Cultural Matters: British Food

One of the joys of traveling is discovering new foods and treats. In Britain -- and especially Scotland -- there are plenty of opportunities. From snacks to meals to tea to desserts, we will discover all types of culinary delights. Below are few of the classic foods to expect while traveling in Great Britain.

Fish and Chips

The classic British meal. Usually made from cod (though sometimes other white-fleshed fish such as haddock or whiting), it is traditionally served wrapped in paper (newsprint in the past) with fries (chips in Britain). Although served in many pubs and restaurants, the best come from the traditional "chip shop", which are becoming increasingly rare to find.

Bangers and mash

My personal favorite, this dish is a pub staple. (The above was my lunch at the Queen's Head Pub back in June 2010 in Downe, England). Basically it is mashed potatoes, Cumberland sausages, and gravy.

Steak and Ale Pie

Cultural Matters: British Televsion

To me, one of the most enjoyable aspects of travel is to immerse oneself into the culture before arriving at your destination. And for Britain, there are so many ways to do this – through books, magazines,  radio (all BBC Radio programs  are free on the web for Americans), films, and especially television.  Much of British TV is available on DVD, Netflix, BBC America, or  Youtube. The following are a few of the more popular dramatic and comedic shows currently  enjoyed throughout Great Britain.

Preview of 2012 Drama shows on BBC (including several from Scotland)

Gavin and Stacey
This is a show about the romance between a young man (Gavin, played by Matthew Horne) from a middle class family in Essex (near London) and a working class girl (Stacey, played by Joana Page ) from Barry Island, Wales.  Both sweet and darkly humorous, the show deals not only with their  growing relationship, but the inevitable cultural clashes between their  families and friends. Not only has this been a smash hit, but several  Welsh slang terms (“Tidy”, Cracking,” and “What’s occurring?”) have  become hip catch phrases in England. Rob Brydon (as Stacey's Welsh uncle Bryn), James Corden (as Gavin’s best friend Smithy) and Ruth Jones (as Stacey’s best friend Nessa) have become cult heroes, complete with a number 1 hit song  last Spring. The show just completed its third (and final) season this past year. (In Britain, a season is called a series, and usually run  from 6 to 13 shows). The first two seasons have been released in the  U.S. on DVD.


Here is Gavin and Stacy first meeting:


Here is the hilarious Rob Brydon as Uncle Bryn:

Doctor Who
While  the U.S. may have Star Trek and Star Wars, the British have Doctor Who,  which in terms of longevity and fandom (if not always in budget or  special effects) has us Yanks beat in spades. The cult show originally  ran on the BBC (Britain’s premiere television channel) from 1963 to  1989, it was then revived in 2005 (and is still going strong) with better  effects, larger budgets, and has become even more popular. The basic  premise is that The Doctor (the title is in fact a question, as no one  knows his real name) is a Time Lord, and pops around the universe in  different time periods in his Tardis (disguised as a old English Police  Call Box, several of which we will see in Edinburgh) to “fix” things. Along the way, he picks up companions and  fights off enemies such as the Cybermen or the Daleks.  And if mortally wounded, can regenerate into someone else (a nifty trick  whenever they need to change actors.) One recent performer to play  The Doctor was Scottish actor David Tennant (pictured above),  who just ended his run on New Years Day 2010. This past year, Scottish writer and producer Stephen Moffat has taken over. Any American hoping to fit in  with Scotland’s pop culture should know their Doctor Who.

Clip 1: His Name is The Doctor


Clip 2: A Tribute video to the "Scottish" Doctor, David Tennant


Clip 3: Here is the new doctor (Matt Smith) who has just arrived in Scotland



Clip 4: And finally, here is The Doctor's current companion Amy Pond (played by Karen Gillan of Scotland)

Life on Mars (followed by sequel Ashes to Ashes)
Named after a David Bowie song (as was its sequel), this police drama is about a police officer, Sam Tyler, (played by John Simm)  who gets hit by a car in 2006 then wakes ups in 1973. In a world  without cell phones, computers, DNA or the internet, he has to maneuver  his way around Manchester’s police station while pleasing his boss, the  wonderfully political incorrect Gene Hunt (played by Philip Glenister). A fun show, with a sequel that takes place in the eighties.

Clip 1: The first three minutes of the show


Clip 2: Funny moments from Life on Mars


Clip 3: Ashes to Ashes intro

Cultural matters: Scottish TV

To me, one of the most enjoyable aspects of travel is to immerse oneself into the culture before arriving at your destination. And for Britain, there are so many ways to do this – through books, magazines, radio (all BBC Radio programs are free on the web for Americans), films, and especially television.

Later I will post clips and trailers for several mainstream British shows (i.e., those shown throughout the UK). But today, let's look at some shows produced by STV (Scotland Television) and BBC Scotland for primarily a Scottish audiences (although a few of these became hits in the UK and beyond). This will give you a flavor of the diversity of accents we'll be encountering.

Case Histories

A brand new show. Based on the novels by Kate Atkinson, and stars Scottish actor Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies, and Draco's father), this a crime mystery series based in Edinburgh. Here's a trailer for it (and it is available in the US on DVD).

Rebus

Based on the worldwide bestselling crime novels by Edinburgh-native Ian Rankin, these STV shows adapted several novels featuring Detective John Rebus. He was played by two actors (John Hannah, pictured, and then Ken Stott). Filmed primarily in Edinburgh.

Trailer (Ken Stott version)


Opening titles (John Hannah version)

Burnistoun

This is a popular comedy sketch show from BBC Scotland starring Glasgow comedians Iain Connell and Robert Florence. It's a series of short sketches all based in a fictional West Scotland town. The second season (called series in the UK) will be playing while we are in Scotland.

Clip 1: Burnistoun Tourist Board



Clip 2 Awkward Eye Contact at the Gym (contains some mild language)

Chewin the Fat

Another Glasgow-based BBC sketch comedy show that ran from 1999 to 2002, yet still has a big following. Starred Greg Hemphill and Karen Dunbar (more with her below).

Clip 1


Clip 2 Shakira parody (mild language)

Single Father

A 4-part 2010 mini series about a newly widowed father of three (played by David Tennant of Doctor Who and Harry Potter fame). Excellent, emotional drama. Filmed in Edinburgh and Glasgow by BBC Scotland. (Can you tell that the BBC Scotland is based in Glasgow?)

Trailer

The Karen Dunbar Show

A BBC Scotland produced comedy sketch show from 2002-2005 that is still popular. Stars the popular comedian from Ayr, Scotland, Karen Dunbar (from Chewin the Fat).

Clip 1: Paperclip as a Q-tip


Clip 2 Group photo

Taggart

The longest running police drama in the UK (has been on since 1983), This is about a Glasgow Police Detective named Jim Taggart, who was played by Mark McManus till his death in 1994. But instead of replacing him, they killed off the character and simply kept the series going.

Trailer for most recent season