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London Hotels: 26476 Reviews - 43592 Photos
Manchester Hotels: 1858 Reviews - 3206 Photos
Birmingham Hotels: 893 Reviews - 1197 Photos
Torquay Hotels: 112 Reviews - 138 Photos
York Hotels: 1737 Reviews - 3335 Photos
Liverpool Hotels: 1439 Reviews - 2070 Photos
Blackpool Hotels: 533 Reviews - 758 Photos
Bournemouth Hotels: 213 Reviews - 382 Photos
Chester Hotels: 508 Reviews - 1033 Photos
Newcastle upon Tyne Hotels: 894 Reviews - 1384 Photos
Scarborough Hotels: 279 Reviews - 390 Photos
Brighton Hotels: 1079 Reviews - 1563 Photos
Nottingham Hotels: 424 Reviews - 775 Photos
Bath Hotels: 1006 Reviews - 1898 Photos
Canterbury Hotels: 523 Reviews - 911 Photos

England Local Customs

New Thatch

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New Thatch
by balhannah
New Thatch
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Oast house home
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Handsworth St Marys Church and Sword...
by suvanki
Handsworth Sword Dancers
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Most Viewed Local Customs in England

51.

Fish and Chips York

3 Reviews Britains most popular hot take away meal is Fish and Chips. This tasty combination is usually eaten with salt and vinegar; in Scotland sometimes with a special brown sauce. The favourite fish is Cod,...

See All 50 Local Customs in York

52.

Pronunciation Oxford

3 Reviews Oxford has some intuition-defying pronunciations. If you really want to sound like a native you'll have to say Bay-lee-ill for Balliol (college), Bod-lee-inn for Bodleian (library), Maud-Lynn for...

See All 52 Local Customs in Oxford

53.

Geordie - language Newcastle upon Tyne

10 Reviews Perhaps more than any other in the country, the Geordie dialect can seem impenetrable to a non-Geordie, (a Geordie being a native of Newcastle). The differences between this and standard English...

See All 32 Local Customs in Newcastle upon Tyne

54.

English Pubs York

2 Reviews While people generally know pubs because of the beer, they are inexpensive places to eat. There is an asociation called CAMRA who works to preserve old pubs and after buying their guide I visited...

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55.

May Day Oxford

4 Reviews May Morning is one of Oxford's most popular celebrations. Very many Oxonians (and tourists) party the whole night through only to gather on Magdalen Bridge at the unchristian time of 5.30am. The...

See All 52 Local Customs in Oxford

56.

girls...girls...girls Newcastle upon Tyne

2 Reviews You may notice when you visit Newcastle that there is the occasional coat shop....This is for Tourists only who think Newcastle is cold.... All year round in Newcastle on a night time you will see...

See All 32 Local Customs in Newcastle upon Tyne

57.

Punting Oxford

1 Review Punting is a very popular passtime, particularly in the summer. I think punting is exclusive to Oxford & Cambridge - I've never seen it elsewhere. It's a lot more difficult than it looks - have a look...

See All 52 Local Customs in Oxford

58.

beer...beer..beer Newcastle upon Tyne

5 Reviews Newcastle Brown Ale is the best known beer from Newcastle. It's been brewed in the city since the 1920s and it's famous blue star logo has been there since the start. It’s available on draught, in...

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59.

Rowing Oxford

1 Review Rowing is one of the most popular sports at Oxford, and amongst the colleges the competition is fierce. Whilst the drawbacks of rowing are all too obvious - early starts at 6am, training 7 days a...

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

How to get served in a cafe.

by leics

Now, this is a difficult one.You need to observe what is going on around you.Some cafes have waitress service (rarely males), some don't.If there is no sign saying 'Please wait here to be seated'and no-one comes up to you as you enter, then just find a table. It's best not to sit at an already-occupied table, although no-one will say anything and it is more common than in pubs. Usually we say 'Is this seat free?' before we sit down.If yo can see no obvious waitress, then go up to the counter and order what you want. You may or may not be expected to pay at that point. Your food may or may not be brought to your table. You may have to wait for it to be given to you.As I said, it's difficult......there is no one rule. Even we Brits have to work it out when we go in. Watch what other people are doing.If there is waitress service you might want to leave a tip (although it is no longer usual...

