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I live (or lived, depending on when you read this) in Brighton, a mid-sized UK city. Cities with a population size close to Brighton are Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Derby, Leicester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Plymouth, and Southampton. Although the information here might not apply to some of the smaller or more remote towns, I suspect it will apply to much of the UK. On the other hand I should give is that Brighton is a particularly liberal, free-spirited sort of place that gets a lot of foreign visitors: consequently I may have a view of Britain as a slightly more "open-minded" place than other parts of Britain actually are. One particular warning I feel compelled to give is that I have no experience living in London which, being a major world city, has unique rules and idiosyncracies of its own. So if that's where you're moving, caveat emptor: for any given statement I make you should mentally append "it may be different in London."

Also keep in mind the information here reflects a particular point of time (specifically, April '93 when I moved to Brighton, until the present, January '95). I have no doubt that that many of the facts and certainly the prices will all sound very quaint in one or two years' time. I put all costs in US dollars for the purpose of simplicity. The exhange rate I use is $1.50 to the UK pound, which it hovered around (plus or minus 2 cents) during most of the time I lived in the UK. Note that even though the "last modified" date that I give at the beginning of this FAQ may show a more recent date, it does not mean that I updated the prices at that time.

This FAQ is written by a single author. Ordinarily FAQs are compendiums of wisdom on subjects relevant to a large number of people on matters for which there are generally agreed-upon answers, but this is not the case with this FAQ. This is a highly specialized topic, and includes discussion of matters that are of a subjective nature. It has not been exhaustively researched like a Frommer's Guide to be equally true for all Americans from all sorts of regions and socio-economic levels; rather it's the sort of guide where the reader should figure out whether my viewpoint is one they're likely to share based on the way I say things. On the other hand, subjects of a more factual nature (like electrical products) have benefitted from numerous suggestions and corrections I have received by email responses, which I welcome and for which I am very grateful (see the acknowledgements section at the end).

I've received many positive responses on the accuracy of this FAQ from many people for whom it is relevant, that is, Americans who have lived, will be living, or currently are living in the UK. Occasionally I get a critical (sometimes nasty) reply from someone saying that I generalize too much, that I am inaccurate or excessively critical in my assessment of life in the UK. Interestly enough, such comments almost invariably come from people with no stake whatsoever in the matter of what it's like being an American living in the UK, but British readers who saw the FAQ posted on the USENET groups uk.misc or soc.culture.british and read it just to see what a Yank has to say about their country. If you are such a reader please think twice about sending me your criticisms, since the perceptions that are true for you may not be true for someone who grew up in America.

In my view, your best start is to find a store that deals primarily in selling foreign electronics goods, and get a friendly salesman to explain the ins and outs of power conversion. Such shops (found only in large cities, I'm afraid) will be listed under "Export shops" in the yellow pages; you might also try "Freight Forwarding" and ask where such shops may be found in that area. Another idea is to ask people who work at specialty shops for Asians and Indians (food shops, video stores); they may know of a local export shop.

There are four matters relating to using US appliances in the UK

• the voltage ( US = 120V, UK = 240V )
• the number of watts the product draws (different for each product)
• the frequency ( US = 60 Hz, UK = 50 Hz )
• the plug on the power cord

Next you need to consider how many watts your transformer is providing (all transformers should clearly indicate this). The more wattage required by the electrical item(s), the bigger (and more expensive) the transformer will need to be. Add up all the watts that every one of the components will draw that will be turned on at the same time, then throw in 20-25 extra watts for good measure, and that's about the size you need. So if you have three stereo components drawing 30 watts each, get a transformer than delivers about 120 watts. Don't try to draw more than what the transformer provides: you will be risking the health of you and your electronic components!

Now, on to the frequency of the product, a subject which is notorious for causing great confusion. UK outlets provide a frequency of 50 Hz. Transformers do not provide a conversion to US 60 Hz; you are stuck with UK 50 Hz. The only electrical products that need concern you regarding this frequency mismatch are products that contain motors (i.e. things that run fans, spin wheels, rotate things, etc.). But...there are two kinds of motors that will be found inside electrical products, and one type is affected by the frequency, while the other is not.

• Synchronous motors are affected by the frequency mismatch. When such a motor made for 60 Hz receives 50 Hz, it runs at 5/6 speed. You will generally find that any product that contains a motor that runs at high speed (e.g. hair dryer), or must drive something with great force (e.g. power drill) will be a synchronous motor.
• DC motors are not affected by the frequency mismatch, because the motor runs on DC (for which frequency is irrelevant) and the DC current is supplied internally by the product. Thus, as long as the product gets current from a proper transformer, the motor inside will run at the correct speed. Generally, any product which requires only a small motor (e.g. Walkman cassette player, computer disc drive) uses its own low-voltage (5 or 12 volts) DC motor.

