Blog – Page 2 – Anglotees

Posted on December 20, 2024December 20, 2024 by angloshirts

The Great British Pub: A Cultural Icon and Its Role in British Society

When it comes to British culture, the Great British Pub is one of the most iconic and beloved institutions. From cozy local pubs to sprawling city-center bars, pubs have been an integral part of British social life for centuries. Whether you’re a tourist visiting the UK for the first time or a long-time resident, no trip to Britain is complete without a visit to a traditional British pub.

So, what is it that makes the Great British Pub so special? For starters, pubs are a central part of British social culture. They’re a place to meet friends and family, hold business meetings, catch up on the latest gossip, and even celebrate special occasions. Pubs provide a cozy, comfortable atmosphere where people can relax, unwind, and enjoy a wide variety of drinks and food.

Beyond their social function, pubs are also an important part of Britain’s history and heritage. Many pubs have been around for centuries, with some dating back to the 16th or 17th century. They’re often located in historic buildings with unique architectural features and interior design, adding to their charm and character. The Great British Pub is therefore a valuable piece of British culture that’s worth preserving.

Of course, a huge part of what makes pubs so appealing is the wide selection of drinks on offer. From traditional ales and lagers to wines and spirits, there’s something for everyone. Many pubs also serve classic British dishes like fish and chips, bangers and mash, and shepherd’s pie, all of which are perfect for a hearty meal after a long day at work or exploring the city.

But there’s more to the Great British Pub than just drinks and food. For many people, pubs are also a place to watch sports. Whether it’s football, rugby, or cricket, you’re sure to find a pub showing the game on the big screen. Watching sports in a pub is a great way to get caught up in the excitement of the game and enjoy the company of other fans.

Another key aspect of the Great British Pub is the sense of community that it provides. In many small towns and villages, the local pub is the only place to meet and socialize with others. Pubs often sponsor local sports teams, host charity events, and provide a venue for live music, comedy, and other forms of entertainment. They’re a hub of activity in the community, bringing people together and fostering a sense of togetherness.

Of course, like any institution, pubs have faced their fair share of challenges over the years. The rise of chain pubs and the decline of independent ones has led to concerns about the homogenization of British pub culture. There are also concerns about binge drinking and alcohol abuse, which have led to calls for stricter regulations and safety measures in pubs.

Despite these challenges, however, the Great British Pub remains a beloved cultural icon. From the cozy fireplaces to the friendly bartenders, there’s something about pubs that just feels quintessentially British. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a long-time resident, the Great British Pub is a must-visit destination that’s sure to leave a lasting impression. So, the next time you’re in the UK, be sure to stop in at a local pub and experience the magic for yourself!”

Posted on December 20, 2024December 20, 2024 by angloshirts

Traditional British Cuisine: A Culinary Journey Through Classic Dishes

The United Kingdom is known for many things – the Queen, afternoon tea, and of course, its iconic cuisine. From savory pies to sweet puddings, there is something for everyone in the world of British food. In this article, we’ll take a journey through some of the classic dishes that have made British cuisine so beloved.

First up, let’s talk about the full English breakfast. This hearty meal is a staple of British culture and is often enjoyed on weekends or as a special treat. A full English breakfast typically includes bacon, eggs, sausages, black pudding, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, and mushrooms. It’s a filling meal that will keep you going all day long.

Moving on to lunchtime, we have the classic fish and chips. This dish originated in England in the 19th century and quickly became a national favorite. The traditional way to make fish and chips is to fry battered fish and thick-cut chips in hot oil. It’s often served with mushy peas and tartar sauce. There’s nothing quite like biting into crispy, golden fish and a piping hot chip!

For dinner, we have another British classic – the Sunday roast. This meal is typically enjoyed on Sundays and is a time for families to come together and enjoy good food and company. A traditional Sunday roast includes roast beef or lamb, roasted potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and Yorkshire pudding. It’s a comforting and satisfying meal that will leave you feeling warm and content.

Moving on to desserts, we have the infamous sticky toffee pudding. This sweet and sticky dessert is made from dates and smothered in a rich toffee sauce. It’s often served with vanilla ice cream or custard. It’s a perfect way to end a meal and is sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.

Another classic British dessert is the Eton mess. This dessert is made by folding crushed meringue into whipped cream and strawberries. It’s a light and refreshing dessert that is perfect for summertime.

