# The U.K.!  your opinion



## Bellbird (Jun 18, 2022)

I have been toying with the idea of visiting the UK, I don't need a Visa, and now that I am on my own, I have a yearning to walk the paths of my ancestors. I read where the cost of living is very high in the UK  and very crowded, to be expected I guess. 
I would love to know the pros and cons of doing so.


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## hollydolly (Jun 18, 2022)

errrrm.... well first of all with regard to cost and crowds, it would all depends on where you plan to go in the UK...


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## horseless carriage (Jun 18, 2022)

Tracy Collins has written an excellent guide to London for the first time visitor. She has also written,  UK Planning Trips. Have a look at her advice, then if you have any significant questions, for example, you might want to know what budget hotels are good value, just come back and ask.


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## hollydolly (Jun 18, 2022)

horseless carriage said:


> Tracy Collins has written an excellent guide to London for the first time visitor. She has also written,  UK Planning Trips. Have a look at her advice, then if you have any significant questions, for example, you might want to know what budget hotels are good value, just come back and ask.


well there's definitely more to the Uk than London.. and more to the Uk than England...


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## Blessed (Jun 18, 2022)

I want to go but not for London.  I want to see the country side, small villages, farms. Go to the small seaside towns. Visit gardens and churchs. Stay in a little cottage.


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## Packerjohn (Jun 18, 2022)

Interesting topic here.  About a year or 2 before my wife died we flew to London and immediately took the train to Penzance which we both loved dearly.  This was in 2018 and this is what we did.  We rented a car in four places:  Cornwall, Wales, Scotland & Dublin for Ireland.  In Cornwall, we spent time in Penzance.  In Wales we toured the north and the south.  In Scotland we took the ferry to the Orkney Islands.  We enjoyed the highlands and Edinburgh is nice but we figured there are too many tourists.  Edinburgh Castle was a hoard of creeping tourists.  We found the Irish to be very friendly.  We used Air B&B most of the time.  In Scotland, we found that they left the key in the door but really did not want to see you.  Sorry you Scottish!  In Ireland, we were always greeted by the host.  Are the Irish more open and more friendly than the Scottish?  Yes, we found out.

We traveled in the spring before the hoard of tourists everywhere.  However, in West Ireland at the "Cliffs of Mohr" I counted 44 big tour buses.  It is a tourist jungle.  You can see the same kind of cliffs up north with almost no tourists but advertising is advertising and you gotta see the Cliffs of Mohr.

I have been to London 8 times in my life and have no desire to see it again.  Give me "good ole' Cornwall" anytime for decent real people.  Apparently, London is often the only part of the Uk that most Americans ever see.  My wife and I had this joke about Lonon:  "Where are the British."  This is politically incorrect statement so I shall end here.  Just want to say, if you want to go to the UK, GO.  They speak our language, more or less but take a lot of cash as some things are not cheap.  I just love those old British pubs.


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## Alligatorob (Jun 18, 2022)

Bellbird said:


> I would love to know the pros and cons of doing so.


I have been half a dozen times or so, always business trips but I did take some time off to see things a couple of times.  I really liked it, interesting places, friendly people, and beautiful scenery.  The only con I can think of is cost, it is more expensive than the US, but costs can be controlled.

If you can afford it, I would say go for it!


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## horseless carriage (Jun 18, 2022)

There is one thing to remember about a UK visit. Right now we are experiencing the highest eye watering prices at the pump for fossil fuel. For example, diesel is hovering around the two pound per litre mark. A sixty-five litre tank of fuel would set you back: £130:00. or, almost 242NZD.

£2:00 per litre translates into £9:00 per gallon, for those of us with long memories. Fuel is going up daily and it's causing inflation to rise which in turn is increasing costs because our economy relies heavily on fossil fuel.

My apologies if that puts you off travelling, but it is what it is.


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## hollydolly (Jun 19, 2022)

Blessed said:


> I want to go but not for London.  I want to see the country side, small villages, farms. Go to the small seaside towns. Visit gardens and churchs. Stay in a little cottage.


IMO, that's what all tourists should do....