How to get served in a pub.

by leics

English (and Welsh, and Scots) pubs are special places with their own way of doing things.You can buy and drink alcohol a the age of 18. You can drink beer or cider with a meal at 16 (as long as it is purchased by an adult).Children are sometimes tolerated in pubs, as long as they have 'family rooms'or 'restaurant'rooms. Otherwise, it is expected that children will not be in the bar area. The law states that a child must be 14 to enter a pub, but this does not apply if there are special rooms as previously mentioned.The landlord or landlady has absolute power in a pub, and can decide who he or she will serve. They can refuse to serve you if they don'tlike the look of you, if your behaviour is inappropriate or if they think you have already had too much to drink. It is important that they keep their pubs orderly, for their licences have to be renewed every year. A poor reputation means...

Traditional Pub

by deeper_blue

England is synonomous with public houses (or pubs) try the regional ales or cider for a true taste of England. The best pubs are often the old rustic style ones that offer pub lunches.Since 2008 smoking has been banned so you can enjoy a pint in clean air.Some of the names are highly original.

Remembrance Day and poppies.

by leics

The First World War ended at 11am on the 11th November 1918.It was a bloody massacre and, for those soldiers who returned to the UK with terrible injuries, there was no old-age pension and little in the way of army pension. Times were hard for everyone, but the plight of these wounded veterans was trule dreadful, and recognised as such For this reason the Royal British Legion was set up and began to sell artificial poppies to be worn in the lead-up to Armistice Day (as it wa then known). the money was (and is) used both to provide an income for the families of those wounded or killed in action and to provide employment for some of the veterans.The red poppy was chosen because it bloomed in its thousands in the muddy, bloody battlefields of Flanders.Since then ceremonies have been held to remember the dead of all the wars in which the UK has since fought. They happen everywhere, in...

Yew trees in churchyards.

by leics

Yew trees are evergreen and extremely long-lived (the oldest one in the UK is around 3000 years old).Their leaves and berries are deadly poisonous to humans and animals alike.They were very important indeed in pagan religion, symbols of transformation and rebirth, great protection against evil and a vital part of Druidic belief.You'll find yew trees of great antiquity in many English churchyards. Why? Well, the story is that they were deliberately planted to stop people grazing their animals on sacred land.But many of them are older than the church buildings. So it's probable they were already in existence on a pagan sacred site when the Christians came along and appropriated it for their church.As for the younger trees......well, maybe they were planted as a protection against evil spirits? Perhaps just a memory of ancient beliefs, or maybe evidence that pagan beliefs lingered alongside...

Coffee

by leics

Prompted by a VT friend, this is a brief tip about coffee in England (and the UK generally).It's not about multi-nationals such as Starbucks, Cafe Nero, Macdonalds and so on. You all know what type of coffee you will get there.But what about pubs/cafes/restaurants?Well, until a couple of decades ago 'real' coffee was pretty unusual anywhere in the UK: we just drank the instant type (liquid or powder to begin with, then freeze-dried granules later on). And many people (including me) still do drink instant coffee rather than ground coffee, at home and at work. We have no tradition whatsoever of drinking espresso: we like our coffee to be a long drink, like a cup of tea. So, unless you are in a cafe/pub etc which actually offers espresso you'll get a normal sized cup of coffee as in the photo. Mostly, nowadays, it will be ground coffee...but sometimes it may still be instant. Depends where...

