Articles ⁽³⁴⁾

England is well-known as a tea drinking nation. The UK is world's third heaviest tea drinking country at 1.94 kg per capita (behind Turkey & Ireland). This compares to just 0.23 kg per capita in the US (#35 in the world). Tea has been drunk…

When you visit the UK, a few simple tips give you comfort, convenience and save you money. Citizens of many countries, including US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, do not require a visa to visit the UK for pleasure or short business trips. The UK…

Over 3m bottles of wine are produced by over 500 wineries in England each year, with English wine growing in popularity, quality and quantity. Most vineyards are in the southern counties of Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex and Kent and there are over 2,023 hectares (5,000 acres)…

Guy Fawkes Night (Bonfire Night), 5th November One of the biggest nights of the year in Britain is Guy Fawkes Night, otherwise called Bonfire Night or Fireworks Night. The annual event, observed on 5th November since 1605, commemorates the arrest of the Roman Catholic Guy…

The phrase "spend a penny" in British English means to urinate. For example, before leaving the house, someone might say "please wait, I need to spend a penny", or asking a child before a long journey, "do you need to spend a penny?". The origin…

Here in the UK we have a curious mix of units of measurement, some metric, some imperial, which is unique to Britain and reflects the older imperial measurements slowly giving way to considerable use of metric (SI) units of measure, with some notable exceptions stuck…

The Tower of London, London's top tourist attraction, which has been closed to visitors due to the pandemic reopened on 19th May, 2021. Tickets can be booked at: https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/visit/tickets-and-prices/ UPDATE: 9th August, 2021 - latest video of the queue at the Tower of London. I have…

The UK does not celebrate Thanksgiving as such, because Thanksgiving is an American celebration, associated with the successful crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by the Pilgrim Fathers to their new home of America. The British, since they did not embark on this perilous voyage, do…

The Queen's Swan Markers - Swan Upping 2021There is confusion and myth surrounding swan ownership in the UK and the association of swans with the Royal Family. The facts, though, while ancient in origin, are clear and precise. All unmarked mute swans on open waters…

The term Great Britain, abbreviated to Britain, should not be used interchangeably with the United Kingdom, or UK, because they are different. Here's how. Great Britain consists of the countries of England, Scotland and Wales, which together form the mainland of the British Isles. The…