Welcome to British Isles Friday! British Isles Friday is a weekly event for sharing all things British and Irish — reviews, photos, opinions, trip reports, guides, links, resources, personal stories, interviews, and research posts. Join us each Friday to link your British and Irish themed content and to see what others have to share. The link list is at the bottom of this post. Pour a cup of tea or lift a pint and join our link party!

Last week, I reviewed the Scarlet Pimpernel film with Leslie Howard. Tina reviewed a book about day trips from London — perfect for armchair travel and planning for the real thing. Jackie shared pictures and information about an area in Ireland known as the Hill of Blood. Karen reviewed Devoted Ladies, a Virago classics re-issue. Sim’s fantasy walk in London started at the Harry Potter platform of King’s Cross station and took us to the stadium where the Arsenal team plays soccer, er, football. Becky reviewed a new kid’s book: Mango & Bambang The Not a Pig. Mike of A Bit About Britain commented on last week’s post, enabling me to discover his cool site with frequent posts about places in Britain complete with stories, histories, and gorgeous photographs.

Deb of Readerbuzz invited me to play Happiness Tag on Sunday. I decided to save it for Friday so I could play a British-themed version. We all know that British things make me happy!

Rules:
1. List 5 things that make you happy.
2. List 5 songs that make you happy.
3. List 5 bloggers that make you happy and let them know that they have been nominated.

5 (British) Things that Make Me Happy

1. My tea kettle. Every time I use it, which is several times every morning, I have some passing thought about a hotel room in England or about a scene in a British TV show where someone puts the kettle on or about our lovely day in Greenwich where we learned about the bimetallic strip that makes the electric tea kettle possible.
2. British TV shows. I’m currently enjoying Lark Rise to Candleford based on Becky’s review. Last summer, Sim and I traded recommendations for British-based mysteries like Scott & Bailey. Right now, I’ve got the last episode of The Tunnel waiting for me on Tivo since it’s been airing on our local PBS station. Heather’s visit to The Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff inspired me to catch up in that series.
3. The London skyline. I love spotting places I’ve seen in real life when I watch British TV shows and movies — that’s especially easy when they are set in London with its distinctive high-rises and varied bridges.
4. British books. I just finished Tana French’s In the Woods (Thanks, Tina!) and I can’t wait to get my hands on the second book in the Dublin Murder Squad series. The flawed, but still likable, main character reminded me of the Lacey Flint series by Sharon Bolton.
5. British Isles Friday folks. Thanks to everyone who participates in British Isles Friday! You bring me delightful things about Great Britain and Ireland every week from Jackie’s photographs of trips over the years to Karen’s perspectives of British literature from her home in Wales.

5 (British) Songs that Make Me Happy

1. You Can’t Always Get What You Want. Of course, it’s the Rolling Stones who sing this in my head, but I more often listen to the Rockabye Baby version because it always makes me smile:
   
2. We are the Champions. Queen’s hit came out when I was in high school and has always been a song I turn to when I want to rev up my determination:
3. We Will Rock You. And, then this Queen song keeps me going:
4. If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out. This song by Cat Stevens makes me brave:
5. Pocketful of Sunshine. Just to prove that I didn’t stop listening to new music when I graduated from high school, here’s a happy song by Natasha Bedingfield:

If it would make you happy to write a Happiness Tag post, consider yourself tagged!