Hassocks

by leics

It occurred to me, whilst wandering round one of our hundreds of ancient churches, that visitors might not realise what hassocks are (or what they are called).So:Hassocks are rectangular, quite hard cushions which are found in front of pews (the wooden bench seating in churches). Sometimes they hang from small pegs, sometimes they lie on the floor. They are to kneel upon when you pray. Nowadays not everyone kneels to pray, but everyone did so until a few decades ago. I do think it is interesting that English churches decided to make the process gentler on the knees.......perhaps it is because we live in such a chilly, damp climate? The hassocks are often decorated in tapestry or cross-stitch created by the ladies of the parish (the area that church looks after), but no doubt many of them are factory-produced nowdays (the parish ladies perhaps too busy to do such things?). Designs can...

Cornish pasties

by leics

The 'Cornish'pasty is now found everywhere in the UK. It started off centuries ago as an easy way for Cornish miners to take their lunch to work. The story goes that they could hold the pastry with their filthy hands whilst eating the est of the pasty, then throw it away. Maybe so, maybe not.A layer of shortcrust unsweetened pastry is wrapped around a filling of diced meat (usually beef), onion, sliced potato and swede (although other vegetables can be added). It is baked, and can then be eaten hot or cold. Traditional pasties are usually crimped (squeezed together by hand, as in the photo) and are most usually the shape in the photo. Originally, each ingedient waas separated by a pastry 'wall' (sometimes with a final section filled with jam for 'pudding'), but now they are all mixed together.Sometimes you get pasties made with puff pastry (pastry made with extra fat, so it is flaky) and...

Toasted teacakes.

by leics

Teacakes are a sort of flattish, sweet (not too sweet) bun with raisins in the mix. You'll find them in most bakers' and supermarkets (although, like everything, those made in factories are not as good as those made by independent bakers).They are quite pleasant just halved and spread with butter but far, far better if toasted and then slathered with butter (or any butter substitute, if you must) and eaten whilst still warm from the grill.Although traditional 'high tea' fare, a cup of tea and a toasted teacake goes down very well anytime. Especially after a long winter walk.......

Conkers

by leics

'Conkers' are the fruit of the horse chestnut tree....not the edible sweet chestnut type.We have lots of horse chestnuts in England. They are not native (although many people think they are). John Tradescant and his son (also John) were horticulturalists in the late 1500s, and they introduced the horse chestnut to England (along with many other plants and trees). Their story is absolutely fascinating (it is also the basis for what is now the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford) and well worth researching.But here in England conkers are an essential part of childhood. The spiky green cases can be split open to reveal beautifully shinny reddish-brown seeds.....impossible to resist the urge to collect as any as you can! Almost all of us have had a shoe-box (or several, over the years) full of of slowly mildew-ing conkers underneath our beds, until parents finally insisted they should be thrown out...

Top 3 Hotels in England

The Montague On The Gardens London

5 Reviews and 1067 Opinions The concierge was fabulous, the hotel very grand, and despite the rooms being small they were...

Hotels in London

Radisson Edwardian Manchester Manchester

4 Reviews and 929 Opinions I had a great time there. Stayed due to business 4 nights in the hotel. Staff was great, friendly...

Hotels in Manchester

Guy Fawkes Inn York

4 Reviews and 233 Opinions We went to the pub new years gay. I ordered the fish and chips and found a lump of metal in the...

Hotels in York

11,961 Hotels in England

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Reviews and photos of England attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for England sightseeing.

Experience England

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Local Customs: Cities in England

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Questions and Answers

Q: Hi! We r planning to go Paris from London on 16th June Saturday by eurostar. We r planning to stay at L'Elysee Val D'Europe hotel...

A: Lookin on google maps I notice that the L'Elysee Val d'Europe is basically sitting on top of a railway station. It's not the station where the Eurostar stops, but that is...

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England Members Meetings

Feb 27, 2012: VT-meeting - evening meal
Jul 01, 2012: SHEEP DAY 2012
Jul 07, 2012: SKIPTON CLOGFEST
Aug 04, 2012: Olympics Meet!

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