Pound, Pound, Pound Goes Down, Down, Down

Not to be a downer, but it is becoming painfully apparent that the economy is on a serious downturn. Employment is going down, debt is going up, and everyone is trying to dig themselves out of this mess one way or the other. So how is this affecting London and the UK as a whole?

This afternoon, I was interested to see how the pound was doing against the US dollar and what I found was shocking, at least to me. For the last several years, it seems, the pound fared much better than its US counterpart, coming in at almost twice the value. Today, though, this is no longer the case. As of this writing, the pound is down to 1.4 times the US dollar and I suspect that it may continue to fall before it goes back up again.

So, what does this mean for UK tourism???

My inclination is to guess that, if us Americans can actually afford the airfare to get over to the UK, there will be more of us spending our hard-earned dollars in the country to take advantage of this opportunity to cash in on London food, fashion, and fun without too much pain in the pocket. But that is a big "if." Right now, judging by how much vacations and tourism have slipped lately, this is seeming less and less probable.

With all this financial struggle in the world, what can we do to ease the burden? The following is a work in progress, but here you will find a list of suggestions for how to stretch your pound as far as it will go:

• Take the time to shop for cheaper off-brand items at stores like Iceland, Asda (the UK version of Wal-mart), and Argos. Argos actually has some great deals on electronics and appliances; you just have to queue twice - once to order and another time to pick up. Given the current state of things, I'd say it's worth it. Come on, you can wait. It won't kill you. I promise.


• Enjoy the fresh fruit and vegetables on offer at the outdoor market in your neighborhood. There is some good stuff; you just have to look for it.


• Take out all the money you plan to use this month in cash and only use that. No credit or debit cards.


• Find a flatmate if you don't have one, and if you already do, make more of an effort to shut the lights off and take shorter showers. This will at least save you in the utilities department. This one is pretty obvious, but I figured I would say it anyway.


• If you need to exchange money, do it at Marks & Spencer or the bank, not at the airport.


• Never travel without an Oyster card. It is much cheaper than single fares, not to mention you don't have to wait in line every time you want to take the train somewhere.


• If you can manage it, walk. I know it's hard; this coming from someone who often gets winded walking from the bedroom to the kitchen. Your bum AND your wallet will thank you.

If you have any suggestions for things to add to this list, by all means leave a comment below and I will make the necessary additions. I am by no means an expert; I'm just trying to get by like the rest of you sad sacks.

News of the Day

Thusfar, this has been a pretty dreary day in the news...

Sex Offenders Missing? According to the BBC, an account from the Metropolitan Police stated that there are 112 registered sex offenders who are "currently recorded as missing." I don't think I need to speak of the impact this will have on families in London. In a day and age where tragedies like Madeleine McCann's disappearance are dominating the news on a daily basis, this is clearly the last thing that we need. As it stands, there are 3700 sex offenders in London. This means that over 3% are currently or had been missing. There are far too many children on the Child Protection Register, and the fact that 3% of those who have offended have gone unnoticed is alarming.

Haringey Council Senior Officers Sacked? Three senior staff members of the Children's Services team in Haringey have been suspended due to the negligence surrounding the Baby P case, sparking a universal review of child protection policies across the board in England. For those who are not familiar with this case, the baby in question, who was on the Child Protection Register, was a 17-month-old little boy who died after suffering serious injuries at the hands of his mother, her boyfriend, and a lodger. All have been convicted of charges related to his death and are awaiting sentencing. As a result of this incident (and rightly so in my opinion), all child protection officers will be subject to unannounced inspections. As a former council employee myself, I can attest to the importance of this decision, and hope that in the future a more strict limit on the case load of workers will follow. This would truly go far in helping to chip away at the cases of negligence in child welfare work.

And now on to lighter stories...(You didn't think I'd leave it on a sour note, did you?)

At a time when sales all over are dwindling and the economy's tanking has left many in a state of depression...

Take That's album, entitled "The Circus," was released yesterday to record sales. 133,000 copies on day 1 is not too shabby if you ask me, and it was enough to land the group in the number 1 spot for highest first day sales of the year. That's right, folks. Take That de-throned Coldplay. Shocking, I know. Considering the year is almost over, I think it's safe to say that this is a pretty favourable position to be in.

