My mail carrier is a wonderful man named Tony who has never once complained
about the vast poundage of glossy magazines he has to deliver to my house
every month. Most of the magazines I subscribe to are related to England and in
order to keep my supply coming, I bribe Tony with Starbucks gift cards, thank
you notes, and promises to keep my dogs locked up at scheduled times during the
day when there's a chance his mail truck is within a 15 mile radius of my
house.
A friend once asked me which magazine about England was my favorite. I
struggled to answer her question in the same way a mother struggles when
someone asks which child is her favorite. After some thought and several
minutes of indecision and flip-flopping, I finally narrowed my favorites down
to five.
Why are they my
favorites? They all have stunning photography, entertaining articles, wonderful
style, and insights into English culture that are hard to come by in America.
Here's how they break down:
The English
Home
This magazine
is filled with page after page of wonderful interior and exterior shots of homes
set in ideal English locations. With every photograph I think to myself,
"Oh, yes, I could live here. Yes, I definitely could live here." I
love the look of today's English country house and this magazine indulges my
fantasy of living in a comfortable but perfectly decorated home that happens to
give a nod to a bygone time. Here are just a few of the topics covered in the
latest edition:
· A fourteenth-century manor
house
· A newly-built home decorated
in late Georgian/early Victorian styles
· An exploration of Durham in
north-east England
· Blending patterns,
texture, light and shade to create a modern romantic interior
With an eclectic and imaginative mix of articles, history, and
unique places to visit that are off the usual tourist track, this magazine
inspires my inner traveler. I usually read this magazine with a package of red
tape-flags at hand so I can keep track of the sites I "must
add" to my ever-growing list of places to visit on my next trip to
England. One of my favorite features: Each issue includes a list of novel
places to stay in the UK, from unique inns and hotels to country estates and
city townhouses. A few of the features from the last issue:
·
A tour of Abbotsford House, the home of Sir
Walter Scott
·
A feature on "Essential Lancashire"
that includes a guide to Blackpool, the fortunes of Georgian merchant families,
and walking in the footsteps of J.R.R. Tolkein
·
Aboard King Henry VIII's warship Mary Rose
·
Roald Dahl's writing hut
·
Touring an Edwardian English country garden
Every issue inspires me to discover a part of England I've
never seen before.
This is another magazine that ends up decorated with
multiple red tape-flags by the time I'm done reading each issue. Take the
latest (November) issue for example: it has an article on the discovery of the
remains of Richard III as well as a four-page, center-fold article on the
history of English puddings. Yum. And did I mention there were pictures of puddings? And can I just say that some
of those aforementioned pictured puddings were covered with awesomesauce
(commonly known as "custard")? Thanks to this educational article, I’m ambitiously planning to
expand my thinking beyond plum pudding for my 2013 Christmas celebration; I’m
currently hunting down recipes for Cumberland Rum Nicky, Spotted Dick and
Bakewell pudding. To give you an idea of this magazine's variety, the same
issue had an article on bike-riding through the Derbyshire Peak District and a
6-day guided tour from the Wye Valley to Shropshire. My favorite article in
this issue (aside from those four heavenly pages devoted to pudding) was a
feature on the old-fashioned way tweed is still made in the Outer Hebrides.
The lure of this magazine is that it provides a window into
the English lifestyle, past and present. It reminds me a little of Reminisce magazine because many of its
articles are written from the reader’s perspective. In the current edition, there’s
an article on the original WWII Land Girls, a tribute to Thackeray, and a
lovely two-page feature from a fledgling gardener as she readies her cottage
garden for winter for the first time. There’s also a charming article by a
woman who took a trip back to the old Essex childhood home her family lived in for
70 years, a list of favorite sandwiches submitted by readers, and a fun fact
page full of old English words, phrases and lingo.
By the way, what do you call a horse’s attempt to dump
his rider?
a) croupade
b) estrapade
c) caracole
d) ballotade
You’ll find the correct answer at the end of this post.
I love this publication because it demonstrates quiet
pride in its countrymen, honors its veterans, and unabashedly celebrates the
English way of life. There’s an unbelievable amount of information and charm in
every issue, along with beautiful photographs and Colin Carr’s delightful
artwork.
The publishers of Britain
bill it as “The Official Magazine.” It has my vote, too, for being the best guide
out there on what today’s England has to offer. Every issue is a traveler’s
dream, filled with tried-and-true as well as new-and-unique destinations to
visit. Want to experience London’s theatre district? There’s an article for
that. Wonder what the top 12 best British sites are that you absolutely must
experience? There’s an article for that. Where can you eat Dickensian-style
food in London? There’s an article for that, too. Add linger-over-every-image quality photographs
on each page and this publication makes you want to jump on the next plane
bound for Heathrow.
So now, I ask you: With such wonderful magazines coming
to my mailbox, how can I possibly choose a favorite? I can’t, but I can keep
plying my mail carrier with Starbucks gift cards and find creative ways to let him know I appreciate the care he takes in delivering my England magazines in pristine condition. Tony, your next latte’s on me.
Do you subscribe to magazines about England? What are your
favorite magazines and why?
Answer:
b) estrapade
