All Posts in "Month: December 2008"

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One of the most wonderful things about England that has not changed, despite the increase in immigration and the decrease in living space, is the use of public footpaths. These were created so that the public can have easy access, via foot, through fields and neighborhoods. These footpaths are clearly marked even though they may not be clearly visible if you rush by in a car.

What is so special about these public footpaths is that they are practically all over the country. There are books about some of them because they are located in very scenic areas. Imagine walking through someone’s property and seeing the view as if from their own windows. You do not have to own these properties (although it would be nice) to appreciate the landscape.

Of course, not all these footpaths go through scenic countryside. In the towns and villages, they may just be alleys. Nevertheless, they are convenient, if you are walking, to cross quickly and easily to the other side without going all the way around a block.

It seems the English are very protective of these public footpaths. Even with the increase in demands for living quarters for immigrants and welfare beneficiaries and the decline in availability of land, these footpaths and their signs remain untouched. Furthermore, the existence of these footpaths seem to encourage walking, not only for exercise but for leisure. I would like to cover as many of the scenic footpaths as possible and make notes of my observations.

Yank by — December 16, 2008 in My Journey 0

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With roads so narrow and parking spaces so small, I am bewildered by the growing number of SUVs and other large cars and trucks on the road in the UK.  It seems the Brits are bound to repeat the mistakes made by many Americans, who have now turned to smaller, more economical cars.  With all the emphasis on being greener, Brits will soon find that the big gas guzzlers will impose not only heavier penalties in terms of petrol, but also in taxes and insurance.

It’s true these larger cars are much more gas efficient than their US counterparts, but they still consume much more fuel than smaller cars.  Yes, gas prices are coming down but the oil industry is such that it is constantly in flux.  You still end up paying too much to run these cars. 

Americans have always been criticized for their apparent unconcern for the environment when they insist on buying and driving these vehicles.  Now, it seems, they have turned their backs on them and switched to smaller imports with better fuel efficiency.  Hence, the financial problems with the major US car and truck companies.  Yet, these companies still see some trade in the UK, as evident from the numbers of vans and trucks on the road.  I’m not saying smaller cars are not evident in the UK – they are.  In fact, there are by far more smaller cars, but I’m still amazed at the number of large cars.

The UK road system existed long before all these cars came into existence, and the roads had not been built with these big cars in mind.  Now it is too late to change things.  With the limited space for parking, you’ll find that people are allowed to park on certain parts of the street as well.  This further narrows the space for maneuvering any vehicle. 

In parking lots, spaces are designed with the average car in mind.  These spaces tend to be short as well as narrow.  Our small sedan barely fits within these confines.  Some places impose penalties if you extend outside the lines in any direction.  Yet, we have seen cars and trucks crammed into these spots, sometimes blocking their neighbors doors.  The tail end that extends beyond the parking space again narrows the driving lane.

With all these considerations, then, I wonder why anyone in the UK would want an SUV, truck or large car outside of work restrictions?  Yes, they are convenient for transporting large items, etc., but how many people really require that?  Delivery is always available here so that no one needs to own a large vehicle.  Is it that these cars give people a sense of superiority, sitting on top of the world?  It is aggravating how they sometimes block other people’s view of traffic.  I have never seen much point in owning one of these vehicles and here in England, it seems even more pointless.

Yank by — December 9, 2008 in Travel 1

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In the United States there are several types of thrift stores. You have church-affiliated thrift stores, charitable organization shops, and other for-profit thrift stores. The organization of each is different but the goals of all are to sell goods at low prices. Primarily, the goods are second hand, most having been donated, in the cases of the church-affiliated and charitable organizations. Of course, some of these shops may also sell new items, usually close-outs, irregulars and such.

We shop a lot at thrift stores for various items. It gives us a chance to compare one thrift store against another. In recent times, we have noticed that although places like Salvation Army and the church thrift stores have continued the tradition of selling things very cheap, because they cater to the poor, Goodwill is starting to sell at higher prices and are pickier about what they sell. No longer are they selling everything that is donated. It seems they sort through the donations, keeping only the very best. This is good news to some, who do not like going through “junk”, but it does mean that their prices are higher.

Coming to England, I have found that there are numerous charity shops, each affiliated with one charity or another. However, I can’t say that their prices are very charitable. These charity shops sell “good” second-hand goods as well as new items. “Thrift” is not the term I would apply to any of these shops. They remind me of the Goodwills in America, only somewhat costlier. I have seen box-loads of donations outside the doors of these shops, yet the stock does not appear to be much changed nor are the shops packed. My question is, “Are they even keeping these donations or just throwing them out?”

What is the purpose of these charity shops? Are they not there to help those in need? Or are they only out to make money for their specific charities? And how much of their profits actually go to the charity as opposed to the pockets of the administrators? Are people donating to these places thinking they are contributing to a worthwhile cause/organization, while the administration gets rich? Is it right that these organizations receive free donations and turn around and mark them up?

In these days of credit crunch when people are losing jobs and homes and have less money to spend, why are these charities pricing items so that these people cannot even afford to shop in charity shops?

Recently, we entered a shop and bought some books.  There were signs posted stating that certain books were individually priced while the rest were under one umbrella pricing.  When we went to pay, the clerk, who is supposed to be a volunteer, took it upon herself to decide the books were too good to be under the blanket pricing and repriced them especially for us.  Was that fair?  Was that charitable?  It’s like bait-and-switch.  Why should consumers have to pay more because one clerk thinks the price should be higher than what another clerk determined?

Yank by — December 4, 2008 in My Journey 0

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I’ve been to some rummage sales in the US.  I’ve attended and even held my own garage sales.  However, I had never been to a Jumble Sale in the UK.  That is, until now.  What an experience!  I’ve been to several now and I certainly find them much more amusing than any rummage or garage sale.  That’s not to say that I haven’t found wonderful items at both rummage and garage sales.  It’s just that the entire atmosphere was different to what I’ve been used to.

My first experience was walking into a bustling, noisy, crowded room, buzzing with activity.  You’d think you were at some overcrowded market and the goods were outstanding.  But it’s not.  It’s a bunch of old junk people have donated to the organizers of the Jumble – whether it’s a local charity, church, or community group.  But amongst the old junk you might find a treasure, hence, the rush to get at the goods first.  You practically have to elbow your way in to look at what’s on the table.  Everything’s just piled up high, especially the clothes.  Almost nothing is priced up.  Or, I should say, almost nothing is even priced.  You can either make an offer or ask how much and someone will make up a price on the spot (your  price will even differ depending on who you ask).  You can choose to bargain with the price, but given how low most of the prices are, it seems a very guilty pleasure to try to get it for even lower.

Because we had left most of our household stuff in the States, we had to replenish here.  The Jumbles really helped us out financially.  At one Jumble, we almost furnished everything in the kitchen for 4 GBP.  We didn’t run across any valuable antiques but we found some good quality items that only needed a little cleaning.  You have to be able to sort through junk and enjoy it in order to appreciate these Jumbles.  Unfortunately, from what I hear from the natives, Jumbles are starting to go by the wayside.  That would be quite a shame.

Yank by — December 4, 2008 in Shopping 0