Editor Stephen Garnett Circulation 100,000 (est.) Company DC Thomson | Frequency Quarterly First issue 1967 | |
Categories General interest magazine | ||
This England is a quarterly magazine published in England. It has a large readership among expatriates, especially the elderly. It concentrates on the traditional values and customs of the English people, particularly those of rural and small-town England.
Contents
History
The magazine was started in 1968 by Roy Faiers of Lincolnshire, who held it as a private company (This England International Ltd.). Faiers remained editor-in-chief until 2009, when the company was bought by DC Thomson of Dundee, owners of the Sunday Post, Beano, Dandy and other publications. Faiers was succeeded as editor by his former deputy editor, Stephen Garnett. Now based in Cheltenham, This England has a circulation of 100,000.
The name This England comes from the declamations of John of Gaunt in Act II, Scene I of Shakespeare's King Richard II: "This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle... This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England."
Content
This England has always editorially described itself as a publication with an emphasis on Christian conservative values. It has sometimes been better known, however, as a voice of political activism. For most of its years the magazine featured a strong pro-British, anti-European editorial outlook. It showcased articles against the European Union and related topics like metrication. In the 1990s, it lent its support to New Britain, a right-wing political group, praising it as "the organisation which is campaigning for a complete revival of our country". Jeremy Paxman remarked that the magazine's greatest enemy was "the march of time", claiming that "not one article in the magazine looks forward to the future".
Since 2009, the new owners have subdued the magazine's political content without letting it disappear entirely.
The magazine's non-political content remains focused on English cultural history and lore, chiefly from the period of about 1930-1960. Regular features include “A Royal History of England”, “Literary Landscapes of England”, “London Pride”, “English Excursions”, “Great Britons” and “In England – Now!” where English achievement, creativity and enterprise in the 21st century are highlighted.
The magazine started with the slogan "As refreshing as a cup of tea!" Later issues described themselves as "For all those who love this green and pleasant land", and "Britain's loveliest magazine since 1968".
This England has a sister publication, Evergreen, which features less national content and concentrates on village life. Another companion publication, Beautiful Britain, was launched in 2006, aimed at a younger audience.