Educating Linda. . .

Well here it is the last weekend of August which means Eddie and I have been here in the Northwest of England for 1 year now!  It doesn't seem like we've been away for that long and yet it does...confusing isn't it?

Since I (Linda) am writing this blog and the subject seems to be 'confusing' let me share with you just a few things that I have learned since moving over here:

Transportation: 
I have driven exactly once since moving here...I know and accept the term 'chicken'...I promise to do better soon.  All this time that I have been sitting in the passenger seat has actually been a good learning experience.  I've learned that traffic lights are different.  There is the expected red and green, however, when the light turns red and yellow it does not mean pedestrians may 'walk'.  Oh no, quite the opposite - it means traffic should prepare for the light to change over to green in about 3 seconds!  And while we are on the subject of foot traffic...pedestrians do not have the right of way over here.  You had better look carefully before you cross the street even in a crosswalk...oh yes and remember to look right/left/right, not the other way around! 

A Roundabout in Congleton...note the two dancing bears.

I love the roundabouts (rotary) where you drive around clockwise. The road signs show the circle of the roundabout and point to which exit will take you in which direction.  If you fail to take the turn off you want the first time around, just go around again! The roundabouts here in Congleton are groomed and bloomed all year round and quite beautiful! 



Our Betty!

Car insurance is expensive and you have to prove yourself a good driver and earn a yearly 'no-claims' rating before the cost of your policy starts to drop.  People here do not drink and drive...they arrange for a taxi to pick them up at home and take them to their favorite pub and come back at the end of the evening and drive them home!  If you do drink and drive and get caught, be prepared to lose your license as well as pay a fine. 

All car owners pay a road tax twice a year based on the size engine of your car...the smaller the engine the smaller the tax, and I might add that our little car costs about $150/6 months...yikes huh!  While we are on the subject of roads, they 'grit' the roads in winter (not sand) and only the main roads. Most communities do not have snow plows. Heck, most homeowners don't have snow shovels!

There is another good reason to have a small car...cost of petrol (gasoline) is just a tiny bit more expensive than in the states.  Last time I was at the petrol station with Eddie the sign read 1.34/liter which equates to approximately $8.00 a gallon.

If you are just learning to drive, a big white sign with a red L is placed on your car so everyone knows you don't know what the hell you are doing! 

I've yet to see a police vehicle running radar...there are cameras along the roadways to catch you speeding...you'll get your ticket in the mail.

The national speed limit is 70mph...but don't let that fool you, folks drive much faster than that on the highway and think nothing of driving 60 on the back roads! Oh yes, I have noticed that motorcyclists wear full leather jackets and pants, gloves, boots and very high tech head gear, smart thinking.  Off ramps on the highway are known as 'slip roads'.  All in all the drivers here are much more polite and considerate than in the US...just don't get in the way if they want to pass you on a back roads.

Taxes:  No 1040's or state tax forms to fill out here.  A portion of the taxes paid from your salary pays for your health care with the NHS.  I'll tell you more about that later.  VAT (value added tax), otherwise known as sales tax in the US, is added on at the rate of 20% (yes, I said 20%) to the ticket price, so what you see marked on any item is exactly what you pay...nothing is added on at the cash register. When you rent an apartment, flat, etc. you are responsible for paying the local real estate tax known as 'council tax', not your landlord.  If you plan to have a TV you need to pay a TV License fee every year at the rate of about $220 - they will find you if you don't pay.

Health Care:  The NHS is amazing to me.  We signed up at a local surgery (health center) where Eddie has always gone here in Congleton, and I made my application for an NHS number (took less than a week to get). 

I made an appointment so I could give them  my medical history and we could get started with the scheduling of whatever needed to be updated...at no cost.  First thing to do was to get a good blood workup done.  Easy, just took the paper the nurse gave me to the local hospital, took a number and a seat, the nurse (or sister) soon called my number and was all done in a jiffy...no cost!  The Dr.'s office called that same evening and asked that I come in the following day to talk about the blood results.  Now I know some of you are aware of this, so feel free to skip this part...seems I have a very naughty thyroid that doesn't want to function very well.  I now take meds for that in ever increasing amounts until the Doc says my blood tests are good then I can level off...cost of meds??? zero.  So it seems that most of us with naughty thyroids also develop type 2 diabetes's...I'm in that category.  : (    I'm working on getting that blood count down and am doing very well. We've made lots of changes in our diet as one would expect...I've lost 22 pounds with the help of my meds and new way of life.  We will see how things look when the Doc sees my most recent blood tests and when I see the nurse to check my blood count on Wednesday...hopefully all will be moving in a positive direction...including my blood pressure!!!   So all this and I have not paid one cent for anything!  Bless the NHS!  Most importantly, I'm feeling better (funny how you don't realise how crappy you feel until you start feeling better), much more like myself, and my energy level is finally coming back, yippee!  I have the best support in Eddie...no surprise there.