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## hollydolly (Jun 19, 2022)

Packerjohn said:


> Interesting topic here.  About a year or 2 before my wife died we flew to London and immediately took the train to Penzance which we both loved dearly.  This was in 2018 and this is what we did.  We rented a car in four places:  Cornwall, Wales, Scotland & Dublin for Ireland.  In Cornwall, we spent time in Penzance.  In Wales we toured the north and the south.  In Scotland we took the ferry to the Orkney Islands.  We enjoyed the highlands and Edinburgh is nice but we figured there are too many tourists.  Edinburgh Castle was a hoard of creeping tourists.  We found the Irish to be very friendly.  We used Air B&B most of the time.  In Scotland, we found that they left the key in the door but really did not want to see you.  Sorry you Scottish!  In Ireland, we were always greeted by the host.  Are the Irish more open and more friendly than the Scottish?  Yes, we found out.
> 
> We traveled in the spring before the hoard of tourists everywhere.  However, in West Ireland at the "Cliffs of Mohr" I counted 44 big tour buses.  It is a tourist jungle.  You can see the same kind of cliffs up north with almost no tourists but advertising is advertising and you gotta see the Cliffs of Mohr.
> 
> I have been to London 8 times in my life and have no desire to see it again.  Give me "good ole' Cornwall" anytime for decent real people.  Apparently, London is often the only part of the Uk that most Americans ever see*.  My wife and I had this joke about Lonon:  "Where are the British."  This is politically incorrect statement so I shall end here*.


The British say the same thing


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## Capt Lightning (Jun 19, 2022)

I think the point has been made that the UK consists of four geographically and culturally diverse countries.  Then there are the numerous islands that make up part of the British Isles.  There are many Brits who say they are going to the USA, but in reality are going to Orlando and Disney!
Yes, the UK is becoming expensive for some things, but some of the prices mentioned in this forum seem dear to us.  If you do come, decide the sort of things you would like to see.  We get caravanners thinking they can see Scotland in a week - no way.  You need to decide what bits you want to visit.   Same goes for the other 'Home nations'.


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## hollydolly (Jun 19, 2022)

Orkney is a beautiful little place at the very far north of Scotland.. it rains a lot and the temps there are the coldest in the UK, and is a complete tourist trap...

Cornwall in the south west of England  is the same.. overpriced seaside tourist trap... mainly with British tourists

We're an Island, we have  so many beautiful coastal towns and villages there's no need to go to those which are overpriced and packed full of tourists.. ..

Equally we have 70 cities.. 52 in England alone.. so there's absolutely no need to go to overpriced London... some other cities have equally or more beautiful museums and attractions

I live in the London region.. just 20 miles from the city centre, yet I rarely go in summer because of the crowds... I would much rather go elsewhere, ..and do...

In Scotland.. the most beautiful places are not in the North.. but in fact in the west where I was born and raised.. the lochs and mountains are stunningly beautiful... and Glasgow city only 40 miles from Edinburgh the capital.. is larger , with more amenities.. and not as Expensive as Edinburgh


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## jet (Jun 19, 2022)

leave out London,and you will find the uk a great place to visit


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## Packerjohn (Jun 19, 2022)

Many years ago I was in Malaysia.  One morning I was leaving my hotel to go see the town.  As I got downstairs there was this bloke sitting having a beer (yes, it was 8:30 am) and watching the sports on the telly.  I said hi and chat the chap up a bit.  I learned that he was from the UK.  I said "aren't you a long way from home to come here & just to drink beer and watch games which you could do at home." 
He told me that for him it was cheaper to fly from UK to Malaysia, sit around & have a great holiday in the Malaysian heat and fly back than to spend the same time touring around in the UK."  

Yes, I agree with him.  The UK is not a cheap holiday.  Perhaps this is why you find the British all over Spain, Portugal, Malta, etc.   As a Canadian we have a very friendly and long historical association with the British Empire and now the Commonwealth.  So much of our culture has long been associated with the UK.,  There is the Scottish explorers like Alexander Mackenzie, Simon Fraser, Irish fiddle music, Scottish bag pipes, Robbie Burns Day, St. Patrick Day just to mention a few.  Of course, her majesty, Queen Elizabeth II is our figure headed leader; something that Americans could never understand after they had that "tea party."


