An Englishman returns to England

Making the most of a long American weekend, and in recognition that the weekend is probably to be the last holiday weekend that my wife Taney & I will be waiting for our daughter, on something of a spur of the moment, flew back to England to visit family for a 5 day, 4 night stay.

I have not been back to the UK for 3.5 years, and on that occassion for a family funeral. While I have been making America my home, my parents moved from the house I grew up in, my brother and his family moved from north London to South Wales, and my grandmother of 93 years young, moved from her home to a residential home for the elderly.

The family had grown, I had a new nephew already 3 years old that I had never seen while other newer members of the extended family who were toddling last seen, had grown, walking and talking and developing their own personalities.

Perhaps expats do over romanticize their memories of time living in the UK when they move overseas. Returning after such a length of absence was much more of a reality check but more importantly an opportunity no matter how brief to meet and hug family members that are important to me. This visit was all about people.

Here are a few observations:

1. Arriving at Heathrow, I joined the long line of visitors passing through immigration, this gave me a moment to look at what the best dressed immigration officers were wearing and compared to my daily office wardrobe. M&S Shirts, ties and trousers were clearly in evidence. Outside during the remainder of my stay I noticed there seems to be a style of wearing collared shirts opened at the top with ties worn low. It looked scruffy and unprofessional.

2. Perhaps it was the jet-lag. Taney & I took a long walk in the warm "heatwave" of a late summer weather that settled over England and Wales during our stay during our first afternoon. Our first walk the afternoon of the first day along streets of a town that I had lived in myself for eight years seemed familiar but not normal. It was the rip-van-winkle syndrome, as though I had woken up after sever years and although I recognized much, my orientation was off, cars for instance I had not seen before drove the streets, shops in the high street that once existed had gone, replaced by a growing number of charity stores. Even the simple things such as the marketing image of a candy bar was radically different, although the layout of the local Woolworths remained the same. We took a long stroll to a pub in a park, where half a pint of warm beer was the order of the day. Ummm one thing I had missed!

3. The Times. Not London Chimes but the Times and the Independent had reduced in size from broadsheet to tabloid size. Somehow it did not look quite right.

4. The cost of living. Six pounds plus for half pint of beer and a martini and lemonade, seven pounds plus for two return bus tickets to St. Albans... ordering one crispy aeromatic duck and pancakes a southern chinese delicacy and not peking duck for two was a small fortune and reminded us both how expensive eating out can be in the UK and why we did not do this very often.

5. Petrol / Gas Prices. Staggering! And certainly explains why most cars available on the British market and visable on the motorways are smaller and more compact than family sized vehicles in America where gas is on average one pound per gallon.

6. Ordering food. I never slipped up and ordered hot tea with milk, but I did slip up in a very nice Welsh restaurant for Sunday lunch and when asked what did I want to drink had the reply "everything".

7. Back in the pub. For a second time in 2 days, this time with my wife, brother and sister in law, on a Saturday night, I had forgotten what it was like to stand at the bar (for ages) waiting to be served, and then watching the barmaid ask a colleague how to make a martini and lemonade, while other gents, actually welsh rugby players jostled around you waving tenners and twenties to get attention, while my brother and I waited.

8. A myriad of english accents. I was warned this would happen, after not hearing english accents in great numbers (above 6) for a long time, I was taken aback by the Hertfordshire accents, and indeed my wife's American accent. There was one thing in particular that surprized me, the loose use of profanity and swearing in everyday language. Don't get me wrong, it has always existed, but living in America where such language is hardly ever used in daily language, it was a shock.

Our visit was too brief, it was lovely to spend anytime with my family and I saw them all. Have some memories from my trip and a collection of photographs. Not forgetting a huge haul of Ribena, KP Skips and Cadbury's chocolate.

For once the weather was wonderful, for early September. The area of South Wales where my brother and his family live is simply stunning. He has done very well for himself and I am deeply proud of everything they have all achieved since moving.

We did mange a quick trip to St. Albans in Hertfordshire, where buildings as old at 1300's could be handled and sat in and around auch as the cathedral and clock tower. It was important for both of us to visit St. Albans, a city full of history.

Leaving we even managed a British pudding and fish and chips in Garfunkles at Heathrow. A little overcooked but an appropriate way to complete a flying visit.

My heartfelt thanks to all my family who I love much and miss more. Although in seeing you all the missing does not hurt so much toda, and to my wife for being with me.