Supermarkets:  There are quite a few to choose from: Tesco, Sainsburys, Waitrose, Asda, Aldi, Morrison's, Co-operative, Farmland, and of course Marks & Spencers.  Even with that much choice of stores, it's been frustrating not to find some things here that were always on my shopping list back home like 8 O'clock Coffee, half and half, Cains sweet relish, Ben and Jerry's coffee heath bar crunch ice cream (you can however get Ben and Jerry's ice cream), Miracle Whip, Cream of Wheat, Thomas's English Muffins, American style natural casing franks, Kobe steak sauce, B & M baked beans, Excedrin, and Zycam. But having said that, I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful the fresh produce is here, from the cheapest store to the most expensive...the best I have ever had.  The fresh fish is fantastic, and the butcher shops are like stepping back in time.  One thing that really surprised me was to see eggs (all free range) not refrigerated, just on the shelves like other groceries. 

There are no deposits to be paid on bottles or cans and everyone does recycle. You won't see the likes of a paper bag at the checkout.  Most everyone brings their reusable bags with them and bags their own groceries. The cashiers are all seated and I might add very pleasant and helpful.  You can purchase cigarettes but they are stored out of sight behind doors at the courtesy counters and you do have to show id.  All the supermarkets sell beer, wine and the hard stuff, including shandies (mix of lemonade and beer). Most all the supermarkets have great web-sites where you can order your groceries (beer and wine too) on line and have them delivered to your house...you name the day and time!

Shopping:  Here are some important things to note. Most stores on the high street are closed on Sundays, supermarkets open for a limited number of hours with the exception of convenience stores.  Shoe shopping is great as the sizes are smaller ;)...I'll have a 6 1/2 please!  If you buy a digital alarm clock be prepared to read military time!  There is a little card and candy shop in town that sells Yankee Candles. 

Pedestrianized way in Congleton

This little town of ours has so many wonderful bakeries that sell everything from breads and pastries (I'll have a vanilla slice please, well not any more) to deli meats and cheeses as well as wonderful meat pies and sausage rolls.  There is also a vendor that sets up shop twice a week on the pedestrian way (no cars are allowed on half of the main street) that sells baked potatoes and an amazing range of toppings. 

If you are looking to buy beer etc you should look for a Bargain Booze store!  Oh and a package store is known as an off license. 

Market day is Tuesday in the town center where you will find a farmer's market, a fish monger, plus loads of other vendors selling everything from curtains to tools. Sunday morning is car boot sale (flea market) in the town center.  You can have use of a table (under cover) for about $10 for the day.

Restaurants:  You won't get the proverbial glass of water/salad and bread as you do in the states.  You are not expected to tip your server.  The food is, with few exceptions, very good and nicely presented.  You can get beans on toast and they do eat beans for breakfast...but not for me. There is hardly a restaurant - no matter what the fare - where you can't order chips (french fries) in!  Desert is referred to a 'pudding' and it's not usually pudding!

The beer that I have sampled has been excellent and cold. Pub food can be really wonderful - home made pies (meat and veg or fish) and soups. It's really nice to have a drive out into the countryside and find a new pub.

Housing:  Expensive - just like everywhere else.  The majority of folks live in semi-detached homes (duplexes) or terrace homes where they are all connected.  Some are literally right on the street and park their cars on the foot path (sidewalk) right in front of their door. Of course there are rows of cottages and little bungalows.  The big houses behind the tall hedges with stone fences and big gates belong the the rich and famous. In our neighborhood there is a mix of everything. Most have small front gardens (lawns) and a bit bigger back garden (yard), all of which are usually beautifully manicured with bushes, small trees and flowers.  We have an electric lawn mower that takes care of our front and back gardens in no time at all!

People use clotheslines more often than dryers when weather permits.  It's been almost 40 years since I've hung laundry out but turns out it's one of those skills you don't lose.

Inside the homes, well in general, you will find no clothes closets in the bedrooms!!!!! Buy a wardrobe or two!  You will also find no screens on the windows.  You don't get eaten alive by bugs here so you can open them a bit and let the breeze in - just not too wide or you'll have birds and all the neighborhood cats visiting you. 

