All things English/American

Originally Posted by Sparkle

I was in London proper. I think I hit all four corners in my time there. Uxbridge, Hackney Downs, Stokey, Archway & Catford.

I was pretty good with most dialects, I got the hang of the Liverpudlian quite quickly but I found the Geordie dialect almost impossible to decipher even after a decade!

That British Superstore is going to be the death of me (my budget anyway). Cheers mate.

S'Alreet chuck! I'm glad you like the Brit Store.

Scouse is a tough accent to listen to and Geordie as you say, if it's broad, is almost impenetrable. I'm a northerner with a pretty generic Lancastrian accent. Un-Mrs.I and me take the mickey out of each other as she's got a southern softie Hertfordshire accent!

May I ask how come you ended up here and why did you leave again? A girl/chap/other*?






*delete as applicable

[Bit]

Originally Posted by Incubus

A girl/chap/other*?






*delete as applicable

LOL!!! Now you've got it.

So... I am soooo not going to spend an hour surfing through Wikipedia today, following the scent of all these strange new foods... I will just ask instead, what is Toad in the Hole? Is that a fried egg in toast?

However a real persons less posh tea is a butty, a cake/biscuit and a mug o'tea.

Okay, what's a butty? And from last night, what is "lashings" of tea?

Merlin mentioned cheese on beans and it made me laugh because "put some cheese on it" is a catch-phrase in That House; one of our friends told THE most hysterically funny story about what happened when her partner interrupted an intense argument to ask if she was making supper. She insists to this day that a butch will eat ANYTHING if you put some cheese on it.... the dog was a little confused that night though. The reason we thought it was so funny is that Gryph has always said about my kitchen disasters, "put some cheese on it, I'll eat it..."



Yeah yeah, I KNOW how lucky I am with That Butch, lol! Love him with all my heart just for that alone!

[EnderD_503]

All you blood sausage haters don't know what you're missing Never saw it as a British-only thing, though. We have it French Canada and Atlantic Canada as well, and it's common to eat it all over Europe.

I really like white pudding best, though. Tastes even better

[JustJo]

Originally Posted by Bit

[SIZE=3] one of our friends told THE most hysterically funny story about what happened when her partner interrupted an intense argument to ask if she was making supper. She insists to this day that a butch will eat ANYTHING if you put some cheese on it....

Was that Scoote?

Kidding, of course, but that woman will eat anything if there's enough cheese!

[Merlin]

Prawn cocktail walkers crisps. Loved them since being a kid.

Prefer spains selection of crisps. Better than england.

You guys like our Royal family ? Watch the wedding ? What did you think ?

[Apocalipstic]

Originally Posted by Incubus

My Pops who visits Canada regularly and has visited the US says that the bacon here is different too. My aunt in who's lived in Canada for nigh on 50yrs also concurs. They both agree that Brit bacon is better and now you agree too...it has to be true! I've never visited North America so can't give a personal opinion. I had no idea that our eggs may be better too.

You've lived here apocalipstic? Or come from here and emigrated?

Bubble and squeak is a fried up mixture of left over mash potato and cabbage (most usually but other left overs can be used too)...I like to use sprouts instead of cabbage. It's thoroughly delicious with bacon or left over roast meat.

Un-Mrs.I likes Pimms but after last summer's exploits with Pimms I will never ever drink the foul stuff again Do you get Pimms over there?

Despite shopping in Marks and Sparks regularly I don't know what Percy Pigs are.

Aye we do have some odd flavour crisps here too...did you ever see Hedgehog flavour? Seabrooks crisps are my favourite and the King of Crisp...some would disagree though. How about you Merlin? Seabrooks, Walkers, Kettle or own brand crisps?

Hah! Do Americans really think that tea is that old fashioned sort of twee-tea thing? Tea can be posh, very posh, with cake stands, doilies, china cups and saucers but probably only at the Connaught or the Savoy or similar 'posh' (read v.expensive) establishments. However a real persons less posh tea is a butty, a cake/biscuit and a mug o'tea.

I visit usually once or more a year, but London only so far for work and one vacation. I hope to make it to the rest of the UK one day soon! NOT during the Olympics!

Had lovely tea at the National Portrait Gallery doilies and all!

I like the shortbread!!!

Percy Pigs are like wine gums but no wine and shaped like pigs....so yummy...will see if I can find photo.

Originally Posted by Incubus

Where did you live Sparkle. You'll find that folks like Merlin and myself will speak slightly differently to folks in London. Not only are our accents different but also regional differences and idioms come into play too.

