[HPFGU-OTChatter] Visiting the UK

Sun Jun 20 15:03:33 UTC 2004

[Lee]:
OOOO--Can I carry her luggage? Please? Before I'm 60 (that's 15 more years)
I'd love to tread British soil. :-)

[Jo continues]:
| First off, whether she likes it or not, I'm going to take her to
| Christ Church college, Oxford, where they filmed the staircase and
| hall for the HP movies! After that, well I'm spoilt for choice. Of
| course I asked my sister but she doesn't seem to have any preferences
| (or at least she won't express them!!).

[Lee]:
I can understand that; five days isn't near enough and decisions can be
huge! <Chuckle.>

Is she an HP fan? Take her to some of Harry's stomping grounds, i.e. King's
Cross, etc.

If I were going to England, I'd also want to see some of the castles
(especially any purported to be haunted)  I'd also want to go to Cambridge
University at Oxford to the King's College Chapel, but I'm a real King's
College Choir buff...hopeless! :-)

Honestly, I'm not a "touristy" tourist; I enjoy just hanging out and
experiencing the culture as it really is, not that which is meant for the
tourists.  I'd want to have a day or two in a simple Bed-And-Breakfast, not
in some grand hotel...but, again, I'm a bit older than your half sister. :-)

Food-wise, I'd be hard to feed when it came to traditional English fare; one
would have to substitute poultry for the beef & pork...or else. :-)  But,
since curry does abound, I'd be a most happy camper. :-)

[Jo continues]:
| I figured at least some of you must have been tourists here at some
| time or another and maybe you could tell me what she really 'should' see!

[Lee]:
I know in the US we have things like a "Convention & Visitors" center or
something like that where you can get brochures and maps and things designed
for tourists; don't know what the equivalent is over there.  But, I'd
probably hardly use them. ;)

[Jo again]:
| Also I'm not sure what to do about alcohol???? Her parents don't drink
| at all although they have said its OK if she does, a little!!! They
| want to prepare her for other cultures and experiences in a safe way,
| which I agree with, but I'm feeling its a *big* responsibility. From
| my own experiences at college every year we'd get a new intake of
| American students and the first thing they would do is head for the
| college bar and get very drunk! I'd like my sister not to feel she had
| to do that!!! My own background is that from around the age of 12 we'd
| be able to try wine, beer etc to see if we liked it, a couple of
| mouthfuls at most. Then from around 14 we could drink beer, cider,
| watered wine when supervised at social occasions. By sixteen most of
| my circle of friends were drinking in pubs (although the legal age is
| 18), I think this is perhaps not where my sister should start! So any
| suggestions as to what would be appropriate???

[Lee]:
My rule of thumb is when in doubt, don't; however, perhaps an occasional
"treat" while you are with her would be okay, but keep it to one per
session.  I'd say not to drink every night, but a few "treats" while she's
there, keeping it to nothing harder than beer or wine, etc.

Perhaps, let her taste something you're drinking; if she likes it, then she
could try one for herself; you'd hate to purchase something and end up with
her hating it. :)

[Jo]:
| Many thanks

[Lee]:
Most welcome! :-)

Cheers,
Lee :-)

Do not walk behind me,     | Lee Storm
I may not care to lead;    | N2FGC
Do not walk before me,     | n2fgc at optonline.net (or)
I may not care to follow;  | n2fgc at arrl.net
Walk beside me, and be my friend.