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## Chet (Jun 19, 2022)

Minimize the cons and just go for the pros. Life is short and you will kick yourself in the butt at sometime if you don't. I was in London decades ago and still remember it fondly.


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## hollydolly (Jun 19, 2022)

Packerjohn said:


> Many years ago I was in Malaysia.  One morning I was leaving my hotel to go see the town.  As I got downstairs there was this bloke sitting having a beer (yes, it was 8:30 am) and watching the sports on the telly.  I said hi and chat the chap up a bit.  I learned that he was from the UK.  I said "aren't you a long way from home to come here & just to drink beer and watch games which you could do at home."
> He told me that for him it was cheaper to fly from UK to Malaysia, sit around & have a great holiday in the Malaysian heat and fly back than to spend the same time touring around in the UK."
> 
> Yes, I agree with him.  The UK is not a cheap holiday.  Perhaps this is why you find the British all over Spain, Portugal, Malta, etc.   As a Canadian we have a very friendly and long historical association with the British Empire and now the Commonwealth.  So much of our culture has long been associated with the UK.,  There is the Scottish explorers like Alexander Mackenzie, Simon Fraser, Irish fiddle music, Scottish bag pipes, Robbie Burns Day, St. Patrick Day just to mention a few.  Of course, her majesty, Queen Elizabeth II is our figure headed leader; something that Americans could never understand after they had that "tea party."


It's very true, it's very expensive to staycation in the UK, which is why the vast majority of us holiday abroad....and in many cases like me, have bought property abroad..
During the aftermath of covid hoteliers and B&B's took advantage of the British public and raised their prices ever higher.. ridiculous amounts were being demanded for substandard accommodation.. This year most are able once again to fly abroad  but they've been met by horrendous queues and cancellations at the airports, so what do you think the aforesaid B&B'ers and hotels have done.. ?..instead of encouraging the Brits to holiday at home , they've whacked  up their prices yet again, and of course these prices discourage foreign visitors as well. IMO they deserve not to have a business...


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## Jules (Jun 19, 2022)

Friends took a bus trip slightly off-season and though not inexpensive it saved lots.  The weather was fine; there are no guarantees any time of year.   They also researched and spent a few days in other places that weren’t main tourist centres.  When my daughter was in Scotland in March she raved about the trains to the locals; they didn’t realize how good they were.


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## hollydolly (Jun 19, 2022)

Jules said:


> Friends took a bus trip slightly off-season and though not inexpensive it saved lots.  The weather was fine; there are no guarantees any time of year.   They also researched and spent a few days in other places that weren’t main tourist centres.  When my daughter was in Scotland in March she raved about the trains to the locals; they didn’t realize how good they were.


people are not in love with trains here in the UK because for one they're super expensive for the average passenger, and 2 the train drivers union hold this country to ransom which they're going to do next week by going on strike for yet MORE money...  and will bring the country to it's knees


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## OneEyedDiva (Jun 19, 2022)

I've never had the desire to visit Europe. The islands is another story. Now that I detest the idea of getting on a plane, looks like I won't be visiting either (unless I cruise again one day).


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## hollydolly (Jun 19, 2022)

OneEyedDiva said:


> I've never had the desire to visit Europe. The islands is another story. Now that I detest the idea of getting on a plane, looks like I won't be visiting either (unless I cruise again one day).


well the UK _is_ an Island.. and we also have nearby Islands like Jersey and Guernsey


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## OneEyedDiva (Jun 19, 2022)

hollydolly said:


> well the UK _is_ an Island.. and we also have nearby Islands like Jersey and Guernsey


I should have specified...the Caribbean islands HD.