If you check out the link I posted for brit food you'll find plenty of Marks and Sparks food there.
http://www.britsuperstore.com/acatal...d_Spencer.html

Ohhhhhhhhhh yeay! Thank you for posting!

Originally Posted by EnderD_503

All you blood sausage haters don't know what you're missing Never saw it as a British-only thing, though. We have it French Canada and Atlantic Canada as well, and it's common to eat it all over Europe.

I really like white pudding best, though. Tastes even better

Should I be afraid to ask what white pudding is?

Originally Posted by Merlin

Prawn cocktail walkers crisps. Loved them since being a kid.

Prefer spains selection of crisps. Better than england.

You guys like our Royal family ? Watch the wedding ? What did you think ?

I love following the Royal Family, though I slept through this weeding. I did watch the Princess Dianna one though. What do you all think of Cammilla? (sp?)

Of and the rhyming thing in London, yes hard to follow, but always very clever!

[Apocalipstic]

LOVE these, OMG!

[Merlin]

Don't think anyone I know is a camilla fan.

Don't want charles as king.
Want William.

[Apocalipstic]

Originally Posted by Merlin

Don't think anyone I know is a camilla fan.

Don't want charles as king.
Want William.

Definitely!

[Sparkle]

Originally Posted by Incubus

S'Alreet chuck! I'm glad you like the Brit Store.

Scouse is a tough accent to listen to and Geordie as you say, if it's broad, is almost impenetrable. I'm a northerner with a pretty generic Lancastrian accent. Un-Mrs.I and me take the mickey out of each other as she's got a southern softie Hertfordshire accent!

May I ask how come you ended up here and why did you leave again? A girl/chap/other*?
*delete as applicable

My former partner is British. She had a work visa in the US when we met. When her visa expired our only (mostly legal) option for remaining together was to move to the UK, that was 1997. We were one of the first couples to successfully apply through the (then) Unmarried Partners Concession that Blair's government put in place. It took over two years to resolve, during which time I couldn't (legally) work or leave the country as my passport was in the longest queue in Britain (in Croydon at the INS).

Unfortunately our relationship crumbled under the strain and power imbalance, though we lasted through and beyond the process.

I returned to the US when my step-father passed away suddenly, leaving my family amidst huge grief and disorder.

I miss blighty & all my people there - MUCH.

Originally Posted by Sparkle

My former partner is British. She had a work visa in the US when we met. When her visa expired our only (mostly legal) option for remaining together was to move to the UK, that was 1997. We were one of the first couples to successfully apply through the (then) Unmarried Partners Concession that Blair's government put in place. It took over two years to resolve, during which time I couldn't (legally) work or leave the country as my passport was in the longest queue in Britain (in Croydon at the INS).

Unfortunately our relationship crumbled under the strain and power imbalance, though we lasted through and beyond the process.

I returned to the US when my step-father passed away suddenly, leaving my family amidst huge grief and disorder.

I miss blighty & all my people there - MUCH.

Ta ever sp much for sharing that. My condolences on the death of your step-father.

When did you go back home?

Have you visited since you left? Did you visit other European countries?

[Bit]

Originally Posted by EnderD_503

I am in awe that there are people out there who have not witnessed the amazing white pudding! It's also a kind of sausage, but is filled with mostly meal and pork/pork fat. You cook it a similar way to blood sausage by dumping it in the frying pan for a few minutes (or you can put the whole thing in the oven, but I prefer to chop it up and fry it). Like with blood sausage the best is when you cook it to the point of being a big crumbly...or at least that's how I like it, lol. Now go forth to your local delicatessen!

God this is making me drool...we need a sausage thread, I'm severely craving currywurst and white pudding here, lol.

LOL, Ender, we don't have that here, not at any delicatessen that I know of. But I could most probably deal with white pudding much easier than black pudding.

I suspect that a sausage made with what is essentially lard would be pretty rich for my tastes, though, and would probably give me indigestion no matter how much I liked it.

Originally Posted by Merlin

Whats a pot roast ?

Roast beef baked in a big stockpot with onions, celery, carrots, and potatoes. My mom always used to sear the meat on all sides first, then sprinkle a packet of dry (instant) onion soup mix on the beef before she put it in the oven. I have no idea how much water she put in the pot, probably a cup or two.

Incubus, lashings of ginger beer makes me think of storms with rain lashing down. Thanks for telling me the reference, and for defining Toad in the Hole and butty!