You may ask: "So if I don't particularly mind that a product with a synchronous motor is running at 5/6 speed, can I run it safely anyway?" The answer is "probably." I have been warned that some products (rare, and perhaps even illegal by UL standards) are rated for no lower than 60 Hz, and will overheat when supplied with 50 Hz. The only way you can be sure is to find out the minimum frequency that the product may be run at (which should be 50), for which may need a trained electrician if the manual doesn't say so. But if the item is a modern product by a company with a good reputation, you probably needen't worry.

              US:             UK:
                    o               |
                   | |             - -  

There is an older, two prong plug which apparently is still in use in older dwellings that haven't been updated, but I have never seen them, even in quite old fashioned cottages. So if a salesman selling you UK/US adapters tells you need to need to be equally prepared for both kinds of plugs, he's wrong.

The UK plug also differs from the US one in that a fuse is contained inside. Until recently, when you purchased an electrical product often times it would have no plug at the end of the power cord, which you'd have to buy separately and attach yourself. The practice has recently been discontinued (supposedly abolished by law), so you will may not even encounter the problem. While we're on that subject, you'll also discover that most UK electrical outlets have switches on them, like the switch on a power strip. And, like all other switches in the UK (such as those used for room lights) the effect of the position of the switch is opposite that of the US: down means on, up means off!

Go instead to an export shop, if you can find one. They tend to carry a wide range of authentic transformers. Look at the back of every one of your electrical items you plan to bring to the UK, write down its power consumption in watts, and take this list to the vendor, and see what he/she recommends.

Many commercial transformers I have seen only provide a two-prong US jack, i.e., no ground, so you'll have to look harder to find one with a ground, i.e., three prongs. People with some expertise have told me that it can be very risky to bypass the ground plug (with one of those three-to-two-prong adapters) when using products that require a ground.

• There is a electronic parts catalogue sales company in Britain called RS Components which deals in transformers; they deal with the public through a mail order company called Electromail, P.O. Box 33, Corby, Northants, NN1 79EL (telephone 0536 204555, fax 0536 405555). I hear that a 500w converter costs $105.
• A company in the northwest, in Runcorn called Spenfields will make up transformers to order. The cost for a 1250 watt transformer with two US-type 2 or 3 pin plugs is $328. They take about 7 days to make up. The phone number is 0928 572578.
• I'm told that a hardware chain store in Britain called Ryness sells transformers, but I have no further information on this.
• Maplins supply a range of transformers: Maplins Electronics plc, PO Box 777, RAYLEIGH, Essex SS6 8LU, Tel. 01702 552961. Their catalogue can be obtained at the UK bookseller chain W.H.Smith.

• Magellons Essentials for the Traveler (Santa Barbara, CA), 1-800-962-4943 (they have an extensive catalog). A 1000w transformer is listed as costing $118.50, and a 1500 watt at $169.50.
• Appliances Overseas, in New York City.
• Rainco of Dallas, TX (800 779 0502) (fax 214 242 0243) sell transformers similar to those in the Magellon catalog.

• Hair driers
• Kitchen appliances with motors: blenders, food processors, coffee grinders
• Any other item with a high speed motor, e.g. power drills

Your US-made LP record turntables or cassette decks may contain synchronous motors, in which case they will run at 5/6 speed, or about 3.2 musical semitones too flat (yes, bad enough that it will ruin the music: even John Cage's 4'33" will come out lasting 55" too long!). Battery powered Walkman cassette players will be fine, though, even when run with the AC cord.

Your American-bought TV sets, Video Cassette machines, and the cassettes that are made to play on them, are likely to be of little use to you. If you bring both your TV and VCR from home, the only thing you will be able to do with them (after you've bought the gigantic transformer you'll need to convert the watts) is watch American-made video tapes on your VCR. You will not be able to watch British TV broadcasts, or British-made video tapes, nor will you be able to hook up a British-made VCR to that TV set. This is because both British TV sets and VCRs (yes, both) run on a different video standard than in the US: the standard in the US is NTSC, while in the UK it is PAL. Don't be confused by the fact that the physical cassette is called "VHS" and looks just like the ones back home: they are the same cassette, but the information is encoded on them differently. If you want to throw a lot of money at the problem, you can buy both TVs and VCRs that can run PAL or NTSC at the flick of a switch; I've seen these for great cost at export shops.

