We swooned over the snood, but now we’re all over the hat. Who says fancy head pieces are worn just for Easter and the Kentucky Derby?  Not us. 

British hat designer Katherine Elizabeth is known for her classic retro style, vintage glamour and gosh darn it, we love her.  She perfected her millinery skills from top British designer Stephen Jones and later showcased her feathery and bead-irific creations on the Dior runway.  Her pieces have graced the craniums of notables like Lily Allen and Dita Von Teese. 

Katherine loves her craft so much that she holds hat parties.  Grab a group of fashionista friends and learn how to make your very own head piece.  Sign me up!

Bet you never thought you’d hear that.

Famous Jellymongers Bompas & Parr, who are the creators of the U.K.’s first walk-in cocktail (a sauna-like room of vaporized gin and tonic), are teaming up with Courvoisier to create the world’s largest, drinkable, punchbowl as part of their Architectural Punch Bowl competition.  Contestants who submitted their recipea for the Courvousier cocktail competition will have the opportunity to see 4,000 litres of their punch – the equivalent of 25,000 serves – in the world’s largest punchbowl – and Londoner’s are invited to have a glass and even boat across the surface of the punch on a raft.

Bompas & Parr will be using new techniques and technology to flood an entire building and then throw a party – “It’s going to be a mighty structure and is not without its complexities. At one stage we were worried that the weight of punch would cause the building to collapse!”

Bompas & Parr, one of Britain’s premier Jellymongers (great title for a business card, no?) explore how the taste of food is altered through synaesthesia, performance and setting.  They have conceived events ranging from breathable cocktails, to  glow in the dark Jelly club nights,  to custom jelly molds – even one of the entire United States out of Jell-O for Kraft.

The Architectural Punch Bowl will be open on 8th, 9th and 10th December at 33 Portland Place. Tickets are a mere £6.50 and on www.jellymongers.co.uk.  Proceeds with benefit charity.

And in case you thought this concept was somewhat fruity -”there is strong historical precedent for the Architectural Punch Bowl. In 1694 the admiral Edward Russell created a punch bowl so large that it took 2,500 lemons to make the punch that was served by a small boy in a boat.”

That’s justification enough, for me.

contributing editor – Jurek Lipski

Despite Jude Law’s depature from London for a hot ticket role on Broadway’s in Hamlet (and to throw oranges at NYU gawkers), there is still plenty of rich celebrity sightings to be had on stage in London’s West End.

Fortunately for us, the gaping hole he’s left in London’s celebrity scene is filled by a number of Hollywood stars hitting the capital’s own theatre district. You can still catch Kevin Spacey in Inherit the Wind at the Old Vic, while in December legendary James Earl Jones brings that voice to Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Novello. In 2010 MGM legend Debbie Reynolds tours Britain with her one-woman show ahead of a West End season and the original Broadway cast of Hair gets a transplant to the UK.

James Earl Jones (far right) and cast of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, photo credit Jeff Fasano

The London celebrity scene is also complemented by Brit starlets taking a break from LA. Oscar-nom’d Keira Knightley debuts as a vacuous Hollywood starlet in the The Misanthrope. Rupert Friend – getting steamy with Emily Blunt’s Young Victoria next month – appears in The Little Dog Laughed in January. Jonathan Pryce (Pirates…, GI Joe) is in Pinter’s The Caretaker, while Kim Catrall returns ahead of Sex and the City 2 by starring in Noel Coward’s Private Lives.

Last but not least, the Fonz himself, Henry Winkler, will bring the cool to the role of Captain Hook this December at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool.

More at www.londontheatre.co.uk

-Elliott Frisby, contributing editor

Britain’s Got Talent star Susan Boyle was a mere mortal this time last year. Fast forward to the present day and SuBo is being mobbed at Manhattan’s Rockefeller Plaza, has appeared on various chat shows and in publications left, right and centre (including the Wall Street Journal) and has recently broken Amazon’s global pre-sale record for her debut album. All in the short period since the show aired in the UK in April this year.

Yes this Scottish sensation has taken us by storm on both sides of the Atlantic it’s fair to say. And is most likely the envy of many celebs who spend time and money trying to break into the competitive US market. SuBo has most certainly showed us all how it’s done and this whirlwind fairytale journey to fame has led us to the amazing demand and popularity for the singer on her trip to the Big Apple. Because who couldn’t love a fashion no-no Scot with a set of lungs like hers?! Susan has rocked our socks!

Boyle hails from a small town in West Lothian, Scotland. Not your typical superstar location, but she remains loyal to her roots and still resides in her 4 bedroom house there. We’re certain this sleepy town is sure to spy an array of avid fans on the SuBo hunt from now on though!

So fill us in on your chat about Susan’s album. All the jazz if you please!

It’s safe to say Scotland has wowed us – good on you Susan! Boom!

 -Danielle McKinlay, Contributing Editor

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So you’re visiting London. The obligatory work meeting/frantic dash around as many tourist attractions as possible all the while cursing your inappropriate footwear/dull dinner some aged relative is done and now you want to have some fun.

There are listings magazines bursting with rave reviews of hot clubs, cool bars and burlesque shows held in ex Working Men’s Clubs (actually, only one: Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club but it’s pretty ace, check it out); but is a bit of blurb, the praise of some Brit bloke you’ve never met and a photo of a good looking girl pouting in said venue enough to go on?

If only you knew the Big Smoke as well as the Big Apple.  Fear not! Metrotwin is here to help. Yes, all our London recommendations are written by die hard, River-Thames-pulsing-through-their-veins Londoners -  still a lot of Brits you don’t know – but thanks to our twinning feature, the Buffalo Bar isn’t just ‘an underground club near Highbury and Islington tube’, it’s the Market Hotel of London. If you’re longing for Max Fish’s cheap beers, artistic patrons and battered pool table, get thee to The Dolphin in Hackney.

