What makes the British so British and the French so French?

From history and geography to arts, politics, perception and attitudes, Garlic & Pearls offers a tour of French and British culture in 1,000 things, ideas and scents

Latest Episodes

Garlic & PearlsFebruary 06, 2026x
86
58:3280.38 MB

The Guinness Book of Records: Superlative feats! Nature's wonders! Fun for dictators!

Suzanne tells Muriel a very British story of surprise global success, which began at a shooting party in 1951 with a dispute over the speed of a golden plover. A dramatic cast of fact finders and record breakers includes Guinness Brewery managing director Sir Hugh Beaver, identical twins of exceptional retentive memory Norris and Ross McWhirter, and Presidents of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and his son She...

Garlic & PearlsJanuary 30, 2026x
85
53:0072.79 MB

The French Wild West: Brittany! Celtic identity, pancakes, memories of Dukes and power!

Why does 'Brittany' (in local dialects Breizh and Bertègn) sound so much like 'Britain'? Because this Western region of France, once known as Armorique, was profoundly shaped by an influx of 5th-century Celt migration from the British Isles. One of the six Celtic nations, it represents an enmeshing of our two cultures and isn't quite part of mainstream France. Muriel narrates the region's turbulent history of annexat...

Garlic & PearlsJanuary 23, 2026x
84
51:3370.79 MB

Back of the Net! It's leather, it's round, it's Britain's gift to the world!

Suzanne moves the goalposts and gives football the Garlic & Pearls treatment: it's a story where passions run high, from obsessive devotion to dogged attempts to ban the sport, whether because of its riotous violence of because it's deemed unsuitable for ladies. A cast of colourful characters keep the ball moving: Henry VIII, Mary Queen of Scots, the five-foot-tall Lady Florence Dixie and her husband Lord ABCD, N...

Garlic & PearlsJanuary 16, 2026x
83
1:04:5189.06 MB

French Brothels of the Golden Age: Sex, theatricality, escapism!

Oh là là! From the Belle Epoque to the Jazz Age rose famous French brothels such as Le Chabanais, the One Two Two or the Sphynx. This vanished world, its outlandish themed rooms and enigmatic army of female denizens, live on in the iconography that they inspired and that remains forever wedded to French identity. The future Edward VII guest stars as a designer of unusual furniture.  Hosted on Acast. See acas...

Garlic & PearlsJanuary 09, 2026x
82
46:5764.48 MB

A Study in Silver: The cryptic British world of precious metals, their hallmarks, assays, and guilds

Suzanne illuminates the origins and meaning of hallmarking, which began in the 13th century under Edward I – aka Edward Longshanks – as part of his wider effort to stabilise the kingdom by means of statutes. Though the French king Louis IX appears as a guest star, this is a case of Britain being far more systematic and precise than France while, in typical British fashion, devising a resilient system capable...

Garlic & PearlsJanuary 02, 2026x
81
56:3377.67 MB

La dictée: How did a school spelling test become a French obsession and symbol of Frenchness?

Muriel goes back to school to explore how in France the spelling test called  la dictée  became the backbone of French education. Who introduced it and why? Is it fascistic or democratic? And how did a school exercise become a beloved popular cultural event shared by the nation? It's a very Gallic tale of Republican alphabetisation, unification and nation-building, and Muriel joins in by pi...

About Garlic & Pearls

Have you ever wondered about the many cultural differences between the British and the French? This podcast is for you.

What makes the French so French and the British so British? Which of the two nations is the weirder? Garlic & Pearls bring you the answers by way of bluebells, steam trains and panto, Harris tweed and bungalows, absinthe and Marseilles soap, French school canteens, concierges and the 4-colour BiC pen, and much, much more.

French cultural journalist Muriel Zagha and British geopolitics expert Suzanne Raine are long-time friends, and in each episode of Garlic & Pearls they take it in turns to astonish and entertain each other and the listeners with insights into their respective cultures.

Garlic & Pearls is wide-ranging and eclectic: Muriel and Suzanne examine everyday objects, foods, scents, iconic designs, films, landscapes, games, folklore, poetry, transport – taking in many eccentric personalities and quirky anecdotes along the way. Join them in their quest to define the essence of Britishness and Frenchness!

To contact Garlic & Pearls email garlicandpearls@gmail.com

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