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Posted on Sep 19, 2008 by 
These past weeks have been a bit crazy because of what has happened – and what is happening on Wall Street. Although they are across the ocean, it does not mean that people in the UK are totally impervious to the goings on over there. The economic crisis certainly has affected people in this country as well.
This means a lot of things. In terms of lifestyle, there are a lot of things that are being cut off from the budget of the average person. Think about your home – though it may look shabby and in need of a little sprucing up, you may be putting off makeover activities due to monetary constraints. Yet what if I were to tell you that there is a way brighten up your home with the help of some great deals in various British stores?
The Telegraph recently had a feature article on furnishing homes without dipping too much into your finances. The main recommendation? Veer away from the expensive and exclusive stores and go visit your supermarkets’ home ranges! Though this may not have been your first choice many years ago, it is actually a good idea.
Sainsbury’s has very stylish collections for affordable prices:
Sainsbury’s style-conscious designs include velvet cushions, in warm berry colours, at £5.99 each; chenille throws at £14.99; shaggy chenille cushions, £8.99; metal table lamps with red or black shades, £14.99; and tall metallic vases for £4.99. Black candle-holders with matching candles are just £3.99. An eye-catching mango wood sculpture costs £9.99 – the same price as a four-pack of champagne flutes.
Tesco is not going to be left behind:
Tesco has drawn inspiration from the fashion catwalks this autumn with dramatic purple vases, £4 to £10 each; tall glass vases in green, brown or amethyst, £8 each; and ceramic vases and bowls with a retro-looking orange/green glaze (above right) for £6 to £8. Its sophisticated lighting range includes an all-white table lamp for £45 and a table lamp with a circular smoky-glass base, £50.
With these items – and more – you can revamp your home’s interiors for low prices. Shop around and see what you can find!
It used to be that many people around the world placed nature high above in their list of priorities. Children used to be engaged in activities that would expose them to Mother Nature and that would teach them a healthy appreciation of outdoors. It was not really limited to a specific country, I guess. Today, however, it seems that children are being exposed to nature less and less.
The same thing is happening in the United Kingdom. In fact, this has come to the attention of some premier publications. The Guardian, for one, has an article about this:
Recent studies confirm that we run the very real risk of bringing up a generation of children who simply have no understanding of – or connection with – the natural world.
Yet another survey has discovered what we already knew – that Britain’s children prefer hamsters to hedgehogs, enjoy their Playstation more than playing conkers, and can’t tell their blue tits from their bluebells (or at least half of them can’t).
The Natural Trust has its own findings:
• Just 53 per cent could correctly identify an oak leaf – the national tree and a powerful symbol of England
• 29 per cent failed to spot a magpie, despite the numbers soaring three-fold over the past 30 years
• Only 47 per cent of children correctly identified a barn owl
• One in three failed to recognise a Red Admiral, Britain’s best-known butterfly
• Children in Northern Ireland – where half couldn’t recognise a magpie – were least able to identify common wildlife
• Children in East Anglia, meanwhile, proved to be most aware of their natural surroundings.
Here’s to making sure that your children do NOT become part of these statistics!
Photo courtesy of Rick Leche
For those of you who grew up in the country, you would probably love to relive that experience. For those who are purebred city people, then you might want to have a taste of what growing up in the country is like. That is, being surrounded by animals and fields, being out in the open air.
If you like animals and you want to experience something like a county fair, then I suggest that you head on over to the Rare and Traditional Breeds Show at Singleton, Chichester, West Sussex. What should you expect? About Britain announces the event:
Our biggest show of the year! Over 500 cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and poultry of numerous rare breeds will be taking part in the show, the largest in south east England. Bring the family to see orange bristled Tamworth pigs; the Pygmy goats, not much more than one foot high; Gloucester Old Spot pigs with their dramatic black blotches, Longhorn cattle with majestic curly horns and Southdown Sheep with their teddy bear faces and dumpling shape and many many more. Other attractions include country craft and trade stands with farm and animal themes and the Museum’s own team of working Shire horses.
The exact venue of the show is the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, which is worthy enough of a visit on its own. The highlights of the Museum include historic homes, farms, and workplaces. These have been restored and all efforts have been made to keep them as close to the original as possible.
The show runs on the 20th of July from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm. Ticket costs:
Adults £8.50, over 60s £7.50, children £4.50, family ticket £23.30 includes a full day’s entry to all Museum buildings and outdoor exhibits.
