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Culture
History, music, cooking, travel, books, theatre, film - but also with an eye on the 'culture wars', nationalism and identity.

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Tribalism is Killing Us: 40 Years of Zipper Blues
Tina Gharavi launches her new regular column on Tribalism with a tour of the Iranian Revolution, Exile The Smashing Pumpkins, and how Brexit is making Britain an alien place.

My Old Dutch: How Megan Markle Exemplifies Englishness
The Count of the Saxon Shore welcomes the Duchess of the South Saxons, and the arrival of her heir, with that ancient Mercian salutation: "‘Ay up me duck."

THE UPSIDE DOWN: Dead Centre – the Collective Avoidance of Dying
For most of us in the so-called developed world, death is rarely confronted head-on. At best, it’s ‘the rumble of distant thunder at a picnic’.

Vienna: Get your Schnitzel on
Seen historically as Germany’s sleepy neighbour, Austria – and Vienna in particular – is having a moment all its own. Don’t miss it.

The Count of the Saxon Shore: Migration Watch Since 270 AD
As I stare out at that grey whale-road the English Channel it no longer seems absurd to make that boldest of historical parallels for Brexit: the end of the Roman Empire in Britain. Well, at least gives me an opportunity to properly talk about English identity. Yes, I want my country back. I want us to be honest about what it was in the first place.

THE UPSIDE DOWN: Search Me –when did Google Become So Shallow?
As Facebook and other global tech giants come under scrutiny over the way they amass our data, John Mitchinson reveals how Google has less information

International Women's Day 2019: What's On
With International Women’s Week fast approaching, Ms. Suffragette gives her pick of the most interesting events to attend.

The Fake News Around Viennese Coffee Houses Shows How We Twist Reality to Suit Our Myths
The Viennese take coffee very seriously – nigh on a religion. If you go, you’ll undoubtedly hear about how coffee was introduced to the city in the late 17th Century... The story is, of course, complete rubbish.
THE UPSIDE DOWN: Wetworld – the Most Unlikely Thing in the Universe
We live in strange times. Familiarity is draining from our lives; old political alignments are dissolving; the weather is unpredictable and violent. But perhaps we should try harder to embrace the strangeness: after all, we are made from the most unlikely thing in the universe.
The Prehistoric Common Market: Golden Finds on a German Hillside
As archaeologists are increasingly discovering, humanity has always been interconnected, relying on the exchange of ideas to function.
The Lessons of Ukraine's EuroMaidan are Vital to the UK as we Stumble toward Brexit
The conflict in Ukraine came with the suppression of hopeful young people waving the blue and yellow flag of the EU. They saw in that symbol a sign of hope that we have all but lost sight of in the UK.
A Message to You, Rudy
While it’s sometimes fairly lazy to find a contemporary angle to finish on, Rudolf’s story does bring to mind several political leaders as of late, unable to take the reins and engage with a fracturing, divided populace.