Life in Britain

After an exciting and hectic week in London, returning to Newcastle over the weekend meant total relaxation to the point that I got sick with a 24-hour bug. It forced me to do nothing for a couple of days and for the first time since I arrived in the UK, I stopped for a minute to take a deep breadth, relax and indulge in things that I had forgotten I loved, such as curling up in an armchair and thumbing through this month’s mega issue of Harpers Bazaar.



One particular page, titled 'Britain Today' with a handful of interesting facts, inspired me to create this post on life in Britain. Here’s the page which I came across...



The interesting facts read...

• 74% of Brits think the Burberry trench-coat is the country’s most iconic fashion item (and yes, fashion icon I agree… was close to getting one myself earlier this year!)
  
  
• 54% rate Topshop as their favourite brand (such a quintessential it-brand, which could make you pay 3 times more for one of their bags when you could find one exactly the same in Primark down the road)
  
  
• 76% believe Vivienne Westwood is their biggest English eccentric (which makes me wonder if she has influenced the rock-chic aesthetic that still threads through Brit fashion today)
  
  
• 91% would change the weather (who wouldn’t? See my comment below)
  
  
• 89% say mashed potatoes is their favourite comfort food (carb-loaded country I see)
  
  
• Kate Moss tops the list with what most believe best represents ‘New Britain’
  
  
• The Queen ranks high as Britain’s greatest living icon. The stats are that one in three believe in this.
  
  
• The lush countryside, Brit humour and a cup of tea are what Brits miss most when they are abroad.

*From UK Harpers Bazaar, September 2007

So the last comment got me thinking about the things I miss being away from home:

• Coffee- The reason why the UK has such bad coffee is because they are all tea drinkers! And everyone here is very courteous especially in an office, where people ask you at least once every hour, if you would like a cup of tea.
  
  
• Green bags- One of my Sydney friends, who now lives in London, mentioned to me that she misses her green Woolies bag. I was surprised that she hadn’t found the black M&S (Marks and Spencer) bags. Same size, same shape and the must-have of the old ladies social set. While I risk gaining a reputation as an old lady around Newcastle, I miss Woolies green bags too!
  
  
• Individually wrapped Extra chewing gum pieces- Don’t know why they don’t have them here.
  
  
• The weather- Summer here means Sydney Autumn temperatures and it must drizzle at least once a day so an umbrella has become my new best friend ie. I carry one everywhere!
  
  
• Healthy lifestyle obsessions- it must be the fact that the UK is not really a place for the outdoors, but I find it strange here that people aren’t 1. Health food obsessed, whether that be organic, low-GI, low carbs etc etc and/or 2. Fitness obsessed, hardly anyone I know belongs to a gym (or maybe I don’t know enough people yet)

Anyway, those are some of the things I miss. Family and friends is the obvious biggie- the one that tops the list every time. I can live without the rest.

So guys, missing you heaps and heaps from the Mother country. Enjoy the coffee, sunshine and green bags for me!