US Expat Describes The Best And Worst Things About England

[launderess]

The Bucket's Home

We see Hyacinth loading and unloading the dishwasher often enough, and or course the under counter fridge, but do not recall ever seeing a washing machine much less dryer. We know Hyacinth does have an automatic washing machine; she reminds Richard of it in an episode where he speaks about sailing solo around the world.

Still cannot imagine Mrs. Bucket not having every mod con so a W&D must have been somewhere. Indeed Elizabeth does not seem to be one to peg out her washing either, so there you are.

Violet of course would have all the mod cons in her at her country cottage and main residence. Don't know if they owned a holiday home in Tenerife or rented.

Daisy may or may not have had a washer. I mean she would have taken whatever Onslow could scrounge from local tip or throw-aways. Onslow's Rafe was always giving away second hands as did Hyacinth. Still it being a council estate there probably was a launderette in the area.

As for East Enders, Peggy has her own washer as did probably a few more of the long standing residents of the area. The rest yes, probably went off to the launderette to have to contend with Dot's ciggie fumes. Many seem to drop in and leave bundles with either Dot or Pauline for service washes so guess there was enough of that business.

http://uk-comedy.net/HouseMapHyacinth.htm

 

[petek]

I don't see Sheridans bedroom in that floor plan so perhaps it was the now dining-room

 

[rapunzel]

Everyone focusses on the US. What about the Chinese, Indians, Russians et al, who are all developing a fast-growing middle-class with a rapacious appetite for non-renewables? Germany too. They've commissioned 26 new coal powered electricity plants only this year. Admittedly it is part of their anti-nuclear power program, but even though they are supposedly the ones with the most renewable energy generation, they still can't do without coal. Their appetite for non-renewables is rapacious.

As for the US not serving as the best example - I don't know about that. America is always in some state of flux or reflux, but it is a dynamic democracy, even with big business and lobbyists highjacking Washington. I don't think the US is done by a long shot and I admire their enthusiasm, energy and inventiveness. No matter how wrong they get things, it is a real democracy at work and Americans do take it seriously; unlike us here in the 'lucky' country.

Yes, Australia was once an extension of Britain, but that is no longer the case. As a nation we are probably the most Americanized country in the world and that is how many non-Anglos see us. When asked about Oz it's usually something like 'it's like America, but better' - even the Pommie actress Liz Hurley, made such a noise only the other day.

Oh, by the way, I've attached a link to a paper that discusses the possibility of Australia becoming part of the US union. Is it inconceivabable, not by a long shot. I reckon there are serious and significant advantages to such a move and it will become an issue in the next 50 years. I may not live long enough to see it, but it makes sense.

Sorry for taking this thread in another direction, but isn't that what we love about open discussions like these? They offer such interesting possibilities and are unpredictable.

http://www.anzasa.arts.usyd.edu.au/a.j.a.s/Articles/1_04/Mosler.pdf

 

[arbilab]

Renewable reschnewable. The masses don't care how they get it as long as they get it. PLEASE don't emulate the US model. It's incredibly corrupt on so many levels. We're just like Rome 2000 years ago except with more practical helmets and more antiquated plumbing (infrastructure).

Dallas, the city where I grew up in the 60s, is now a ghetto across its full extent. Detroit, the latter-day industrial hub, has been a ghetto for 40 years. Houston, Detroit, DC, NYC, Camden, Oakland, Milwaukee, Chicago take turns being the homicide capitals. THAT'S what you aspire to? I think your image of the US is about 60 years out of date.

In 1955 we might have been a model. Then we killed our president, 30 miles from where I am now. Then we killed Vietnamese and ourselves for no reason whatsoever. Then (fast forward) we killed the entire country of Iraq, again for no reason whatsoever. Meanwhile supporting every problematic dictator the latter world has known. Batista. Then Castro. The Shah. Marcos. Saddam. Mubarak. Whoever was running Israel at the time. A string of Columbian dictators. Fer gawdsake, IBM and the Bush family supported Hitler!

They all served our greedy purposes at the time. Tell me you don't want to emulate that.

 

[MrX]

I think people are somewhat underestimating both the USA and the EU as they're 'old world' developed economies that aren't seeing meteoric growth.

The reality is that the EU and US GDPs are still much bigger than China etc. They're not going to just disappear!

I think you have to remember that speculators like rapid growth more than long term stability.

EU GDP 16.8 trillion dollars.
USA GDP 15.68 trillion dollars.
China GDP 8.22 trillion dollars.

The US and Europe are also liberal democracies that function exceedingly well and stably. Where as China is an authoritarian state. India is growing rapidly and is the world's largest democracy in raw numbers but it's a social class disaster with grinding poverty for many of its citizens.

Many other rapidly developing countries aren't really very stable.

I don't think we need to worry that much about disappearing anytime soon!

As for the UK vs US differences in shopping : There are plenty of big out of town malls in Europe but people like downtown city centre shopping too and tend to expect and elect politicians who make policies to balance those things. We tend to be very strongly attached to city centre shopping districts and value them.

With regard to energy I think a large % of people are starting to see that they need to look at what they're consuming.

My biggest concern is that the the developed world has swept a lot of its most polluting industries and manufacturing to countries with little or no environmental regulations.

Our appliances, electronics, clothes and all sorts of consumables are cheaper than ever because the companies making them. Have bypasses our tough environmental regulations, labour laws and high wages.
That's not sustainable.

(Posted on a mobile. Excuse any weird typos!)

 

[liamy1]

Laundrettes on TV

I've always pondered this one too.

In the UK we have 3 major soap opera TV shows.