Beware of "amateur advice" in this area...people will tell you completely false things that they have never tested themselves, or information that was true five years ago. A few people have told me that an NTSC VCR will play on a PAL TV set (you don't get the color, but you will get black and white), but frankly I wouldn't bank on it.

Digital radios (car radios, Hi-Fi tuners) may not work, since the channel step in the UK is in units of 9kHz, while in the US it is 10. So your US-made radio may "miss" all the right frequencies.

Some people are so attached to US-style refrigerators and washer/driers (and I can't say I blame them) that they buy special US products that can run on UK current and have them shipped to the UK. I've seen such things in export shops, and I hear that they are available at US Army bases in the UK as well. But save yourself supreme embarrassment and measure the doors and hallways of the house you will be living in; will the products fit through the door? One reason that the UK version of these products are smaller is due to a smaller sized door standard.

• CD players. Manufacturers make them so the motors are internally supplied with the correct frequency.
• Personal Computers. The motors in their disk drives are internally supplied with the correct frequency.

If you're lucky, perhaps the item you want to bring runs on both standards of current and frequency. The good news is that more and more products are being built this way, especially consumer stereo items, and computers. You can find out if you have such a product by looking near the spot where the power cord comes out: if it says something like "AC 100-240, 50/60 Hz", you are in luck. You won't need a transformer at all, just a plug converter. Make sure to check this for every product that needs to be plugged in. Good news for Apple Macintosh users: everything after the Mac Plus was made in this fashion (although check the back to make absolutely sure).

If it turns out you have several such products, you could get a mere plug converter, plug in a US power strip to it, and then plug all your components in (although you do not want a power strip with a surge protector, since it will freak over receiving 240v). Of course this practice is very risky: someone who is not aware of what this strip is being used for may mistakenly plug in a US product that does not handle its own conversion, and you'll fry it (and maybe yourself). Caution is advised!

Buying the correct adapter can be tricky. Believe it or not, it is a rather frequent occurrence to buy a US-UK adapter and have it not work because it is incorrectly made! Apparantly, US telephones use pins 3 and 4 in their jacks, while British ones use 2 and 5, and companies who make connectors will actually get this wrong. I have only heard of this happening with connectors purchased in the UK; the US-made US-UK adapter that I bought at an export shop worked fine.

The British phone ring poses a rather obscure problem to US-made answering machines. The US phone ring goes "ring (pause) ring (pause)" while the UK one goes "ring-ring (pause) ring-ring (pause)." Unfortunately the US-made answering machine will regard each double-ring as two single rings, and thus the answering mechanism will kick in sooner. If your phone is far away from you, you may find it frustrating to have the machine kick in before you get to the phone (I certainly do). You are best off if you own a machine that lets you control the number of phone rings before answering to a high number like eight. Or, you could simply buy one made in the UK, although I don't think they are as well made or as full of as many features as ones available in the US.

They're just starting to get fancy phone services such as call-waiting here. You'll have to inquire how to turn such features off if necessary (i.e. for modems).

One advantage is that almost anything can be shipped by this method: sofas, refrigerators, even automobiles are handled by these companies. In the warehouse of the company I used I saw a Mercedes being prepared for delivery, and a crate of household belongings the size of a medium sized bedroom!

The crate I shipped contained 3 boxes of books, 3 boxes of household items, a large box of clothing, a button accordian, and two mountain bikes in their boxes. The crate measured 38 CF (cubic feet). The overall cost of this shipment, from start to finish, came to about $896, which we found a tolerable price to pay. Here's how the costs broke down, more or less:

• Charges on the US end:
  • $3.75 per CF basic cost
  • $1.90 per CF to build the crate
  • $75 handling charge
  • $7.50 communications charge
  • Insurance costs 3% of the total estimated value of the belongings (which we calculated to be $8284).
• Charges on the UK end (in US dollars):
  • $1.50 per CF
  • Customs charge ($81)
  • Delivery from London to Brighton ($105)

Note that if you are sending computer or other fragile equipment this way, the airline does NOT insure it in any way against damage. If you decide to ship a computer this way anyway, to be safe, use the original box with the original packing materials. If you don't have these, there are packing companies that make made-to-order injected-form packing for any item (we did this on a Mac monitor and CPU at the cost of $70).

Anything you bring into the UK, whether with you on the plane, or shipped separately is fair game for the customs officials to inspect, and possibly liable for import duty. Newly purchased goods (defined as items less than 6 months old) are the only things that you need to worry about: customs can charge you an import duty of 17.5% on these items. A sales slip or purchase invoice is considered the proof of the age of the item, so have these on hand if you think you might get asked about anything. There is probably little to worry about if you are bringing in household-type items ("personal effects") and you can prove that you're coming over to live and work in the UK for an extended period of time. However, if you are bringing in a bunch of new looking products in their original boxes (like a personal computer system), I'd say your chances of being asked some questions are good.

