England Local Customs

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Most Viewed Local Customs in England

126.

Fish and Chips   York

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,... 

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127.

Pronunciation   Oxford

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... 

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128.

Geordie - language   Newcastle upon Tyne

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... 

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129.

English Pubs   York

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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130.

May Day   Oxford

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... 

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131.

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

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... 

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132.

Punting   Oxford

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... 

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133.

beer...beer..beer   Newcastle upon Tyne

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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134.

Rowing   Oxford

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

Delight in a delicious cream tea... w/discretion?

by marinarena

One shouldn't departed from England without having a cream tea, a treat of assorted scones, luscious clotted cream and jelly, with a cup of milk tea. My first true cream tea was in Devonshire, arguably the birthplace of cream tea. Tradition is to cover the scones with the cream about equaklly on both sides of the pastry. Using butter, depending on how tea gathering ettiqutte, should be omitted at the table. Judge this at your discretion. Butter was no matter for me. The cream was fine alone and I cut back on the jelly. One has to hold back with something in this indulging affair.

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Traditional English Foods Part 2 - Sunday Roast

by mollymoo0oo0

The Sunday Roast is another staple tradition on the English menu... which I feel, however, is still most often disappointing in restaurants but best tried in the home!! (especially my mum's kitchen - though I'm not sure she has space for all of you, tee-hee). Otherwise, I suggest you explore rural England and villages for a good taste of this meal.Basic essentials are: meat (often chicken/beef/lamb/pork) plus potatoes and at least 2 other vegetables. Plus lashings of gravy!! Beef is often served with horseradish sauce and Yorkshire Puddings (which are not in fact puddings at all! round and bowl-shaped, made from a similar batter mix to pancakes and very yummy)Lamb works well with mint sauce; pork with apple sauce.

THE RED LETTER BOX

by DAO

There is nothing more recognisable, more truly British than the Red Letter Box. Not only are they a symbol of Britain, they also tell their own history. Just looking at a letter box allows you tell how old it is and a bit about British history. The modern Royal Mail was organised in the reign of Queen Victoria. You will find the first and oldest letter boxes have the letters: VR which means Victoria Regina (reign of Queen Victoria). The letter box was introduced in 1840 following the reforms which brought in a universal and affordable postage rate. The postage stamp was invented to allow for postage to be pre-paid so people did not have to travel great distances to post their correspondence. Anthony Trollope started the first system of roadside, locking pillar boxes and collection times. He started the system in the Channel Islands. London’s first letter box was placed at the corner of...

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TIPPING IN RESTAURANTS

by DAO

We don’t tip in Britain. Get over it. There is a reason there is no place to leave a ‘gratuity’ on credit card bills or your server tells you not to bother. In the UK service workers are paid full wages unlike restaurant waiters in North America. I should know; I was a waiter! Tipping can be severely counterproductive here. Also, if you do tip, especially by card, the tip is kept by the owners! The staff will never see that. There are also a lot of establishments that put a 10% ‘Service’ charge on already. So you could end up ‘tipping’ the owners twice! Do not do it. If you really feel the need, slip 5-10% in cash DISCRETELY to the server. By the way, don’t expect good or fast service. Welcome to queuing.

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Halloween

by Elodie_Caroline

Contrary to what some people may think, Halloween didn't come from America, it originated in the British Isles out of the Pagan Celtic celebration of Samhain. On this day, it was believed that spirits rose from the dead and mingled with the living. The Celts left food at their doors to lure good spirits and wore masks to scare off the evil ones away.When the Romans invaded England, they added a few of their own traditions to the celebration of Samhain, which celebrates the end of the harvest and the honoring the dead. Centuries later, the Roman Catholic church established November 1st as All Saint's Day, in celebration of the saints who didn't have their own holy day, this was done to detract attention from the pagan celebration of Samhain, but it didn't work, so the celebrations on the eve of All Saint's Day continued evolving,

Traditional English Foods Part 8 - Christmas!

by mollymoo0oo0

So, at Christmas time in England there is traditionally a huge feast of food on the day of 25th December, which is probably considered the most important date in the Christmas calendar.A typical Christmas dinner consists of:- Roasted Turkey, potatoes, Brussel sprouts, and other vegetables (e.g. carrots, parsnips). - Cranberry sauce (delicious with turkey!), chestnut stuffing, little sausages wrapped in bacon... - Plenty of gravy!Around 10 million turkeys are consumed in the UK each year!!!And for dessert......As if you are not already stuffed full with the dinner, there is a suitably stodgy pudding for after too :)Christmas Pudding (not a favourite with everyone, but certainly a tradition).... - A dark brown-coloured pudding with raisins, nuts and cherries which is steamed. This is served with custard or brandy sauce.Brandy is usually poured over the pudding, and set alight as it is...

