The Full English Experience

The Full English Exposé teaches you more about the English speaking world, so you can be confident you know what you are doing, and you don’t do or say the wrong thing, and don’t get egg on your face.

This edition of the podcast we’re helping make sure you don’t get egg on your face, with the Full English Exposé, all about Fox Hunting.

For the hard version, click here.  For hunting idioms from the Crumbs of Knowledge section, click here.

The British Fox Hunting Ban

The British tradition of fox hunting with hounds, horns, horses and huntsmen sporting their distinctive red coats is facing a threat.

There are now laws restricting fox hunting because people care more about animal rights. Lots of people, especially in the countryside, want to hunt foxes as we have done historically, and as they do in many other countries, like France and the United States.

In traditional fox-hunting, people who owned the horses and hounds dress up in their red jackets, get together and ride around the countryside with a pack of dogs, finding foxes for their hounds to chase and rip to shreds. People come to watch, and it is popular on Boxing Day, the day after Christmas.

It is called a blood sport, and many think it is cruel to the foxes. People who like fox-hunting argue that fox hunting is part of their culture. Fox hunting is often seen in our culture, history and literature. You’ll find pictures of the hunt in countryside pubs. There are folk songs like ‘The Noble Fox-Hunting’, and pop songs like ‘Hounds of Love’ by Kate Bush. You’ll find it in books, like ‘Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man’ by Siegfried Sassoon and a scene in ‘Brideshead Revisited’, by Evelyn Waugh. It’s often shown in films and TV programs, like Downton Abbey. Fox Terriers are now popular family dogs, but, were bred to chase foxes out of holes as part of the hunt.

Fox hunting also helps the economy and provides jobs. Some argue they are also carrying out a pest-control service, as foxes are blamed for killing farm animals, but studies show it is not a very good way of controlling fox numbers .

Hunting foxes with packs of dogs is illegal, but the hunt does still regularly meet up. Sometimes the dogs follow a scent trail left by a person. Sometimes the pack is used to flush a fox out, to be hunted with birds of prey.

If the hounds find a fox, though, they often kill it, to the delight of the hunting party. Some people say this is done on purpose, but this is hard to prove. ‘Hunt saboteurs’, usually from animal rights groups, will watch hunts and record if they break laws, disrupt and sometimes sabotage the hunt. This can lead to argument and hostility.The laws go too far for the hunt supporters, and don’t go far enough for others. Even Tony Blair,

The Full English Exposé teaches you more about the English speaking world, so you can be confident you know what you are doing, and you don’t do or say the wrong thing, and don’t get egg on your face.

This edition of the podcast we’re helping make sure you don’t get egg on your face, with the Full English Exposé, all about Fox Hunting.

For the easy version, click here.  For hunting idioms from the Crumbs of Knowledge section, click here.

The British Fox Hunting Ban

Although it is reasonably widely practised, the British tradition of fox hunting with hounds, horns, horses and huntsmen sporting their distinctive red coats is facing a threat.

Now, there are laws in place that restrict fox hunting, written to reflect a growing belief that the practice is barbaric. Plenty of people, especially in the countryside, still feel they ought to have the right to hunt foxes as we have done historically, and as they do in many other countries, such as France and the United States. Respect for animal rights has only recently held sway.

The custom is for people who owned the horses and hounds (generally richer folk as the animals are expensive to keep), to dress up in their livery, get together and ride around the countryside with a pack of dogs, finding foxes for their hounds to chase and, if all goes well, rip to shreds. People come to watch, and it is especially popular on Boxing Day, the day after Christmas.

It is easy to see why it is called a blood sport, and why many think it is cruel to the foxes. The proponents of fox hunting argue that they are continuing a long-held tradition. You can’t avoid finding references to fox hunting in our culture, history and literature. You’ll find pictures of the hunt in countryside pubs. You’ll hear about it in folk songs like ‘The Noble Fox-Hunting’, or referenced in pop songs like ‘Hounds of Love’ by Kate Bush. You’ll find it in books, like ‘Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man’ by Siegfried Sassoon and a scene in ‘Brideshead Revisited’, by Evelyn Waugh. It’s often depicted in films and TV programs trying to invoke a traditional countryside feel, like Downton Abbey. Fox Terriers are now popular family dogs, but, were originally bred to flush foxes out of holes as part of the hunt.