Katy with her summer coat

Katy with winter coat

Pets: There are lots of dogs and cats and I can honestly say you hardly ever hear a dog  barking.  They are all very well behaved - good training! As you may know we have a lovely rescue cat, Duchess Katherine Rose Kennedy of Bridgewater, who is the biggest long haired tortie I have ever seen.  We adopted her from the local RSPCA who run the local shelter as it were.  It's not like Dakin's back home where there is an actual shelter where you can go and see all the pets up for adoption...no. Here you can view the animals online, then give the contact person a call and let them know you are interested in adoption.  They will send people out to your home to interview you, check out your home and neighborhood to decide whether you are a good candidate for adoption.  Then you can go to the individual pet's foster home for a meet and greet, pay the fee and  bring your little one home.  We've made contact to see about getting another cat...hope we hear soon!

People:  They are generally very friendly, polite and helpful.  It made me laugh when I first met one of our neighbors, Sheila, and she said to me "Oh I could listen to your accent all day"...people used to say that to Eddie when we were in the states. Of course, you know Americans, they think they are the only ones without an accent.  Funny how we speak the same language just differently.  You will be greeted with "Yalright?" not hi or how are you, and later or laters rather than see you later or bye. Then there is chalk and cheese vs  apples and oranges; Reception class rather than Kindergarten; and it's football not soccer; and ta instead of thank you. If you use the term pissed, you are not complaining that you didn't find a restroom or that you are angry with someone, but that you are totally intoxicated.

Here you can feed the birds all year round and you will have a yard full of doves, pigeons, black birds, robins (smaller here), finches, nuthatch, titmouse, wrens, starlings, jays (not blue but brown with turquoise blue on their wings), magpies etc.  But you won't have any black bears raiding your feeders because there are no black bears!  








Our neighbor's cat Biscuit napping in the summer sun.

View from our front door in January

Finally, let's talk about the weather.  You know back home in New England we would say if you don't like the weather, just wait a minute and it will change.  Huh!  You ain't seen nothin'! That saying came from here in the Northwest of England, I'm sure of it.  This is the land where winter gives you 8 hours of daylight laced with rain, hail, sleet, a dusting of snow and gale force winds. What is referred to here as British Summer is really a fight to the death between spring and autumn.  We've had a few days here and there with temps in the high 70's, even an 80 or so! When the sun shines it's glorious, but when it does not it's 60-65 with dull skies and fits of rain accompanied by blustery winds.  The lovely part of British Summer is the long days; it's light by 5am and the sun is setting at 9:30 or so.  All in all, dress for all possibilities and you won't go wrong.

I have learned a good bit in this last year and expect I'll learn more.  I highly recommend experiencing life in another country as it  gives you a greater appreciation and understanding of a people's culture and heritage.  My assessment is that the British people are dedicated to their family and community, don't need much of a reason to party, are very proud of their heritage, and they will always carry a grudge against the Germans.

One last thought in closing...remember to dial 999 not 911!

Cheers!

Linda



It's Always Sunny in Congleton...No, Honestly!

 

Just another day in sunny Cheshire...feet up!

Truth be known, it has been the wettest Spring ever recorded in England.  The weather forecast has been very coy... always shows a sun/cloud/rain drops...can't go wrong!  And, as it turns out, Summer is going to simply mirror spring along with the temperatures.  It seems like we may have had two or three summer type days temperature wise  (80 degrees), otherwise you can plan on high 60's-70 degrees.  Linda wore sandals one day!!!  But even having said all that, we are mighty happy to not have the hot dry weather that New England and most of the US has been experiencing this Summer.  Eddie remembers the many times people back in the States teased about how rainy it is in England and this year it has proven to be the case.

Having said all that, the lushness of the green we see whenever we travel through the local countryside has to be seen to be believed.  England sure does have a green and pleasant land as in the song 'Jerusalem' famously celebrates.  You would have heard lots of ohhh's and awe's from Linda as we drove down country lanes and saw all the little lambs.

Enough of the Brian Lapis impressions...the more attentive of you might have wondered what we have been up to since our last Blog back in March!  We have truly settled into a good routine of English life interspersed with little excursions here and there.  The recession being what it is and fuel prices triple what you might pay back in Massachusetts keeps us reasonably close to home.  Nothing wrong with that!  The area we live in is spectacular in its bounty of tourist attractions, events and historic sights. 

Two local beauties side by side.

A favorite sojourn of ours is a trip to Mow Cop.  Mow Cop is a little village 10 minutes from Congleton...straight up!  The drive up to Mow Cop Castle has to be experienced to be believed.  The steepness as you climb up is really rather spectacular in that the road actually disappears from your vision.  Mow Cop is on the boarder between Staffordshire and Cheshire and the Castle was built as a summerhouse in 1754. You can experience a 360 degree view of both the Cheshire Plain to the west along with the Pennine Moorlands to the east and the Peak District of Derbyshire.  We had a very peaceful time there just admiring the beautiful views and enjoying a quiet Spring day.