Traditional English Foods Part 5 - Fish and Chips

by mollymoo0oo0

Fish and Chips is the great traditional takeaway food... once at the top of the list above curries and now relegated to second place. This is basically fried fish in batter - usually Cod, Rock, Haddock or Plaice - served with an often generous portion of chips (to which salt and/or malt vinegar or tomato ketchup may be added). Best sampled from a takeaway, especially by the seaside!! here is a link to some reviews on 'chippies' (fish and chip shops) in London with another one here, to include the 'Rock and Soul Plaice', which I like and is the oldest chippie in town

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Traditional English Foods Part 6 - Shepherd´s Pie

by mollymoo0oo0

Shepherd´s Pie is traditionally made with lamb, and it´s partner - Cottage Pie - made with beef.I, however, have only ever eaten this pie with beef and have always known it as Shepherd´s Pie. I suggest that´s what you will find if you are looking to try this dish.The basic principle of the pie is minced meat with vegetables, covered in a mashed potato topping and then baked in the oven. Easy to make, and adjust according to numbers, it is a delicious and hearty meal, great for cold winter nights... and it was my favourite dish as a child.So I offer you one of my recipes:*Ingredients*1 onionminced beef (or lamb, if you prefer)2 carrots, slicedWorcestershire saucetomato puréepotatoesgrated cheese*Method*Fry the onion until clear, and add the minced meat. Once browned, add some tomato purée and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Add the carrots and allow to cook.Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in...

Traditional English Foods Part 4 - Marmite

by mollymoo0oo0

Marmite is an indescribable tasting thick sandwich spread made from yeast, and is known by it's slogan 'you'll either love it or hate it'. This is true, and I recommend all to try it at least!! It's vegetarian - sometimes compared with Australian Vegemite (which I feel is not so good) and best served with Cheddar cheese on bread and then toasted - a cheese and marmite toastie, yum :)

Traditional English Foods... Curries??!!

by mollymoo0oo0

So, England is not famed for a fantastic cuisine, however there are a few things that seem to be staple foods that I think about on any return to visit... I have had to split these into several tips as I exceeded the maximum word limit!!In recent years, surveys have shown that the most popular food is in fact curry!! Thanks to our Indian incomers over the years, the English palate has become well accustomed to the taste and has often demanded an increasingly spicier kind of dish... and so, in fact, there are some curries which have been created and developped in England itself - such as Chicken Tikka Masala... see more info hereIn most parts of the country, it will be fairly easy to find a place with Indian foods, and ingredients to make your own at home are often readily available in shops, even supermarkets.

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The Montague On The Gardens  London

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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... 

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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... 

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The Place

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

Experience England
Local Customs: Cities in England
  1. London Local Customs
  2. Manchester Local Customs
  3. York Local Customs
  4. Birmingham Local Customs
  5. Oxford Local Customs
  6. Liverpool Local Customs
  7. Blackpool Local Customs
  8. Newcastle upon Tyne Local Customs
  9. Bath Local Customs
  10. Cambridge Local Customs
  11. Brighton Local Customs
  12. Nottingham Local Customs
  13. Bournemouth Local Customs
  14. Bristol Local Customs
  15. Torquay Local Customs
  16. Chester Local Customs
  17. Sheffield Local Customs
  18. Scarborough Local Customs
  19. Canterbury Local Customs
  20. Eastbourne Local Customs
  21. Leeds Local Customs
  22. Newquay Local Customs
  23. Whitby Local Customs
  24. Windsor Local Customs
  25. Portsmouth Local Customs
  26. Stratford-upon-Avon Local Customs
  27. Plymouth Local Customs
  28. Coventry Local Customs
  29. Lake District National Park Local Customs
  30. Reading Local Customs
  31. Weymouth Local Customs
  32. Durham Local Customs
  33. Cheltenham Local Customs
  34. Salisbury Local Customs
  35. Dover Local Customs
  36. Richmond Local Customs
  37. Exeter Local Customs
  38. Kingston upon Hull Local Customs
  39. Folkestone Local Customs
  40. Halifax Local Customs
  41. Derby Local Customs
  42. Weston-Super-Mare Local Customs
  43. Warwick Local Customs
  44. Gloucester Local Customs
  45. Greenwich Local Customs
  46. Saint Ives Local Customs
  47. Kingston upon Thames Local Customs
  48. Winchester Local Customs
  49. Norwich Local Customs
  50. Middlesbrough Local Customs
  51. Oldham Local Customs
  52. Skegness Local Customs
  53. Southport Local Customs
  54. Peterborough Local Customs
  55. Tunbridge Wells Local Customs
  56. Royal Leamington Spa Local Customs
  57. Ipswich Local Customs
  58. Hastings Local Customs
  59. Stonehenge Local Customs
  60. Barrow in Furness Local Customs
  61. Glastonbury Local Customs
  62. Stockport Local Customs
  63. Wimbledon Local Customs
  64. Leicester Local Customs
  65. Sunderland Local Customs
  66. Southampton Local Customs
  67. Ely Local Customs
  68. Clacton-on-Sea Local Customs
  69. Shrewsbury Local Customs
  70. High Wycombe Local Customs
  71. Bognor Regis Local Customs
  72. Watford Local Customs
  73. Hereford Local Customs
  74. Swindon Local Customs
  75. Skipton Local Customs
  76. Berwick-Upon-Tweed Local Customs

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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... 

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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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