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## Capt Lightning (Jun 19, 2022)

hollydolly said:


> well the UK _is_ an Island.. and we also have nearby Islands like Jersey and Guernsey


To be pedantic, Great Britain is an island, the UK also includes N.Ireland   and Jersey and Guernsey are not technically part of the UK.  The British Isles  has around 4400 islands, but only about 210 are inhabited.  I enjoy visiting other countries, but unlike the many tourists, I don't go for the sun, sand and cheap booze.  Still, I don't blame those who do because as has been pointed out,  Greed has replaced Covid in the UK to strike down the would be holidaymaker.   (Oh how I dislike that word 'staycation')


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## hollydolly (Jun 19, 2022)

Capt Lightning said:


> To be pedantic, Great Britain is an island, the UK also includes N.Ireland   and Jersey and Guernsey are not technically part of the UK.  The British Isles  has around 4400 islands, but only about 210 are inhabited.  I enjoy visiting other countries, but unlike the many tourists, I don't go for the sun, sand and cheap booze.  Still, I don't blame those who do because as has been pointed out,  Greed has replaced Covid in the UK to strike down the would be holidaymaker.   (Oh how I dislike that word 'staycation')


I did say Jersey and Geurnsey were_ nearby_ Islands..


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## Capt Lightning (Jun 19, 2022)

Ironically, they're a lot nearer France than England.  
Have you ever been there?   I haven't though my daughter once flew to Jersey for a friend's wedding.  She found it a bit boring.
Mind you, for having lived a long time in Hampshire, I've only been to the Isle of Wight once - but I've been to Rhode Island three times.  It was a lot more fun than the Isle of Wight .


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## hollydolly (Jun 19, 2022)

Capt Lightning said:


> Ironically, they're a lot nearer France than England.
> Have you ever been there?   I haven't though my daughter once flew to Jersey for a friend's wedding.  She found it a bit boring.
> Mind you, for having lived a long time in Hampshire, I've only been to the Isle of Wight once - but I've been to Rhode Island three times.  It was a lot more fun than the Isle of Wight .


I lived on Gosport and never visited the IOW which is right next door basically.. .. been to the Greek islands lots of times... and Spanish and Turkish, and Cypriot...   If I want to go to the beach I'm situated 45 minutes from the Essex coast.. and and 90 mins from the Norfolk coast..so that's where I go...no need to drive over to the IOW  and all the faff of a ferry etc....never been to  the Channel islands.. my late m-i-l used to go..


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## Murrmurr (Jun 19, 2022)

@Bellbird - I've been there twice, but only the south area. All I saw of London was Heathrow airport. I stayed with a friend in Hastings for 2 weeks, and her brother loaned me his motorcycle (she had her own) so she could take me sight-seeing from Dover to Southampton. We went to a city called Battle, site of the battle of 1066, saw a lighthouse or two, a couple castles, some really cool pubs, a place called Rye, purportedly the oldest city in England, the white cliffs of Dover and a bunch of other cool stuff. 

It was awesome!


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## hollydolly (Jun 19, 2022)

Murrmurr said:


> @Bellbird - I've been there twice, but only the south area. All I saw of London was Heathrow airport. I stayed with a friend in Hastings for 2 weeks, and her brother loaned me his motorcycle (she had her own) so she could take me sight-seeing from Dover to Southampton. We went to a city called Battle, site of the battle of 1066, saw a lighthouse or two, a couple castles, some really cool pubs, a place called Rye, purportedly the oldest city in England, the white cliffs of Dover and a bunch of other cool stuff.
> 
> It was awesome!


Battle is a small town 30 miles SE of London..further away from London than me and on the opposite side  ...   ..and Rye is even smaller..altho' the latter is a tourist town.. it's population is less than 10,000


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## Murrmurr (Jun 19, 2022)

hollydolly said:


> Battle is a small town 30 miles SE of London..further away from London than me and on the opposite side  ...   ..and Rye is even smaller..altho' the latter is a tourist town.. it's population is less than 10,000


Battle is cute as hell. If it's not actually southern, that's because I didn't have a good sense of direction while I was there. We got there on motorcycles, and it didn't take long (from Hastings)....but then, I'm from California, where a 500-mile drive isn't all that long.


