An American in Britain

Though it was drizzling in the morning, by evening, the sky had cleared and we had a very nice day.  We couldn’t have asked for better weather.  It’s unusual, but we’ve been enjoying a long stint of Indian summer.  It was perfect for Bonfire Night.

Yes, I mentioned it last year, but I thought I’d do another post about Guy Fawkes’ Night in Newick.  Bonfire Night is 5th November, but we found out through a friend that Newick always has theirs the Saturday before the actual Guy Fawkes’ Day.  I don’t know what happens if it falls on a Saturday.  I do know that all the bonfire societies of the surrounding towns join in with the parade, and the largest parade is held in Lewes (at least in our part of the country).  Lewes always has theirs on the actual night.  So, if it falls on a Saturday, there will be some competition.  But, I suppose, since they all work together to stretch out Bonfire Night to at least Bonfire Week, Newick would probably hold theirs a week early.

This time last year, it was intermittently raining and drizzling, and the weather was cold.  It felt miserable to be out, but it did not prevent the crowds.  I had expected to see a larger crowd this year because of the fine weather, but it did not seem to make a difference.  It was still a good-sized crowd.

Because it was Halloween Night, there were houses decorated for the occasion.  Though it may not be celebrated like in the US, we did see some homes that went all out for Halloween.  Our neighbourhood, surprisingly, had trick-or-treating; though not all participated.  Nevertheless, the kids enjoyed it because they missed out last year.  They dressed up and one of them kept it on for Bonfire Night, so she fit in with the paraders.

The main street through Newick was closed off for five hours, so we had to park almost in the next town.  It was very dark in some parts of the street because the overhanging trees shut out the light; otherwise, the nearly full moon did shed quite a bit of light.  With the mist coming in, the full moon, the Halloween decorations, it lent an eerie atmosphere to the occasion.  Then, when you see the torches glowing in that setting, it was rather spooky, reminding me of a superstitious event from childhood that had frightened me.  On top of that, there were intermittent Bangs! from some firecrackers that the organisers let off.  If you didn’t expect it, you’d jump because it sounds like a big explosion.  Our youngest was scared at first, but she became accustomed to them.

For those who’ve never attended a Bonfire Night, you should learn to expect some politically-motivated speech before they let off the fireworks.  Also, some places may charge admission fees, but for the most part, the parades down here are free.  However, they do go around collecting donations.  Part of their donations go to some designated charity.  This year, it looks like the Motor Neuron Disease society will be getting a cut.

In comparison to last year, I have to say that I was rather disappointed by this year’s display of fireworks.  I do not know if they had more fireworks last year, or if it was because I was not expecting as much that it appears last year’s was longer.  I do know that the weather last year prevented smoke from accumulating in the air.  Unfortunately, with the clear and calm sky, smoke from the initial fireworks gathered in mid-air and did not move away rapidly.  It even obscured our view of the moon.  Because the fireworks, once started, are set through a timing device, they could not stop the fireworks until the smoke was gone, so much of the second part of the fireworks could not be enjoyed.

The bonfire itself seemed smaller this year.  It was high, but thin, so that shortly after it was lit, the tower toppled over and the effigy fell off.  We were at least 30 ft. away, but the fire was so intense that it felt like I was sitting in front of a roaring fireplace.  Also, the ash drifted very high and dropped very far.  While we were waiting to get into the village shop, at least 100 ft. away, we had ash raining down on us.  I was not paying attention to the ash and sparks at the beginning until the foam plate I was holding started dropping holes.  Our jackets also suffered some holes.

Despite all that, it was a good night.  If we stay in the area, I think this will become an annual routine for us.

It’s funny to think how my perception of size has changed. Perhaps, I am starting to really adapt to the British system. Everything in the US is “huge” compared to here. No where is this more obvious than on the roads. However, even those narrow roads aren’t so “narrow” anymore. Oh, yes, they can be quite cramped in some places, and no one, not even a native Britisher, will deny that. Yet, many of what would be construed as “narrow” by a new American coming on to the scene are now viewed as “normal” to me. I tried to picture the width of the US roads the other day and found that I really couldn’t – without imagining that they were the same size.

Not only that. It seems the sizes of cars are different for me now. The SUVs and American pick-up trucks are humongous, especially next to the little cars. I think I’ve finally fallen for the Minis – I’d seen quite a few in the US but they just seemed “cute” there. Now I see these little toy cars as perfect for travelling these roads. Not only that, our Honda, which would be considered a small sedan in the US – not big enough to be a mid-size and not small enough to be a compact – is considered full-size over here. Imagine what a full-size sedan in the US would look like over here. Some of the same models you’d find in the US are scaled down over here. And I have become used to seeing them. These little cars that looked funny when I first came are now normal.

Land is scarce, so many properties have small yards. That is one thing that I am able to compare in my mind when it comes to size. We’ve always been fortunate (or unfortunate, if you are looking at the angle of maintenance) to have had large yards in the places we’ve lived. The kids appreciated being able to run around the house. Now, we’re living on a large estate and the house is surrounded by yard. (But this will probably change soon as we’re considering a move.) So we have not had to face the change of having a small yard yet.

But my perception of housing sizes have already changed. What would have looked small and cramped to me when we first arrived now appear adequate. What would have been normal, in comparison to US houses, are now seen as huge. It is very strange. It makes me wonder what it would be like if we were to move back to the States.

Although the housing market is suffering in sales, rentals are going quite strong.  We found that out in our search for living accommodations.  As soon as we made up our minds about a property, it was gone.

The rental market is good enough to support the seemingly high rents that are being asked.  The high cost was what was preventing us from making rapid decisions.  The lack of housing options also contribute to the high cost.  High demand, low supply.

At times, we regret that we did not decide quick enough and lost out on the best house available.  However, we have to move on.  Our house is not “bad”, except that it needs a new roof (in the works) and a new bathroom (in the future works).  We have a wonderfully scenic view of the country and we know we don’t have to worry about crime and such.

One major thing we did not take into account when we did decide to accept a property is the council tax.  We never asked and really did not even know about it.  If we had, we might have made a different decision.  Who knows.

The housing market is expected to increase as people are lowering their asking price.  If it does improve, I wonder how it will affect the rental market.  Will it still remain robust, continuing to ask for high rents?  Or will it mean that people are less likely to rent and the rents will fall?  Let’s wait to see.