Welcome to the very first issue of Albion Magazine, which now, after a substantial delay, a computer crash and several minor headaches, makes its appearance on the web.
Albion was conceived of as an anti-heritage magazine heritage magazine: that is, a magazine that aims to give all English people, and not just the white, middle to upper-middle class, provincial Church of England section of English society, something worthwhile and nourishing. Since the devolution of Scotland and Wales it has become increasingly apparent that a new interest in English identity and culture has been on the rise, an interest which we hope to cater to in a meaningful and helpful way. We are witnessing an exciting new chapter in our country’s history, and we have a population that is more diverse than ever before. Both of these factors promise to make the next few decades very interesting and exciting for the English nation, and Albion has been created with a view to plotting the trends and challenges of the future as well as examining the effects of the past. In doing so, Albion does not shut out anyone with an interest in Englishness and English culture, and recognises the many different cultural strands that have contributed to their formation and continuing evolution. As far as we know, no other heritage magazine has a similar ethos, so eclectic a scope, or recognises the cultural heritage of the working-classes in the way that Albion does.
In this first issue, we have a meditation on the rural myth, so central to most discussions of Englishness, a review of a sixties working-class film comedy, book and CD reviews, some good English food, and an interview with an icon of English folk. Special thanks go to James Turner, who conducted the interview, for his continuing support throughout the planning stages of the magazine, and to all those who contributed their comments and encouragement.
Thank you very much, and happy reading. We hope that Albion will prosper and grow throughout the next few years and come to be a source of interesting reading material for many English people.--The Editor