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## hollydolly (Jun 19, 2022)

Murrmurr said:


> Battle is cute as hell. If it's not actually southern, that's because I didn't have a good sense of direction while I was there. We got there on motorcycles, and it didn't take long (from Hastings)....but then, I'm from California, where a 500-mile drive isn't all that long.


lol...it's only 6 miles from Hastings to Battle ..Hastings being the coastal town


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## Murrmurr (Jun 19, 2022)

hollydolly said:


> lol...it's only 6 miles from Hastings to Battle ..Hastings being the coastal town


Yeah, I was _sure_ I remembered that Battle is coastal. I thought you were saying I was mistaken.

Another place I liked was Eastbourn. I think that's where we went out on a pier to eat. But there's a pier in Hastings we went to also. Last time I went was about 10yrs ago, and it's all kind of hazy now.


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## hollydolly (Jun 19, 2022)

Murrmurr said:


> Yeah, I was _sure_ I remembered that Battle is coastal. I thought you were saying I was mistaken.
> 
> Another place I liked was Eastbourn. I think that's where we went out on a pier to eat. But there's a pier in Hastings we went to also. Last time I went was about 10yrs ago, and it's all kind of hazy now.


yes there's a pier at Hastings.. sadly hastings and it's neighbour St leonards on sea are fairly run down and a haven in parts for drug users 

Eastbourne is nicknamed Gods' waiting room... but it does have beautiful coastal views


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## Murrmurr (Jun 19, 2022)

hollydolly said:


> yes there's a pier at Hastings.. sadly hastings and it's neighbour St leonards on sea are fairly run down and a haven in parts for drug users
> 
> Eastbourne is nicknamed Gods' waiting room... but it does have beautiful coastal views


Yeah, I still hear from Ruby now and then, my friend there who still lives in Hastings, and she told me it's gotten bad. Such a shame.

I have some great memories from my time there...the ones I can remember   . I even considered retiring there, but I'd miss my family too much. I'd have probly spent all my savings flying them out there and flying me and Ruby to see them several times a year. That would've been pretty cool, but I had other plans for my savings.


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## palides2021 (Jun 19, 2022)

We've gone to the U.K. a few times in the past, and I have a high regard for that country. Always enjoyed each visit. My husband had studied at Oxford, and that visit was quite nice. Inspired by the visits there, I've written two books that took place in England (historical). We had even toyed with the idea of moving there, but after checking out the prices, etc. found that we could not afford it. I love listening to the British accents, though.


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## Murrmurr (Jun 19, 2022)

palides2021 said:


> We've gone to the U.K. a few times in the past, and I have a high regard for that country. Always enjoyed each visit. My husband had studied at Oxford, and that visit was quite nice. Inspired by the visits there, I've written two books that took place in England (historical). We had even toyed with the idea of moving there, but after checking out the prices, etc. found that we could not afford it. I love listening to the British accents, though.


While I was there visiting a friend, she took me to a pub to meet her friends and they all gathered around me at once, asking a multitude of questions. My friend told her friends to back off and give me room to breathe, and one of them said something like "we just love to hear him talk" and another one said "Americans are so cute."


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## hollydolly (Jun 19, 2022)

Murrmurr said:


> While I was there visiting a friend, she took me to a pub to meet her friends and they all gathered around me at once, asking a multitude of questions. My friend told her friends to back off and give me room to breathe, and one of them said something like "we just love to hear him talk" and another one said "Americans are so cute."


we have quite a lot of Americans and Canadians living here...


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## Bellbird (Jun 19, 2022)

Thank you to you all for your replies, it is good to have first hand knowledge. So much to think about and consider. 
 To walk where my ancestors walked, Cornwall, where many of them lived and worked, what work they could get, one of my great uncles was hanged for stealing a sheep to feed his big family, which was fairly commonplace I have learnt, some were smugglers, another owned a hotel close to the beach, to sit and have a shandy in there would be real special, I have as yet to find as to whether it is still in existence, probably not. 
      Devon, then Plymouth where my grt/grandfather trained as a gunner in the Royal Navy, St.Peter Port in Guernsey where my grandmother and her extended family lived until she immigrated to New Zealand with one of her sisters, in their late teenage years.  Glasgow Scotland, another place where many of them lived, there must still be some kin there I would think, going by some of the history of Scotland my maiden name being Campbell, I wouldn't want to meet up with any MacDonalds.  Donegal in Ireland, where my paternal grandfather was born.
     I love the sound of the British pubs, canal boats, lovely countryside, so many stately homes, castles to visit. Buckingham palace. The history is amazing.  I am a 'country' person at heart so not going near the big cities is something I wouldn't miss.


