Towel Warmers—who doesn’t love a nice warm towel when you step out of the shower or bath?! Towel Warmers are a great luxury to me, and I hang my bathrobe (dressing gown) on it as well as the towels! Especially in the chilly and damp months. What an awesome (brilliant) way to stay toasty! The towel warmer helps heat the bathroom too. But rest assured, the outlet for the towel warmer is never in the bathroom. It generally has a switch on the outside wall of the bathroom which can be toggled on/off.
Post Codes (Zip Codes)—the Brits use their post codes as GPS/SAT Nav points. Plug in the post code and your navigation system will bring you straight to the door of you destination in most instances, no need to plug in the entire street address and town!
Banking Security—when I first arrived I England I was a bit frustrated with my attempts to open a bank account here. The security and necessary documentation (proof of residency, mail delivered to my name at a UK address, a UK driving license, etc.) were a bit daunting, and I was just a bit frustrated at times (just ask my husband!), especially as I had just relocated. But now that I am a certified U.K. bank account holder, I appreciate how secure my account is! I have an app for my bank, and I can use Face ID on my iPhone, but when logging in manually, there are user ID’s, memorable answers, passwords, sort codes, PIN numbers, etc.….
Bank App—I have a bank app which is extremely user friendly! It allows me to use Face ID, look at my account, access transactional history, access documents/statements, but most impressive is that I can pay bills, (commercial and personal), via the app! No Venmo or PayPal needed! I simply plug in the sort code, account number and name of the person/company I wish to pay, (the app matches the name I enter with the bank info) enter the amount, and VOILA! In minutes the money has been moved from my account to theirs. The app stores these payees in my feed for easy access and I can use a search function to call up folks I have paid previously.
Sunday roasts—if you’ve read my previous post on this topic https://yankeebrit.blog/2023/01/22/sunday-roast/ you know! Sunday Roast lunches are everywhere! From family gatherings to restaurants with special Sunday Roast Lunch menus, the options are endless!
Check out some of these local restaurants with special Sunday Roast Menus:
https://www.thecliffcanfordcliffs.co.uk/sundaymenu#https://www.thecliffcanfordcliffs.co.uk/sundaymenu#
Pubs—England is a haven for PUBS!! They’re everywhere, every borough, every community, every High Street, almost every corner (kinda like McDonalds in the states but soooo much better, healthier). Pubs are generally walkable from wherever you may be, and the menus are varying to appeal to all taste buds and budgets! And of course, they serve the Brit pints (and wine, and gin, etc.…)!!
I live local to Poole Quay, Dorset. Check out some of the pubs (all in a row), down on the quay:
Sidewalks/pavement—the Brits do a great job with pavements (sidewalks), catering to pedestrians everywhere. The states do a good job with this in larger urban areas, like New York City (if you can find a sidewalk that isn’t covered by scaffolding for construction!), but we don’t do such a great job in our suburban areas and smaller communities in the states. There were times when my “husband-to-be” came to visit me in Central Massachusetts before we married, and I relocated. I was working from home at the time, so he decided to take a walk and get some fresh air and exercise. He wasn’t gone too long when he came back and said “There’s no pavements! I almost got taken out a few times by passing lorries and autos!” And he’s right! Another time he came for a visit and wanted to take a stroll. I drove him to a walking track at a local high school! He couldn’t believe the people walking around the track in circles just to be able to walk and get some exercise!!
Tea, Cream Tea—like the Sunday Roasts, if you’ve seen some of my previous posts, you know this one too!! https://yankeebrit.blog/2023/01/14/can-you-say-cream-tea/
Even if you don’t go for the full cream tea experience, just stopping for a cuppa is a lovely production! The Brits serve tea not just with a tea bag and a cup of hot water, they bring out all the stops. Teacup, saucer, teaspoon, carafe with steeping (brewing) tea (either bagged or loose leaf with a strainer), a small pitcher of milk and generally cubed sugar, all presented so lovely! And the tea—well let’s just say you only need one bag and within seconds you have a good strong brew. In the states I used the local brands and had to use 2 bags at a time and I never took the bags out of the cup just to get some flavor! Try the Yorkshire brand of tea. I have seen it and purchased it in the states (even at the local grocery store in Millbury MA, USA! https://www.gorettis.com )
Bike Lanes—these are located on the sides of the roads and are marked/painted to allow bicyclists their own lane and to encourage them to stay off the sidewalks (pavements). As England is much more congested in their population centers, vehicular traffic can be quite heavy. Providing bicyclists their own pathways is a way to alleviate the congestion as well as provide cleaner energy alternatives. All sorts of folks use bicycles as work and school transportation, as well as using them for everyday outings and for pleasure!
Plugs/Outlets—As I’ve mentioned in another post, the voltage and outlets in England are different than in the U.S. The Brits use a flat 3 pronged electrical plug/outlet, which are more secure and have a tighter fit than the ones used in the U.S. The Brit wall outlets also have an on/off switch on the outlet itself in the wall. This makes it easy to turn off power at the source, removing the need to turn off /unplug appliances, etc. Especially the way energy costs are right now around the globe, these on/off switches make it easy to shut off the power to the outlets that you may not use on a daily basis!!
National Trust—just as the U.S. has national parks, England has land and historical properties set aside in the National Trust. I will do a more in-depth look at particular local areas that are worthy of a visit, but for this post, wanted to note that there is a LOT of public land in England. Walking paths, foot paths that lead to the beaches, hiking trails, open areas/parks, museums, and places of historical interest are plentiful, and all made available to the public!
I hope you are enjoying my posts, thoughts and sharings! Please subscribe to follow my insights by clicking on the link below and by entering your email address at the bottom of the link. You’ll receive emails from me when I post! Or sign up for a WordPress account and follow me there! Once you subscribe via email or create a WordPress account and follow me at the link below, you can select “Reader” and see all my posts!!
You can also see my posts on Facebook as Travel to England!
Any way you choose to connect, thank you for reading and allowing me to share!
Leave a Reply