What's OK in UK

OK, I know it’s been over a month since my last post – a relief for readers, a break for worn-out me.  To prepare for my two-week Hilton genealogy trip to the UK, my sweetheart asked me to clear the garage, and convert my office to a guest bedroom for grandchild sleepovers.  After six years of carefully collecting all that I shall ever need, it was a chore.  Backyard improvement and finding the garage door opener also faced the deadline.  So that explains my neglect and ... bad back.  Good luck!

Having sufficiently recovered (walking, not running) just in time, I flew 8/7 (7/8 in UK) with my generous client neighbor to Amsterdam and Manchester, enduring the pain with the help of some smashing on-board movies.  I learned a lot.  Delta or KLM lost a lot, namely my big checked bag, dutifully delivered to our hotel two days later.  I managed OK in UK, as I was savvy enough to have packed critical items in my carry-on luggage.  No problem, mate.

As you know, “The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a sovereign state in Europe.”  – Wikipedia

And, of course, “The U.K., made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, is an island nation in northwestern Europe.  England – birthplace of Shakespeare and The Beatles ...”  – Google

(We passed the carriageway exit to Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon, in my hurry to get on with research straight away.  Mrs. Cannon, my favorite English teacher, would have stopped to pay homage to the "Bard of Avon."  The Beatles Story museum below our hotel in Liverpool was a must-see, however – just a few steps away.  OK, with limited time in UK, it was a matter of priority.)

What else is OK in UK?

The blessing of lovely, cool weather for two weeks, with a few nice sprinkles of rain in England.  Good fortune to have my patched, second-hand London Fog jacket from Salvation Army, to not look like a tourist.

My driving our VW on the wrong (I mean left) side of the road most of the time – quickly correcting at other times to avoid head-on collisions.  (My PTSD has finally abated.)

Super-fast traffic flow, as we were in a hurry to find our way to libraries, etc.

A plethora of roundabouts (traffic circles) with endless opportunity to see the four or five exit signs over and over again, then decide which way by process of elimination.
A shared sense of humor and calming of nerves.

British-speak, a sort of foreign, fast language with slang you can now learn on YouTube:

bloke (man)

half six (6:30)
football (soccer)

motorway (freeway)

smashing (very good!)

rubbish, dust bin (trash can)
bob in, pop in (arrive unexpectedly)

mate (buddy – usually a male stranger)

lovely, straight away, sorry (excuse me)

gent’s toilet or lavatory (men’s restroom)

booking (hotel or restaurant reservation, e.g.)

All-I-can-eat buffet “cooked” breakfast at Premier Inn hotels, our favorite research headquarters.

McDonald’s fast food, familiar service and toilets, saving time for more research – “I’m lovin’ it.”

Poundworld stores (like my beloved Dollar Tree in America) where everything costs a pound, and tourists find things forgotten at home or not allowed through airport security.

Staples office-supply store across the street from our Preston hotel – so helpful!

Unlimited photography allowed at Lancashire Archives in Preston the first week, for a reasonable fee of five pounds per day.  (With fast, free photos in other libraries added to that, I captured a couple thousand images of ancient documents and books that apparently have never been microfilmed/digitized.) Such a deal!

A metered parking place by a football field over a mile away from the British Library and train station in busy central London – OK because I was smart to have bought new walking shoes before the trip.  Energy fare at McD by the station – our comfort food.

North Wales, a beautiful world with everything bilingual (Welsh and English) – especially in the library at Prestatyn (pron. Pres-STAW-ton) town on the coast.  The best fish-&-chips shop and eight-room hotel in all of UK.

Walking up and down Norfolk Street where my ancestors, the George Cannon Family, lived by the Liverpool Waterfront.  (The neighborhood is now old commercial; a new 4th-floor terrace provides a commanding view of the area,)

Last but not least, the historic Liverpool Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where we made an unexpected contact with a Hilton family member, and gained some new friends Brother Hilton and I will never forget.

Feeling the Spirit there.  Memories to last an eternity.

OK, not so fast, I know; but I felt compelled to share as I forget the painful moments, and recall the lovely times.

Liverpool Waterfront, River Mersey, and ferry to Isle of Man