Last but not least, we have the classic afternoon tea. This is a quintessentially British tradition that involves sipping tea and nibbling on sweet and savory treats. Traditional afternoon tea includes finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and a selection of cakes and pastries. It’s a lovely way to spend an afternoon and is a must-try for anyone visiting the UK.

In conclusion, British cuisine is a rich and diverse culinary landscape that is a delight to explore. From hearty breakfasts to sweet desserts, there is something for everyone in the world of British food. So why not take a culinary journey through the classic dishes of England, Scotland, and Wales? You won’t regret it!”

Posted on December 20, 2024December 20, 2024 by angloshirts

The British Afternoon Tea Tradition: History, Etiquette, and Best Places to Experience It

When it comes to British culture, one cannot deny the significance of the afternoon tea tradition. This quintessentially British pastime is not only a delicious way to spend an afternoon, but also an opportunity to experience a cultural phenomenon steeped in history, etiquette, and elegance.

History

The tradition of afternoon tea can be traced back to the early 19th century when Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, complained of feeling peckish in the late afternoon. In those days, lunch was served early and dinner was not served until late in the evening. The Duchess began to invite friends to join her for tea and sandwiches in the afternoon, and the tradition was born.

Soon, afternoon tea became a fashionable social event for the aristocracy and upper classes. It was not until later in the century that it began to be adopted by the wider population. Today, afternoon tea is enjoyed by people from all walks of life and has become an iconic part of British culture.

Etiquette

There are certain rules of etiquette that one should follow when partaking in afternoon tea. Firstly, it is important to dress appropriately. Although there is no strict dress code, it is customary to dress smartly, with men wearing suits and ties and women wearing dresses or skirts.

When seated at the table, one should wait until everyone has been served before eating. The correct way to hold the teacup is to place one’s thumb at the six o’clock position and the index and middle fingers at the twelve o’clock position, with the pinkie finger extended slightly. It is important to stir one’s tea gently, without making any noise, and to take small sips.

When it comes to the food, scones are an essential part of the afternoon tea experience. They should be served warm, with clotted cream and jam. Finger sandwiches are also a must, with fillings such as cucumber, smoked salmon, and egg and cress being popular choices. Finally, a selection of cakes and pastries completes the meal.

Best Places to Experience It

If you want to experience the best of British afternoon tea, there are many places to choose from. Here are just a few of the top options:

The Ritz: This iconic hotel in London is famous for its afternoon tea. Served in the elegant Palm Court, it is a truly luxurious experience.
Claridge’s: Another London institution, Claridge’s has been serving afternoon tea since the 1860s. The art deco surroundings make it a stylish choice.
The Savoy: The Savoy is another of London’s most famous hotels and its afternoon tea is renowned for its quality and elegance.
The Pump Room: Located in the historic city of Bath, the Pump Room has been serving afternoon tea since the 1700s. The Georgian surroundings and live music make it a truly unique experience.
The Edgbaston: This boutique hotel in Birmingham offers a modern take on the traditional afternoon tea, with a menu that includes items such as truffle macarons and Earl Grey and lavender panna cotta.

The British afternoon tea tradition is a delightful way to experience a cultural phenomenon that has been enjoyed for centuries. Whether you choose to indulge in the luxury of a five-star hotel or opt for a more casual setting, you are sure to have a memorable experience. So why not gather some friends, put on your finest attire, and enjoy a cup of tea and some delicious treats? After all, as the Duchess of Bedford knew, there is nothing quite like a good cup of tea to lift the spirits and soothe the soul.”

Posted on December 21, 2015August 19, 2018 by angloshirts

Downton Abbey: 10 Interesting Facts and Figures about Downton Abbey You Might Not Have Known

Perhaps one of the most popular shows on television in Britain and America, the tales of the Crawley family continue to draw in millions of viewers with each episode. The audience comes from all walks of life who tune in to see what bit of drama will happen this week, who will fall in love with who, and what snarky thing the Dowager Countess will say next. If you’re reading this article, chances are you’ve seen most or all of the episodes, but what do you not know? Have a look below at ten interesting facts about one of the world’s favourite programmes.

Casting

While Julian Fellowes had Maggie Smith, Brendan Coyle, and Hugh Bonneville in mind for their roles as the Dowager Countess, John Bates, and Lord Grantham, Lady Cora was originally meant to be someone other than Elizabeth McGovern. Who did he have in mind originally? Gillian Anderson.

