Rik Mayall R.I.P.

I hadn't intended posting anything today, but I have just read of the passing of comedy legend Rik Mayall, and felt I had to post something in tribute.  He is best known for his work with comedy partner Adrian Edmondson, including the TV series The Young Ones and Bottom.

The Beautiful Yorkshire Dales...

The Yorkshire Dales is a region of outstanding natural beauty.  It is basically a an area of hills and river valleys, and is home to one of Britain's most popular National Parks.  In addition to the hills and valleys, there are also a number of spectacular cave systems, 

Cod Roe and a Ha'peth of Chips...

WHAT?

Had you visited an English chippy (a fish 'n' chip shop) in the early part of the last century, that could well have been your order.

We are the Champions (Part Two)...

Continuing from yesterday, here are the other motorcycling World Champions that Great Britain has produced.  Some of these sports may not be totally familiar to American readers!

We are the Champions (Part One)...

Motorcycling has long been a love of the British, and not just recreationally either; they love to compete too.  Over the next two days, I will post a list of the solo motorcycling World Champions from the UK.  Today I will concentrate on the different classes of road-racing, and tomorrow, I will go through the various other sports.

Not a Fool, but a Giant on the Hill...

Hill figures (or chalk figures, as they are sometimes known) are not unique to Great Britain, but are more prevalent there than anywhere else in the world.  They are large figures - usually of humans or horses - that are etched into the ground.  They are either cut from the grass, carved into chalk, or formed by digging trenches and lining them with chalk.

Cholmondeley and Mainwaring...

Many Britons will see where I'm headed with this post, but outside of the UK, few will be able to even guess.  It has everything to do with pronunciation, you see.  It's not that the British are unique in this respect, but we do have some odd-looking names, with even odder-sounding (known as counterintuitive) pronunciations!  That applies to both people and place names...