Fresh veg

NPR's amazing producers, the Kitchen Sisters, aired a lovely segment last week. It's all about London's tradition of "allotment gardening." It turns out these plots and sheds were destroyed recently due to development related to the 2012 Olympics.

The soundtrack to this radio piece is amazing. Check it out. Great use of Donovan.

For more on British shed life, see this amazing blog that my friend Mame turned me onto.

Westminster Shabbas Serendipity

Taking a day off of posting for the sabbath put me in mind of the last time I was shooting in the UK. (Doesn't that sound impressive? In truth, I've been on exactly two shoots in Great Britain.)

The main shoot was done, the crew dismissed, and I was making my way around London getting some extra footage of famous buildings. On my map, just an inch away from the Royal Albert Hall ... about 500 real-life yards ... was a symbol of a Jewish star, indicating that there was a synagogue there.

It already about 11:00 on a Saturday morning, but I thought why not, and wandered over to a little shul, on a little lane in Kensington Road/Knightsbridge, even thought I was sure that services would be ending.

I saw people still streaming in, and congregants assured me that not only wasn't I late, but that I was early. It was a Bar Mitzvah celebration and I reckon this Reform congregation has Bar Mitzvah services when it's convenient for the guests.

The services were very nice. The prayer for the Queen was a new one on me. And the Bar Mitzvah boy gave a speech on how Moses was like the coach of Arsenal and I think he compared the Hittites to Tottenham FC or something -- I'm rubbish and English football.

When I introduced myself to the rabbi, R. Thomas Salamon, he asked where I was from. When I said Croton-on-Hudson, NY, he said, "You have one of our scrolls."

Obviously, I was confused. What I didn't know was that this little shul in Kent House, the Westminster Synagogue, had an amazing history. During the early 1960s, it was the site of the saving over 1500 torah scrolls, most of which were repaired enough for use by congregations all over the world. These synagogues are just caretakers of these witnesses to barbarism. On the upper floors of the Westminster temple, there is a haunting museum telling the story of the saving of these torahs and an exhibition of the examples that were too badly desecrated to be used for liturgical purposes.

When I got home, I asked our religious committee chair to take out the scroll and, indeed there is a small label/plaque on the bottom of the right scroll holder with the number of scroll. I reported the information back to Westminster.

If you are Jewish and belong to a synagogue, take the time to examine your scrolls. If they have these plaques, contact the Czech Memorial Scroll Trust. Rabbi Salamon and the current team of heroes who work there have programs to help meaningfully convey the special story behind these "survivors" to all of the members of your community.

How Rabbi Salamon could remember my little community of 7000 souls in Northern Westchester, I'll never know, but the entire experience added up to a very memorable London morning.

** Thank you to the So Love is Hard and Love is Tough blog for the photo.

Sir Robert?! Flippin' hell!

I'm trying to keep to only one posting a day, but I just heard that as of Wednesday, Foreign Office have stripped Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe of his title, honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.

Robert Mugabe was a knight until just two days ago?

If that's the case, our beloved Lord Foppington should be honorary heir apparent!

I realize it's not hard to be a better example of nobility than a brutal dictator, but I have to believe His Lordship would start a whole new wave of Cool Britannia. How can we draft him?

IN RELATED NEWS: The England and Wales Cricket Board have decided to cancel a planed tour of Zimbabwe's team though the UK.

There's a new Ricky Gervais podcast! There's a new Ricky Gervais podcast!

Ricky Gervais has had a ocassional podcast for a long time now.

If you lot haven't heard it, it features the co-creator of The Office and Extra, Stephen Merchant and a friend of their called Karl Pilkington. Essentially, it's three lads sitting around, having a go at each other. But the wildcard is this Pilkington. Evidently he was their producer when Ricky and Stephen had a radio show on XFM, and according to Ricky the best way to describe him is that he's a "shaven monkey with a head like a f**king orange."

The best part of the show is Ricky's reaction to Pilkington's "observations." (Once, famously, I think they were talking about eating rude parts of a kangaroo and he came out with the gem, "I could eat a knob at night," which was then turned into a dance mix -- actually several dance mixes.) Who knows if it's an act, but in the world of the show, Karl sort of skates through life, taking it all literally. (i.e., People who live in glass houses shouldn't knock about with actual stones, or their house will broken, etc.) There's no way to convey the tone of the show, so I won't try, but it is hilarious.