The States

Downton is also very popular in America. It has quickly become one of PBS Masterpiece Theater’s highest-viewed programmes and it brings in 120 million viewers from 200 different countries and territories. In fact, on the night of the Super Bowl, Downton was the second most popular programme.

On Location

Well, mostly. The real-life Highclere Castle serves as the setting for Downton Abbey and the show does often film its scenes there. However, George Herbert, the Eighth Earl of Carnarvon, and his family still own and occupy the house, and so the kitchen and servants’ quarters have all been modernised. As a result, scenes depicting these parts of the house still have to be shot in a studio. The sets are taken down and reassembled for each series.

Hobbies

Several of the actors have interesting hobbies. Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary) enjoys jazz singing. Jim Carter (Mr. Carson) does charity bike rides all over the world. Elizabeth McGovern also has a band called Sadie and the Hotheads that Dockery sometimes sings in.

Expensive Values

It costs approximately £1 million per episode to make Downton Abbey.

When You Can’t Dance Anymore

Jessica Brown Findlay (Lady Sybil) was once a ballet dancer. She was even invited to be part of the Russian Kirov Ballet Company when she was fifteen. She might have continued on in this career but ankle surgery forced her to quit dancing and she decided to turn to acting instead.

The House Has Gone to the Dogs

Isis and Pharaoh, Lord Grantham’s dogs, get their names due to one of the real-life house’s owners, George Herbert, the Fifth Earl Carnarvon. Along with Howard Carter, he uncovered the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings. Thus, the dogs are named in tribute to him.

Striving for Reality

The programme attempts to recreate everything faithfully, even down to the food. The food you see in dining scenes or being prepared in the kitchen is all real. This means that food items like seafood can get pretty smell at the end of a day of filming. One has to wonder if the cast ever gets to eat it?

Whoops

Even though they strive for period accuracy, the programme does make mistakes every once in a while. The most recent of these was a plastic water bottle that appeared in a promotional photo for the most recent series. Plastic bottles weren’t widely used in the UK until the 1960s, about thirty-four years after Downton takes place.

Awards

Being a top-rated program, it’s also won numerous awards over the years. It has the Guinness World record for Emmy nominations at 27 and has won approximately ten times. Additionally, it has been nominated for and won numerous BAFTAs and Golden Globes.

Posted on November 2, 2015August 19, 2018 by angloshirts

Christmas Actually: 10 Interesting Facts and Figures about Love Actually

A movie that is now eleven years old and inspired at least a couple star-studded, holiday-themed movies, it is now thought of as a Christmas classic. While films like Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve attempted to recreate the magic with their star-studded casts and multiple storylines, it’s hard to recreate such awesomeness within a two hour period with a cast like that as Richard Curtis does. If you’re reading this article, chances are that you’ve viewed the film more than once, so you think you know everything about it. Well, here are ten things you may not know about this 2003 holiday classic.

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No No, Thank YOU

Kris Marshall (“Colin Frissell”) actually refused pay for the scene in which three girls from Wisconsin undress him. He actually returned his check for the day’s filming because it was so much fun. Maybe it had something to do with the twenty-one takes they did for the scene?

Revenge is a Dish Best Served in Cinema

At university, Curtis’s girlfriend left him for a man named Bernard. As revenge, Curtis names one of the more negative characters after him. This is why Emma Thompson’s and Alan Rickman’s son Bernard is referred to as “horrid”.

Save It for Later

Colin’s awkward conversation with the caterer about how terrible the food is was actually written for Four Weddings and a Funeral. It was eventually drafted out of the original script, but used for the film’s auditions.

I Know that Voice

Years later, Sam (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and Joanna (Olivia Olson) have turned their talents to voice acting. Besides live-action roles in film and television, Brodie-Sangster provides the voice of Ferb on Disney’s Phineas and Ferb, while Olson’s voice and musical talents can be heard as Marceline the Vampire Queen on Adventuretime.

Actually…

The word “actually” is spoken twenty-two times over the course of the film.

It’s All Relative

Thomas Brodie-Sangster is actually the second cousin, once removed, of Hugh Grant. Grant and Curtis both note this in the commentary. Grant and Alan Rickman also attended the same private school.