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## Packerjohn (Jun 19, 2022)

horseless carriage said:


> There is one thing to remember about a UK visit. Right now we are experiencing the highest eye watering prices at the pump for fossil fuel. For example, diesel is hovering around the two pound per litre mark. A sixty-five litre tank of fuel would set you back: £130:00. or, almost 242NZD.
> 
> £2:00 per litre translates into £9:00 per gallon, for those of us with long memories. Fuel is going up daily and it's causing inflation to rise which in turn is increasing costs because our economy relies heavily on fossil fuel.
> 
> My apologies if that puts you off travelling, but it is what it is.


Hey!  I believe that it is better that you know about prices before you plan your trip then fly there and get a BIG surprise when you find out how much they want for a short train ride from the airport to the center of London.  The UK is definitely not the place for a bargain holiday.  If you don't believe me, just Google hotel prices for Penzance or other places in Cornwall in the summer months.  You will get a real "education."


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## Packerjohn (Jun 19, 2022)

Better go soon.  I regret to inform you that those lovely old British pubs are fast disappearing.  They are being replaced by Weatherspoon which is cheaper to eat and cheaper to drink in but they certainly have no atmosphere like those old pubs in Penzance.  


Bellbird said:


> Thank you to you all for your replies, it is good to have first hand knowledge. So much to think about and consider.
> To walk where my ancestors walked, Cornwall, where many of them lived and worked, what work they could get, one of my great uncles was hanged for stealing a sheep to feed his big family, which was fairly commonplace I have learnt, some were smugglers, another owned a hotel close to the beach, to sit and have a shandy in there would be real special, I have as yet to find as to whether it is still in existence, probably not.
> Devon, then Plymouth where my grt/grandfather trained as a gunner in the Royal Navy, St.Peter Port in Guernsey where my grandmother and her extended family lived until she immigrated to New Zealand with one of her sisters, in their late teenage years.  Glasgow Scotland, another place where many of them lived, there must still be some kin there I would think, going by some of the history of Scotland my maiden name being Campbell, I wouldn't want to meet up with any MacDonalds.  Donegal in Ireland, where my paternal grandfather was born.
> I love the sound of the British pubs, canal boats, lovely countryside, so many stately homes, castles to visit. Buckingham palace. The history is amazing.  I am a 'country' person at heart so not going near the big cities is something I wouldn't miss.


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## dseag2 (Jun 19, 2022)

I have been very fortunate to have visited London several times due to my career or during vacation.  It was wonderful.  We did everything "touristy" from going on the London Eye, to taking a double-decker bus and a Black Cab, to having fish and chips in a pub, dinner in Trader Vic's and buying last-minute tickets for West End shows.  I haven't visited the outlying areas but I would love to.  I love visiting the UK.


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## Capt Lightning (Jun 20, 2022)

It seems to me that when you live in a place, you don't always know much of the surrounding area.  As I've been saying, I only visited the Isle of Wight once, although it was close to where I lived.  

There are a number of towns in S.England with names ending in Bourne,  which means a stream.  One interesting one is Fishbourne where the remains of a large Roman palace dating from 75 AD were discovered.  Many intact mosaic floors were uncovered and are now on display.
As for "God's waiting room"  - we used to call Worthing, Eastbourne  etc... "The Costa del Geriatrica".


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## Alligatorob (Jun 20, 2022)

Thought of another con.  They drive on the wrong side of the road!

No real need to rent a car and drive, but if you do I found it easier to do than I feared.  Flew into Gatwick once and drove to Oxford.  Interesting, driving on heavily trafficked roads was not bad, you could just go with the flow, follow others.  Problem came on less well traveled roads, the car kept drifting into the wrong lane.