Linda celebrated her birthday in May and was taken to a lovely country pub called the Knot Inn just outside of Macclesfield.  Eddie treated her to a shopping spree at the Cheshire Garden Center...think Atkins Country Market - plus...where she treated herself to a beautiful hand painted coffee mug and a new purse! 

Another memorable event that happened in Congleton was the Olympic Torch arriving in town.  Fortunately Eddie had the day off and we were able to witness this once in a life time moment.  The Torch was due to pass through Congleton early that day and the crowds were happy to stand in the rain waiting for the great moment to happen.  A lovely young woman who is part GB Olympic team carried the Torch past where we were standing.  A lot has been said about the gross commercialization of the Olympics but being a part of moments like this made you realize what affect such a great event can have on a town and you as an individual. 

All the Congleton Bears were there to witness the Olympic event as well!

The month of June was a time for reflection, both on a national and local scale. England really was the place to be as the nation celebrated the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The flotilla that made its way along the River Thames was spoilt by the heavy rain. However, the Church service that took place at Westminster Abbey was very moving. The concert that was held outside Buckingham Palace got mixed reviews. Lacklustre performances speckled with the odd mime was disappointing. However, it wasn't all doom and gloom as the old favourites, namely Messrs  Jones, John and McCartney stood out. Not surprising when you consider they've all been knighted!

Here in Congleton we went to Congleton Park to participate in the local celebration. The "do" at the park was a family orientated event with lots of music and good food with rides for the kids . . . a good time was had by all. After going to the Park, we went up to a pub we've been to on several occasions for a bite to eat and to sample one of the local jazz bands.

 

Let us tell you about the Cheshire Show.  Imagine the Big E, the Cummington Fair and the Paradise City Arts Festival all rolled into one and twice as big!  It was the first time for both of us to go to this magnificent event.  There was everything from arts and crafts, local food, show animals being judged to jumping show horses.  This two-day event was wonderful to go to and a bit overwhelming at the same time.  We were, as the locals say, well and truly done and dusted by mid afternoon.  Fortunately for this show, rain held off, but others were not as lucky and had been sadly cancelled due to the muck and muddy conditions.

 

 At the  end of June Eddie's old primary school, Buglawton, held its 100th Anniversary with an open house.  We were excited to go and to take Eddie's mum as well as she taught there for many years.  Plus, Eddie's grandmother on his mother's side was one of the first pupils to attend this school.  It really was a lovely afternoon wallowing in nostalgia, as Eddie had not been inside the building for nearly 30 years.  It was truly a fun experience for Linda as well to meet many of the children, their teachers, as well as some of the teachers she had heard about from both Eddie and his mom. 

Eddie's mum is the lady in the light blue sweater. She is enjoying reminiscing with one of her old colleagues, Miss Taylor seated to her left.

A little piece of Massachusetts was seen in Mossley on the 4th of July...in the form of Sam Adams beer.  We has a bit of an inside picnic with Eddie's mom...lots of good all American food, ie burgers, dogs, potato salad and oh yes beer! We started the day listening to American radio broadcast from Chicago, shaking our heads to the complaint of how hot it was there in the windy city.  It's been lovely to keep in touch with everything to do with the Pioneer Valley via WHMP on-line.  Of course we continue to read bits and pieces of the Gazette as well. 

England is full of history as you know.  We were able to sample this up close and personal as we paid a visit to Quarry Bank Mill in the village of Styal.  Styal is close to Manchester Airport.  This mill is now part of the National Trust, an organization that maintains historic landmarks throughout the country.  Quarry Bank was once a thriving cotton mill during the 18th and 19th centuries.  It was  interesting to learn what life was like for the boys and girls who worked very long hours at the mill which also meant they lived away from their parents.  Although they were reasonably well taken care of for the time which included an education and health care, it was still sad to think they spent 12 hours a day 6 days a week working in the factory with a couple of hours of education in the evening.  Only Sunday was a complete day of rest for them. It was fascinating to see how the equipment and processes advanced over the years.  We could only imagine the noise and uncomfortable conditions they worked in with no heat and no ac!

If we still have your attention....we had a lovely time yesterday at the Congleton Carnival.  This is an event that encompasses a parade through the town and festivities in the local park.  It used to be a weekend-long event with lots of floats from local companies.  It has been going on for at least 50 years in its current form but much longer in reality.  Although there were not as many floats in this year's parade as there once were, it still is very impressive and great to see so many people participating and watching.  Eddie's family have all taken part in the parade stretching back as far as 1926 when his dad played Little Boy Blue sat upon a horse.  His mom rode on the Congleton Player's float back in the early 60's.  Bridget took part back in the early 80's and Eddie has been in it three times: once helping Buglawton School and twice with the Congleton Player's amateur theater group.

