England

[Prawn_86]

England is a country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population, whilst its mainland territory occupies most of the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain. England shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west and elsewhere is bordered by the North Sea, Irish Sea, Celtic Sea, Bristol Channel and English Channel. The capital is London, the largest urban area in Great Britain, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most, but not all, measures.

[tester23]

im thinkin of a trip to london. does anyones have any experience there?

[kennas]

im thinkin of a trip to london. does anyones have any experience there?Been a couple of times.

Hope you have a friend to stay with. Or, be prepared to pay $60 for a bed in a dorm....

I reckon London is an awesome city, but do try to get to places like Bath and York.

[tester23]

Been a couple of times.

Hope you have a friend to stay with. Or, be prepared to pay $60 for a bed in a dorm....

I reckon London is an awesome city, but do try to get to places like Bath and York.

thanks kennas. are you talkin 60 pounds or 60 aussie dollars?

and whats so good about the places out of London? i mean i do want to go, but what is the good bits?

[kennas]

thanks kennas. are you talkin 60 pounds or 60 aussie dollars?

and whats so good about the places out of London? i mean i do want to go, but what is the good bits?60 dollars. Will be more or less now according to the exchange rate.

You should get yourself a Lonely Planet or equivalent guide book to get some ideas on what's to see. Or just Google England and you'll get some ideas on where to go. There's much more than London.

And if you've got the time visiting Scotland and Ireland would be nice too.

I specifically mentioned Bath and York because they were 2 of the nicest places I visited. I suggest you Google them to see what they're about.

In fact, I've just Googled them myself.

Try these links:

http://www.cityofbath.co.uk/

http://www.visityork.org/

[BradK]

I've lived in England twice. Both times in the north of London - Barnet and *gulp* Luton.

Barnet is a great place to live and near the tube on the northern line.

You'd be surprised about how cheap you can get beds between about now and March. University dorms for about 40AUD, and backpackers (although there is not a great supply of backpacks in London).

I LOVE England... and I have done a fair bit of Europe also.

[wayneL]

Yo Shaggers!

Looks like most of you guys here so far are from ASF.

As yo know I'm living in Cheltenham in the Cotwolds. Still having an good time.

Today, Mrs and I went to the Birmingham German-Christmas markets, the bggest outseide of Germany itself... about an hour's drive from home. http://www.christmasmarkets.com/UK/birmingham-frankfurt-christmas-market.html

We briefly paid homage to the fine crafts and trinkets... and then headed staraight for the booze and tucker sector. I'm totally bloated. :) They had Deutchesbrot, bratwurst, German choccies... and most importantly weissbier... in Garden Steins (1000cc glass).

The decision to head back ASAP was unanimous.

Asan aside, we also have a bit of a Christmas market going in Cheltenham which has been great... about a mile's walk to The Promanade and about a mile and a half home. (extra distance from staggering).

Great idea for a forum boys. Good to.... errrr see you all. :D

[Prawn_86]

Welcome (back) Wayne :D,

Good to see you are still living and enjoying the hedonistic lifestyle. Keep the news and info coming so all the members know what to do etc when they are in your neck of the world next :)

[wayneL]

Welcome (back) Wayne :D,

Good to see you are still living and enjoying the hedonistic lifestyle. Keep the news and info coming so all the members know what to do etc when they are in your neck of the world next :)

Well, the problem is that I'm getting fat. :eek:

Things are actually very bloody grim economically. I'm sooooo glad not to have to rely on the mainstream economy for money. We went down to Montlellier Road in Chelt for a meal after getting home from Birmingham. (It's the sort of posh bar and restaurant area of this town) It's normally busy even on a Sunday night..... dead as a Dodo and my favourite restaurant was closed. :eek: But if you've got a couple of pennies to rub together, you can still have a great time here.

But, yeah happy to give out any info on this part of the country. It's got some top spots... Bath for eg as Kennas mentioned. A seriously nice town... and another one with a Christmas market.

For such a small country, this is a very big country, so much to do and see.

[kennas]

Well, the problem is that I'm getting fat. :eek:
I'm finding that I have to undo the top button of my jeans recently.... :(

Alcohol induced.....

[wayneL]

I'm finding that I have to undo the top button of my jeans recently.... :(

Alcohol induced.....

The worrying thing for me S, is that the silly season has only just started. I usually stack it on from about here on in to xmas. :eek:

Anyway, one of my favourite spots in London is Wimbledon Village. It is totally cool and villagey, sits right on the edge of Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park (in all about 8000 acres) and is only 7 miles from Big Ben.

Amazingly, there is a horse riding stable right in the High street, behind the Fox & Hound pub (not a bad pub either :D). The riders go right up the High Street along with the car traffic to get to the common.

