impressions of the uk when we visit?

impressions of the uk when we visit?

Author
Discussion

cabbron

Original Poster:

416 posts

224 months

Sunday 24th October 2010
quotequote all
just back from a week back "there",my observations are as follows in no particular order

3.5c on the morning i left!!

i was an ethnic minority.

i got 20 things a day done easy peasey,service was great/helpful and all bits/products were in stock

coffee was ste

traffic was double ste(2 hrs gridlock m25 and m60)

bargains galore

crisis or no crisis more wonga was flying about

driving standard gave me a safe feeling

prob missed loads,what do you notice most?




Kneetrembler

2,069 posts

209 months

Monday 25th October 2010
quotequote all
I have lived & worked here in various parts of Spain for the last 20odd years, my wife misses
W H Smith
Boots the chemist.
Waterstones in Picadilly.
Smoked Haddock as opposed to the frozen variety that we get here.

I miss
Faggots from a real butchers.
Really good English Fish & Chip shops.
Car clubs & meetings as they are everywhere in the U.K.
Good standards of driving.
Quality building and construction practises.
Having access to and being able to just walk into shops and workshops to buy any items for your car.



cabbron

Original Poster:

416 posts

224 months

Monday 25th October 2010
quotequote all
10 years here for me and you echo a few of my thoughts in your list,and ones i missed too!

mickrick

3,705 posts

180 months

Monday 25th October 2010
quotequote all
Food & clothes, cheap as chips!

People let you out of sideroads.

They don't take it personal if you overtake them, so don't sit on your rear quarter thereafter, and "take you" at the next roundabout.

People understand the correct use of the lanes of a roundabout. (Don't stay in the ouside lane to go left, or right as it would be in U.K.)

Polite service, as opposed to the attitude you are being done a favor.

Houses with a roof which keeps rain out.

Damp courses.

Double glazing thet has more than a nanno meter of air space between the glass.

Roads you don't need a 4 x 4 to go to the shops.

Drains that drain water.

Manhole covers in the road that don't get pushed up by rainwater/sewage.

Top gear on a Sunday night. (I don't have freeview, I'm waiting to move into my renovated/dry/nonleakyroofed/properly doupleglazed/drainsthatdrain/warmdruaghtfree house.)

You can build your own car and get it registered.

We pay far too high a price for a bit of sun, eh? smile

I'm popping over on 14 Nov for 10 days or so. Off to Brummie land to get some propper bespoke engineering done for my car. cloud9

ETA looking forward to some real beer too. drink

Edited by mickrick on Monday 25th October 17:07

cabbron

Original Poster:

416 posts

224 months

Monday 25th October 2010
quotequote all
haha,absolutely spot on!!

Kneetrembler

2,069 posts

209 months

Monday 25th October 2010
quotequote all
Another one or 2

Car Insurance in Spain is a rip off.
Household Insurance is a rip off and even worse if you make a claim will probably end up getting nothing.
Medical facilities are always up to date.
Proper Fire Services if you need them.
Mobiles that work everywhere.
Good Internet connection speed.
Electricity that tends to work all the year round.
Water companies that don't tend to cut you off without notice.

cabbron

Original Poster:

416 posts

224 months

Monday 25th October 2010
quotequote all
a few more on reflection.....................

no fear of being stopped by the police and being fined a ridiculous amount of money for a ridiculous or non existent offence

banking system that works instantly and effciently with sufficient and attentive staff and a fraction of the charges if any.

customer service even in a humble supermarket was superb-checkout opened just for me,bags packed,sorry for yor 30 second wait sir- wtf i nearly fainted.

no-one shouts in normal conversation

one phonecall one job sorted.