Fox hunting also contributes to the economy and provides jobs. Some argue they are also carrying out a pest-control service, as foxes are blamed for killing farm animals, but studies have shown that shooting foxes would be a better way of managing fox populations than traditional fox-hunting .

For the time being, the huntsmen are losing the argument, but, despite fox-hunting with packs of dogs being illegal, the hunt does still regularly meet up, but the aim now is different. Sometimes the dogs follow a trail left by a person.

Let me introduce you to Crazy Aidy, my friendly, but odd, neighbour. Something weird is always happening to Adrian. This time, Aidy is in trouble for not paying his TV licence.

Knock knock

Me: Good morning Aidy

Aidy: Hi, I was wondering if you’d do me a favour.

Me: Of course, what do you need?

Aidy: I need to borrow some money, I’ve got myself into a pickle.

Me: Yes, as long as it’s not too much.

Aidy: I need £220, and I’ll pay you back at the end of the month.

Me: I can lend you that, no problem. I’ll nip to the hole-in-the-wall and drop it in this afternoon.

Aidy: Thank you, you’re a life-saver.

Me: So, how come you’re short on money, is everything ok?

Aidy: Oh, yes. Fine. It’s just that I changed by bank account, but forgot to tell my work. So, I didn’t get last month’s wages. Well, it’s sorted out now, but I won’t be paid until the end of the month. I had enough money in my account, but then I got this fine.

Me: Oh, what fine?

Aidy: It’s for not paying my TV licence. I got a bill for my licence, so I called them and said I didn’t want to pay, because I don’t watch TV as the programs are rubbish. They said I had to pay anyway, and the next day, they sent me this fine to pay, on top of the licence.

Me: They should give you a chance to pay, before they fine you. Can I have a look at that letter? Maybe they’ve made a mistake.

Aidy: Sure. I told them I shouldn’t have to pay for rubbish TV. But, they didn’t agree. They said they had ‘high quality programs and award-winning content’. What do you think? Have they made a mistake?

Me: Yes, they have. They’re meant to give you a warning letter, before they fine you, so that you have a chance to pay; and they haven’t. If you call them and explain, they should cancel the fine and let you pay the licence fee.

Aidy: Oh, wonderful. That’s a relief. I’ll go home and call them now. I’ll see you in the afternoon then, after you’ve been to the cash point.

Me: Yeah, see you. Wait … hang on a sec. if you don’t have to pay this fine, you don’t need to borrow the money, right?

Aidy: I’d like to anyway, if it’s not too much trouble.

Me: Well, it’s no problem. But, why?

Aidy: Well, with the money I save from not paying that fine, I can finally afford to buy a TV.

Me: You don’t have a TV? Aidy, if you don’t have a TV, you don’t have to pay for a licence, do you?

Aidy: No, I suppose not.

Me: And, why do you want one, if there’s only rubbish on TV?

Aidy: You think it’s rubbish? I used to too, but now there’s high quality programs and award-winning content, and I don’t want to miss out. See you later.

Me: See you in a bit, Aidy.

 

Let me introduce you to Crazy Aidy, my friendly, but odd, neighbour. Something weird is always happening to Adrian. This time, Aidy has some suspicions about a tax bill.

Knock, knock

Me: Hello, Aidy. What can I do for you?

Aidy: Do you mind if I use your phone? Mine’s been cut-off.

Me: Not at all. Come in.

Aidy: I need to call the fraud prevention hotline.

Me: Oh no, you’ve not been the victim of a fraud, have you? How awful!

Aidy: Oh no. Someone tried to defraud me, though, and I should inform the authorities so they can be stopped and people warned. I mean, I wouldn’t fall for a thing like that, I’m far too careful, but someone a bit less street-wise might. Look at the letter, it’s quite professional.

Me: It does look professional, it’s just like one I’ve received from the Council. How did you know it was fake?

Aidy: I get one every year, about this time. The first time, several years back, I was fooled.

Me: Oh no, did they take your money?