Scary Facial Hair

Billy Bob Thornton agreed to play the American President before even seeing the script. On set, he informed Curtis that he was terrified of former Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli’s facial hair and that he wouldn’t do a scene in the 10 Downing Street set because of a picture of Disraeli on the wall. Curtis ultimately talked Thornton into doing the scene regardless, but the actor always has his back turned to any picture of the PM. Hugh Grant would taunt Thornton on set by running up to him and showing him a picture of Disraeli, at which point Thornton would “break out in a sweat.”

Blink and You’ll Miss It

In Hugh Grant’s first scene, he is wearing a different tie in close-ups than in other shots. That’s because the two parts of the scene were shot at different times and Grant alleges that he grabbed the wrong tie before leaving his trailer to film the close-up shots. Rumour has it, though, that Grant changed the tie on purpose.

Ant or Dec

Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly are a comedy and presenting duo on British television. The frequency of their presenting together is made fun of when Bill Nighy’s Billy Mack character calls them “Ant or Dec”, referring to the fact that most people can’t tell them apart. Fortunately, the band Blue took their joke about their manhoods pretty well.

Joanna the First

Images of Daniel’s wife and Sam’s mother Joanna are actually those of documentary filmmaker Rebecca Frayn whom Curtis once had a crush on, but it never worked out, as Curtis notes in the commentary.

Posted on October 20, 2015August 19, 2018 by angloshirts

The Hurricane: 10 Interesting Facts about the Hawker Hurricane – The Workhorse of World War II

Not talking about storms here, but one of the greatest fighter planes of World War II. While its fame was later eclipsed by the Supermarine Spitfire, the Hurricane played a major role in early air conflicts, especially the Battle of Britain. Produced from 1937 to 1944, it served throughout most of the war and racked up some pretty impressive facts and figures.

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Eagle Squadron

Before the US’s entry into the war, many Americans joined the Royal Air Force and formed the Eagle Squadrons. As this took place at the beginning of the war, the American pilots mostly flew Hurricanes. In 1941 after the US declared war on Germany, these squadrons were folded into the US Army Air Corps.

Outnumbered but Not Outgunned

During the Battle of Britain in July 1940, the RAF had a total of 527 Hurricanes and 321 Spitfires to face the Luftwaffe’s 2,700 planes. Ultimately, the British forces were successful in destroying 1,887 aircraft to British losses of 1,547 planes over the three-month period. Their success marked a turning point for Britain and the war, halting the Nazis’ advancement in Europe.

Takes a Lickin’

While slower and less agile than the Spitfire, one of the Hurricane’s saving graces was that it was known to hold up better against enemy fire. In the Battle of Britain, they helped provide cover for the Spitfires, taking the brunt of the damage as the Spitfires moved in for the kill.

Important Technical Figures

Maximum Speed: 340 MPH
Range: 468 miles (1,090 miles with two 90 gallon ferry tanks)
Ceiling: 35,000 feet
Wingspan: 40 feet
Length: 31 feet, 4 inches
Height: 13 feet

31 Flavours of Death

Aside from the standard Mark I Hurricane, there were several other models that varied depending on their mission. Besides the Mark II(A&B), there was the Mark II Trop (rigged for combat in North Africa), the Sea Hurricane (modified to be launched by catapult for convoys), the Hurricane Hotspur (with a turret gun placement), the Typhoon, and many other variants.

Practicality

With the Great Depression going on at the time of its development, Chief Designer Sydney Camm tried to use as many pre-existing parts and manufacturing techniques as possible. This resulted in a plane that was essentially the monoplane successor to the Hawker Fury biplane.

Easy to Repair and Modify

These practical concerns in building the Hurricane meant that it could be easily repaired after battle. It also allowed for the heavy modification that led to so many different models, making it a highly suitable fighter for almost any theatre in the war.

Hazardous to Your Health

And not just because of the Nazis shooting at you. Hurricanes had a problem with carbon monoxide fumes seeping into the cockpit. Manufacturers attempted to fix this by outfitting the planes with longer exhaust stubs and other modifications, but nothing ever completely alleviated the problem. Instead, pilots were required to use oxygen from engine start-up to engine shut-down.

A Throwback?

Of all the various modifications to the Hurricane, one of the more interesting was a one-off biplane variant. Known as the Hillson FH.40, the top wing was meant to hold extra fuel, reducing takeoff distance and increasing ferry range. However, it proved too heavy to be serviceable and none were built beyond the original.

