Things bad about Britain

[70/30]

http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/08/26/britain.emigrate/index.html

LONDON, Britain -- A majority of Britons would like to move abroad -- either to the United States or Spain -- because they are fed up with the high cost of living and poor weather.

Fifty-four percent of Britons surveyed by pollsters YouGov for the Daily Telegraph newspaper said they would like to emigrate if they could.

A similar poll conducted just after the end of World War II found that 42 percent wanted to emigrate, and only 40 percent in 1975.

Of those wanting to leave Britain, the United States was the most popular destination followed by Australia.

However, if language was no barrier -- Britons are the worst linguists in Europe according to an EU poll -- Spain would be their preferred country followed by France, with the U.S. pushed into third place.

Cheaper cost of living and greater opportunities were cited in the survey as the main reasons for moving abroad. Britain's changeable climate was the next most popular reason for leaving.

But only 25 percent of Britons said the country's much-maligned cuisine was their main reason for wanting to leave.

The biggest draw for staying in Britain was being with family and friends, while the second most common reason was Britain's proud history.

 

[Sandia]

Do you really live in England, 70?

 

[HeavyStick]

Well some Brit's won't move here 'cause we don't have real pubs...

hic...

 

[p_p_man]

Well some Brit's won't move here 'cause we don't have real pubs...

hic...

I'll drink to that. And you don't have real ale and you don't have lunchtime strip pubs (well I don't thinks so anyway!) and you don't have...

Fish and Chips...hic...

ppman

 

[RosevilleCAguy]

I'll drink to that. And you don't have real ale and you don't have lunchtime strip pubs (well I don't thinks so anyway!) and you don't have...

Fish and Chips...hic...

ppman

Sorry, you lost the edge in Fish and Chips when you stopped wrapping them in old newspapers. I will concede pubs and lunchtime strip pubs, unless bars with lunchtime lingere shows counts.

I will say this for England, any country which passes a law regulating the amount of booze for the buck (pound, sorry) is okay by me.

 

[cybergirly]

I'll drink to that. And you don't have real ale and you don't have lunchtime strip pubs (well I don't thinks so anyway!) and you don't have...

Fish and Chips...hic...

ppman

We do too have lunchtime strip pubs, errr clubs. And you could always have imported ale.

But I'll conceed to the fish and chips.

 

[Johnny Cool]

Sorry, you lost the edge in Fish and Chips when you stopped wrapping them in old newspapers. I will concede pubs and lunchtime strip pubs, unless bars with lunchtime lingere shows counts.

I will say this for England, any country which passes a law regulating the amount of booze for the buck (pound, sorry) is okay by me.

I don't know about pubs. Lots of places on this side of the atlantic are just as conducive to drinking as places over there.

But still, better food, better beer and nicer girls. Drinking here is the cadillac of drinking.

 

[Guest]

But still, better food, better beer and nicer girls. Drinking here is the cadillac of drinking.

You don't get around much, do you?

 

[Johnny Cool]

You don't get around much, do you?

All the time. I've drank in all sorts of fancy pants places. England, Ireland, Germany and what have you were all okay but sub-par compared with a good CanAmerican place.

 

[chromefreak]

Spent a last September and part of October in London and Brighton. Had many likes and a few dislikes. Are as follows.

Plenty of good places to drink in both countries. Didn't see any dive bars in London (not even Southwark), which are the type I prefer. But I could walk down the street with a open beer in my hand there, legally. Which leads me to something else, I think I figured out why Brits traditionally like their beer warmer than Americans...Because it's FOOKING COLD there, Their drinking hands would get frostbite after freezing to the condensation on their pintglasses. Just a theory of mine, Not scientific, or even proven, for that matter.

Soho was cool, loved all the lanes of sex shops. Got good deals on quality leather goods by haggling.

I wasn't afraid of getting shot there.

The weather is shit compared to Bay area's mild climate, but not too far off from the Pacific Northwest in terms of rainfall.

I'd feel safer on a motorcycle in England...Drivers are more used to sharing the road with them, unlike here in the US. Public transportation is Much better there, too.

I live in another expensive place, so moving from here to there wouldn't be too much of a setback.

There are cool cars that I'm not used to seeing, Like Mini Coopers and TVRs but I missed hearing the constant rumble of American V8s and Harleys.

If you wear cowboy boots, Many of them look at you like you're NUTS! (Especially the older ones) Most of the time I tried not to stand out, even concealed my tiny camera between my collared shirt and slack, with nice dress shoes, but there were a few night where I HAD to wear the boots.

We have sand, Brighton has rocks. Both have seagulls.

I was trying to get a visa and move there to work for a company I like, who specializes in American speed parts for American V8s, but the distance got to my girlfriend before I could, which is the only thing i really hated about that place...She was there, and I was here.

