England is looking forward into the new century while trying
to forget many of the developments of the previous 100 years.
That period witnessed the fall of the empire, the loss of the
trading base and the nation's inability to adjust to a diminished
role in the modern world - from colonial empire to member of the
EC. But while the Family may have taken a right Royal battering,
many of the other august institutions at the cornerstone of British
life have muddled their way through with a stiff upper lip and
a strong sense of protocol.
The notion of England as a gentle, fabled land freeze-framed sometime
in the 1930s, when community life revolved around the post office,
the country pub and the local vicarage. The country is now better
known for vibrant cities with great nightlife and attractions,
contrasted with green and pleasant countryside and national parks.
After five years of Tony Blair's Labour government, 'new' Britain
is a country with a fresh and cuddly Royal family and an alternative
aristocracy of media stars like Victoria and David Beckham to
capture the ire and adoration of the masses. Still, a country
that gives a wig-wearing ex-junkie balladeer a knighthood must
be doing something right.
Area: 129,720 sq km (50,085 sq mi)
Population: 50 million
Capital city: London
People: Anglo-Saxons, Scots, Welsh, Irish, West Indians, Pakistanis,
Indians
Language: English
Religion: Church of England, Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, Muslim,
Hindu and Sikh
Telephone
The British telephone system is complex. Area codes and actual
phone numbers can have a varying number of digits and this can
be confusing. The system, especially for pay phones is very different
from other places; even the ringing tones are unique. When calling
the U.K. from another country use the other country’s international
access code, then 44 (the country code for the U.K.) and the appropriate
area code (minus the 0 at the beginning of the code) and number.
Within the U.K. the area code including the 0 at the beginning
is used.
Rates vary, but as a general rule it is cheaper to make calls
between 6pm and 8am and at weekends. Remember local calls are
not free but paid for on a time basis, whereas long distance is
charged for on a time and distance basis.
Prepaid calling cards are perhaps the best way to make calls.
These are available in different denominations and can be purchased
almost everywhere. Calling cards from your phone company at home
can often also be used to call your home country. Your phone company
will provide a toll free access number that can be reached via
the U.K. operator.
Pay phones in the UK are rarely the familiar red “telephone
kiosks” any more. Today’s British pay phones are usually
high tech stainless steel models housed in a vandal and shatterproof
glass cubicle.
Mobile (cell) phones are also widespread. British mobile phones
use the same system as Europe and Australia but it is different
from that used in North America. Even if a phone is compatible
it can be expensive to use it in the U.K. because local calls
could well be routed via the home country and international rates
will be charged. For those that need a mobile, the best solution
is often to purchase a ‘pay as you go’ phone in the
U.K. These can be obtained for a reasonable price, include airtime
and there are no contracts to sign. If more airtime is required
it is a simple procedure to purchase more.
Emergency
Call
For emergency services in the United Kingdom dial 999 from any
telephone line. The operator will then ask you whether you require
fire, police or ambulance and you will be connected to the appropriate
control centre. England now has a modern emergency service system
with fully trained paramedics, medical technicians and fire fighters.
There may be a charge for ambulance services for non-UK residents,
but a good travel insurance policy will cover this.
Public Holidays
1 January : New Year's Day
2 January : Bank Holiday in Scotland only
17 March : St Patrick's Day in Northern. Ireland only
1st Monday in May : May Day Bank Holiday
Last Monday in May : Bank Holiday
12 July : Battle of the Boyne Day in Northern Ireland only
1st Monday in August : Summer Bank Holiday in Scotland only
Last Monday in August : Summer Bank Holiday except Scotland
25 December : Christmas Day
26 December : Boxing Day
Banking, Currency and Taxes
for Visitors to the UK
The British banking system is modern and there are branches of
all the major banks in all but the smallest of places. Most branches
have modern cash dispensers that enable visitors from other countries
to withdraw cash from their bank and credit card accounts. This
is convenient because travellers can withdraw only the amount
of money they need and thereby avoid carrying around large amounts
of cash. This method and the direct use of credit cards are becoming
the most common means of paying for items for most travellers.
Travellers’ cheques provide security, but UK banks charge
a hefty transaction fee for cashing them.
Check with your local U.K. consular authority concerning importing
or exporting large amounts of cash in any currency.
The British currency is the Pound Sterling and all transactions
occur in this currency. Few stores or services are willing to
conduct business in any other currency. At this time the UK has
opted out of the Euro – the common currency of many of the
member countries of the European Union.
The UK has a Value Added Tax (V.A.T.) that is included in the
price of all goods and services. Visitors are entitled to claim
this tax back on purchases made over a certain amount, upon or
after leaving the country.
Time Zone
The United Kingdom is all under one time zone. During the winter
months the time is the same as Greenwich Mean Time, but in the
summer the clocks are put forward one hour for daylight savings.
Generally the U.K and Ireland are one hour behind continental
Europe.
When to Go
Anyone who spends any extended period of time in England will
sympathise with the locals' obsession with the weather, although
in relative terms the climate is mild and the rainfall is not
spectacular. The least hospitable months for visitors are November
to February - it's cold and the days are short. March and October
are marginal - there's more daylight but it can still be very
cold. April to September are undoubtedly the best months, and
this is, unsurprisingly, when most sights are open, and when most
people visit. July and August are the busiest months, and best
avoided if at all possible. The crowds on the coast, at the national
parks, in London and popular towns like Oxford, Bath and York
have to be seen to be believed.
Events
For the sporty, the traditional Oxford/Cambridge University
Boat Race is held in London on the River Thames in late March;
the famous but gruelling Grand National steeplechase takes place
at Aintree, Liverpool, on the first Saturday in April; the FA
Cup final takes place in May; Lawn Tennis Championships, complete
with strawberries & cream and tantrums by major players, take
place at Wimbledon in late June; the champagne-quaffing set head
for the Henley Royal Regatta at Henley-on-Thames also in June;
and the Cowes Week yachting extravaganza pushes off on the Isle
of Wight in late July.
Those uninterested in ball games and fast-moving animals should
check out the Chelsea Flower Show at London's Royal Hospital in
May; the Trooping of the Colour pageantry on the Queen's birthday
in London in mid-June; the bacchanalian Glastonbury Festival music
extravaganza which swamps Glastonbury's paddocks in June; and
the riotous (in the best possible sense) Caribbean carnival in
London's Notting Hill in late August. |