We ended the day by attending a preseason friendly game between Congleton Town  and their near neighbors Crewe Alexandra.  Crewe recently was promoted to the third tier of English Professional Football.  Although the difference in skill level was apparent, Congleton Town worked very hard and really did a good defensive job but Crewe had all the offence.  The game ended 2-0 in favor of Crewe.  And as you can imagine it began to rain in the second half but thankfully ended before the game did.

Some days it seems like we have not done much, but when you look back at all this, well we have done a good bit and had fun doing it all.  Hope you've enjoyed this latest edition of Linda and Eddie's Excellent Adventures.  Until the next time Good Night and Good Luck....Serenity Now! 

A Day Off with Linda and Eddie

We agree - leisure rules!

It's amazing how words can resonate. You all remember the old saying "sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me" implying that words don't mean much but they do! So, the words " a few days off" were greeted with great joy at the Kennedy household.

We've been here for six months now, and although we've settled back into the English way of life pretty well, we do miss Western Massachusetts. We miss our friends and family a lot. Ever the thoughtful couple, we thought wouldn't it be fun to give everyone in the great state of Massachusetts a virtual guided tour of the place we now call home. So we did!

The first video you'll see was filmed just after we'd been to the main Post Office in Congleton to pay the car tax. This is something that everybody who drives a car has to do. It gives you the right to drive your car on a British road. The price of the tax depends upon how big the engine is. This equates to the American Excise Tax. The difference being that the British version is governed by the size of the engine (1.5l or less gets you a smaller tax bill) versus the size of the tax being governed by how much the car is worth. You can pay for 6 months or 12 months.We chose the former. The cost is 90 pounds and seventy five pence, or $140 give or take.  It's way more expensive in the UK.

That gave a glimpse into the area of Congleton where Eddie used to call home. Now, let's go downtown and take heed of Petula Clark!

After that intro, we really need to go downtown don't we??!!

For our next video, we thought we'd take you to the area of Congleton where Ed's Mom taught for 20 years and which also happens to be where Eddie went to Primary (Grammar) school back in the 1970's . . .

For our final insight into what Congleton looks like, how about a trip to the area where we live and let's show you our home . . .

Yesterday, all our troubles really did seem so far away as we spent a beautiful Spring day in North Wales. We had lunch at a really rustic 17th century pub called The Stag Inn near Abergele. We then drove a few miles down the road to Rhyl, a seaside resort we've visited previously, and where Eddie and his family spent many a summer's vacation. We collected stones from the beach and enjoyed the sea air and the view, which you'll agree was very tranquil indeed!

We've enjoyed a week off together, spent some time with Eddie's Mom, helping her to get her spare room organized into a craft room. She's bought a great desk from Frenchie's, the place where we've bought a slew of furniture from. It's been nice to take a break from the "routine" and just relax together. We thoroughly recommend it! Eddie goes back to work tomorrow and Linda gets to finish the Afghan she's been knitting and start making some curtains. Let's leave it to the Kennedys - who needs Ward and June Cleaver?!

Hope to hear back from you soon, would be good to know how your lives are going . . . this shouldn't be a one sided conversation! To quote Larry David, we need to have a "stop and chat"!

Until the next time,

PS If you're interested, take a look at our other blogs when you get a moment www.motdusaway.blogspot.com and www.thelateenglishbreakfast.blogspot.com

PPS Tune in next time for the "official" tour of the Kennedy home  . . .

The State of the Union

A Warm “Howdy Doody” and “Hey up “to you all!

As they say on all good television shows, previously on “Linda and Eddie’s Excellent Adventure”, we mentioned that Eddie had been offered a position with The Automobile Association, working as a Customer Service Advisor in the town of Cheadle in Cheshire. Eddie accepted the position and was very happy to do so. He started on 21^st November.

In this economic climate, when the naysayers predict doom and gloom, it’s worth mentioning that Eddie was offered FOUR customer service roles. It has to be said that the power of the Recruitment Agency cannot be underestimated and a big thank you must go to Manpower based in Stockport and Manchester. 

He is now gainfully employed answering members’ queries from “What am I covered for?” to “What’s the weather going to be like tomorrow?” He’s also expected to sell products to existing customers. Rome wasn’t built in a day but Eddie’s doing OK with his new job. He’s still in training but has been upgrading policies in his usual “Steady Eddie” fashion! Pleasingly, some of his Customer Service Skills haven’t left him – the ability to build rapport with people is still there!