Why not check out our list of the best places to go out on the lash (that’s British for ‘a sufficient number of alcoholic beverages, possibly with some dancing thrown in for good measure) in London.

Contributor – Anya Driscoll

If you are like me, and have ever based your choice of hotel on the fact that it had a gym -this may sound familiar!  You imagine you will exercise diligently and upon returning from your vacation your friends will eye your physique enviously. What really happens is that after sizing up the one worn out treadmill, exercise bike and rack of free weights (adjust imagined equipment  according to the star rating of your hotel) you beat a retreat promising to return tomorrow- never to return.

So what’s a girl (or boy) to do if any excuse to avoid the gym on vacation is a good one but the desire for toned thighs is non-negotiable?  Sightseeing Runs  and Jogging Tours  are an easy way to get your daily dose of exercise, and instead of the same old ipod playlist, you get a fit runner guide to fill you in on the juicy history of the city and landmarks you pass.

If pounding the pavements is too much like hard work, how about a bit of gentle peddling?  No, not selling vacuums door to door- I am talking about bicycle tours. There are a variety of companies offering these and due to London’s extensive network of cycle paths and large parks it is highly unlikely you will turn around and discover a bus breathing down your neck.

 Then again if you’re simply too busy, too tired or too lazy to do any type of exercise on vacation and prefer instead to sample some delicious British comfort food , I quite understand!

Contributing Editor – Anna Hegedus

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Music mag NME – which has been reporting on music since 1952,  has named The Strokes’ Is This It the best album of the decade.

The new top ten in the poll – voted by “everyone who helped make music brilliant this decade” – features other New York alumni the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Interpol, as well as Canadian Arcade Fire, in a list that is dominated – not surprisingly – by Brits: The Libertines, Primal Scream, PJ Harvey, The Streets and Radiohead.

Like NYC, Britain has long held a reputation for great bands and the best live music, often breaking new talent onto the airwaves and the mainstream charts. Although The Strokes haven’t toured lately, top five faves the Yeah Yeah Yeahs kick off nine dates from 30 November. As well as two nights at the O2 Brixton Academy in London, their only Scottish date in Glasgow on 4 December is sure to be a hot ticket. Despite uncoupling from Kate Moss, Pete Docherty retains his music cool.

See what you think as Babyshambles plays Glasgow’s Barrowland on 18 December as part of a nine-date tour. As the place where Oasis were spotted and signed, Scotland’s style capital has plenty to offer visitors too: over 50 clubs, 100-plus pubs and bars, designer shopping, and Rennie Mackintosh architecture.

The top ten according to NME are:

1. The Strokes – ‘Is This It’
2. The Libertines – ‘Up The Bracket’
3. Primal Scream – ‘XTRMNTR’
4. Arctic Monkeys – ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – ‘Fever To Tell’
6. PJ Harvey – ‘Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea’
7. Arcade Fire – ‘Funeral’
8. Interpol – ‘Turn On The Bright Lights’
9. The Streets – ‘Original Pirate Material’
10. Radiohead – ‘In Rainbows’

For the full list,check out NME’s website.

See you in the mosh! Cause we expect there to be some battles on this.  List your own top ten in the comments.

Elliott Frisby – contributing editor

According to Wikipedia a snood is… “a type of headgear, historically worn by women over their long hair”.  This goes to show exactly how wrong online encyclopaedias can be sometimes.

The 2009 snood is the latest must-have winter accessory for the British hipster. Described by British GQ as a cross between a scarf and a hood, the snood took pride of place on the catwalk shows of Burberry and other such high class British fashion houses.

 So, if your strolling in Notting Hill in London, ‘The Lanes’ Leeds, or through the Bullring in Birmingham this winter, keep your eyes firmly on the neck. The question of course is whether this will be another Anglo fashion trend to cross the pond, or will the West Coast and Williamsburg hipster swipe it away in favour of the ever-trusty scarf?

Philip Underwood – contributing editor

Let’s face it, we need a fix of our fave British celebrity fashionistas every now and again. Be it Victoria Beckham, Twiggy or new kid on the block Alexa Chung, we have a hunger for it.

But where do we track down such wonders? Well, look no further. Today I give you the funkilicious (I made that one up!), hip-happening, trend setting, Gaf!

Yes, my Brit junkies this is the store for you. Gifts, clothes and accessories, Gaf has 2 locations, Tynemouth and Gosforth (Newcastle) and is sure to satisfy any hunger for quirky fashion and have you rockin’ it British style. On the subject of Newcastle, with it’s reputation for buzzing nightlife, Newcastle Football Club and of course, the MetroCentre (shopping GALORE!) on its doorstep, is worth a visit!

 I’m particularly digging these military jackets at Gaf, not too dissimilar from the one Cheryl Cole (star of Girls Aloud, X Factor presenter, and wife of Ashley Cole) showcases in the video of her debut solo single, Fight for this love. Ps, this superstar is one to watch.

Moral of today’s story? Check out Gaf! online or in the flesh if you’re planning a cheeky trip over – what a treat that would be! And a special thanks to Pip @ Gaf for her help on this one. Loveage!

Danielle McKinlay – contributing editor

We’ve decided that our @BritianInUSA Twitter Avatar needs a new face.   Not that we don’t love maps.

Which of these icons do you think we should use?

Don’t like any of them? Think Britain deserves a better icon? Go head, do your best and send me a better one.

You can vote for your favorite on our TwitPoll: http://twtpoll.com/britaininusa