Some everyday items in British English and information about life in the UK...
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Typical Royal Mail Post box
("E R" = "Elizabeth Regina" = Queen Elizabeth II)


An older post box...



TRANSPORT

Typical Bus Stop (in London). [/size]
You must remember to raise your hand when the bus approaches, otherwise the bus does NOT stop!

London Transport (Bus) sign



Oyster Card
("Smart card" needed for London Underground and buses)


British taxi, called "BLACK CAB"
This kind of taxi is the only taxi that is allowed to stop and pick up passengers.
Sometimes they are another colour due to advertising. Their shape make them easy to spot anyway.


Newer model of Black Cab



LONDON COMMUTE (=hell!!!)



Remember!!! Drive left and look right before crossing a street!!!!
Very crazy and annoying thing about the UK.... Many foreigners die because they forget.



HEALTH

Pharmacy, Chemists

(where you get medicines and beauty products)
All medicines cost £7.50 for employed adults and are free for others.


"Boots the Chemist" logo.
Boots and Superdrug are the largest chains.



Typical Hospital Signs
(NHS = National Health Service = Free, publically funded healthcare, usually good)


Ambulance



MONEY

Britain is resisting the Euro... However, all countries can put whatever they like on the Euros - the Queen can be on the Euros!! I am sick of changing money - let's drop the pound already!!!

Ten Pound Note
In slang: "Ten quid", "a tenner"


£2 coin, £1 coin, 50p, 20p, 10p and lower....


Cashpoint / Cash machine



HOUSING
Not the best in Europe... Very expensive, usually quite old and hard to heat up in the winter... Below is a summary!

Council Estate
(Housing provided for poor people. Very cheap, very bad)

Another Council estate:




Typical "Terraced Houses"
How most British people live - these types of houses can be found EVERYWHERE. There are also more modern houses but they are less common. Terraced houses are usually from the "Georgian", "Edwardian" or "Victorian" eras (named after the reigning monarch. Between 50 and 200 years old). They can be redstone, sandstone or greystone (red, beige or grey stone)









Detached houses




School and Pupils
Britain has a very complicated educational system with a mix of state, religious (state sponsored), business sponsored and traditional private schools. Children start school at around four years of age (too early!!!) All schools use school uniforms and they are a clue to what type of school a child is attending.

The objective of schooling in Britain is to get some "GCSE" grades, and also for most AS and A level results. They are needed to go to university/ Schools are ranked nationally according to their results in the GCSE and A level exams. Generally speaking, private single-sex schools are the best, while large state comprehensive schools are the worst performing schools.

Pupils at a NURSERY SCHOOL


Pupils at a state PRIMARY SCHOOLl


Pupils at a boys' "GRAMMAR SCHOOL"
(Grammar school is an academic school for those who want to attend university. They can be either private or state sponsored and may have an entrance exam.


Pupils at a private SECONDARY SCHOOL for girls


Pupils at a state "COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL"
(Less academic school - pupils usually do not go to university. Always state-run and usually not religious.)



BRITISH SPORTS

Cricket
(photo from right near my house!)
Regular people playing on the "village green"


Professional Cricket


Rugby
- a great sport to watch! (this is the icehockey of Britain, the sport for "real men".)




Football fans
The game for the masses...


Hockey
(mainly a sport for girls)


Tennis at Wimbledon


Snooker
(This is taken VERY seriously in the UK - always on TV....)


Darts at the pub




PUBS
Many people have a "local", a pub that they go to several times a week to see friends and relax. Many pubs have darts, snooker and "pub quizzes for regular punters (=customers). Some people prefer to go to "wine bars" instead of pubs.

Two nice pubs near my house "The White Cross" and "The Cricketeers"






"The Vic" from soap opera "East Enders"




BRITISH FOOD
(This is not the forte (=strong side) of British culture in my opinion....)

Fish and Chips, the classic...


Sunday Roast


Christmas Pudding
(although it looks like chocolate, it's actually made from FRUIT)


British Police
(Quite good.... They usually do NOT wear ANY kind of weapon.)


The police who wear this type of famous hat are called "bobbies" the others are called "policemen/women.





PATRIOTISM
Generally Brits are neither racist nor very narrow-minded. People have some mixed and confused feelings about the British empire and the loss of that. Britain's role in the 1st and 2nd world wars are a source of national pride.

War Memorial (all towns and cities have these... )
People put red plastic poppies there, which are made by war veterans on the memorial.)


TOP BRITISH ANTHEMS
Rule Britannia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cWz9MrHskk
Jerusalem (yes it's a British anthem) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7geFBbda-g
Land of Hope and Glory: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oONWgcvPutE
God save the Queen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnuoGOo3Bew

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