To give you some kind of perspective of how far Cheadle is from Congleton, think Hatfield to Springfield and you won’t go far wrong. The drive to Cheadle takes about 45 minutes, which is OK but he has had to leave home at 6.45am in order to be settled and ready for an 8am start. He gets back home around 5.30pm. It’s a long day and the weekends have been greatly appreciated by us all!

Meanwhile, whilst waiting for the job to start, fun and frolics still were the order of the day!! Once of these frolics was a visit to the Trafford Centre, located just outside of Manchester, after a lovely Sunday lunch in the pub.

The Trafford Centre is the mall to end all malls. You truly needed the floor map you could get to help you. It truly was an experience. Every well-known store seemed to be there, along with countless eateries and a huge multiplex along with a performance area. Our original intention was to see a movie (which we did) but the desire to poke in stores overcame us!

When we finally found the cinema, we were exhausted! The nice comfy seats were worth the admission fee. However, going to the cinema in England is way more expensive than back in the USA. The film we saw was Mr. Clooney’s political thriller “The Ides of March” which was wonderful, although some of the political nuances were lost on the English audience. On one or two occasions, we were the only ones chuckling at some of the references.

It truly is a magnificent venue to shop; however, you have to come prepared to walk a heck of a lot! Its design reminded Linda of a giant spaceship that has landed on old industrial ground. The prices also reminded us of the value of outlet shopping and reinforced our love of charity shops! You don’t have to shop in Harrods every day you know or Macy’s for that matter!

November 5^th is a day to remember here in the UK. It is Bonfire Night, or “Guy Fawkes Night”. It commemorates the day back in 1605 when Guy Fawkes tried to blow up Parliament in London. Bonfires are lit all over the country to celebrate the fact that he was caught before any destruction occurred. Congleton is no different. It was a carnival atmosphere at Congleton Park with games and rides for the children, good food and drink and a HUGE bonfire, lit as a brass band played in the background. A magnificent firework display rounded off a wonderful evening’s entertainment.

One week later, as in the States, Great Britain paid homage to its veterans with a parade through the town. Wreaths of Poppies were laid at the cenotaph in the town centre.  It is customary to wear a poppy around this time. There was hardly anyone who wasn’t wearing one.

We’re glad to report that around this time, our search for our first English home together was coming to a successful end, as we fell in love with 19 Bridgewater Close. It was abundantly clear that our time with Aunty Dorothy was coming to an end.  However, our date for moving in was still some time away. We always say “everything happens for a reason”. Our time spent, as you recall, perusing the internet in Costa Coffee (the upmarket “Starbucks”) proved to have more than just a silver lining.

We had become friendly with the staff, to the extent that they noticed us when we weren’t there at our usual time. One Saturday, we got chatting to the Manager of the store, a wonderfully kind man called Alec, and during the conversation our need for new lodgings became apparent. He came to us with the idea that his in-laws had a spare room at their home in a place called Knypersley, twenty minutes south of Congleton. He suggested we call his Mother in Law to chat about the possibility of us staying there. 

We’re so glad we did. We met and got on like a house on fire. We moved in two days later and had a great time with Marilyn and John and their wonderful dog Max. We made three new friends during our two weeks there.

Our new home, 19 Bridgewater Close, is set in a very quiet and respectable housing estate. Very clean, with a brand new boiler, it cried out for furniture! We’d looked at one place which was kitted out with everything that you could possibly need . . . but our chosen home gave us the opportunity to have the one thing we really wanted – a cat. Our new landlords permitted us to have one. That was the clincher in our eyes. Both of us are committed cat lovers, and virtually everywhere we’d looked at said no the idea of a cat. Thank you very much indeed Mr. and Mrs. Seddon!

You don’t have to shop in Macy’s or Harrods to get value for money. We’d discovered the joys of charity shops early in our return to England and a furniture charity shop was our next find. “Frenchie’s Furniture” located in Antrobus Street in Congleton, sold excellent condition, branded furniture for very reasonable prices. We weren’t to be disappointed. We bought an excellent dining table complete with eight chairs for only £175 and a two piece living room set for £140. The living room set is lovely, suede finished and chocolate coloured and is very comfortable – excellent for us as we do like a nap once in a while! Our kitchen was completed with a washer dryer combo and a fridge freezer. We noticed that British fridge freezers were minute in comparison to their American counterparts. Oh well, they do the job very well indeed and made the kitchen more like a kitchen. A friend of Eddie’s Mum supplied us with a microwave oven.

Small it may be but it is effective!

