Did you know that the British Monarchy has a Twitter account? A few weeks ago, the Queen started following me — yeah, little old me! — but I quickly figured out it wasn’t the real queen. The British Monarchy account, however, is the real deal. It’ll remind you of when the Changing of the Guard occurs, and where certain royals will be during the day if you’re so inclined to show up at a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The Monarchy also introduced today their own photostream on Flickr. You’ll find lots of photos of modern day royals, but I liked looking at the old photos taken during Victoria’s reign. New photos will be added in the future.

My soon-to-be 9-year-old is starting to show signs of Anglophilia, the most troubling sign of which is that he loves watching the more tame clips of Benny Hill on YouTube. He explains what makes him giggle is the music, “Yakety Sax.”

I’ve discovered there’s a video mashup culture devoted to mixing “Yakety Sax” with movie scenes that could hardly be described as madcap. Do a search on “Benny Hill theme makes everything funny” and you’ll see what I mean. While I don’t think  clips of Adolph Hitler’s rants set to “Yakety Sax” are particularly funny, there are some mashups that amuse me:

1. Scarface. I believe the Scarface script holds the record for the most mentions of the words “fuck” and “fucking.” I couldn’t get beyond the motel room scene in the beginning, but I do know Al Pacino goes down in a blaze at the end. (Sorry, can’t embed this video from YouTube.)

2. Casino Royale. And they don’t even have to speed up the video!

3. Friday the 13th:

4. Star Wars. My son’s favorite:

5. And here’s something interesting. Look how creepy Benny Hill’s “sexy” skits are when set to music from The Omen:

Yesterday I received notice from British bank First Direct of an amusing survey they’d done of 1,000 Britons that claims one in 10 Brits is an “eccentric” – that is, a person who’s creative, individualistic, and free-spirited — and that more than 32 million Brits exhibit eccentric traits. Famous Britons they deemed eccentric include Boris Johnson (the Mayor of London, above), Stephen Fry (actor/author), Vivienne Westwood (fashion designer), Boy George, Russell Brand, and the Osbournes.

I do tend to think of the British as being more eccentric than Americans; I assume it’s because the long-standing English class system encouraged the (mostly) upper-classes to develop charmingly bizarre personal habits that had to be tolerated by the classes below them. I can’t think of many American eccentrics, maybe because we tend to label anyone who marches to the beat of a different drummer as OCD or simply crazy. I came up with Andy Warhol, Hunter Thompson, J.D. Salinger, Julia Child, Michael Jackson, Pee Wee Herman, and Tim Burton, the latter who now lives in Britain, so go figure. I couldn’t think of one American fashion designer or figure who could be called eccentric, but the UK has (or had) Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, and Isabella Blow. Even Anna Wintour is a little “off.”

This trait is probably why I’m so fond of the British. What about you?

Every June I try to make a batch of elderflower cordial, the quintessential British summertime soft drink. I got hooked on elderflower cordial a few years ago when I found it in our local Whole Foods, sold under the Belvoir label. Suddenly, Whole Foods stopped selling it, but by then, I’d learned how to ID elderberry bushes that grow in profusion all over New England. They start to blossom in late May, their showy white blooms ubiquitous along country roads as well as major interstate highways. I tend to pick my blossoms at a local state park, far from the exhaust of roadways, and in a marshy area next to our town’s senior center , which cracks me up, because elder? Elderly? Get it? Okay, you get it. (Sambucus nigri is the Latin name for the elderberry shrub; weirdly enough, the liqueur Sambuca is anise-flavored, not elderberry-flavored.)  Once July hits, the flowers die off to reveal little green berries that will ripen into dark purpley-black elderberries by late August … just in time to harvest for my famous cough syrup.*

I made a huge batch of cordial last summer, and because I was working on a monster work project this June, I didn’t get around to making a fresh batch. But for the last year I’ve been meaning to blog about how I make this cordial, so I’m just going to do it now, even though it’s slightly past elderflower season. When next May and June roll around, you’ll be all set to make your own cordial. (If you are in Zone 5 and under — meaning the far north of the U.S. or Canada, you may still have a couple days to gather elderflowers.)

