I’m not sure when it started, but at some point it became clear: I’m fascinated by a lot of what comes from the island. British cars, British coffee, British eccentricity. A fondness for things that don’t have to run perfectly to be brilliant. This is where I collect what I’ve come across in that vein.
Garage madness
Two Brits who’ve been fitting a Toyota four-wheel-drive system into a classic Mini for years, documenting the whole thing with unmatched patience. Project Binky by Bad Obsession Motorsport is the perfect example of British madness with method. And when a man in Stamford decides to dig a tunnel from his house to his shed, that’s Colin Furze at his finest.
Coffee from London
GRIND from Shoreditch sells coffee with attitude, and Change Please uses coffee to give homeless people a real perspective. Two London projects that couldn’t be more different, yet both impressive in their own right.
BBC Radio outside the kingdom
Since July 2025, the BBC has blocked access to BBC Sounds for everyone outside the UK. That the live streams still work if you know the direct HLS URL is what I describe in my post about BBC Radio 1 via Sonos. Incidentally, the Belgian Dewaele brothers recorded their Soulwax Essential Mix for BBC Radio 1 as well – one of the finest recordings they’ve ever done.
Music that bridges generations
Armand van Helden played a set in England and kids danced to tracks made before they were born. If that’s not proof of timeless music, I don’t know what is.
This page will be updated as new finds from the island come along.