Of course, no living room would be complete without a TV. We bought ours and along with it ordered British Telecom’s version of TiVo. We now have a 24” colour TV with a great piece of equipment that lets you watch TV on demand and record shows with just the press of a button. So simple yet so bloody effective! We had what seemed like a long wait for this “TiVo” like piece of equipment to come, such was the demand, but it came, along with our internet connection and our landline for the phone we bought. It really is surprising how reliant you become on the internet without realizing it. The day we were connected to the outside world was a good day!

The day we were connected to the outside world came five days after Eddie’s 44^th birthday. Unable to get the day off from work as still in training, we both decided that it would be unfair not to do something. So we went to the pub! It was a pleasant evening and friends on both sides of the Atlantic sent birthday wishes, so that was nice.

Snow arrived in Congleton on the 16^th of this month. Congleton had what New Englanders would have described as a dusting. However it is noticeable that the British don’t cope too well with snowy driving conditions. Even Eddie feels like a seasoned New Englander now! The trip home from work that day took Eddie an extra hour; such was the drama of snow.

A Snowy Day in Congleton Town . . .

Our first Christmas in Congleton has been a quiet, peaceful affair. We were able to visit Eddie’s sister Bridget and her husband Gareth on Christmas Eve to give the presents to their boys Arthur and Robin. It was a fun time seeing the boys. Getting to know them was one of the primary reasons for moving back to the UK. These pictures will show you it was worth it.

Ed's sister Bridget with her baby boy!

Gareth and Arthur

Uncle Ed with Robin

Aunty Linda with Arthur

On Christmas Day we had Eddie’s Mum over for Christmas Day Dinner. Everybody enjoyed themselves and the meal was delicious! Special thanks must go out to Jamie Oliver – his recipes for stuffing and sprouts were winners and certainly had us feeling good about ourselves in a Charlie Sheen kind of way! “Winning” in the kitchen!

Christmas is a special time for people all over the world for many different reasons. Here in England being at the top of the charts on Christmas Day is a big deal. A song can be number one at Christmas for many different reasons. It can be because the band is just plain good (The Beatles’ “Hello Goodbye” was number one in 1967) or it’s a fun, novelty record (Benny Hill in 1971 with his classic “Ernie The Fastest Milkman in the West”) or because the song touches the heart strings.  That was the case this year with The Army Wives’ Choir song “Wherever You Are” hitting the top spot. We used to talk about this uniquely British phenomenon on our radio show “The Nightclub featuring The Late English Breakfast” back in the day on Valley Free Radio. Eddie will be giving his take on the subject in his next Music blog soon – be sure to have a look. In case you’ve forgotten, it’s www.thelateenglishbreakfast.blogspot.com

Our money has been needed for essentials these past few weeks so we’ve gone without giving presents to each other. As much as we would have liked to bought each other things, it’s given us the opportunity to experience a more spiritually enlightened Christmas this time. We spent Christmas Eve afternoon calling friends back home in the States. The joy we got from hearing friends’ voices was a great gift for us.

In order to truly appreciate Christmas, it does you good to go to Church. We’ve gone to Easthampton Congregational the past couple of years and this year we decided to go to Church again. We went to St. Mary’s Church in Astbury, a little village just outside Congleton for Midnight Mass. This Church is over 500 years old and is very beautiful. It has a long history – Oliver Cromwell once parked his horses there - and there are plenty of family buried or have their final resting place there. Neither of us has been to a Midnight Mass before and we both enjoyed the experience.  Linda noted that “O Little Town of Bethlehem” was sung to a tune she hadn’t heard before. Eddie thought “welcome to my Christmas world!”

St.Mary's Church Astbury

We really both think it’s done us the world of good to be spared the pressure of thinking what to buy each other, however, there is such a thing called “the sales” . . . .! We both get paid before the weekend is out so we plan to have a lovely day out on Saturday. A new haircut for us both is the pipeline as well. We’ll be sure to set the vision box to record Manchester United before we go – can’t miss the game! It’s been equally great to follow the Patriots courtesy of BBC Radio Five Live Sports Extra but to be able to finally see ANY game from the NFL on TV has been fantastic!

 Well, we’re caught up now . . . New Year’s Eve is nearly upon us. We hope all our friends across the pond and here in England have a safe New Year. 2011 has been an eventful year. Please, in honour of Hill Street Blues “be careful out there” and enjoy your New Year and please keep in touch with us. We will through this blog and our Facebook page but it really does make our heart smile when we hear from our friends.

Serenity for 2012 Eddie and Linda

Didn’t we have a lovely time, the day we went to Blackpool?!

 Experiencing Culture from the boards to the boardwalk . . .

Culture grows on you . . . wherever you are, you cannot help but feel immersed in it, whether it is highbrow or popular, culture is everywhere. In Congleton, the focal point of culture can be found at the Daneside Theatre.