[Martina]

Here is the description of the "bacon" from All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Heriot.

a great hunk of cold boiled bacon. But it wasn't ordinary bacon, it was one hundred percent fat without a strip of lean anywhere. Even in my shocked state i could see it was a work of art; cooked to a turn, beautifully encrusted with golden crumbs and resting on a spotless serving dish . . . but fat.

[Martina]

LOL. Yes i remember. At first Siegried was all excited -- good old english fare. LOL.

Oh and the descriptions of when James would visit the city vet and his wife and overeat and get drunk. . . . those were great.

Originally Posted by June

One of my favorite chapters was how Tristan made Bangers and Mash for every meal because he didn't want to cook and was trying to teach them a lesson.

Although, Bangers (Sausages) and Mash (ed potatoes) might never get old with me.

[Merlin]

You guys really like james herriot dontcha ?

What about ab fab ?

[Sparkle]

Originally Posted by Incubus

Ta ever sp much for sharing that. My condolences on the death of your step-father.

When did you go back home?

Have you visited since you left? Did you visit other European countries?

thank you for your condolences he was a good man and it was very difficult to be so far away at the time.

I left in late 2004, arriving a mere five days before 'W' was re-elected against home grown candidate John Kerry. It was a depressing 'welcome home' event.

I have NOT been back since then, I am terribly terribly remiss. The exchange rate has been so poor, and then in turn I became so poor.
I'm hoping to meet a group of my London friends in the Autumn though, location to be determined.

Yes, I did travel around Europe when I lived there.
Admittedly I am a sun seeker....so I made multiple trips to Italy and Spain; I also saw a bit of France and the Netherlands.

Have you traveled in North America before?

I actually hadn't done very much traveling in the US until I came back from Europe.

Originally Posted by Sparkle

thank you for your condolences he was a good man and it was very difficult to be so far away at the time.

I left in late 2004, arriving a mere five days before 'W' was re-elected against home grown candidate John Kerry. It was a depressing 'welcome home' event.

I have NOT been back since then, I am terribly terribly remiss. The exchange rate has been so poor, and then in turn I became so poor.
I'm hoping to meet a group of my London friends in the Autumn though, location to be determined.

Yes, I did travel around Europe when I lived there.
Admittedly I am a sun seeker....so I made multiple trips to Italy and Spain; I also saw a bit of France and the Netherlands.

Have you traveled in North America before?

I actually hadn't done very much traveling in the US until I came back from Europe.

I'm surprised you didn't just turn tail and leave again

Where in Spain did you visit?...I adore Barcelona and have followed the ongoing building of Sagrada Familia for some years, however it's 4yrs since I last checked progress. I'll assume you did the Amsterdam thang in the Netherlands

Sadly I've never traveled in North America; I would love to but my bank account says no! I would particularly like to visit San Francisco and British Colombia up in Canada.

I do hope you get to come back for your autumn meet-up.

[Sparkle]

Originally Posted by Incubus

I'm surprised you didn't just turn tail and leave again

Where in Spain did you visit?...I adore Barcelona and have followed the ongoing building of Sagrada Familia for some years, however it's 4yrs since I last checked progress. I'll assume you did the Amsterdam thang in the Netherlands

Sadly I've never traveled in North America; I would love to but my bank account says no! I would particularly like to visit San Francisco and British Colombia up in Canada.

I do hope you get to come back for your autumn meet-up.

Oh the temptation to turn right around was GREAT!

I did love Amsterdam, the people are so warm and friendly, the town is so easy to navigate and it was close enough to make a long weekend of it easily.

I visited Spain almost every year and most of my travels were in Catalunya.
I was also entranced with Gaudi's work and would visit annually to check on the progress of Sagrada Familia; which is AMAZING!!! Over 150 years on and still building to his plans.

And then I discovered Sitges! I usually stayed in Sitges and made day trips on the train to Barca and Figueres and all around the Costa Dorada and Costa Brava. I love the high speed train lines in Europe. So easy to get around.

San Francisco is definitely well worth a visit (or ten).
I hope you make it over here sometime.

The hard thing about travel, IMO, is deciding where to go...the world is full of so many amazing places. When I lived in the UK I had to balance my desire to see everything and go everywhere in Europe, with my need to also come home and see my family over here. Now that I'm here, I'm balancing my desire to travel far as opposed to the places that are much nearer (but seem so... common, so known). Does that makes sense?
It's a hard life

[Merlin]

I am eating home made cheesecake whilst perusing this thread.


And am enjoying the wealth of shared information.