I encourage you to jump on the free podcast, available here if you have iTunes in America. This appears to be a one-off, a favor to a former boss who is now running New Music Express's station in the UK. I think the last one they did was in November of '07 and it may be donkey's years before they do another, with Ricky doing two movies and coming to America to do his standup show. Beside, the M.O. seems to be to send these out for free, and then sell each series ones some time has gone by. My suggestion is to listen to the ones that are still on iTunes and if you like them as much as I do, by the other downloads later. There are many hours of hilarity.

Everything is available throught the Ricky Gervais site, Ricky Gervais ... Obviously.

The one, the NME broadcast is pretty representative. Some out-loud laughs, but no "first-time-you-saw-the-Fawlty-Towers-where-he-beats-up-his-car-with-a-branch" moments. (Nick Hornby coined that description.)

Totally worth listening.

SPEAKING OF PODCASTS, check out The Secret Policeman's Ball. Yes, the comedy institution to benefit Amnesty International came back in '06. Stephen Merchant does some of the interviews. He was a little too hard on Jimmy Fallon and a a little too easy on Chevy Chase, but it turns out that in addition to co-creating history-making TV shows, he is very good interviewer.

Gear!!

Many thanks to my good friend S-Frog for making sure I didn't miss yesterday's op-ed page of the Old Grey Lady. Yes, there where the incomprehensible polemics about Albany usually are, a mad rant about the much rumoured Beatles video game.

First of all, a Beatles video game would be brilliant, but more on that in sec.

The blogosphere is buzzing about one section in particular: "For fans of a certain age, those of us who literally grew up with the Beatles, the idea produces a certain sense of loss."

What? This only underscores the stereotype that Baby Boomers are now a bunch of geezers who hate change.

According to S-Frog, who has his finger on the pulse of these things (and remains the grooviest number I know) the game is going to be fantastic. "You will be able to play as one of the Beatles with facsimiles of their famous Rickenbacker and Hofner guitars and the graphics will progress from Hamburg up to Abbey Road."

Do you hear that? You'll be in a virtual Cavern Club playing "I Saw Her Standing There." You'll be in the studio playing, "All You Need is Love," with all those flower children at your feet. You'll be on a London rooftop with Billy Preston playing, "Get Back."

No sense of loss there.

NICE KIT: If you enjoy the artwork for this post, kindly point your browser to nerdyshirts.com and buy some of their hilarious shirts!

Solstice happenings

I think it was Anglophile (he moved there, didn't he?) Henry James who said the most beautiful words in he English language are "summer afternoon."

Now that the longest day of the year has come, Wimbeldon is in full swing (but I know f**k all about tennis). And the Glastonbury Festival is coming!

I'd like to think that if I were in the United Kingdom, I'd attend, but to be honest about it, I never go to anything (the Clearwater Festival is walking distance from my house here in Croton and I didn't go this year.)

The line up for this weekend's shows are hard to quarrel with: Amy Winehouse, James Blunt, Crowded House, The Verve, Leonard Cohen, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Panic at the Disco, Ben Folds, Jimmy Cliff, Buddy Guy, Joan Armatrading, Sinead O’Connor, and about a million others. I guess Paul Weller can't play every year.

For those of you who have CablevisionHD, you should get a channel called Rave. They have great archival shows from the festival, and they play them often, so it's worth seeking them out for a vicarious taste of what's going on starting of Friday.

Frankly, I'd settle for just walking around the town, buying some crystals, and learning about Druids, Wicca, and Paganism. I hear it's a very cool place.

His Lordship

My friend Monica is engaged to one of the keenest Anglophiles I have ever met (which is saying something). He even popped the question at the top of the London Eye (aka the Millennial Wheel).

Needless to say, this bloke and I hit it off straight away.

One of the most intersting things about Brian (and something I just learned) is that he has created a whole alter ego called His Most Noble Lordship, Frederick George Arthur Wyatt Foppington, 36th Baron of Pilton and Didcot and the 14th Earl Foppington. Lord Foppington's website is lordfoppington.org. To quote Monica and Brian's personal website: "Is Brian merely masquerading as His Lordship or is His Lordship merely masquerading as Brian?"

This got me thinking about nobility. I'm not sure I have a firm opinion about the peerage system, the House of Lords, and all the titles and so forth. If I were actually British, I think I might be a republican (small "r" please), and definitely would vote Labour.

Still, I was super-pleased when Russel T Davies (who revived Doctor Who and has turned it into the current franchise) won his OBE, and of course when Macca became a knight of the realm. So maybe I do have a soft spot for the all this stuff too.

Great Scot: James McAvoy (The Last King of Scotland) is appearing in a huge Hollywood leading role ... too bad he had to adopt an American accent, but the film looks like a great ride. Wanted opens June 27.