Only a Handful Remaining

Of the 14,583 Hawker Hurricanes that were built during the seven-year period of production, only 13 survive that can still fly. However, many that are not in airworthy condition, are on display at museums all over the world. There is even one at the Smithsonian Institution’s Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles Airport, which is part of the National Air and Space Museum.

Posted on October 13, 2015August 19, 2018 by angloshirts

Brit History: 10 Fascinating Facts about the British Union Flag You Probably Didn’t Know

In honor of the Union Jack Collection this week at Anglotees, here’s some interesting facts about the Union Flag you might not know.

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Nothing says Britain like the Union Flag – also known colloquially as the Union Jack. The flag has a long history and within that history is many interesting nuggets of information.

Long History

The flag was first proclaimed by James I (aka James VI of Scotland) in 1606 when he inherited both the thrones of England and Scotland and sought to create a flag combining the two crosses of the respective nations. Ireland was later added in 1801 when it joined the United Kingdom.

It’s Actually Three Flags in One

The flag is actually made up of the three flags of England, Scotland and Ireland which are the crosses of each country’s patron saint.

England: Cross of St George – Red Cross
Scotland: Cross of St Andrew – White Saltaire
Ireland: Cross of St Patrick – Red Saltaire

Wales is Missing

While there are four constituent countries that make up the United Kingdom, only three of them are actually represented on the Union Flag. Why is this? Well, technically, Wales is a principality and has legally always been considered a part of England until recently when it was given more devolved powers. If Scotland votes to leave the Union, it’s highly likely Wales will get a place in whatever flag replaces the Union Flag. A dragon is a pretty cool thing to put on a flag!

It’s Actually Not Called the Union Jack

While pretty much everyone calls it the Union Jack, it’s technically called the Union Flag unless it’s being flown at sea. Well, this is the tradition anyway. Everyone calls it the Union Jack these days.

There’s a Right Way to Display It

If you look closely at the flag, you’ll notice that it’s actually not symmetrical in its shapes, which means that there is a proper way to display the flag. This little graphic should clarify how to properly display the flag.

There’s a US State flag with the Union Flag On it

Despite fighting a lengthy war for independence, there is still a US state flag with the Union Jack on it – the Hawaii State flag still features it in the upper left corner. Why is this? It’s a relic of Hawaii’s colonial past when it was more associated with the British empire when Hawaii was still a monarchy. The King of Hawaii at the time sought to placate both British and American interests by creating a hybrid flag and it’s stuck ever since. When America took control of the islands, they opted to stick with the hybrid flag.

There are 23 countries using the Union Flag

There are still 23 countries around the world – many small territories or islands – that use some form of the Union Flag in their design. But there are big ones that still do like Australia and New Zealand.

New Zealand Might Ditch Theirs

Recently, the Prime Minister of New Zealand John Key has announced that he intends to hold a referendum after the next election for New Zealand to choose a new flag. The options would be to keep the current flag or create a new one, probably based around the Silver Fern that is associated with the country. According to surveys, they’re likely to keep the same flag – mostly to honor veterans who fought under it.

Canada Ditched Theirs in the 1960’s

After much debate, in the 1960’s, Canada decided to discard their ‘Red Ensign’ flag, which was never actually its ‘official’ flag and adopt the Maple Leaf as their national flag. There was a huge public debate but in the end, public support was behind adopted a new national symbol to represent the independence of Canada.

They Don’t Have a ‘Flag Code’ and No Modern Concept of Flag Desecration

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The United States takes its flag very seriously and has an entire code dedicated to the proper treatment of the flag. The UK doesn’t have any of this and they have no legal concept of flag desecration. There is also no specific way in which the Union Flag should be folded as there is with the United States Flag. It should simply be folded ready for the next use. Which I guess explains why no one makes any noise over the availability of Union Jack underwear or seat cushions.

Check out some of the beautiful designs this week below!

Posted on September 9, 2015August 19, 2018 by angloshirts

The Longest Reign: 10 Interesting Facts and Figures About HM The Queen You Might Not Know

Born in 1926 as Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary to Prince Albert, the Duke of York (and future King George VI) and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, it did not always seem that Elizabeth would one day inherit the throne. However, with the abdication crisis, her father became king and ensured that his eldest daughter would eventually become Queen Elizabeth II. Overseeing the United Kingdom through the Cold War and into the 21st Century, Elizabeth has become the longest-reigning monarch in British history—even longer than Queen Victoria. With so much history in her time on the throne, here are ten facts you might not know.

