Questions for our UK HPphiles

[Anne]

Hi all, I'm just getting into writing my own HP fan fics (after 
reading a great many by other HP fans) and would appreciate help on a 
few details. First, the word PUDDING. In the U.S. it usually applies 
to a specific type of food, which can be eaten as a dessert or a 
snack. Does "pudding" just mean "pudding" in Britain, or does it 
mean "any kind of dessert-type dish eaten after the main evening 
meal"? 

Second, are there "generic" phone numbers in Britain? Here in the US, 
the "generic" telephone exchange is 555 (so no phone number starting 
with 555 is identifiable to any specific person because the only 
phone number that starts with 555 in the US is 555-1212, which 
is "information" for each area code). Did that make sense? What, if 
anything, is the generic British equivalent of 555? I admit to being 
totally clueless about UK phone numbers.

Please feel free to respond off the list rather than cluttering it up 
with replies.

Anne U
(who figured 867-5309 might fall on deaf ears in an HP fan fic)