I recently revisited the United Kingdom for a couple weeks of facilitating sales classes and sidebar movie meetings in London and Manchester.
As I do with every visit, when I wasn’t working I was exploring. I am a poster child for the African proverb that says if you want to move swiftly—travel alone. Doing so provides me plenty of time to observe, learn, and think. On the road I am a swiftly moving target.
I have traveled a lot—well over two million miles across all continents except Antarctica—and every trip is its own chapter of life. The world has made me who I am — a better man — and that is a debt I can never repay.
This particular overseas chapter, despite the worst English weather in recent recorded history, was a good one. Since I have been to the UK many times and can navigate central London better than my hometown, I meandered about applauding and grimacing at what has changed and tried to figure out why I like going there so much.
Listed below, in no particular order, are twelve reasons.
Football (soccer). The game is the heartbeat of the male culture. The best in the world gather to kick it around in the Premier League, which showcases the wizardry of foot soldiers who run the equivalent of a 10K race every game. After the game, many are known to run even further much chasing girls, regardless of their marital status. “Rapscallions” we call them.
Newmarket, the Rowley Mile, and the beauty of the gallops. I love horses and the horse business and Newmarket is a magic little place – the Lexington of England – and every visit, whether to a farm or the glorious races, is magic. What a treat this little hamlet is for those looking for a giftwrapped magic box to open on a holiday.
Fish’n’chips. Atlantic cod or haddock are staples of this stock meal for the working class. The meal and cultural staple blossomed from the development of North Sea trawl fishing in the latter half of the 19th century and was enabled by the development of railways that connected ports to major industrial cities.
Because fresh fish could be rapidly transported to the heavily populated areas, mass distribution of deep-fried fish – a cooking method introduced into Britain during the 16th century by Jewish refugees from Portugal and Spain – soon spawned a massive and ongoing industry.
The first fish and chip shop was opened in London by Joseph Malin in 1860. The offering caught on. Fried battered fish and what the west calls “French fries” became a staple for generations. Cod is scarce these days so prices are high, but if you’re going to order it up – get the good stuff.
Golf courses. It rains a lot throughout much of the United Kingdom, so nature is golf’s primary agronomist. Golf is different in the UK than the States and different is good. Open to the elements and quirky contours of land and green, UK golf is a thinking man’s game.
A player must make five times the number of decisions as he or she must in the States, so playing is really a lot of fun. Golfers also walk, which is good for the soul and fitness. Golf is a treat, even for a casual player, and marvelous courses abound.
Happy ducks and greenery. It’s green over there and green is good. Grass grows, flowers bloom, and greenery and scenery wonderfully meld. Rural rolling hillsides are peaceful and orderly, therapeutic and reassuring.
Roundabouts. Instead of traffic lights, roundabouts move the traffic. These are so superior to traffic lights it’s hard to compare the two. Whoever decided stopping cars at right angle intersections was smarter than keeping it moving around circles never experienced both.
Pomp’n’circumstance. Brits make a big deal out of noteworthy accomplishment and those who achieve gain special, earned respect and deserved recognition. This is admirable. British pomp is reserved for those birthed into royalty or who have earned their notoriety through true achievement. Reality TV stars need not apply. Touche!
Central London and the West End. Central London is flat and easy to navigate. The West End theater district is reminiscent of Manhattan and Nashville: there are a lot of extraordinary talented people working side jobs while chasing artistic dreams. Shows are first class and options abound. If you like buzz and high energy, the West End has it.
Postal codes. A GPS never had it so good. Every location has an alphanumeric code that lets you beeline right to it. The codes are usually just six digits and make exploration simple. While city taxi drivers still need to pass a rigorous exam that demonstrates a working knowledge of where everything is located, others rely on a GPS to make sure they go directly where they’re headed.
Wimbledon and strawberries and cream. Tradition, sport, pomp’n’circumstance, and civility — all wrapped up into one. One of the world’s truly great sporting events.
Trains and transit. The tube (underground subway) can shoehorn you around London if you don’t mind the sardine approach to travel but overland trains move millions every day. An intricate spider web of routes makes cars an option, not a necessity. Travel is simplified. Because of this Brits walk more than Americans, similar in style to San Franciscans.
Village facets and charm, accented by history and classic architecture. The United Kingdom has way too many charming facets to list but suffice it to say every hidden village has a secret. Even small towns have brilliant architecture and signature attractions. You can set out exploring in any direction and soon see something worth the trip.
The modest downside
There are no perfect places and the UK challenges inexperienced travelers with things like the impact of high taxes and a more expensive cost of living than what most visitors are accustomed to.
Rather than throwing money at things like we tend to do in America, the cost of maneuvering through the UK forces value decisions. A heavily taxed retail and resale society, visitors need to make decisions on how best to spend their money. Money burns quickly for the unthinking.
But it could be worse. Singapore was recently named the world’s most expensive of 130 surveyed cities, followed by Paris, Oslo, Zurich and Sydney. London was 15th, Manchester 49th.
The UK has to import all its petrol, so fuel-efficient cars that get 50 mpg even turned loose on motorways enable the high cost of fuel ($9 or so a gallon) to cost the same per mile as it does with gas guzzler and cheaper gas in the States.
The big cities are also dealing with skyrocketing prices of urban housing, fueled largely from legal and illegal foreign money. Affordable housing is a big, growing problem, so increasing numbers of British homes are populated by three generations sharing the burden. Also skyrocketing are illegal backyard storage sheds rented out to families of foreigners.
Because of relatively open borders and permissive immigration, the United Kingdom is comprised of not just Brits but also people from other places who happen to live in Britain. While immigrants provide a lot of blue-collar labor, they still impact the job market and place a burden on social program funding.
Foodies might struggle too. Better than it was a generation ago, food and ingredients are still not the best. Also discouraging is that far too many true British pubs are vanishing with alarming speed, like rhinos in southern Africa.
The prevailing Big Brother “Gotcha!” mentality can also be a bit annoying. There are 1.85 million CCTV cameras installed around the UK, so those who navigate a city center will be recorded 300-to-600 times per day. The average person outside city center will be captured 70 times. Like it or not, cameras are everywhere. Whatever you do, someone is watching.
But these are inconveniences and small prices to pay while visiting a wonderful place. Whenever the opportunity presents itself, treat yourself and go. Whether England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland — or proudly independent Ireland — you are sure to have a lot of fun.