In Britain the history of culture – and popular culture especially – is often written within a national paradigm. Books about British pop music, British cinema, British music hall, British musical and so on abound. If other parts of the world are included at all, then mostly with an eye to the United States, or regions belonging to the (former) British Empire or the Commonwealth. Contacts, connections and transfers between Britain and continental Europe are often ignored. Together with Felix Fuhg I have edited the theme issue of Contemporary British History “Writing Europe into British Cultural History” that wants to highlight these omissions and to try out ways to bring them into focus. Our programmatic introduction is followed by five case studies looking at specific examples from film, fashion, food, travel and music from the 1960s to the 1970s:

“International Sexpionage! European Popular Film on Sixties British Cinema Screens” by Adrian Smith

“Did Britain rule the world again? The international fashion market and the continental look in 1960s London” by Felix Fuhg

“Enthusing about green peppers: the Europeanisation of British food culture in post-war Britain, 1960-1975” by Joanne Hollows

“Flight to the Sun: Package tours and the Europeanisation of British holiday culture in the 1970s and 1980s” by Sina Fabian

“NEU! Europe: Krautrock and British representations of West German countercultures during the 1970s” by Patrick Glen