In this episode of the Anglotopia podcast, host Jonathan Thomas speaks with Robert Verkaik, author of 'The Traitor of Arnhem', about the hidden espionage that shaped the fate of Operation Market Garden during World War II. They delve into the roles of double agents, particularly Anthony Blunt, and the impact of Soviet intelligence on the Allied war effort. Robert shares his personal connection to the story, the shocking revelations from newly released…

It's February, and soon we will begin seeing the shoots of spring - in England, one of those signs of spring is the daffodil. So, this week we explore the natural and cultural history of this beautiful little flower and how England appreciates it. 

We are now 170 members strong! Welcome to the new member (who joined today!). Apologies again for the lack of an early podcast this week. The…

Welcome to all the members who have joined the free tier of the Friends of Anglotopia Club in the last month. One of your benefits is a monthly free desktop wallpaper (existing members, of course, will also get the wallpapers!). Our hope is that you will enjoy these little bits of Britain enough to become a paying member of the Friends of Anglotopia Club.

This month's wallpaper was taken last October on…

This week, we tell you about a fun experience we had on our trip last autumn where we had the chance to visit (at the time) London's newest museum, the new Chelsea Pensioners Museum in the restored stableblock at the famous Royal Hospital Chelsea. Come with us as we explore this fascinating history and take a look at the special new museum. 

We are now 169 members strong! We are…

Hi Everyone - just a quick podcast update to let members know that there won't be an early podcast this week. I was unwell on Friday and had to cancel the recording session with the guest, so there was nothing to release this week (we're rescheduling with the guest - and I am fine now - just annoyed there isn't a podcast this week!). There will be next week! I promise!

Step into a remarkable journey through one of history's most significant locations - Dr. Edward Jenner's house in Berkeley, England. We take you inside the Georgian home where vaccination was born, from its slightly shabby but charming white facade to the glass-protected laboratory where Jenner conducted his revolutionary smallpox experiments. We share our personal observations with historical significance, bringing you face-to-face with the humble setting where a country doctor's curiosity changed…

In this episode of the Anglotopia podcast, host Jonathan Thomas speaks with Allen Packwood, director of the Churchill Archives Center at Cambridge, about Winston Churchill's role during the D-Day landings. They explore the complexities of military strategy, the scale of preparations, and the integration of civilian and military efforts. Allen shares insights from his research and discusses how Churchill's past experiences, particularly the Gallipoli campaign, influenced his decision-making during World War II…

Welcome to the Sunday Post, your exclusive article about something lovely and British delivered to your inbox every Sunday. This week, we explore the unexpected American connection we discovered on our visit to Gloucester Cathedral a few months ago. It's a fascinating, and strange story! 

We are now 164 paid members strong! As always, welcome to all the new members who joined in the last week. We're so glad to…

We did it! We smashed our goal of 150 new members, and ended up 160 paid members! Welcome to all the new members! We hope you enjoy your first Sunday Post this week. In case you missed the announcement earlier this week, we will begin sharing monthly desktop wallpapers with members of the club, just another lovely little benefit for everyone.

Now, we begin the work to get our membership…

During our New Year's new member push last week, I promised that if we reached 150 members, we would unveil a new membership benefit. Well, we hit that target - and beyond. We're now 159 members strong! Welcome to all the new members!

The new membership benefit for everyone is free monthly desktop wallpapers of beautiful British places or things. Every month, we'll dig into our archive and find a beautiful picture…

We decided to do a New Year's membership drive and are welcoming several new members this week. We're very close to 150 members, and when we get there, we can unveil something we think everyone will love (and add value to your club membership).

Also, do you know anyone you think would like a free membership to the club? A kind patron who would like to remain anonymous has purchased…

We hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! We are now 138 members strong. Let's give a big Anglotopia welcome to the new members who were gifted subscriptions for Christmas! Welcome!

Here are some highlights from the chat community this week:

We've welcomed a few new members this week - we're now at 137 members, with a few gift members to join us after Christmas. Don't forget, you can give the gift of a subscription to the Anglotopia Club here. 

We want to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas, and a very happy New Year (though we'll be back next week with another Sunday Post as scheduled!). 

Here are some…

We're now at 135 members! Welcome! There are also a few new gift memberships in the queue that will be active on Christmas. We wanted to remind everyone that you can give the gift of a membership in the Friends of Anglotopia Club and then schedule the delivery of the message for Christmas. You can send a gift membership here. If you have an Anglophile in your life, it's a…

Hi All - 

We just wanted to let everyone know that the podcast is currently on hiatus until the New Year, so there won't be early releases until January. We're already scheduling some great interviews and topics for next year - we can't wait to share them with you! Now, if you're behind on all the podcasts we've been putting out, you can catch up!

Cheers,
Jonathan & Jackie

We are now 134 members strong! Thank you to everyone who joined recently. We're building something really special here, and we're happy to have you here!

One of…

In this episode of the Anglotopia podcast, Jonathan and Jackie share their experiences from a recent trip to England, highlighting the long-awaited return to the country, unique events attended, and the charm of London. The conversation covers the International Churchill Conference and cultural experiences, including visits to historic sites and art exhibitions. They reflect on their dining experiences and the beauty of British culture, providing listeners with travel tips and insights into…

Thanks to our Black Friday/Cyber Monday promotion, we've welcomed a large number of new members - we're now at 133 Members! Woohoo!

Here are some highlights from the member's forum this week - come along and join the conversation:

Following on from last week’s history of Thornbury Castle, this week in Part Two, we take a tour around the castle in person. In this episode of the Anglotopia podcast, we take listeners on a captivating tour of Thornbury Castle in Gloucestershire, guided by local historian Tony Cherry. The conversation delves into the rich history of the castle, its architectural features, and the life of Edward Stafford, the 3rd Duke of Buckingham…

I'm sorry for the delay in getting you this month's feature article. I have been unwell this week, so I'm behind on everything. For this month's feature, we sent longtime Anglotopia contributor Laura Porter to take a tour of the Tiptree Jam Museum and Tea Room. I dare you to read this article and not get hungry for your favorite British jams!

In a quiet village in…