Tell me about Great Britain.

[chris 964]

As a Brit and having spent a lot of time in the US here's where I see the up and down side of that sceptred but small isle....

1. Guns - there are none even the Police don't carry
2. What are called 'B' roads in rural counties, Lake District, Wales, Suffolk/Norfolk and of course all of Scotland are stunning to drive
3. The English DO like Americans and if your in a rural place you'll be treated like royalty.
4. History - lots and it goes back 6000 years
5. Spring and Summer are the best time to visit May through to Sept, its very 'lush, green and pretty'
6. Comedy, there are more stand up venues in the UK than any other country


Bad things

1. everything is small
2. everything is expensive
3. Its overcrowded
4. it rains.. a lot, then cloud, then sun then rain all in 10 mins

[Willem Fick]

Originally Posted by chris 964

'B' roads

...needed a second mention!

[Shaun @ Tru6]

I could see living in England someday.

[Joeaksa]

Lived there for a while and have visited it for the last 40 years on and off.

Yes it does rain a lot. Get a beer, stay inside the pub and enjoy! I fail to see the problem.

The scenery up North (aka Scotland, NOT part of England these days) is simply beautiful.

If you want to see green, go to Ireland where it rains even more but is beautiful. The "Devils causeway" on the NW part of the country is wonderful and do not forget to explore the South.

Rent a car there and you will be used to their wacky driving in half a day. Try the lemon curd and Twiglets.

Joe A

[Shaun @ Tru6]

I was part of the team that managed Gillette's acquisition of Parker Pen back in the early 90s. What a clusterf ck that was.

anyway, we stayed out in the country in a small estate-turned-conference center and it was one of the best weeks of my life. Food sucked at the estate (good lord it was bad...the slimy smoked trout was...) but we started to go past the genteel environs to what I can only describe as people's homes turned into small restaurants. The homemade beer was, to this day. the best I have ever had.

Would love to come back when I have more time to site see and enjoy the country. Seems like I would fit in there.

[masraum]

I spent a week in Aberdeen Scotland once. I loved it, it was beautiful and fascinating. The funny thing is that all of the natives thought that it was crap and told me I needed to get to Edinburg. I can't even imagine. I'd love to spend a couple of years touring, England, Scotland, wales and Ireland sometime. Maybe when I become independently wealthy. But until then, I may have to settle for the occasional short visit.

[ERH]

For car enthusiasts I would send you a bit north to Scotland.

I did a hire car from Andrew last summer and it was a great week. Caterham Sports Car Hire. Caterham 7 Driving Experience. Open Road Hire, Scotland.

We had just enough rain to make us aware of how lucky we were with the good weather and something I never thought I would say, the food was actually pretty good. ....perhaps a result of the excellent beer.

[JeremyD]

Wonderful beer, Great chocolate.

Their grass is like carpet. They value their "public places" much more than the US. Pubs/Parks/gardens - People go to these places to be together (Socalifornian's just get on the highway)

In the US we think of things as old when they are 100 years old - they think something is old when it's a 1000 years old. Different perspective.

England - Ireland - Scotland - Wales. All have their own personality.

[Paul_Heery]

I've spent a lot of time in the UK. Mostly in England, Scotland and Wales. My mother was originally from London and my Dad was from Liverpool. I always look forward to going back.

Last year, we went over in March. The purpose of the trip was to scatter my parent's ashes. We spent a lot of time visiting with relatives and friends so we stayed away from the tourist areas. My wife had never done this with me. She had seen the sights in London before and she said that she enjoyed this trip much more. We stayed at inns, ate at pubs, and spent time with the locals. Good fun.

A couple of pics from that trip. First, the grounds keeper at Anfield scattering my dad's ashes.



Next, we scattered my mom's ashes on the Thames right by the Peace Pagoda.



I have a lot more pics. But, they are mostly taken inside pubs.

[chris 964]

Paul, that's a really touching story and the pagoda is the real deal shipped from Japan. In English English your half scouse half smoke

[72doug2,2S]

I like that you can buy real ale there and I'm serious thinking of buying the entire Forest of Dean and renaming it The New Forest of Doug. No worries though, it will all be public access and open for hunting.

An old girl friend of mine was the great grand daughter of a prime minister, but I've heard he really wasn't all that popular.

Whatever you do, do not accept marmite on toast for breakfast, no matter how nice the girl is.