Photo courtesy of Dunechaser
For many city dwellers, stress is a part of life. Londoners are not exempt from this – perhaps they are even more stressed than people in other cities. Yet for all the stress that is present in one’s city life, there is always something that one can do to de-stress. We all do it in our own ways but I am sure that going to the spa is something that is agreeable to most every city dweller.
In West Yorkshire, within easy reach of London, one can melt his or her worries away at the Titanic Spa. Oh, there are spas all over the place, but Titanic Spa has the distinction of being the UK’s first eco-spa. What does that mean, though? What makes an eco-spa better than other spas?
Read their own description of their services to find out:
Titanic Spa, UK’s first Eco-Spa, has been designed within a traditional textile mill creating a brand new concept exclusively offering an unsurpassed spa experience. Favoured for its seclusion on the edge of the Pennines, this intimate spa has gone beyond the organic philosophy, offering exceptional results-driven spa treatments and products by Decléor, Elemis, Carita and ghd Spa, creating spa therapies to work in natural synergy with skin, body and mind.
You may be thinking that this is a biased description but based on other people’s testimonials, it does seem that the Titanic Spa has a way about it. Johanna Leggatt of the Telegraph tried the spa for herself and had nothing but good to say about it. If you city living is getting to you, perhaps you should try to getaway for a day and get some relaxation at the spa.
The UK is not a very popular destination for Americans these days simply because of the fact that the dollar is weak while the pound continues to be strong. However, this should not really dissuade Americans from visiting the UK – especially those who like to go shopping. If you have not heard about British charity shops yet, then it is about time that you did.
Charity shops are specialty shops managed by British charitable organisations. Their aim is to raise money for the less fortunate. These shops, in fact, have dual benefits – the money raised is used for noble causes and the prices of goods are very affordable for the shopper.
What can one find in a charity shop? The answer is that you can find most anything! From clothing to shoes to knickknacks to art pieces to crafts – charity shops offer these things. Most, if not all, of the products on sale are made in the UK, making for good souvenirs for tourists.
So where do you start looking for a charity shop? The fact is that not many tourists go out of their way to look for charity shops. In fact, you would not find many tourists in these shops. One good way to start would be to look online, prior to your trip. The web site to start with would be the Association of Charity Shops. The web site is rife with information – everything you need to learn more about charity shops, actually.
Are you in the mood for something different? Are you tired of visiting towns and cities that have the same things to offer over and over again? If you are, then you might want to head on over to the town of Totnes in Devon.
Visitors to this town have one common thing to say about it – it is like talking a trip to the past. Its main shopping street, Fore Street, is reminiscent of an old time town, with small shops scattered throughout. Don’t expect to see generic commercialised shops, either. The shops on Fore Street are for “real” – butcher shops, toy shops, bookshops, and the grocer’s all stand beside each other in a unique mix. Add to this distinctive shops like the Green Fuse (a funeral parlor that is eco-friendly), Rhythm and Light (crystals and fossils, anyone?), and Fairies on the Rise (anything to do with fairies) – and you have a whole new world to discover.
The Friday market is a must for visitors as all the inhabitants of the town can be seen milling around. One notable characteristic is that a lot of them sport dreadlocks, many of them wear kaftans – a sign that the hippy life is on the rise yet again. I suppose that is why many describe Totnes as a bohemian town.
Life is laid back, there is almost zero crime – people love it in Totnes. Understandably, the price of housing is quite high. Yet this has not dissuaded many people from trying to move to Totnes to experience a lifestyle that is more than alternative.
There are countless different types of beers in the UK – it would take hours and hours of reading and writing to detail each and every one of them. So, I took the easy way out and looked for a broader classification of the beers to be found in the UK. One good way to find out more about this beverage is to look at the different regions and see what they have to offer in terms of beer.
The Black Country
This area is known for being industrial in nature and includes Wolverhampton and the West Midlands. The Black Country is best known for its Mild Ales, which was the traditional drink for industrial workers after a hard day’s work. The area is still known for the Wolverhampton and Dudley breweries which currently produce mild ales as well as strong pale ales.
Kent and Surrey
Hops is the key word for Kent, which produces ales with the undeniable flavor of hop. Surrey, on the other hand, is quite famous for TEA. No, it’s not the traditional English breakfast drink but TEA as in Traditional English Ale.