The theatre, in existence since 1984, was once home to the theatrical aspirations of one John Edward Kennedy. Eddie was a member of the local Amateur dramatic society, The Congleton Players (known to the natives as “The Players”, for eleven years during the years 1993-2004. Recently we took in a play, the opening one of the season. It was produced and directed by a friend of ours, Pam Mien. The title of the play will be familiar to many of you. “Keeping up Appearances”, part of PBS’s (Public Service Broadcasting – the equivalent over there to the BBC) Sunday night line-up and now a BBC classic was perfectly cast. The cast on the stage that night did the TV show proud.  Onslow was a dead ringer for Onslow! “Rose” was as over the top as always, Hyacinth was her usual effervescent self and the rest of the cast was as good as you would have expected.

For those of you in the know and might remember, a trip to Blackpool was arranged by Eddie’s Mum before we left the States. The residents of the retirement home where she now lives, “Heath View” were excited to go. We whippersnappers were equally as excited!

Blackpool, that famous seaside resort that is “famous for fresh air and fun” really is homage to all things British. The coach trip was about two hours long, heading north up the coastline past the Liverpool area. Our schedule for the afternoon included entertainment from a gentleman who was an overweight 1970’s “Larry” from “The Three Stooges” look alike and played the keyboard with all the gadgets. His music managed to get the old folks dancing (a nice foxtrot always works – we would have marked them “7” (say that in a Len Goodman style for the best comic effect!) and when things really got going, the line-dancers hit the floor!)

After the dancing, the excitement refused to die down . . . it was bingo time! Unfortunately, there was no “Kamikaze Bingo” to witness, a shame as “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is so true to life! After we’d “eyes down” and “looky looky’d” (Fat 1970’s Three Stooges Larry’s words, not ours!) it was time for the meal. The formal dining room at The Park House Hotel was quite ornate and lovely. Our meal was soup to nuts, as Americans are prone to say! We both enjoyed what we had ordered; our plates were clean!

No trip to Blackpool would be complete without a stroll along the promenade. Eddie and his Mum hadn’t been there for thirty years and it was Linda’s first time. Seeing the legendary tower and all the arcades, it was like time had stood still. It reminded Eddie and his Mum of their trips to Rhyl, an equally famous British holiday resort in North Wales. Nonetheless, it was fun to take in the sights and get a lung full of sea air.

Blackpool is definitely not short of hotels. They are literally one after another, as far as the eye can see.  The names of these hotels were very exotic, as you’ll see from the pictures below.

The highlight of the trip was our drive along the sea front to see the famous Blackpool Illuminations. Before we set off, a gentleman got on our bus attempting to sell his wares – all of which lit up.  How successful was he? See for yourself!

The trip back was quiet, everybody being tired after a long day out. We finally got back to Congleton at about 9.30pm. Everybody had had a good time and we were very pleased to have gone with Eddie’s Mum and we showed our appreciation by taking her out to Sunday lunch at a place that is quickly becoming a favourite of ours, a pub called “The Fool’s Nook”.

Uncle Ellis, Eddie’s Mum’s brother, invited us to join him and his lady friend Jane to a local club last Saturday night. It’s known as “The Band Club” and that night truly was a night to remember. We arrived early, the band “Nostalgia” was tuning up and people were slowly arriving for their Saturday night entertainment. For more details on this wonderful night out, check out www.thelateenglishbreakfast.blogspot.com . All we can say is that it was a wonderful night’s entertainment and it was gone midnight when we got home!

Today (Wednesday) we shopped at Asda. Asda is owned by Wal-Mart. It was a great shopping experience. There were bargains galore. For instance, we bought two portions of Salmon for our evening meal that cost us the equivalent of $5! Beat that Stop and Shop if you can!

Tomorrow, we plan a trip to Altrincham, a place not a million miles away from Manchester Airport, to watch Manchester United’s reserve team ( in the US, they would be known as the “farm team”). We are both excited to finally get to go to see members of our team play. Eddie’s talking about some of these players in his football blog www.motdusaway.blogspot.com  Eddie took Linda to a couple of these games on previous visits.

In the midst of all these cultural experiences, Eddie has been offered a job as a Customer Service Advisor with the Automobile Association, based in a place called Cheadle here in Cheshire. We’re hoping that the job will start in mid-November.

We have begun looking for our new abode, and what we have seen so far has run the gambit from wonderful to what the . . . ???!!!! We’ve high hopes of looking at another property soon. Of all the places we’ve looked at so far, sadly only one allows pets.

The weather is turning decidedly autumnal. Winter is not far away. We know winter is looming ominously because the desire for carpet slippers is so great we bought some today at Asda! Very comfortable they are too!

Until next time,