So you have a pretty high falutin classy village, with the whole bare/cafe/resaurant scene, expensive fashion shops, where Aston Martins and suchlike cars are common, and horsesh!t in the middle of the road. LOL

...and yep, the tennis is there too.

Very cool spot.

[chrissylewis03]

i know this is a dificult question because london's so big but i'll ask anyway... i'm going to be staying in london for 3 days... what do u think are just a few 'must sees' from a locals prospective? i don't want to go there and follow the tourist trail and find out later that i should of done other things... i dont go there every day!

Cheers,

Chrissy

[wayneL]

i know this is a dificult question because london's so big but i'll ask anyway... i'm going to be staying in london for 3 days... what do u think are just a few 'must sees' from a locals prospective? i don't want to go there and follow the tourist trail and find out later that i should of done other things... i dont go there every day!

Cheers,

Chrissy

Depends what you like Chrissy. If you like street markets/counter culture, the East End Market district based around Brick Lane is fascinating.

[Prawn_86]

CUT-PRICE booze deals in supermarkets, shops, pubs and clubs must be BANNED, MPs will demand today.

In a damning report, they say cheap drink is fuelling a tidal wave of violent attacks, disorder and under-age boozing that costs Britain £7.3billion a year.


http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1911887.ece#OTC-RSS&ATTR=News

Lucky you only drink the expensive stuff hey Wayne? ;) What about all the poor tourists out there backpacking their way around the country?

I often hear a lot about the UK's drinking problem. Is it really that bad in members experiences?

[Solsearch]

I often hear a lot about the UK's drinking problem. Is it really that bad in members experiences?

There's no drinking problem in England. You just go to a pub and buy a drink. No problem at all!

[Prawn_86]

A LONDON restaurant is asking customers to pay only what they want for meals in a bid to beat the credit crunch.
The Little Bay restaurant (http://www.littlebay.co.uk/london.html)in central London will present diners with absolutely nothing when they ask for the cheque during February, leaving it up to them to decide what the meal was worth.


http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,28318,25006941-5014090,00.html

[Prawn_86]

How are our ex-pats doing over there in amongst all the snow?

Any photos for us? :)

[Prawn_86]

AUSTRALIAN airports have been praised and London's Heathrow Airport has been voted the worst international airport in an online survey.

http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,28318,25066171-5014090,00.html

[Prawn_86]

Just wondering if any of you members would be able to give us a bit of info on the cost of living in London? And the average wage etc

If a couple were earning 40k pounds between them would that be sufficient to live comfortably?

[wayneL]

I have found the coolest place in London - Camden.

One of the biggest street markets in London

Centre for long haired freaky people

People openly smoking joints... at least half the people there at any one time are off their face. Scoring there is as easy as falling off a log.

Colourful, eccentric, cheap, arts and crafts.

Food stalls are fantastic... exotic stuff from all over the world.

Loved it.

http://www.camdenmarkets.org/index.html

[buddinghealth]

Don't know if you've heard but its beautiful and hot in the UK right now - 30+ and has been all week. Wimbledon's on - chilling out for the summer (oh and working...sometimes!)

[travelheart.eu]

Don't know if you've heard but its beautiful and hot in the UK right now - 30+ and has been all week.
It is exceptional indeed, I'm enjoing it too, I've been waiting four years for a normal summer here! :D

[INDOVAGANZA]

I am planning to go to England next holiday..
Any suggestion of interesting places to visit there?
Thank you

[traveler]

Windsor Castle, in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, is the largest inhabited castle in the world and, dating back to the time of William the Conqueror, is the oldest in continuous occupation. Together with Buckingham Palace in London and Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, it is one of the principal official residences of the British monarch. Queen Elizabeth II spends many weekends of the year at the castle, using it for both state and private entertaining. Her other two residences, Sandringham House and Balmoral Castle, are the Royal Family's private homes.
Most of the Kings and Queens of England, later Kings and Queens of Great Britain, and later still kings and queens of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, have had a direct influence on the construction and evolution of the castle, which has been their garrison fortress, home, official palace, and sometimes their prison. Chronologically the history of the castle can be traced through the reigns of the monarchs who have occupied it. When the country has been at peace, the castle has been expanded by the additions of large and grand apartments; when the country has been at war, the castle has been more heavily fortified. This pattern has continued to the present day.
Source: Wikipedia

[inenigma]

I am planning to go to England next holiday..
Any suggestion of interesting places to visit there?
Thank you

Hire a car. Buy a travel book of the UK (preferably listing where various castles are) and drive around. Lots of quaint villages, pubs, breweries and castles. Lovely country side.