The first political post

I see Gordon Brown went to Saudi Arabia to ask them to produce more oil. I believe it was last week that he asked the public not to horde fuel in anticipation of even higher prices.

As you may know, petrol is headed toward 1 and half quid per liter. That's £5.50 for a gallon of petrol/£6.20 for diesel in the UK. That's 10 bucks a gallon. They've always paid more, but this is ridiculous. It would be over $150 to fill up a normal-sized car there ... never mind a lorry.

I've been fearing that this gas crisis here in the US is an elaborate set-up for an October surprise. Right before the election, the price will dip to $3.50 a gallon and the brilliant American electorate will say, "Hey, the Republicans really do know how to run things."

But watching this problem makes me wonder. Is Labour still so close to the American administration. In spite of a cozier atmosphere at the last visit, Brown obviously considers Bush a wanker. The "special relationship" is in tact, but it's probably never been in worse shape.

So who's pulling the strings? According to the Saudis, this is isn't a supply problem. Are the Republicans powerful enough to cause a global panic and the fix it? We'll just have to see what happens in the fall.

On a related topic, today's joke: "Inflation has reached a 16-year high, as indeed has Amy Winehouse. I was talking about her hair." -- Sandi Toksvig.

** photo "borrowed" from silversprite.com.

Yum

I promise this won't turn into a culinary site (the trouble and strife has that covered), but I just have to let you know about The Chip Shop, if you don't know about it yet. My mate Mark Humble of the Butties took me there a couple of weeks ago and I have to say that it's a transporting experience -- I keep thinking about that place.

The fish and chips are fantastic, but everything there is pretty authentic. It's one of the only places I've seen with real English Lemonade, PG Tips Iced Tea, etc. The hosts are very nice, as well. Check out their menu at their site. They have three locations, all in Brooklyn. And yes, they do takeaway.

So nip in for a "Becks and Posh" (new cockney slang for "nosh.")

BTW, it's little known fact, but fish and chips was originally brought to England by Jewish immigrants. The Guardian had a very interesting piece on this some time back. (I'm actually fascinated by the culture and history of British Jews, so more on this later.)

Red Dwarf memories

Podcasting has to be the biggest boon to Aglophiliacs since PBS started importing Britcoms. Today is Saturday, so a new Jonathan Ross radio show is up. I suggest you subscribe in iTunes immediately.

Ross has been on a roll lately ... a few weeks ago he had David Tenent, then Paul Weller. This week he had Patsy Kensit (ex-wife of both Jim Kerr and Liam Gallagher!) But last week was a real cracker. You can listen to it here.

The show features both Noman Lovett and Hattie Heyridge -- the two "Holly"s from Red Dwarf. Now, as "Wossie" (said with love) describes it, the average Red Dwarf fan is somewhere between the age of 12 and 14 1/2. But what he doesn't realize is that so many of us stateside didn't discover this amazing show until we were proper adults and we still loved it.

For those of you who don't know about it, you're a smeghead (that's meant to be funny to fans of the show). Red Dwarf was an inventive comedy set 3 million years in the future and it follows the adventures of the last human left alive -- a 22nd-century curry-loving Liverpudlian who's been in stasis as the millenia past by.

And since it is Saturday, many of you have seen last night's Doctor Who by now, which was a real cracker, wasn't it?

Straight away

Right. It's an obsession. It's a quirk. A glitch in the old wiring. Something between crossdressing, a penchant for Dungeons and Dragons, and scholarly curiosity. Anglophilia.

For some it's so acute that they move there. For others (to stretch the transvestite metaphor to its limits), we don't want to be British, we just want to act British sometimes.

There are lots of entry points: music, literature, britcoms. For some of us it's an obsession that started with the Beatles and Monty Python reruns. From there it can run into all kinds of estoterica (if can call it that -- I mean everybody should listen to Jonathan Ross's radio show now that you can get it on iTunes).

For me, the moment when I decided to explore this impulse was when I got a special thrill while reading Nick Hornby's book How to be Good (which, of course I was reading because it's so British) and I caught a reference to Melvyn Bragg (he's a presenter on Radio 4) and knew who he is.

Is Doctor Who better than an American scifi show just because of the accents? Or My Hero? Or As Time Goes By? What make you pick up a Hornby or Mark Haddon novel before a Yank equivalent? Do you have a wave of righteous indignation when someone asks you who Paul Weller is? Can you name the current mayor of London? Maybe you sign off emails with "Cheers."

You might have the same disease.

So let the gates open. I'm going to try to explore my crazy interest in all things British, trying to understand the impulse a little better. And you add to the conversation.

Let's see what we see.