothing.By skilfully fusing different elements of these disparate yet interwoven tribes, Aerosoul managed to reach out to several at once. His much-loved “Junglist Movement” T-shirts became the underground logo of a generation, but the brand was soon to establish a wider clientele.

More so, Aerosoul has gotten some prominent names in the British music scene to model their clothes:

The fact that many who’ve modelled for the label have since blown up on the British urban music scene is demonstrative of Leke’s intuition.Included in these, too numerous to mention artists are: Estelle, Roots Manuva, Damage, Paradox, A.I , Karl hinds, Rodney P, TY, Omar and Normski.

Perhaps it is time to head on over to Aerosoul’s web site and see what they have to offer.

The New Delia Smith

Comments (3) Posted on Mar 25, 2008 by Jodie in English Cuisine

With the latest rage of celebrity chefs having their own TV shows and whatnot, it is not a surprise that one of the older generations of cooks has come out to play once again. Delia Smith is one of the greatest cooks in the UK. She has not really made it big in the US and other countries, unlike other celebrity chefs, but she is definitely a household name in the UK.

This time, though, she is making waves with her new book and TV show, How To Cheat At Cooking. The sad thing is that she doesn’t seem to be the old Delia Smith that her followers admired. The title of the book and show itself is catchy – but the way she presents her cooking leaves much to be desired. How so? Delia Smith has always been known for her great cooking and for the use of fresh, “real” ingredients. The new Delia Smith, however, is making use of everything instant! Tinned mince, frozen risotto, and a whole lot of processed food – that’s what she is working with right now.

As the people at the Guardian put it, the whole thing “has been received with much confusion by foodies across the land with her use of processed ingredients such as frozen risotto, tubs of Arrabiata sauce and ready made meringue nests. Wasn’t the whole point of cooking from scratch, to do just that?”

I have not tasted her new recipes but maybe some of you have. Care to share your thoughts on these new concoctions?

BBC: How Gay Became Children’s Insult Of Choice

Comment (1) Posted on Mar 23, 2008 by Jodie in English Culture, English Education, English Language

I saw this article (How Gay Became Children’s Insult Of Choice) on BBC last week and I couldn’t help but be curious and sad at the same time. The article starts with:

The word “gay” is now the most frequently used term of abuse in schools, says a report. How did it get to be so prevalent and why do children use homophobic insults to get at each other?

I never even really realised that “gay” is the insult of choice these days. The fact that we have to have a label such as “insult of choice” is in itself saddening. Has our society become so critical and disrespectful of others that we have to have an insult of choice for each generation? The BBC article, however, does have some significant points. It is true that even in the older generations, there were terms and words that were commonly used to bring children in the playgrounds down. It just so happens that today, “gay” is the choice word.

So what happened? Why has it reached the status that it has? BBC reports:

One reason for this increase in use could be because “gay” has partly lost its sexual connotations among young people, he says. While still pejorative, for the majority of youngsters it has replaced words such as “lame”.

Still, the article has pointed out something equally valid:

But while “gay” may have changed for some, it is still being used as a means of bullying, as are many other homophobic insults (see table, above). Last year, the Westminster government announced the first guidelines for schools on how to deal with homophobic bullying.

I don’t think that this issue is limited to the UK, though. We might very well hear of similar goings on in other countries.

British Slang

Comment (0) Posted on Mar 23, 2008 by Jodie in English Culture, English Language

Anyone who has tried learning English and not knowing that there is a difference between the variations of English used around the world would know how confusing it could sometimes be. The mere fact that there is what we call American English and British English provides for some confusion in itself. Add to that the numerous colloquialisms that result in slang and you would be in for a fun ride!

If you grew up in the UK or at least have lived there for many years, then the chances are that you would recognise a lot of British slang. Yet what if you are new to the language (British English)? I bet that learning British slang would prove to be a totally new learning experience. I came across a site called The Very Best of British (The American’s guide to speaking British) and I really had a grand time browsing through the extensive list of slang.

Here’s a sneak peek:

All right? - This is used a lot around London and the south to mean, “Hello, how are you”? You would say it to a complete stranger or someone you knew. The normal response would be for them to say “All right”? back to you. It is said as a question. Sometimes it might get expanded to “all right mate”? Mostly used by blue collar workers but also common among younger people.

Any road - Up north (where they talk funny!!) instead of saying anyway, they say “any road”! Weird huh?

Belt up - For some reason I heard this quite a lot as a kid. It’s the British for shut up.

Those are just few of what I thought I could start using – and be laughed at for not being understood outside of Britain!

British Pets Given Prozac

Comments (3) Posted on Mar 19, 2008 by Jodie in English News, English Pets

And I can’t even get a prescription! Ha ha, here is a piece of odd news that I read on the Telegraph’s site:

Increasing numbers of British pets are being given Prozac to help them battle against depression, a leading veterinary expert has revealed. Tropical birds such as parrots are the worst affected by depression, according to television vet Romain Pizzi. Mr Pizzi, who presents Creature Clinic on BBC3 and is a specialist in zoo and wildlife medicine for the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, said pets are affected when owners leave them alone for hours on end.

He said: “Contrary to some people’s expectations parrots are very intelligent and sensitive animals. Typically if people go out to work all day their parrot will get very bored and frustrated and eventually develop depression. Symptoms often include plucking out their feathers or self-harming, which is obviously very dangerous. When Cockatoos in particular are depressed they can start to self-mutilate and peck their own legs to the bone.”

I do not know if this is a British peculiarity as I have not really run across news items about other countries doing the same thing. If there is one thing that this says about the British, though, it would be that they do love their pets. Wouldn’t you agree? I’d say that if you didn’t have enough time to spend with a pet, though, it might be better to simply NOT get a pet in the beginning. What do you think?

Easter Travel Not A Good Idea

Comments (6) Posted on Mar 17, 2008 by Jodie in English News

Easter has always been a good time to get away from the city and soak up some sun in other places. This year, however, it seems that traveling at Easter may not be a good idea at all. According to reports, travelers will be experience longer delays than usual. This is due to several factors, including the number of people who are planning on going on trips at this time of the year.

The Sunday Mirror reports:

If you are one of the millions who have plans to travel this Easter, you may want to check out UK Airport Delays for more specific information. Of course, if your plans are already set, you just have to make adjustments and take the delays into consideration. If your plans are flexible, you may want to go some place else whereby you wouldn’t have to queue up at the airports.

A British Easter

Comment (1) Posted on Mar 15, 2008 by Jodie in English Culture, English Traditions

Easter is one of my favorite times of the year. It may not be as festive as Christmas, but its meaning never ceases to make me pause for a while and reassess my beliefs once again. In the UK, Easter does not mean differently from how other culture perceives it. The tradition of Easter lies basically in the same ideology – the crucifixion of Christ.

In the UK, Easter can be celebrated during different periods of the year. It ranges from the end of March to the end of April. The Friday before and the Monday after Easter are both considered bank holidays, giving an additional bonus for people who wish to have an extended break. The Friday before Easter is called Good Friday. This is the day when Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Christ. Services are held in churches all over the country and it is considered a day of mourning as well.

The day before Good Friday is called Maundy Thursday and focuses more on the Last Supper of Christ. There is a special ceremony in the UK, called the Ceremony of the Royal Maundy, wherein the Queen participates in distributing Maundy Money to senior citizens who are considered of exceptional worth to their community.

Though Easter has its roots in religious activities, there are many people today who celebrate it for less spiritual reasons. It is also considered a time to take a break from daily living and time to spend with family and friends.