[inenigma]

Don't know if you've heard but its beautiful and hot in the UK right now - 30+ and has been all week. Wimbledon's on - chilling out for the summer (oh and working...sometimes!)

A bit of snow at the moment though !!!!!

[noirua]

Hire a car. Buy a travel book of the UK (preferably listing where various castles are) and drive around. Lots of quaint villages, pubs, breweries and castles. Lovely country side.

Make sure you have a good satnav and never setoff in the general direction of the place you are going to. Always plan properly beforehand, otherwise you may spend four hours going round in circles in London or lost down country lanes that go to places not shown on the maps, I know, I've done it.

If you go down a country lane by accident, check before you turn the car round. Twice I put one wheel in a ditch and once walked for kilometres (well miles) and forgot where the car was, found it two days later after hiring a car to do so. Three times I ran out of petrol (it's £1.10 a litre, or $2 a litre), answer, carry spare fuel in the back; should have learn't that the first time.

Look out for Travel centres, often contained within the major town libraries, but not always. You can get loads of leaflets and details of so many places in magazine form, and mostly free. Usually you can book accomodation as well.

If you're completely lost and out of cash, then call into a Police Station, usually they're very helpful. No point walking for hours and freezing to death. Once I was given a lift all the way home, though locals say I was lucky.

[noirua]

Just wondering if any of you members would be able to give us a bit of info on the cost of living in London? And the average wage etc

If a couple were earning 40k pounds between them would that be sufficient to live comfortably?

Answer in a word, NO! Most companies and Authorities pay what is called a London weighting, which allows for the cost of renting in London.
If you're a person who is willing to shop at local outdoor markets, seeks out cheapest supermarkets, ASDA etc, and looks around between 6pm and 7pm to pick up reduced priced items, (bread 10p a loaf etc) then you live cheaply.
Central London is good for charity shops which is a big advantage.

As you say live comfortably, I think you expect a good apartment, costing about £400 ( $730) a week or indeed a lot more. Eating out would probably be on the agenda, twice a week for two would cost about £160 ($290) a week.
If you earn't £40,000 a year and elected to be taxed in the U.K., (not a good idea, get a good accountant) then you would be left with about £600 a week; whoops, you could be living on fresh air and travelling by shanks' pony.

If you live in London and want a good lifestyle then you need to earn at least £40,000 a year, each.

[Prawn_86]

Thanks Noirua,

Some very helpful info here.

PS - Welcome to ATF :)

[DavidF]

Get out into the country if you can - from the best village in England - try Bibbery in the Cotswolds - like something from 400 years ago!

[buddinghealth]

I agree get in to the country and off the beaten track, I love the lake district but the Cotswolds are also really beautiful. Devon and Cornwall have some rugged, windswept beaches and sometimes great surf!

[RickshawTraveller]

I love the South West- so Cornwall, Newquay Dartmoore national park is a beautiful area. Saying that I feel as the cotsworlds are great for romantic breaks, great for walking and if you want to see traditonal country life. The south west has a bit more of a party feel- Newquay has a great beach for surfing and a even better night life but still has the prettyness as some of the other rural areas in England.

I know the south east of england really well-not much happening there apart from lots of castles and sea side resorts! I wouldn't recomend Bognor Regis (seaside resort) unless you love cheesy holidays full of holiday camps, miniture golf & arcade games!

[francisscriven]

Yes I live near the cotswolds. Stay away from London and visit here. See a play in Shakespeare's Stratford Upon Avon too!! Its not too expensive and worth it! These guys literally are the best in the world at what they do. Much better than some Andrew Loyd Webber tosh!! :)

[buddinghealth]

Slightly off topic but I've just made a firm decision to go back to the UK to catch up with friends and family for a month in March - really excited as haven't been back in a while.

I really miss the British pubs and the countryside (but not the miserable grey days!)

[lee20]

I have been to London once and it's a great place.
There are many beautiful places there where you will going to enjoy.

[bodazoka]

Planning to spend some time there myself, im currently looking to see if there is any work in my discipline that I can pick up there so I can spend at least 6 months there.

Currently living in Kalgoorlie and we never get any rain, we barely drop below 20 degrees! it would be quite exciting for me to see non stop rain for days!

[AngieHeart]

I have been to London once and it's a great place.
There are many beautiful places there where you will going to enjoy.

I am planning a trip to London this summer, and can't wait to go. What would be a nice but econmical place to stay within London? Thanks!

[sightseeus]

Manchester is the most up-and-cmong city in Great Britain, really transformed since the IRA bombing of 1996.
London may have the legislators, but ot the innovators, all cool thins come out of Manchester...like me!