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Long May She Reign

The Queen has reigned for 63 years and seven months – calculated at 23,226 days and about 16 hours. In that time, she has conferred 404,500 honors and awards and held 610 investitures. What’s more, she is only the 40th monarch since William the Conqueror was crowned in 1066.

No. 12

There have been twelve Prime Ministers over the course of her reign. There have also been twelve U.S. Presidents during this time.

Quite an Impression

According to sources, the Queen’s secret talent is actually doing humorous impressions. However, nobody is telling whom she impersonates for private audiences. According to Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, impressions of comedian Sacha Baron Cohen’s Ali G character can make her laugh.

A Rational Dress

When Elizabeth married Philip Mountbatten (now Duke of Edinburgh) in 1947, Britain was still recovering from World War II and rationing was still in effect. As such, Elizabeth had to save enough rationing coupons in order to have her dress made. The Queen Mother and Prime Minister Winston Churchill were adamant about her not taking Philip’s surname so that the family line would still be the House of Windsor.

Quite an Alarm Clock

Queen Elizabeth doesn’t wake up the same way as the rest of us. Rather than an alarm clock, she has her own personal bagpipe player that rouses her from slumber.

Lots of Traveling

The Queen has undertaken over 250 official visits overseas to 129 different countries, all without her own passport. Her trips have brought her not only to Commonwealth Nations, but countries as diverse as Cocos Islands and China.

Christmas Traditions

It is well-known that the Queen broadcasts her Christmas message every year, the one exception being in 1969, when a documentary film about the royal family was broadcast. Instead, the Queen issued a written message. Additionally, Elizabeth and Prince Philip have sent over 45,000 Christmas cards and given 90,000 puddings to staff. The Queen is also responsible for sending Christmas Trees to Westminster Abbey, Wellington Barracks, St. Paul’s Cathedral, St. Giles’ Cathedral, the Canongate Kirk, Crathie Kirk, and schools in the Sandringham area.

No Driver’s License

In addition to having no passport, Her Majesty also lacks a driver’s license. She first learned to drive in 1945 as a member of the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service, where she trained as a mechanic and military truck driver.

Tech-Savvy

Technology has seen an explosion of advancement during Elizabeth’s reign. In 1976, she became the first head of state to use email when she transmitted a message over ARPANET, a precursor to the Internet, while taking part in a demonstration at the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment. In 2009, US President Barack Obama gave her an iPod, even though she already had one, though this iPod contained footage of her 2007 visit to the United States.

Her Corgis

Corgis have famously been Her Majesty’s favorite pet since her first, Susan, was given to her in 1944. She has owned more than 30 since then, with many of them being descendants of Susan.

Posted on August 25, 2015August 19, 2018 by angloshirts

Spitfire: 14 Facts and Figures You Probably Didn’t Know About the Supermarine Spitfire – The Iconic Plane That Fought During the Battle of Britain

The Supermarine Spitfire is one of the most iconic airplanes ever built. It’s best known as the plane flown by pilots during the Battle of Britain (along with the Hawker Hurricane). In honor of our current shirt at Anglotees, Spitfire Schematic, we present 14 facts and figures you probably didn’t know about the Supermarine Spitfire.

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1. What Makes the Spitfire so special? Its sleek lines, its maneuverability and the power put out by its Merlin engines. It was almost unmatched in the air during the early years of the war.

2. The Spitfire was designed as a short-range, high-performance interceptor aircraft by R. J. Mitchell, chief designer at Supermarine Aviation Works in Southampton . In accordance with its role as an interceptor, Mitchell designed the Spitfire’s distinctive elliptical wing to have the thinnest possible cross-section; this thin wing enabled the Spitfire to have a higher top speed than several contemporary fighters, including the Hawker Hurricane. Mitchell continued to refine the design until his death from cancer in 1937, whereupon his colleague Joseph Smith took over as chief designer, overseeing the development of the Spitfire through its multitude of variants.

