• British Billy welcomes springtime

    I love the changing seasons in the U.K., and I especially love spring. My paw pads start to tingle, and my tail twitches with anticipation. So much is happening! The bees are buzzing around the heather, the rabbits and moles are frantic with activity, and the birds are busy impressing each other as

  • British Billy celebrates St. Patrick's Day

    It would seem to be a generally acknowledged fact that the fine folk of Ireland know how to have a good time. The gaiety of an Irish jig is enough to set even my paws a-tapping, and the feast day of the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick, provides anyone of Irish descent with an opportunity to

  • British Billy celebrates U.K. Mother’s Day

    You call them 'moms' and we call them 'mums', but whatever word we use, they are all our mothers. American Mother's Day is always on the second Sunday in May, but in the U.K., Mother's Day falls on the fourth Sunday in the Christian season of Lent. This year, British Mother's Day - or Mothering

  • British Billy celebrates St. David's Day, March 1

    (Editor's Note: This is the first in a four part series Billy will write about the patron saints of Great Britain)I know to be considered a saint, you must possess many noble qualities, commit fearless deeds and have at least one miracle to your name. I have many attributes, but I doubt saintliness

  • Valentine Billy

    Like many males, I am not romantic by nature, preferring not to wear my heart on my fur. I can appear indifferent at times, prone to rub up against anyone who'll feed me. We Brits may not always be very demonstrative, but even our famous stiff upper lips can quiver passionately as Valentine's Day

  • British Billy tosses pancakes - Shrove Tuesday, Feb. 12

    Pancake Day is approaching! Some know it as Mardi Gras, but to we Brits, it is known as Shrove Tuesday, or more colloquially, Pancake Day. This year, it is Feb. 12.The well-informed amongst you will know that Shrove Tuesday is the day before the beginning of the Christian season of Lent. As the date

  • British Billy celebrates Burns Night

    A little adventure is good for the soul, in my opinion. Live a little, push the boundaries, and move out of your comfort zone. Eat haggis. Haggis, probably the most traditional of Scottish dishes, can be eaten at any time, but is central to the Burns Night Supper. Burns Night is celebrated every

  • British Billy's Merry Christmas

    There is so much to chase around at this time of year - tinsel, tree decorations, pine cones and the odd vagrant mouse. I love Christmas. I can curl up by a log fire or in a box of wrapping paper and delight in rodent-filled dreams.As you prepare to spend your Christmas in the U.K., no doubt you

  • British Billy's Great Britons: Charles Dickens, 1812 - 1870

    It's turned a bit chilly, hasn't it? My family in Scotland is already experiencing their first snowfalls of the winter, and the sight of flurries of snowflakes never fails to stir the festive feline within me.Apparently this is largely due to Mr. Charles Dickens, the quintessential Victorian author

  • British Billy explains Bonfire Night, Nov. 5

    Although I am quite the party animal, I'm not a huge fan of fireworks. Those of us in the animal kingdom blessed with acute auditory gifts will not thank you if we have to endure startling explosions and high pitched squeals. As Bonfire Night approaches here in the U.K., I plan to spend the next few