How do I use my cordial? Mostly as a syrup to add to sparkling water to create a grapey/floral kind of soda that’s oh-so-refreshing after a stint in the garden or a long day at work. I also use a teaspoon or two to sweeten whipped cream for desserts. You can also use it as a syrup to flavor cocktails. My concoction keeps for ages because I add citric acid as a preservative and store it in sterilized glass jars.

I use a Sophie Grigson recipe for my cordial. Chronicle Books just sent me a copy of The River Cottage Preserves Handbook (I’ll be reviewing this delightful little manual later this summer) that includes a recipe, which looks not be as sweet as Grigson’s version. (Some people don’t like how sweet my cordial is, so if you’re not in possession of a sweet-tooth, then try the River Cottage version.)

Elderflower Cordial

Yield: A lot

20 elderflower heads, picked on a dry, sunny day
1.8 kg sugar
1.2 liters water
2 unwaxed organic lemons
75 g. citric acid

Gently shake the elderflower heads to dislodge any small bugs or spiders that didn’t jump off during the free ride to your kitchen. Place them in a large bowl — there’s no need to pick off the tiny flowers. Stems and all into the bowl!

In a large pot over medium heat, add the sugar to the water and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Now take your lemons and, with a peeler or paring knife, remove the peel from the lemon in thin strips. Add the peel to the bowl. Cut the lemon into thin slices, and squeeze them over the bowl. Then add the squeezed slices to the bowl.

Pour the hot sugar syrup over the flower heads and lemon. Stir in the citric acid, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let sit undisturbed for 24 hours.

The next day, line a sieve with some cheesecloth and procure another large container to capture the sieved cordial. Pour the cordial through the sieve and toss out the spent flower blossoms, lemon peel, and lemon slices. Divvy up the cordial among smaller containers, preferably ones that have been sterilized (I use mason jars). If you use sterilized jars, you can keep the cordial in your fridge for a year, even longer. The shelf life of cordial in unsterilized containers is much shorter, maybe a couple weeks. You could also try freezing it, although I wonder if the delicate flavor of the elderflowers wouldn’t fare so well here.

Let me know how cordial-making goes for you in the comments below.

*Several years ago I read that elderberries are known to reduce the effects of flu, fevers, colds — even asthma and bronchitis — so I made up a thick sweet syrup in the fall out of elderberries I’d gathered around town and stored it in our freezer. My husband came down with a brutal cold that winter, and because he doesn’t like to take anything with alcohol, he tried my syrup. Within a day he was feeling  much better, and throughout the rest of his illness he took a couple tablespoons-full a day, usually stirred into a hot water. Hey, you can’t beat the price and it’s probably just as good — if not better — than the OTC stuff they pack with artificial sweeteners, colorings, and alcohol at the drugstore.

British style mavens Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine were once hugely popular television personalities in the UK, and even here in the U.S., they achieved a certain level of notoriety with their show, What Not to Wear (where they could always be counted on to grab and push up some hapless woman’s droopy boobs to show the viewing audience what a good bra could do). But in recent years, the duo’s been more of a staple in gossip columns with Trinny’s divorce and supposed hookups with Keanu Reeves than fixtures on the television.

They’ve done something, though, that I think is inspired, not to mention hilarious: They’ve created a mockumentary series for ivillage.co.uk called What They Did Next about their quest for an advertising contract. The first episode went up today, and each Monday, they’ll be releasing a new one. It’s very well done, a mix between the U.K.’s The Office and the U.S.’s Curb Your Enthusiasm and Entourage.

What do you think? A hit or a miss? Add your comments below.

This weekend, since the weather has been so spotty, I’ve been planted in front of my computer watching gardening videos on YouTube: stuff like how to divide rhubarb rhizomes, which hoe works best in tough, rocky soil, and how to make a lasagna garden (which, to be honest, I long thought was a garden filled with tomatoes, oregano, and basil). And then, while watching Alys Fowler work her allotment garden on a Guardian video, I started to covet something she called a “storm kettle.” (Ok, I also covet her dog … and her scarves … and her pale red hair that is sort of wild, like mine, but looks far more fetching on her than it does me.) She used this kettle to make herself a hot cup of tea, and all it required was twigs and matches to heat up the water.