3. The Germans admired them. Towards the end of the Battle of Britain, Herman Goring was having a heated exchange with his commanders, frustrated that they weren’t winning the Battle of Britain as planned. He asked them what they needed to win and ace pilot Adolf Galland famously responded “I should like an outfit of Spitfires.”

Here is the scene dramatized in The Battle of Britain film from 1968:

4. While the Spitfire was in service, there were 20,351 total built. Today there are just 179 left today in various states of decay.

5. The Spitfire was the only Allied aircraft to be built during the entire war.

6. Because so many Spitfires were built, there were plenty of leftovers after the war. This meant that when filmmakers produced the iconic film Battle of Britain in 1968, they could use the actual planes flown in the battles. Many were also flown by veteran pilots.

7. It was one of the first airplanes to feature retractable landing gear. This was so new that many new pilots often crash landed because they forgot to put down their landing gear, assuming it was already down.

8. The Spitfire’s maiden flight was on 5 March 1936. It entered service with the RAF in 1938 and remained there until 1955.

9. Though it is assumed that ‘Spitfire’ came from the aeroplane’s awesome firing capabilities, it was also an Elizabethan word that meant someone who had a fiery character. The names Snipe and Shrew were also considered for the plane. Thankfully they went with Spitfire!

10. If you have a pilot’s license and £5500 (about $8500) you can attend the Boultbee Flight Academy in Kent, England and learn how to fly a real Spitfire. This is on my bucket list.

11. Some of the planes had modifications made to their under the wing mountings. Instead of carrying bombs, the planes could carry two small barrels of beer, something that was very popular with pilots!

12. The Spitfire continues to be a very popular aircraft, with approximately 55 Spitfires still being airworthy, while many more are static exhibits in aviation museums all over the world including here in the USA. I’ve seen the Spitfire inflight twice now and it was an amazing sight – can’t wait to see it again.

13. A single spitfire cost £12,604 to produce in 1939 – about £681,000 in today’s money or about $1.15 Million, which is rather cheap for an aircraft of its ability!

14. The maximum top speed of the Spitfire was 363 MPH – quite zippy! It’s range was 991 Nautical Miles but when it was in combat, it’s range was about 410 nautical miles. It could fly up to 36,000 feet, but the cabin was not pressurized.

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Posted on July 28, 2015August 19, 2018 by angloshirts

Londinium: 10 Interesting Facts and Figures about Roman London

Our runaway hit design this week is Londinium, our tribute to London’s roman foundations. So, we thought it would be fun to put together 10 interesting facts and figures about Roman London that you might not know.

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1. Londinium was founded by the Romans in AD 47 (or 47 CE) on the banks of the Thames roughly where the current square mile ‘City of London’ is located.

2. They chose the spot on the River Thames because the River Thames was quick way to transport goods between Britain and the Continent. The Romans saw this and built the town of Londinium around the river’s main crossing point. They built the first London Bridge.

3. In AD 61 the native Iceni tribe, led by Queen Boudicca, rose up against the Romans. They burnt Londinium to the ground and killed 30,000 Londoners.

4. The Romans regained control and over the next 20 yeas rebuilt Londinium. By AD 100, the city was thriving again. At its peak the new Londinium city had a population of up to 60,000 people and for 300 years it was the largest city in Britannia

5. The Romans built many major structures in Londinium including temples, bathhouses, a basilica for meetings, and a governor’s palace. Around 200 AD, they built a defensive wall around the city called London Wall. The wall was around three miles long, 20 feet high, and 8 feet wide.

6. You can still see bits of the Roman Wall that surrounded the city today. See the biggest pieces are the Museum of London.

7. Excavation has revealed extensive evidence of destruction by fire from when Boudicca burned the city in the form of a layer of red ash beneath the city.

8. The road network that the Romans built is still largely in place as modern roads in Britain. Of the fifteen British routes recorded in the 2nd- or 3rd-century, seven ran to or from Londinium.

9. Despite its importance, Londinium was not the capital of Roman Britain. It was Camulodunum (modern day Colchester) first before Londinium eventually replaced it.

10. Emperor Hadrian visited in 122. The impressive public buildings from around this period may have been initially constructed in preparation for his visit or during the rebuilding which followed the “Hadrianic Fire”. This fire, which archaeologists have discovered destroyed much of the city, is not recorded by any surviving source and seems to have occurred in a time of relative calm in Britain; for those reasons, it is generally assumed to have been accidental.

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