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15 June 2022

This England: New cod on the block

This column – which, though named after a line in Shakespeare’s “Richard II”, refers to the whole of Britain – has run in the NS since 1934.

By New Statesman

A chip shop in Coventry is attracting visitors from across the world after becoming a sensation on TikTok. People have travelled from the US, Australia and France to sample the now-famous £4.99 Morbius meal deal – fish and chips, mushy peas and a can of pop – at Binley Mega Chippy.

The chip shop became famous after a customer’s TikTok video – with a catchy jingle repeating its name – received millions of views. Mashtab Brady, 28, of Derby, said: “It was like travelling to Mecca. It’s a bang average chippy, but that’s what’s so funny.”
Metro (Jenny Woodhouse)

[See also: This England: Story of my life]

A royal corgithon

Ten dogs took part in the first “corgi derby” as part of celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The corgis, the Queen’s favourite breed of dog, took to the track at Musselburgh Racecourse in a close race. Nine-year-old Paddy, a distant relative of one of the Queen’s corgis, was among the competitors.
Edinburgh Evening News (Kate McIntosh)

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[See also: This England: They don’t know beans]

Trapped in the past

History fans Lisa Fletcher and her husband Neil are having a blast living in the past. They decorated their home with 1930s flair, down to the lino, light switches, doorknobs and cabinets. They cook their meals on a 1929 Jackson enamel cooker, and they eat from a 1930s dinner service.

Lisa said: “Everything in our home has a history. If I woke up tomorrow and it was all modern, I’d lock myself in a cupboard and refuse to come out.”
Daily Mirror (Daragh Brady)

Each printed entry receives a £5 book token. Entries to comp@newstatesman.co.uk or on a postcard to This England.

[ See also: This England: Badly Drawn Boy ]

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This article appears in the 15 Jun 2022 issue of the New Statesman, The Big Slow Down