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## hollydolly (Jun 20, 2022)

Capt Lightning said:


> It seems to me that when you live in a place, you don't always know much of the surrounding area.  As I've been saying, I only visited the Isle of Wight once, although it was close to where I lived.
> 
> There are a number of towns in S.England with names ending in Bourne,  which means a stream.  One interesting one is Fishbourne where the remains of a large Roman palace dating from 75 AD were discovered.  Many intact mosaic floors were uncovered and are now on display.
> As for "God's waiting room"  - we used to call Worthing, Eastbourne  etc... "The Costa del Geriatrica".


My in-laws live in Worthing...


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## RadishRose (Jun 21, 2022)

My father was there during WW2 . He raved about England; the wonderful people, the beautiful country side, etc. He used to say he wanted to bring my mom and I over someday, but he died quite young.


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## hollydolly (Jun 21, 2022)

RadishRose said:


> My father was there during WW2 . He raved about England; the wonderful people, the beautiful country side, etc. He used to say he wanted to bring my mom and I over someday, but he died quite young.


well can't argue that we have beautiful countryside.. but the England your father new 80 years ago... is gone... hardly anything even bares resemblance to even when I was young .. 60 years ago... and certainly we've seen the biggest changes in the last 10 years...


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## Bellbird (Jun 21, 2022)

Murrmurr said:


> @Bellbird - I've been there twice, but only the south area. All I saw of London was Heathrow airport. I stayed with a friend in Hastings for 2 weeks, and her brother loaned me his motorcycle (she had her own) so she could take me sight-seeing from Dover to Southampton. We went to a city called Battle, site of the battle of 1066, saw a lighthouse or two, a couple castles, some really cool pubs, a place called Rye, purportedly the oldest city in England, the white cliffs of Dover and a bunch of other cool stuff.
> 
> It was awesome!


Murrmurr, I checked out Rye, wow I would say it must be close to being the oldest city in England, it was very easy to imagine the folk walking those cobbled streets, brilliant.


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## Bellbird (Jun 21, 2022)

Murrmurr said:


> @Bellbird - I've been there twice, but only the south area. All I saw of London was Heathrow airport. I stayed with a friend in Hastings for 2 weeks, and her brother loaned me his motorcycle (she had her own) so she could take me sight-seeing from Dover to Southampton. We went to a city called Battle, site of the battle of 1066, saw a lighthouse or two, a couple castles, some really cool pubs, a place called Rye, purportedly the oldest city in England, the white cliffs of Dover and a bunch of other cool stuff.
> 
> It was awesome!


Murrmurr, I checked out Rye, I would say it must be one of the oldest cities in England, brilliant, very easy to imagine the folk walking those cobbled streets.


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## hollydolly (Jun 22, 2022)

Bellbird said:


> Murrmurr, I checked out Rye, I would say it must be one of the oldest cities in England, brilliant, very easy to imagine the folk walking those cobbled streets.


no it's not the oldest town, there's many older including my own little market  town....

If you want to visit the oldest town then  that would be Colchester which is a large  town 65 miles from London.. and dates back to .77 AD


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## Warrigal (Jun 22, 2022)

Blessed said:


> I want to go but not for London.  I want to see the country side, small villages, farms. Go to the small seaside towns. Visit gardens and churchs. Stay in a little cottage.


@Bellbird Hubby and I visited UK in the 1980s. We found it more economical to book hire cars from Australia than signing up when we arrived. We also bought a book of vouchers for country farmhouse bed and breakfast. Hotels were quite expensive compared to our country motels and the farm house accommodation was absolutely charming. They may not be open all year - they tend to shut down in the off seasons. Do your research.


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## Murrmurr (Jun 22, 2022)

hollydolly said:


> no it's not the oldest town, there's many older including my own little market  town....
> 
> If you want to visit the oldest town then  that would be Colchester which is a large  town 65 miles from London.. and dates back to .77 AD


I went by what my friend told me. She could've been wrong, of course, but maybe there's a qualifier, like "the oldest continuously incorporated town" or something like that.