We have "Eastenders" - Which is set and filmed in London's Eastend

Then Coronation Street - Set and filmed on the outskirts of Greater Manchester

And then "Emmerdale" - Set and filmed on the West Yorkshire dales.

Eastenders (The south of England) has always had a laundrette in the show, whereas Coronation St and Emmerdale (The north of England) don't have them at all.

I find it amusing that in the South UK where people are generally more affluent (although to me there is no difference in the quality of life, and being a Northerner myself, of course I feel the North UK is better) they need to use the laundrettes in the Soap Operas and in the North Soap Operas, everyone has their own washers in the show - Especailly Emmerdale, where Yorkshire folk are considered "country bumkins" - My Mrs will love me for that being from Yorkshire ;P

IIRC "Keeping Up Appearances is set somewhere in the UK Midlands. You would assume it would have been the "Home Counties" but apparently not. I love Keeping Up Appearances. Along with "One foot in the grave" which was set in the Home Counties.

 

[launderess]

Don't Forget This Option

Though the last of them were long since closed and often pulled down.

 

[launderess]

Other vid on same subject

http://www.macearchive.org/Archive/...77-nottingham-wash-house/MediaEntry/1198.html

 

[liamy1]

Rapunzel

I'd say the UK is referred more to as the 51st state than Australia?

 

[rapunzel]

Blimey!

That looks like too much bloody hard work. Paying thruppence to use the Bendix sounds like a good deal. In the second vid did he say that using the wash house costs 2 shillings? That's inflation for you.[this post was last edited: 11/9/2013-10:11]

 

[MrX]

I think EastEnders is a bit of a mythical place from another era though.

A lot of what was the east end of London has become quite gentrified.

 

[petek]

Olav

I suppose if you took Canada out of the picture then Australia might be considered the most "Americanized" non-North American country on earth. LOL

 

[launderess]

"That looks like too much bloody hard work. "

Oh come on luv, where is your sense of adventure! *LOL*

 

[rapunzel]

"if you took Canada out of the picture"

That's a tough ask, since Canada is an integral part of North America. You can't get anymore North American than Canada, can you? Do you think that Canada will, one day, join the Union or is that utterly inconceivable? I know Canadians are very particular about not being called Americans, but if it was such a big deal, why don't they just change their accents so they don't sound so American? All they need do is speak the Queen's English or develop their own strine or properly enunciate their vowels and go easy on your Rs. It's not as if you have a lot of flies so it's okay to open your mouths when you speak.

The Quebecois are very particular about protecting their Canadian non-Anglo identity. They'll go so far as to pretend that English doesn't exist in their neck of the woods and they've bastardized French enough that they will never be confused with French people. Why do Canadians sound so American anyway?

Aussie strine is disappearing and certainly not so popular among our young ones. I've never really liked full-on strine, it sounds oafish and is annoying after a while. When you've been stuck on a plane for more than 20 hours or out in the country, having to listen to full-on Ozzie strine, you'll know what I'm talking about. It becomes a real strain - maybe that's why they call it strine - as in "Oi'm strining the English language because oi don't wanna sound loike a pommy baaast'd." Canadians could have done the same, or is all this posturing about Canadian identity nothing more than a front? I once heard somewhere that it is your secret dream to become Americans and fly the star spangled banner over your lands whilst singing America the beautiful.

Here in Oz we certainly do and we'll do it before you, I reckon. We don't want the Americans to know though. Not yet anyway. First we are changing our accents to sound more generic - that'll really confuse the yanks and make invasion easier. Hugh Jackman, Neomi Watts, Toni Collette, they are all Ozzie sleeper cells, sent over there to ready America for the big Aussie invasion. One day soon they'll pounce and America will wake up and find that it's been annexed to Australia. [this post was last edited: 11/9/2013-19:28]

 

[rapunzel]

"where is your sense of adventure"

I'm just trying to picture my mother having to go to a wash house. She is OCD and has always taken 'clean' to a next level. Plucking other peoples' hairs out of one of those sinks - yikes, she would have had conniptions. I bet my mother would have Dettoled and bleached the entire work area before doing any laundry.

I remember when I was very young, we lived on the second floor of an apartment building. There was a balcony off the kitche that we used to breakfast on in summer. One morning I was having my porridge and suddenly mom flew into a rage and started yelling at someone a couple of floors above us. At first I didn't know what had happened, but as it turned out a lady was clipping their toe nails and managed to land them in my mother's breakfast. She always hated communal anything and, before we had our own bathroom, we'd go to the public baths to use the showers, never the bath tubs and I wanted to so much. I was never allowed to run around barefoot there either and had to wear plastic shoes in case I'd pick up a fungus. I'm pretty sure that my mother used to Dettol the shower before we'd go in it.

 

[launderess]

"First we are changing our accents to sound more generic

A country full of men that look like this? Sign me up, I'm there!

Accents can be worked upon or completely ignored. Lord knows women for centuries have sat listening to endless palaver from men. It really doesn't matter what they are saying anyway, all that is expected of one is to smile and occasionally utter some form of agreement. *LOL*

 

[petek]

I don't think 98% of Canadians would ever want to become another state of the USA. Why would we since there's no real benefit. Canadians already started infiltrating America back in the early 20th century by creating and controlling Hollywood and the studio system . LOL

 

[rapunzel]

Was that last bit from the interviewer about the 'hat' a Freudian slip or what?

You are right madame laundress, who cares about accents. I never did. A mouth can be useful for so many things other than talking and our tongues all work the same regardless of linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Talk is cheap and only leads to misunderstandings.

 

[launderess]

Where is this block of houses?

How lovely!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23273448

 

[liamy1]

Block of houses

Don't know the exact place, but can guarantee this block of houses is in London.