Rule Britannia! (Intro to life in Britain... Useful words)

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)
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rOxJ-Rvzrm...e+Post+Box.jpg

An older post box...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/...d88b37e337.jpg

TRANSPORT

Typical Bus Stop (in London). [/size]
You must remember to raise your hand when the bus approaches, otherwise the bus does NOT stop! http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a274/patch60/bus2.jpg

London Transport (Bus) sign
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/109/2...b495aeaefa.jpg

Oyster Card
("Smart card" needed for London Underground and buses)
http://www.sadiqkhan.co.uk/images/st...yster_card.jpg

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.
http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Travel/...xi/TaxiCab.jpg

Newer model of Black Cab
http://www.slowtrav.com/photos/data/657/london_cab.jpg

LONDON COMMUTE (=hell!!!) :evil:
http://img2.photographersdirect.com/.../pd1222668.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/...61_468x687.jpg

Remember!!! Drive left and look right before crossing a street!!!!
Very crazy and annoying thing about the UK.... Many foreigners die because they forget.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ft-kent-1b.jpg

HEALTH

Pharmacy, Chemists
http://www.daveanderson.org.uk/photos/pharmacysign.jpg
(where you get medicines and beauty products)
All medicines cost £7.50 for employed adults and are free for others.
http://z.about.com/d/gouk/1/0/1/-/-/-/chemist1.jpg

"Boots the Chemist" logo.
Boots and Superdrug are the largest chains.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2006/...06_228x140.jpg

Typical Hospital Signs
(NHS = National Health Service = Free, publically funded healthcare, usually good)http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/...08_468x286.jpg
http://www.lancsteachinghospitals.nh...ge_-_small.jpg

Ambulance
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2239/...8f08c0f77b.jpg

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"
http://www.affordablehousinginstitut...note_small.jpg

£2 coin, £1 coin, 50p, 20p, 10p and lower....
http://www.d.umn.edu/~inteduc/Handbook/coins.jpg

Cashpoint / Cash machine
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/...13_468x286.jpg

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)
http://static.guim.co.uk/Guardian/so...rdian-7294.jpg
Another Council estate:
http://www.stuartking.net/blog/images/artonwilson1.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/118/3...127c9f.jpg?v=0

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)
http://images.halfapercent.com/ext623.jpg
http://www.henleybb.co.uk/images/front.jpg
http://englishcafecdn.englishcafe.co...96512.post.jpg
http://www.anglesey.info/Rhondda%20T...d%20Houses.jpg
http://s0.geograph.org.uk/photos/03/...6_ae68b02f.jpg
http://www.thelittlehousecompany.co....os/10219-L.jpg
http://www.propertyfinder.com/object...300,photo1.jpg
http://emiliewood.com/photos/februar...5-colours2.jpg

Detached houses
http://www.peakdistrictonline.co.uk/...torrsfarm1.jpg
http://www.shieldbrickwork.co.uk/NEW...esterghope.jpg

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
http://www.stgeorgesschoolcologne.de...008/06/nur.jpg

Pupils at a state PRIMARY SCHOOLl
http://www.glendale-pri.glasgow.sch....ons%20real.JPG

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.
http://www.roomsix.info/bbc2009%20042.JPG

Pupils at a private SECONDARY SCHOOL for girls
http://www.independentschools.com/im...aded/399-l.jpg

Pupils at a state "COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL"
(Less academic school - pupils usually do not go to university. Always state-run and usually not religious.)
http://www.rhondda-cynon-taf.gov.uk/...ut/44423-1.jpg

BRITISH SPORTS

Cricket
(photo from right near my house!)
Regular people playing on the "village green"
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2483/...df8a3de690.jpg

Professional Cricket
http://taiyak.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/cricket.jpg

Rugby
- a great sport to watch! (this is the icehockey of Britain, the sport for "real men".)
http://eshop.mainevent-tickets.co.uk...yScotland2.jpg
http://www.sports-corporate.co.uk/up...pics/rugby.jpg
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.co.../17/rugby1.jpg

Football fans
The game for the masses...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/4...46_footie3.jpg

Hockey
(mainly a sport for girls)
http://www.edenvalehigh.co.za/images...ckey_Girls.jpg

Tennis at Wimbledon
http://www.vtennis.co.uk/Images/Tenn...mpion-2007.JPG

Snooker
(This is taken VERY seriously in the UK - always on TV....)
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...nooker_416.jpg

Darts at the pub
http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/bi...4094D567DB.jpg

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"
http://us.fotolibra.com/images/previ...-richmond.jpeg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2477/...926ab50508.jpg
http://www.ronsaari.com/stockImages/...bInterior1.jpg
http://www.thehareandhoundsashford.c...MAGES/bar3.JPG
http://www.kingsmans.co.uk/galleries...7s%20Bench.JPG

"The Vic" from soap opera "East Enders"
http://static.whatsontv.co.uk/images...SPEEDDATE3.jpg

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

Fish and Chips, the classic...
http://www.faqs.org/photo-dict/photo..._and_chips.jpg

Sunday Roast
http://jimenapulse.files.wordpress.c...ay-roast-b.jpg

Christmas Pudding
(although it looks like chocolate, it's actually made from FRUIT)
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/...40_468x398.jpg

British Police
(Quite good.... They usually do NOT wear ANY kind of weapon.)
http://blogs.abcnews.com/photos/unca..._police_nr.jpg

The police who wear this type of famous hat are called "bobbies" the others are called "policemen/women.
http://www.policeone.com/policeone/data/bobbies.jpg

http://www.idruna.com/images/PhojoCu...os/MaxNash.jpg

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.)
http://www.ukbandofbrothers.com/user...aph_London.jpg

Quote:

TOP BRITISH ANTHEMS

Quote:

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

http://www.thecommonwealthconversati...zabeth-ii1.jpg
.