Aidy: Actually, no. I forgot to pay and after that I heard nothing more about it, but they sent a letter the next year, asking for more. And the next, and the next, each time asking for more, so I realised it must be a scam.

Me: But, Aidy, the letter looks real.

Aidy: I know, they’re good, aren’t they? Last year it was all in red with ‘warning’ written on it, and this time with ‘final warning’, and threats to send in the bailiffs and a ‘court summons’.

Me: No, I mean, I don’t think it is a scam; you’re obliged to pay your Council Tax, and this is the official letter. And look, this court summons is signed by a judge…it’s real.

Aidy: Then why is it so much more each year?

Me: Well, it appears to be cumulative. If you don’t pay tax for the year, they add it to next years’ bill, and so on, and so on.

Aidy: Oh! Well, can I use your phone anyway to pay it?

Me: Yeah, go ahead.

Aidy: It’s a bit of a shame it’s not a fraud.

Me: Really? I thought you’d be relieved.

Aidy: Well, if I’m honest, I was quite excited about getting the chance to go to Court, and giving evidence in front of a judge…everyone in wigs…and gowns…

Me: Well, I wouldn’t worry about that, Aidy. From what it says on this Court summons, if you can’t convince them that this was a misunderstanding, you might still get that chance.

Let me introduce you to Crazy Aidy, my friendly, but odd, neighbour. Something weird is always happening to Adrian. This time, Aidy has some suspicions about a tax bill.

Knock, knock

Me: Hello, Aidy. What can I do for you?

Aidy: Do you mind if I use your phone? Mine’s been cut-off.

Me: Not at all. Come in.

Aidy: I need to call the fraud prevention hotline.

Me: Oh no, you’ve not been the victim of a fraud, have you? How awful!

Aidy: Oh no. Someone tried to defraud me, though, and I should inform the authorities so they can be stopped and people warned. I mean, I wouldn’t fall for a thing like that, I’m far too careful, but someone a bit less street-wise might. Look at the letter, it’s quite professional.

Me: It does look professional, it’s just like one I’ve received from the Council. How did you know it was fake?

Aidy: I get one every year, about this time. The first time, several years back, I was fooled.

Me: Oh no, did they take your money?

Aidy: Actually, no. I forgot to pay and after that I heard nothing more about it, but they sent a letter the next year, asking for more. And the next, and the next, each time asking for more, so I realised it must be a scam.

Me: But, Aidy, the letter looks real.

Aidy: I know, they’re good, aren’t they? Last year it was all in red with ‘warning’ written on it, and this time with ‘final warning’, and threats to send in the bailiffs and a ‘court summons’.

Me: No, I mean, I don’t think it is a scam; you’re obliged to pay your Council Tax, and this is the official letter. And look, this court summons is signed by a judge…it’s real.

Aidy: Then why is it so much more each year?

Me: Well, it appears to be cumulative. If you don’t pay tax for the year, they add it to next years’ bill, and so on, and so on.

Aidy: Oh! Well, can I use your phone anyway to pay it?

Me: Yeah, go ahead.

Aidy: It’s a bit of a shame it’s not a fraud.

Me: Really? I thought you’d be relieved.

Aidy: Well, if I’m honest, I was quite excited about getting the chance to go to Court, and giving evidence in front of a judge…everyone in wigs…and gowns…

Me: Well, I wouldn’t worry about that, Aidy. From what it says on this Court summons, if you can’t convince them that this was a misunderstanding, you might still get that chance.

The Full English Exposé teaches you more about the English speaking world, so you can be confident you know what you are doing, and you don’t do or say the wrong thing, and don’t get egg on your face.

This edition of the podcast we’re helping make sure you don’t get egg on your face, with the Full English Exposé, all about Tea.

For the easy version, click here.

The British Obsession with Tea

The British are known for our obsession with tea. We drink over 60 billion cups of tea a year. That’s more tea than 5300 Olympic swimming pools. We drink over twice as much tea as we drink water.

Tea first became popular in Britain’s coffee houses in the 17th century. It is said to have been made fashionable after King Charles II wife, Queen Catherine of Braganza, started the custom of drinking tea in the British Court.

