Listen here, Cellar,

[grynch]

I've been called many things ( some unprintable ) while in England but I do have to say... never a *merkin*

ok... time for stories?... I was once bought a pint of beer in a pub ( I think in Dorset ) from an old timer who heard my accent -- he said it was pay back from when he was a kid and American soldiers would give him the occasional chocolate or hard candy back when they were billeted in his village.

[Sundae]

We had a discussion about the war here somewhere.
I was very much of the opinion that it was the height of bad manners for Americans not even born at the time to claim to have saved me from speaking German (this I do still believe).

But I asked my Grandad - who lived and worked through the Blitz because he was refused the chance to serve for health reasons - and he said that the Americans did save us. Note - not that they won the war, that was a joint effort. And we (Great Britain and the rest) had fought bloody hard to get to the tipping point. But that the Americans came in with all the money, the equipment, the man-power, the ammunition, the bravdo that came from not being embroiled since the start.

He and Nanny were in catering and frequently stole from the Americans because their families were so hungry. And large.

60 years after he still sees Americans as heroes.
So there you go.
He'd buy you a pint too. If he wasn't in a nursing home in Aylesbury, rather than a pub in Eastbourne.

[grynch]

Aylesbury.. there are worse places to be.... lovely little pub there just across from the stone circle.


EDIT.. or am I thinking Avebury ?

EDIT II, yep.. Avebury with the stone circles

[grynch]

are you starting to notice how a lot of my stories involve pubs?...
I walked into a pub in Essex ( Harlow maybe ) and the whole place was decorated with model Lancaster bombers.. RAF memorabilia..., etc..
so nosey yank I asked...
turns out there had been a Lancaster base there back when.
When I told the few locals that my dad had worked in a factory in Canada ( where we are from originally ) building / repairing Lancasters I couldnt buy another beer until I staggered out sometime much later than mrs. G expected me to.

God Bless all the old boys...and the new ones... I saw a TopGear last night about some Afghan amputee-vets preparing to do the Dakar rally

[Sundae]

I have an Aylesbury thread if you're interested.
Many aren't
You can skim through and look at the photos though - I give you permission.

Despite the fears on some websites, American tourists are not disliked or despised here.
I know I'm preaching to the converted, but it's always worth saying.
I come across it reasonably often on travel websites "Should I tell people I'm Canadian when travelling in Britain? A friend of a friend of a friend was forced to walk because the bus driver hated Americans annd the whole bus cheered as she got off with her children who were crying."

Okay, not really that dramatic, but the fear seems to be there.

[grynch]

sure ... post the thread please ...
and yes in certain circles the "ignorant american" does exist
I told one of by brothers once I was driving from High Wycombe to Cornwall and when I told him it would take 4-5 hours he was amazed.. told me he didnt know you could drive 5 hrs. in England.

ummm.............ya.

[grynch]

and again... speaking of tourists I'm off to lunch and a bit of tourist watching

maybe I can help some young pretty backpackers adjust their straps.. or something.


BBL.

[Sundae]

Just use the search facility.
I need some lunch too.

Maybe I can readjust my cat...?

[DanaC]

Originally Posted by grynch

are you starting to notice how a lot of my stories involve pubs?...

Evidently you have been wholly assimilated into British culture...


It never ceases to amaze me how much of our culture is pub related. Of course, there are solid historical reasons for that, since they were, for a long time the public spaces for community at a time when private dwellings amongst the labouring classes were cramped and ill-lit affairs, and when a minority of people could read (lots of stuff was read allowed at pubs during the 18th and 19th centuries). But they've stayed very firmly in our culture into the modern age.

Every leisure actvity, or 'hobby' I have engaged in in my adult life has resulted in drinks at the pub. Caving and potholing (very minor flirtation, it was my brother's hobby) always ends in a pub (my favorite of which was The Martin Arms in Ingleton). Same thing when I hooked up with Our Kid after a climbing trip, and after he'd been diving, and after his parachute jump.

Joined a political party, and yes the meetings were held at the party HQ. But whenever we went leafletting, we all met at the pub after our round and gave in our left over leaflets and so forth.

Where are the poetry readings held? Library? Maybe I dunno, never seen any. Pub? Yes. Yes indeed. That'll do nicely. A storyteller you say? A proper old skool teller of tales? Guess that'd be at the pub then right? Yup.

[grynch]

it's something we Americans don't really have ... the corner pub.... certainly not in the British sense.

( that should start some arguing with the N.American contingent )

[Clodfobble]

We don't have a "corner" anything, except maybe that one gas station at the entrance to the housing subdivision...

[Pico and ME]

When we go out to eat, I usually like to sit in the bar of the restaurant. There's usually no waiting and now that smoking isn't allowed, I prefer its ambiance to that of the dining room.

[Trilby]

Pubs, drugs and money, gynch.

your stories involve pubs, drugs and money.

I'm keeping track.

[grynch]

Please dont forget my chauffeur bri !!

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

We don't have a "corner" anything, except maybe that one gas station at the entrance to the housing subdivision...

Originally Posted by Pico and ME

When we go out to eat, I usually like to sit in the bar of the restaurant. There's usually no waiting and now that smoking isn't allowed, I prefer its ambiance to that of the dining room.

I sit with my back to the wall where possible.
It's my SAS training.