UK Musings

My usual post holiday summary and reflections.

The people in the UK (England, Wales. and Scotland) are very friendly and courteous people. I know when you go away you usually stay in service oriented places, but we found even in the areas where you were back in the "real" world, the people were simply awesome.

Driving whille initially a little confusing with the naming conventions became easier one you understood it better. The real issue for tourists is that there are few direct links to where you want to go because the UK is littered with roads, all fairly short by comparison to Australia, so you are constantly making turns and changing roads to get to your desitnation. The naming system also lends itself to a vey clear delinieation of driver expectations. "M" roads (3 lanes each way, seperated) are always 70mph, unless signed otherwise for safety reasons (roadworks, congestion - using variable signs); "A" roads are 60mph or 70mph if they seperated ( less if otherwise signed - LIOS); "B" roads, are 50mph LIOS; and all other roads are 40mph LIOS; built up areas are 30mph LIOS such as villages, schoool zones etc. They use the black circle with back line sign to indicate a road reverts to its default limit. Such a simple to understand system, nothing like the confusion of Australia where limits chage for seemingly unknown and stupid reasons. For the most part except for "M" roads and "A" roads with 70mph limits, hardly anyone exceeds the limits. you simply cannot, to maintain the speed limit would have you driving on the edge of limits constantly, and in quite dangerous circumstances.

Drivers are also very courteous, no need to have laws for buses pulling out, drivers just let them, though most roads are so narrow. you have to wait behind them anyway. Merging on highways is pleasant, drivers just move over to allow slower traffic in, then move back.  Faster vehicles in fast lanes slow down because they know slower vehicles will move back. If a slower vehicle is in your way, sinply let them know with a flash of lights, they move over. Makes Australian drivers look shameful and aggressive.

London's public transport system is superb, tube and bus services so easy to use and navigate, getting around was simple.

I think the most alarming part of this holiday was the intrusion of mobile phones into people's lives and the feeling of sadness of how they are missing out on everything around them. On more than one occasion we saw couples or families sitting in splendid locations to eat a meal that was nothing short of excellent, all staring into their phones, not even conversing. On the few occasions that I used my phone at a meal table, it was for planning purposes (so we were talking about what I was doing on the phone), or simply to photograph our meal for posterity, since they were that awesome.

The other thing I found is how so self absorbed people are, and ignorant of people around them. For example I may be setting up for a photograph, and people will just walk straight in front of you and prop to take their own, without looking around to see who may have already been there.

Or what I refer to as iZombies, people walking around so absorbed in their phone, they are missing out on the experience of where they are.

Unsocial media at its best.

In summary the UK was brilliant, we should have spent a few less days in London, you can cover the major sights in a few days. A few more days in Wales and Scotland to explore more would have been really brilliant, and an extra day each in York and Norwich, both of which we had no pre-conceptions of, but were surpisingly great places to visit. We also felt that staying only one night in most places was too hectic, two or more would have provided a more stable and grounded feeling. The places we did stay at 2 or 3 nights or more felt more homely and cosier, though you cannot complain about some of the places we did stay at, but an extra night would have been even more awesome.

LHR 2 DXB 2 BNE

Well we're finally back.

<rant>Only one issue that relly is a complete crock. I hadn't told Lorraine what everything was that I had purchased. So she inadvertently packed a corkscrew into carry-on. To their credut Heathrow let it through understanding the mistake, however at Dubai, they confiscated it. Why a completed crock? Because both legs of the flights with Emirates we were served meals with metal cutlery, metal knife, metal fork, metal spoon.  All implements that are infinitely more threatening and dangerous than a corkscrew. A knife can be used as a screwdriver to disassemble and assemble something, so surely that would be considerably more dangerous to allow passengers to have.

Then after getting off the plane at Dubai, they immediately put you through security. NFI why beause you just left a secured airplane from a secured airport area, the security people having no clue how to deal with disabled people, treating my things with complete disregard. Then prior to boarding they put you through another security check before you board the plane. So they let you buy things like water for the flight then confiscate it with no warning.  Sorry Emirates, it is the last time I will ever waste money with your airline, you only got our money this time because of the Hong Kong problems. Take a leaf out of Singapore Airlines and Changi Airport. At least SA staff look like they enjoy their work, and Changi treat disabled people with respect, Emirates make you feel like a hindrance.</rant>

Anyway, it was an absolutely awesome holiday, we had no issues at all (aside from above), and we will look forward to our next holiday hopefully next year, not sure where yet.