[Evans, Marv]

Haven't been for a long time, but I remember my first drink of warm ale in a pub there. I didn't like the thought of it, but after one taste I was all for more. One thing I realized once in a restaurant in London was about how things you never think about here and take for granted aren't necessarily the same every place else. My former wife & I were eating lunch in a restaurant in London and I was still hungry when I finished what I had ordered. So I looked at what my wife had ordered and thought that would be sufficient to fill me up - so I called the waiter & told him I would like what my wife had. When he brought it, it was less than half of my wife's order. It was then I realized they don't have "controlled portions" everyplace in the world.

[nzporsche944s2]

Originally Posted by 72doug2,2S

I like that you can buy real ale there and I'm serious thinking of buying the entire Forest of Dean and renaming it The New Forest of Doug. No worries though, it will all be public access and open for hunting.

An old girl friend of mine was the great grand daughter of a prime minister, but I've heard he really wasn't all that popular.

Whatever you do, do not accept marmite on toast for breakfast, no matter how nice the girl is.

mmmmmm....marmite. Love that down here at the other end of the planet.....

I think it's a taste you have to be raised on to enjoy. I'm not sure you could acquire a liking for it later in life...

[Stephen 325TDS]

Originally Posted by Joeaksa

If you want to see green, go to Ireland where it rains even more but is beautiful. The "Devils causeway" on the NW part of the country is wonderful and do not forget to explore the South.

Giant's?

[Joeaksa]

Originally Posted by Stephen 325TDS

Giant's?

Oops, you are right Sir! Its only been 40 years since I was there so the memory slipped a bit!

[Tanick]

Originally Posted by 72doug2,2S

I like that you can buy real ale there and I'm serious thinking of buying the entire Forest of Dean and renaming it The New Forest of Doug. No worries though, it will all be public access and open for hunting.

If you do that feel free to come over and borrow my one of my rifles, more and more wild boar are turning up there and the deer aren't bad either.

That is if I can find them, apparently we don't have any guns here

Over here public access means no hunting. The only public access land you can shoot over is ducks and geese on foreshore owned by The Queen.

[72doug2,2S]

Originally Posted by Tanick

If you do that feel free to come over and borrow my one of my rifles, more and more wild boar are turning up there and the deer aren't bad either.

That is if I can find them, apparently we don't have any guns here

Over here public access means no hunting. The only public access land you can shoot over is ducks and geese on foreshore owned by The Queen.

Thank you! That does sound like a mighty good time.

We can make the New Forest of Doug Public Access in the hunting off-season.

You know turning over the public land to private ownership, or charity could expand country sports in the UK for many more.

Even though I don't count, I would support for the transfer of public forest to local private ownership as long as public benefits were protected. Who is better to sustainably manage those resources than local community groups anyway?

[Tanick]

Off season? We have 6 species of deer here, 2 native (Red & Roe), one the Normans brought with them a thousand years ago (Fallow) and three asian species escaped from deer parks (Sika, Chinese Water Deer and muntjac. Boar were extinct but more escapees have colonised the Forest of Doug and many other places. Most people never see them so don't know they're here. At least one sex of deer is in season at any one time and at the moment almost all are. Muntjac don't even have a closed season as they breed all year round. They are talking about selling off Forestry Commission (government owned forestry) land but I can't imagine stalkers getting much - it doesn't generate enough money compared to other uses. I'll keep dreaming though. Sorry for the hijack.

[72doug2,2S]

Originally Posted by Tanick

Off season? We have 6 species of deer here, 2 native (Red & Roe), one the Normans brought with them a thousand years ago (Fallow) and three asian species escaped from deer parks (Sika, Chinese Water Deer and muntjac. Boar were extinct but more escapees have colonised the Forest of Doug and many other places. Most people never see them so don't know they're here. At least one sex of deer is in season at any one time and at the moment almost all are. Muntjac don't even have a closed season as they breed all year round. They are talking about selling off Forestry Commission (government owned forestry) land but I can't imagine stalkers getting much - it doesn't generate enough money compared to other uses. I'll keep dreaming though. Sorry for the hijack.

Good info. Nick, if you find yourself in the States you're more than welcome to borrow a gun or pistol of mine. I'll even put you up while you here, but you'll have to endure loads of questions from my three kids.

[svandamme]

well, for you Amerikhuns that worry about not having any guns..
keep in mind, Belgium is right next to the UK, and we gotz FN Herstal just down the road
It's actually not much of a detour if you drive from the UK to "the Ring".