Australia is next on my list of "To visit/defect to."

 

[chromefreak]

I'll drink to that. And you don't have real ale and you don't have lunchtime strip pubs (well I don't thinks so anyway!) and you don't have...

Fish and Chips...hic...

ppman

Beverages & More here in "The Colonies" carries a variety of ...hic...good imported beer, such as Young's...as well as...hic...good American microbrews.

European themed pubs are pretty trendy here in the Bay Area. 2 within crawling distance from my house. The Irish Rose and The Old Vic here in Santa Rosa CA. Both pretty accurate representations of where I drank over there. So I can get fish&chips or bangers&mash here, but I had an impossible time finding a REAL burger or steak there.

...But you're missing out...hic.....if you've never been to a...hic...American Redneck Bar!

 

[Johnny Cool]

Beverages & More here in "The Colonies" carries a variety of ...hic...good imported beer, such as Young's...as well as...hic...good American microbrews.

European themed pubs are pretty trendy here in the Bay Area. 2 within crawling distance from my house. The Irish Rose and The Old Vic here in Santa Rosa CA. Both pretty accurate representations of where I drank over there. So I can get fish&chips or bangers&mash here, but I had an impossible time finding a REAL burger or steak there.

...But you're missing out...hic.....if you've never been to a...hic...American Redneck Bar!

Yup. Beer is beer is beer. You can get a good brew anywhere. In addition, I'd say the best drinking area in the world is Nova Scotia/New Brunswick. Tasty local brews, great fresh seafood and locals with a charming, incomprehensible accent.

 

[p_p_man]

Beverages & More here in "The Colonies" carries a variety of ...hic...good imported beer, such as Young's...as well as...hic...good American microbrews.

European themed pubs are pretty trendy here in the Bay Area. 2 within crawling distance from my house. The Irish Rose and The Old Vic here in Santa Rosa CA. Both pretty accurate representations of where I drank over there. So I can get fish&chips or bangers&mash here, but I had an impossible time finding a REAL burger or steak there.

...But you're missing out...hic.....if you've never been to a...hic...American Redneck Bar!

I'll book my ticket right away!

ppman

 

[Coolville]

Things Bad About Britain

Closing times...
Whenever I have English mates visit here in Hafnia.Dania, they are pissed drunk and legless at precisely 11:30 in the evening - having been trained to drink like mad until the pubs close.
At 11:30, we have only just left the flat for a night out, usually making our way home at 6 or 7 in the morning, after eating breakfast at one of the many bars that open at 5 to serve breakfast and booze.

Oh, and Sellafield Nuclear Power Plant. We're tired of the radioactive waste polluting our waters.

 

[Johnny Cool]

Beverages & More here in "The Colonies" carries a variety of ...hic...good imported beer, such as Young's...as well as...hic...good American microbrews.

European themed pubs are pretty trendy here in the Bay Area. 2 within crawling distance from my house. The Irish Rose and The Old Vic here in Santa Rosa CA.

I don't know, I've found that places that try to be Irish Pubs have a real yucky Touristy quality to them. Most real Irish pubs I went to were fairly sparse dirty places. The real authenticity is hard to find over here but I think the East Coast gets it real nice in the Great White North.

 

[juicylips]

I'll book my ticket right away!

ppman

That ticket would be to Ohio, right?

To collect your birthday present?

JL

 

[p_p_man]

That ticket would be to Ohio, right?

To collect your birthday present?

JL

I'm coming, I'm coming...er no, I'll rephrase that...I'll be right over, I'll be right over...

ppman

 

[chromefreak]

I don't know, I've found that places that try to be Irish Pubs have a real yucky Touristy quality to them. Most real Irish pubs I went to were fairly sparse dirty places. The real authenticity is hard to find over here but I think the East Coast gets it real nice in the Great White North.

I hear what you're saying about the touristy aspect of it. I've been to a couple "Irish Pubs" that I didn't agree with, But this place I like is tiny, dirty, loud and off the beaten path...I lived in Santa Rosa for 15 years before I knew it existed.

Coolville, our closing times here vary from state to state. In CA it is 2:00 AM for closing time, with a last call around 1:30....earlier if there's still a big crowd. Goes back on sale at 6:00 AM if I recall, but I've never purchased alcohol at that hour.

Next door in Nevada, places like Reno, Tahoe and Las Vegas run 24 hours.

Each state has its own set of crazy laws.

 

[Coolville]

Yeah, 2 in the morning seems to be the norm in North America.

we usually start drinking at a cafe. They close at 2 here and, on a friday/saturday, there is an exodus throughout the city as people make their way to bars, nightclubs. On bikes, in taxis, on foot.