Come to find out, the brand name in the UK is Storm Kettle. (In Ireland, they’ve got a Kelly Kettle brand.) How it works: a double-wall of aluminum lets you build a little fire in the middle of the kettle, heating up the water in between the walls. It holds 40-oz. of water so you can boil up enough tea for several friends.

What an ingenious idea, although not necessary a new one … these kettles are a bit like hobo stoves made popular during the Depression. Immediately I tried to find one at REI or EMS, but no dice: all the kettles there require a separate heat source, and camping stoves require butane or propane — yech. The only place in the U.S. that sells the Storm Kettle brand is Lehman’s, but at $100 — ouch! — I guess I’m going to have to hold out until Christmas. Which might not be so bad if I have a lot of winter work to do in my garden.

Anyone here have one? Do you like it?

… and surprise, surprise, the taped interview took up the whole hour-long show.

It was a painful interview to watch, quite frankly. First, because I take no enjoyment watching someone’s distress on national television. I’m not condoning Sarah Ferguson’s behavior nor do I feel particularly bad for her as I think she’s got more advantages than most 50-year-old women have in this world. But she looked … shattered, I guess is the word, and I guess I’m a big softie because I don’t like watching anyone fall apart, even if they’ve brought most of the trouble on themselves. Then second? I’m not a huge fan of daytime talk shows, “Oprah” especially. The shows are just way too new agey for me, with guests talking about their “authentic selves” and “Little Sarahs,” which makes me think of … never mind.

With that out of the way, the highlights for my European readers who may only see short clips:

• Oprah was warm and fuzzy, but also fairly direct with Ferguson. She called her on some b.s., like when Ferguson claimed “a friend” had introduced her to the undercover journalist and when she tried to explain (lamely) how she started with $40K payout (meant for “a friend”) but eventually increased her price to £500,000. Wasn’t that $40K some kind of down payment on the £500,000?
• Ferguson said the journalist had stolen the identity of an Indian businessman whom her friends and associates knew; they checked references and everything shored up.
• Yet unbelievably, Ferguson also claims at the first meeting, she knew the “businessman” was a journalist with the News of the World and called him on it. Her solution was to draft up a confidentiality agreement, which of course, the “businessman” eventually tore up. Yet Ferguson, so “out of her mind,” by this point, ignored her suspicions and pursued the money trail.
• As Oprah viewed the tape with Ferguson, Sarah uttered, “I feel sorry for her.” She also said, “The woman on the tape is out of control.” Oprah called Sarah on this, too, curious as to why Ferguson would refer to herself in the third person while watching the tape.
• Sarah is not drunk on the tape, nor does she ever imply she has a drinking problem. Instead, she was just drinking that night. Finally, something I can believe.
• When Oprah queries Sarah on the dates of all the meetings with the News of the World folks, Sarah interrupts her with, “You know better than me.” Wait, was Oprah at those meetings?
• Sarah Ferguson says the £500,000 figure was “plucked out of the sky” during her meeting with the businessman. So I guess Prince Andrew didn‘t suggest this figure?
• When Oprah asked Sarah about her divorce payout, suddenly Sarah was mum and said she couldn’t discuss it because she had signed a “confidentiality agreement.” Which is odd, because she’d been talking about that $20,000 a year settlement to anyone who would listen a couple weeks ago.
• She wouldn’t reveal anything about Prince Andrew’s response to her actions or what he said to her.
• And the apology? She kind of said sorry at the very end of the interview, but it was more like, “I’m sorry for letting down my family, my friends, my charities, etc.” It wasn’t the big huge confessional apology I expected it to be.

To tell you the truth, I felt kind of icky after watching this. I didn’t believe half of what she claimed and I felt like I was watching a small child try to wiggle her way out of a bad pinch. Not fun. I sincerely hope Sarah Ferguson figures out a way to deal with her problems in a responsible manner and finds some peace with herself. She’s clearly not a happy woman.

If you’re here in the U.S., did you watch the interview? What did you think? Were you sympathetic to her story, or did you feel it left more questions than answers? Add your comments below.

So Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York and self-appointed fixer for royal access, is getting a huge career boost: She is getting 10 minutes on “Oprah” next Tuesday to tell her side of the story to an American audience.

I’ll definitely be watching as I’ve been contacted by the BBC World Service again to offer my opinion on Ferguson’s appearance and expected apology. (The BBC show will probably run on Wednesday, June 2. I’ll post more details as soon as I get them.) Will she make a similar apology in the UK, where the British are far more annoyed with her behavior than Americans seem to be? Is her “Oprah” appearance part of a carefully crafted plan to win sympathy with American viewers as Ferguson’s only hope for future success is here in America? (She may be hard pressed to improve her financial situation in Britain at the moment given how she seems universally loathed and reviled by the public.) And I hope she tells us how her ex-husband and two daughters are coping with her disgrace; I’d love to hear what the Queen thinks too, but that may be wishful thinking on my part.

Sarah certainly hasn’t been hiding for the last week. She was in Los Angeles earlier this week to collect an award for her charity work (where she received a big round of applause from the audience), and she’s now in New York at the Book Expo America conference doing PR for her children’s book. I give her credit for not hiding, but I do wish she’d stop saying she “hates adults and loves children,” a veiled snipe at her recent troubles. Although I think Ferguson’s in a tough place and I’m quite sure she adores children, she’s brought trouble on herself by acting more like a child and less like an adult. Harsh words, but there you go.

Stay tuned … and do add your comments below. I’m especially curious to hear your opinions on Ferguson’s upcoming “Oprah” appearance.

… and it’s her own damn fault, say a great many people on both sides of the Atlantic. The Duchess, the former wife of Prince Andrew — who happens to be an unpaid trade ambassador for the U.K. — was caught in a sting set up by a British tabloid as she tried to sell access to her former husband. (The video is here.) The scandal hit the papers this weekend, and now Sarah is tearfully apologizing to the press for her involvement in this scheme.

I think it’s interesting how The News of the World, the tabloid that set up the sting, has positioned Prince Andrew as an innocent bystander in this mess, even though Sarah Ferguson (that’s the Duchess) suggests that Andrew knows about her wheeling-and-dealing and even suggested the £500,000 figure as Sarah’s payout. Of course, Sarah could by lying through her teeth, but she could be telling the truth — after all, they’ve got an oddly close relationship for a divorced couple. At any rate, supposedly The News of the World has a staunch Royalist readership, so this could be the reason they’re letting the royals off scot free on this scandal.

Knives are drawn for Sarah this week, and I wonder how she’ll get through this mess. Reports have been flying about for the past couple months that she’s on the verge of bankruptcy. And yes, I will admit I feel a bit sorry for her even though her latest downfall is down to her own poor decision making (what the hell was she thinking? Did she learn nothing from the Countess of Wessex’s experience with The News of the World?) and she’s got so many advantages that regular folks don’t have. I’m reading comments sections of newspapers where readers are telling her to get a job or go live on a council estate. A job, yes, is a great idea — she should do what Jackie Kennedy did and get an editor job in London! — but other than that, she can hardly disappear into the woodwork and become a regular person, can she? She’ll forever be associated — good or bad — with the royal family, and there will always be expectations of her. That’s got to be a lot to live up to, especially when you lack the budget (or class, many would argue) to do so. I don’t envy her at all.

And my last musing on the matter — this would be a fine week for the royal family to announce an engagement, don’t you think? Add your comments below.

1. You can see David Cameron from space.

2. David Cameron is so cool, he’s banned in 7 states in America.

3. Che Guevara wears David Cameron t-shirts.

4. When David Cameron was born, he calmly shook his mother’s hand.

5. David Cameron doesn’t need to lift the toilet seat. It lifts itself for him.

6. Dave’s never gonna give you up, Dave’s never gonna let you down, Dave’s never gonna turn around and desert you.

I was getting ready to do a serious post on David Cameron, the UK’s new Prime Minister, but then I found this site called David Cameron Facts that had me rolling. These hilarious quips look to be submitted by anonymous users, and you can have the “facts” made up into mugs and t-shirts.

Follow David Cameron Facts on Twitter or join their fan page on Facebook.