Tea imports increased. In the 19th century, we imported so much tea from China, in exchange for rare silver that it caused a trade deficit for the British, and big money problems. To solve this, the British off-set tea with opium. This caused major drug and trade problems for China, and attempts to ban it ended in China being defeated in the two Opium Wars, which claimed tens of millions of lives. All because the British really like tea.

We mostly drink cheap, black tea, from a big mug, made using a tea-bag, brewed strong, usually with a little milk and some take sugar too. Tea made this way is called builder’s tea, due to its popularity among tradesmen, but it’s well-loved outside the trades too despite not being considered ‘refined’.

Builder’s is an everyday tea for every situation. A morning cuppa, a quick drink between jobs, something to wet your whistle as you have a good natter, and the go-to remedy to help comfort and console an upset friend or family member, along with the phrase “I’ll get you a nice cup of tea”.

For an occasion, we tend to take our time over a tea and serve it with a bit of ceremony. The tea is often brewed and poured at the table into dainty cups, resting on saucers. No tea-bags here, the tea would be made from loose leaves, poured through a tea-strainer, and would be more refined than a builder’s tea – either a more delicate black tea like ‘darjeeling’, which can be drunk black, with milk and sugar, or with a dash of lemon, or a speciality tea like oolong, green or a smoked tea, usually served without milk.

Earl Grey is considered a very English tea. Flavoured with Bergamot oranges, it has a reputation as being posh, and was popularised by the Earl Charles Grey, an English Prime-Minister in the 19th century. There are many stories about its origins. One says it was invented to disguise the taste of lime in the Earl’s water. Another says it was a gift after one of the Earl’s employees saved the life of the son of a Chinese official. A third story has it that it was added to low quality tea to disguise the flavour, and then marketed so they could sell it for a premium price.

People argue about how to make the best tea. Whether you put the leaves or water into the pot first.

The Full English Exposé teaches you more about the English speaking world, so you can be confident you know what you are doing, and you don’t do or say the wrong thing, and don’t get egg on your face.

This edition of the podcast we’re helping make sure you don’t get egg on your face, with the Full English Exposé, all about Tea.

For the hard version, click here.

The British Obsession with Tea

The British are known for our love of tea. We drink over 60 billion cups of tea a year. That’s more tea than 5300 Olympic swimming pools. We drink over twice as much tea as we drink water.

Tea first became popular in Britain’s coffee houses in the 17th century, when King Charles II wife, Queen Catherine of Braganza, started the custom of drinking tea in the British Court.

Tea imports increased. In the 19th century, we imported so much tea from China that it caused big money problems. To solve this, the British sold opium to the Chinese. This caused major drug and money problems for China. When they tried to stop the opium imports, we had two wars to force them to continue: the Opium Wars, which killed millions of people. All because the British really like tea.

We mostly drink cheap, strong, black tea, from a big mug, made using a tea-bag, usually with milk and often sugar too. Tea made this way is called builder’s tea, due to its popularity with tradesmen, but it’s well-loved by nearly everyone.

Builder’s is an everyday tea for every situation. A morning cuppa, a quick drink between jobs, something to wet your whistle as you have a good natter, and to cheer people up, along with the phrase “I’ll get you a nice cup of tea”.

For an occasion, we’d serve our tea in dainty cups, resting on saucers. We’d use loose-leaf tea, not tea-bags, and a more refined flavour – maybe a black tea like ‘darjeeling’ or an oolong, green or smoked tea. Earl Grey is very popular too. Flavoured with Bergamot oranges, it was made famous by the Earl Charles Grey, an English Prime-Minister in the 19th century.

People argue about how to make the best tea. Whether you put the leaves or water into the pot first. If you have to warm to pot to avoid scalding the tea. Whether loose-leaf tea tastes better than tea-bags. If you should add milk to a cup before or after pouring the tea.

There’s a stereotype that posh people hold their little finger out when they drink their posh tea from posh cups. The story is that cultured people would only eat with their first three fingers. So, people would stick out their little fingers, hoping people would notice and think they were cultured. No-one does this seriously anymore, but you’ll often see it done for a joke.

Is all this talk making you thirsty? Only one thing to do: pop the kettle on, and have a nice, hot, cup of tea!