In another strong opener, Four Christmases, starring Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn, has knocked Quantum of Solace out of the top spot and earned the top spot at the UK box office. The latter was trounced by almost ₤1 million. If that isn't a statement about society I don't know what is. The world would rather watch reality shows and comedies about divorce than sink their teeth into a James Bond action adventure.

So this leads me to pose a (not-so-serious, yet thought-provoking...maybe) question: Are we gluttons for punishment, happy to laugh at the misfortune of others, or just coming to terms with the current realities of life and having an honest laugh? Think on that one, kids, and I'll be back sooner than you can say "marmite."

Pardon Me, But Do You Have Change for One Pence?

If You Have Any Cents, You Will Read This:

Have a handful of strange looking change and completely lost as to how to actually buy something? By now you should know that I won't leave you hanging.

Here is a little crash course on British money. Once you learn it, it will be engrained in your brain forever like the last time you walked in on your teacher kissing your dad.

Pence: No, this isn't just an outdated made up word used in old movies stereotyping our dear friends the Brits. It is actually a real word for money. The closest thing to it would be the US or Canadian penny. Pence is often abbreviated as "p" both in writing as well as speech, as in "You can buy that apple but it will cost you 50p." You will probably also hear someone abbreviate the price by skipping the word pence (as in "What a bargain! That chair only costs five pounds twenty." This is another way of saying that the item costs 5 pounds and 20 pence.).Unlike in the US, there are coins for 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, and 50p.

It has just come to my attention (today, in fact) that there has just been a redesign of all coins including the 1 pound coin (which we will cover next) and excluding the 2 pound coin.

Pounds: You could liken a pound (GBP) to a dollar, although the pound is worth about twice what a dollar is these days. You may hear someone refer to pounds as "quid," which is just a slang term meaning the same thing. Pounds appear in the form of either a one pound coin, a two pound coin, or in notes.

Notes: This is a fancy way of saying paper money. Notes come as £1,£2,£5,£10,£20,£50, and (in Scotland and Northern Ireland) £100. £1,000,000 and £100,000,000 exist but are only used internally in the banks; they are not actually circulated to the public. Notes are very colorful and perhaps smaller than you might be used to seeing.

Wikipedia does a great job at explaining the various shapes, sizes, and looks of the UK currency. You can search for pound sterling, coins of the pound sterling or Bank of England note issues and you will see pictures and explanations for each. You can even search "quid" and find out the history behind the slang.

If you need to convert from your native currency to GBP (Great Britain pounds), here is the currency converter I use:http://www.xe.com/ucc/. It is very straightforward and you can also covert to or from other currencies. I would strongly recommend that you check the exchange rate before you leave and during your trip if you are concerned about how much your money from home will get you, since the exchange rate is ever-changing.

If you decide to wait until you get to England to exchange your money, I suggest not getting it at the airport since you will pay a higher fee. The British department store Marks & Spencer does it for free and you are sure to find one on High Street in whatever city you are in (this is the local equivalent of a "Main Street.") If not you can visit the bank but this tends to mean longer queues (lines) and more hassle. When you are leaving the area you can change your money back if you have some left over.

Here's What's Hot

You can't spend time in London without taking notice of the incredible talent that radiates from the area. British artists from virtually every genre are a force to be reckoned with. I will use this space to share with you some of my favorites. Check them out, and if their albums have not been released in your country yet, find them on MySpace, Facebook, or iTunes:


-Lily Allen (seen on the left): This feisty (or as the British would say "cheeky") Brit may only be 23 years old, but she definitely has a lot to say. Pay particular attention to her songs entitled "Smile," "Friend of Mine," "Littlest Things," "LDN," and "Knock 'Em Out." On second thought, just listen to the whole album.

-Nerina Pallot: This huge talent has not released an album in the US but she is a rising star in the UK. I became a mega-fan with the release of the first single off the album "Fires" - "Everybody's Gone to War." This tune is pretty thought provoking and deep considering the light tone of the music itself but her voice is amazing.

-Kate Nash: I would liken this singer to a Lily Allen sort, but she has her own vibe going on. If you listen closely to the lyrics of her songs you can tell that she doesn't take herself too seriously, and I like that. The titles of a few of her songs tell you as much: "Pumpkin Soup," "Mouthwash," and "Merry Happy."

