Finding the soul of England
The Sussex landscape has proven irresistible to artists for hundreds of years.
ByEngland
This England: Santa jam
This column – which, though named after a line in Shakespeare’s “Richard II”, refers to the whole of Britain –…
By
How much does it cost to watch a game of football?
Is it cheaper to watch matches at home or the pub? The football cost-of-living crisis – in numbers.
By
Britain must finally shed its illusions of greatness
As our public services edge closer to collapse, we need the humility to acknowledge that the country has lost its…
By
The quiet revolution in black British identity
Black Britishness used to mean people from Caribbean backgrounds – but now it is more varied than ever.
By
Scotland can never be an equal partner with England, in the Union or outside it
The SNP’s depiction of Scotland as a prisoner of Westminster is shrewd politics, but detached from inescapable realities.
By
It’s time to banish Britain’s Celtic ghosts
The Anglo-Celt divide continues to shape the political fate of the British Isles – yet it is a historical mirage.
By
Michael Winterbottom’s This England is odd and oddly repellent
Kenneth Branagh has captured Boris Johnson’s striding stoop and gibbon arm-swing, but this series is perhaps too kind to him.
By
This England: Supermarkets shushed
This column – which, though named after a line in Shakespeare’s “Richard II”, refers to the whole of Britain –…
By
This England: Crackers for Christmas
This column – which, though named after a line in Shakespeare’s “Richard II”, refers to the whole of Britain –…
By
This England: Nature calls
This column – which, though named after a line in Shakespeare’s “Richard II”, refers to the whole of Britain –…
By
Who could have foreseen that the Festival of Brexit would be a disaster?
It’s tricky to feel celebratory during war, economic crisis and the tail end of a pandemic.
By
This England: You’re stuffed
This column – which, though named after a line in Shakespeare’s “Richard II”, refers to the whole of Britain –…
By
After England’s joyous Lionesses, it’s back to the miserable men of the Prem
The England women seemed carefree, happy, in love with the game. Unlike the men, who are all moaning minnies, and…
By
In drought-struck England, I have a moment of connection with another living creature
At first, I didn't see the deer – but then I saw it was looking straight at me.
By
The English Cricket Board is “not fit for purpose”, says Azeem Rafiq
The former Yorkshire player says nothing has changed since he made damning revelations of racism in the sport.
By
From the NS archive: On keeping cool
16 July 1921: Hot weather is weather in which human beings hate each other and welcome any reason for a…
By
Vaughan Williams’ vision of Englishness is not the one we need
The composer dominates the BBC Proms this year, the 150th anniversary of his birth. But if this is our national…
By
This England: Urban cowboy
This column – which, though named after a line in Shakespeare’s “Richard II”, refers to the whole of Britain –…
By
Back in Time for Birmingham tells the story of immigration in postwar Britain
For all its banalities, the BBC’s warm-hearted recreation of the lives of previous generations of British Asians is welcome, even…
By