London
Care to have a Porter? Not the guy who lugs your stuff around, but the well known type of beer that London is most known for. Porter was first brewed in the 1700s in the East End of the city and is still popular these days.
Scotland
Scotland in itself offers a wide variety of beers. The Caledonian Brewery is known to have made the strongest impact on the image of Scottish beer and anything from this brewery is nothing but excellent.
When it comes to fashion, British brands are not always the foremost things to come to mind. There is, however, something new that the UK has to offer in terms of street wear – Aerosoul. To be honest, I do not own any item from Aerosoul but from what I have seen, it would be worth buying this brand.
So what is Aerosoul all about? This brand was founded in 1998 by Leke Adesoye, a graphic designer. His vision back then was to create a British brand for street wear and reach out to the rest of the world. Judging by the success that Aerosoul has achieved, Adesoye has fulfilled his vision.
In a feature article on October Online, further information is provided:
London-born Leke began his design venture in the early nineties when, greatly inspired by the burgeoning drum n’ bass and hip hop scene, he sought to capture that energy and innovation in his clothing.By skilfully fusing different elements of these disparate yet interwoven tribes, Aerosoul managed to reach out to several at once. His much-loved “Junglist Movement” T-shirts became the underground logo of a generation, but the brand was soon to establish a wider clientele.
More so, Aerosoul has gotten some prominent names in the British music scene to model their clothes:
The fact that many who’ve modelled for the label have since blown up on the British urban music scene is demonstrative of Leke’s intuition.Included in these, too numerous to mention artists are: Estelle, Roots Manuva, Damage, Paradox, A.I , Karl hinds, Rodney P, TY, Omar and Normski.
Perhaps it is time to head on over to Aerosoul’s web site and see what they have to offer.
Most every major city in various countries all over the world is the same in this respect – they host people from other countries and as a result, become cultural melting pots. London is no different in this regard. In fact, it could be safe to say that London is even more special when it comes to being the crossroads of the world.
People from all over the world come to live in London and bring their culture with them. I ran across a blog entry that presents an interesting perspective on this. This is what MTaylor of ModernBritish has to say:
This collision of culture has made London into the vibrant city it is today. Step into any neighbourhood in the city and there will be cuisine’s from around the world, shops selling fruits from the tropics and spices from the east. No other place in the world reflects the diversity of London. This is in part due to its geographical position. The Pacific Ocean is the antipodal point for the UK and so all land masses are in equal reach of the city. Added are its status as a transport hub and its position as Europe’s leading financial centre, the mix only seems certain to grow.
What is amazing is how the demographic changes, when leaving the city’s boundaries. On leaving London and crossing to the commuter towns of the surrounding Green Belt, it feels like another world. The shops are all neat and tidy, the accents are less rich in slang and none of the exoticness of the city seems to have made an impact beyond its borders. Traditional England has held sway despite the rapid change that has occurred in the city just a few miles away. The faces are also different from that in the city. Not just homogenised, but also different in their outlook. The frantic pace of the city has been replaced by the sedate calm of suburban contentment.
So if you are looking for a unique multicultural experience, I suggest a visit to London. You surely will not be disappointed.
I ran across a very interesting and funny post about being a nationalistic Brit. I never really realized it but there just might be truth in what Miss Scribbler says in her blog – that “the UK is probably the very least patriotic country in Europe.” I am sure that many will disagree with this but her thoughts on being proud about being British should be shared with everyone, in my opinion. Here are some of her points:
Curry. You cannot deny that the best place to have a curry is in the UK. You know wherever you go they’ll have your old favourites; chicken dansak, lamb rogan-josh, prawn bhuna and chicken tikka masala top the list at any reputable curry shop.
Interestingly, these are dishes that have origins from other countries – and no doubt about that, the UK is an interesting melting pot of a lot of various cultures. So why not be proud of being able to have the best curry in the UK? Now I got myself a craving for some curry…
Being given affectionate names by people you have never met before such as bag-packers in the co-op chatting away to you calling you “duck” and “love” when you could be a drug-pusher fall all their sweet hearts know. It warms your cockles, admit it!
Indeed, in many other countries, you do not even talk to people in certain ways unless you know them very well. Only in the UK can one appreciate pet names from people you barely know.
(to be continued)