-Corinne Bailey Rae: We haven't heard much from her in the way of new material lately, but if her hit singles "Like a Star" and "Put Your Records On" are any indication, she'll be back on the scene with a vengeance.

-Leona Lewis: I can't complete a roundup of the hottest British stars of the momentwithout mentioning Leona. She is blazing up the charts in the UK and US with "Bleeding Love" and "Better in Time" and has made quite a name for herself as of late. I think I speak for everyone when I say that I look forward to hearing more of her.

-Natasha Bedingfield: As an update, I can't believe I forgot to mention Natasha. Her raspy voice and tunes, which are sometimes just catchy and other times quite meaningful, are only a few of the reasons to watch her. She also happens to be an amazing performer live and I have never seen her out in public embarassing herself like celebrities often do.

I'm not sure of all the dates these chicks are coming to a town near you, but here are a few things I have found:

Leona Lewis Tickets

Lily Allen Appearance

Natasha Bedingfield Tickets


I found these tickets at a great site called VIP Tickets, so check back there every so often for tickets to shows that may have sold out elsewhere.

My Favorite Sites and Blogs on London and Travel

If you are daydreaming between meetings (I would NEVER encourage you to detract time from your work of course!) and thinking about your next dream vacation, I thought I would list for you a few of the blogs and sites about London and travel in general so that you have something educational to pull up on your BlackBerry! (That and so you have a comeback when the kids on the playground are taunting you about your lack of knowlege on the finer things in life like scones, cream crackers, and tea...)


Consider me your official "cruise director." Stick with me, kids, and I won't steer you wrong:

http://www.londonenglandtours.net/: This is one of the better sites I have found on the internet where you can learn about a lot of the different touring options in London and book tickets online in the same place.

http://blog.reserve123.com/: This blog site provides you with pictures and commentary on different tours around the world. London is one of the featured locations on there right now and there are several tours mentioned that are worth considering for when you are in the Greater London area.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/default.aspx: If you are concerned about how you're going to get around on your trip to London, visit this site and study up.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/: You can get everything in one place at this site, whether it's celebrity gossip, world news, or info on the 2012 Olympics in London.

And finally...

If you have ever or would ever consider MOVING to London, http://www.stuckinlondon.com/ will give you the info that you need on prices, transport, jobs, and accommodations.

It Don't Mean a Thang if You Ain't Got That Slang

I thought it best that I start off this page with a guide to British slang. Some of it is humorous and some just helpful to understand on your travels so you don't get caught unawares. I will make updates to this list as I learn more, but these are just some I picked up living in Croydon.


Slag: prostitute


Spliff: a joint


To nick: to steal


Skiver: slacker


Take the mick(ey): to make a joke at someone's expense


Happy slapping: An adolescent, violent prank that involves smacking a person in the face, usually strangers, and filming the victim's shocked reaction on mobile video phones.


Taking a piss: making a joke at someone's expense


Having a laugh: again, making a joke at someone's expense


(Am I seeing a pattern here??!)


Pissed: drunk


Pants: something that sucks


Spluttering: when you cough or sneeze and spit sprays out


Wally: an idiot


Prat: an idiot


Not a sausage: nothing


Got the hump: when someone is being moody


In a strop/stroppy: when someone is being moody


Lost the plot: when someone's gone crazy


Palava: in a bit of a situation or "pickle" if you will


Off your face: very drunk


Hooter: nose


Gob: mouth


Git: unlikeable person

Greetings and Blogutations!

Hello readers,

This blog is dedicated to the time I spent living and working in London. While I no longer live in the area, it has left a lasting impression on me and I wanted to share some of the highlights that the city has to offer. My research on events and attractions in London is ongoing as my obsession with British life continues.

I decided to create this blog with the intention of spreading my love of all things British. My love affair with London began in 2005 when I moved my life overseas for a job opportunity. I left the area in 2006 and now live back in the US. I will share with you the places and things that I did on my travels as well as some suggestions for things to do in the area right now based on my own experience as well as advice I have received from friends, family, and others who currently live in or have recently visited the UK. The opinions expressed herein are those of myself and those closest to me. If you happen to find an inaccuracy or want to have a healthy debate about something you see here, feel free to comment and visit often for updates.

Thanks for reading!

-The LondonYorker