(in the US, an incorporated town/city is one that provides its own municipal services, like fire and police, instead of relying on county or neighboring city services)


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## hollydolly (Jun 22, 2022)

Murrmurr said:


> I went by what my friend told me. She could've been wrong, of course, but maybe there's a qualifier, like "the oldest continuously incorporated town" or something like that.
> 
> (in the US, an incorporated town/city is one that provides its own municipal services, like fire and police, instead of relying on county or neighboring city services)


we don't have such a thing...


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## Capt Lightning (Jun 22, 2022)

hollydolly said:


> well can't argue that we have beautiful countryside.. but the England your father new 80 years ago... is gone... hardly anything even bares resemblance to even when I was young .. 60 years ago... and certainly we've seen the biggest changes in the last 10 years...


You're right Hollydolly,  The changes that occurred during the time I lived in Hampshire were one of the main reasons I headed back north.  The south has become grossly over-populated  and obscenely expensive.  I've only been back there once and I hardly recognised the place.
Of course some areas are largely untouched, but many are very busy.


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## Bellbird (Jun 22, 2022)

Capt Lightning said:


> You're right Hollydolly,  The changes that occurred during the time I lived in Hampshire were one of the main reasons I headed back north.  The south has become grossly over-populated  and obscenely expensive.  I've only been back there once and I hardly recognised the place.
> Of course some areas are largely untouched, but many are very busy.


It's called progress.!!


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## hollydolly (Jun 22, 2022)

Bellbird said:


> It's called progress.!!


this isn't progress I can assure you... we are now so overcrowded that our essential services can no longer cope


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## HoneyNut (Jun 22, 2022)

Bellbird said:


> I read where the cost of living is very high in the UK


I went to Wales and London (and Paris) before the pandemic, and I mostly stayed at hostels.  They were not expensive and were really conveniently located in the cities.  Food was my biggest expense, but I kept succumbing to special restaurants and dishes, so probably it didn't need to be as expensive to eat as it was for me.  Also I don't remember exactly but if you plan ahead you can get some discounted prices for transportation, or buy the right type of ticket/pass (I've had to learn this in the US too, I'm in Chicago this month and if I had researched and planned ahead I could have saved half the price of the commuter train tickets, and in the beginning here I was paying cash for each bus ride but eventually learned if I got the transportation service fare card I only had to pay once every two hours no matter how many times I changed buses).


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## timoc (Jun 22, 2022)

The U.K.! your opinion​Bellbird, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.....so I'm told  ......so, jet over here, hire a car, pick me up, and I will give you the most comprehensive tour of the best ice cream, parlours.


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## Bellbird (Jun 23, 2022)

hollydolly said:


> this isn't progress I can assure you... we are now so overcrowded that our essential services can no longer cope


I was being facetious


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## Bellbird (Jun 23, 2022)

timoc said:


> The U.K.! your opinion​Bellbird, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.....so I'm told  ......so, jet over here, hire a car, pick me up, and I will give you the most comprehensive tour of the best ice cream, parlours.


ok Timoc, my favourite is passionfruit. see you in 24 hours,


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## hollydolly (Jun 23, 2022)

HoneyNut said:


> I went to Wales and London (and Paris) before the pandemic, and I mostly stayed at hostels.  They were not expensive and were really conveniently located in the cities.  Food was my biggest expense, but I kept succumbing to special restaurants and dishes, so probably it didn't need to be as expensive to eat as it was for me.  Also I don't remember exactly but if you plan ahead you can get some discounted prices for transportation, or buy the right type of ticket/pass (I've had to learn this in the US too, I'm in Chicago this month and if I had researched and planned ahead I could have saved half the price of the commuter train tickets, and in the beginning here I was paying cash for each bus ride but eventually learned if I got the transportation service fare card I only had to pay once every two hours no matter how many times I changed buses).


Here in London you can buy an Osyster card which will give you travel on the buses , tubes and trains..  and lasts all day long.. until 4am the day after you bought it..


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## Patricia (Jun 25, 2022)

So helpful to read the travel reports.


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