As you enter customs (after getting your stuff off of the baggage carousel), you'll see two lanes to exit from, one for where you have nothing to declare, and one where you have to declare. I've heard that the rules say that items you intend to reexport (return to the US) are exempt from duty (which is why regular tourists don't get charged for cameras and such). So newly purchased items pertaining to your job (say, a new Mac Powerbook) can probably be considered exempt. I suspect that customs mainly concern themselves with snagging people who bring in non-duty-free alcohol and cigarettes, drug smugglers, and people transporting merchandise for resale (like ten Mac Powerbooks, say).

Our passage through customs and immigration was completely unremarkable, despite having six large pieces of luggage. However, we did see two parties being submitted to extensive baggage searches (down to examining individual scraps of paper). Sad to say, I have read that people with darker skin get stopped more frequently in UK customs.

• Infant mortality (deaths per 1000 live births):
  • UK: 8
  • US: 10
• Life expectancy:
  • UK: 73 (M), 79 (F)
  • US: 72 (M), 79 (F)
• Fertility rate (children born per woman):
  • US and UK: 1.8

• (1) you are from an EC country
• (2) you are from a country with a reciprocal health agreement with the UK
• (3) you are a student in a course lasting more than 6 months
• (4) you came to the UK with a work permit
• (5) you have refugee status or Exceptional Leave to Remain
• (6) you are the wife or child of a person in 1-5.

In my case (as an employed person in category 4), monthly payments towards NHS are taken out of my pay like a tax. This amount is $186 a month in my case. So I wouldn't exactly call it free, but it gives me medical coverage (there is no bill to settle when I visit a doctor) and covers drugs (except for a nominal fee of $6.75 for each prescription, no matter how costly the drug).

I've found little cause to complain about the health coverage here; it's been at least as good or better than the coverage I've gotten from membership in an HMO in the US. You get assigned a particular doctor, and mine is very sharp and professional. If you're suddenly ill you might have to be content see another available doctor rather than yours, which of course is no different from in the US. The system appears to not be so generous when it comes to surgery or special medical treatment: you get put on a waiting list that can go on for years. A couple we know whose child was put on a two-year waiting list for a tonsilectomy gave up in frustration and took a private route. Because this waiting list problem gets worse every year as the government makes bigger cuts, many Brits can be disparaging about their health care.

My wife Elena and I got to put the NHS to the test by having a baby while we were living here and feel we got excellent care. For example, the hospital enthusiastically admitted her early to watch her high blood pressure; she was able to stay in the hospital for three days following delivery simply because she felt like it; and as part of the standard treatment, was given daily visits at home by a midwife for ten days afterwards. Our child-bearing friends in the US whose coverage is by HMO all had much less generous care (for example, being sent home the day of the delivery, even after having a caeserian).

It might be advisable to spend a little extra effort finding a top quality dentist, since I suspect that the UK lags behind the US a bit in quality of dental care. Two US dentists I have talked to, including one who actually practiced in the UK for a while, tell me that "preventative care," the cornerstone of US dentistry, is not as widely practiced in the UK. Many Brits still regard the dentist as someone you see only after something has actually gone wrong, rather than for "checkups." A Brit actually asked me, with a straight face, "what's the matter, do you have a bad tooth?" when I asked that he recommend a dentist. If your stay in the UK is only temporary and you plan to have visits to the US from time to time, you might just make things easier (and give yourself peace of mind) and visit dentists when you're in the US. In fact, I insist that all dentists I see let me keep my X-rays, since I never know where I'm going to visit a dentist next.

This is a tricky area. Sitting at home in the US and pondering your move to the UK, you may think it wise to make some calculation using the exchange rate, your salary, and the costs of items in the US to estimate how much it costs to live in the UK. It all turns out to be more subtle than that. Different things are expensive here. Once you get here, you'll eventually become accustomed to how much a pound can buy you. I can think of ways to describe the UK as cheaper or more costly than the US, depending on what you're talking about. In general however, I think the argument for calling the UK a more expensive place is slightly stronger. Here is some information to help you decide.

If one thing makes the UK a more expensive place, it's certainly gasoline (petrol). If you expect to own a car in the UK (and with a quite good rail system, you might not need to), expect this to consume a much larger chunk of your income. If you won't be owning a car, you just may be one of those people who think the UK is a cheaper place than the US.

Manufactured goods such as CDs, books, clothes, computers, consumer electronics and appliances can be 25-50% more expensive than in the US; sometimes it seems like "whatever it costs in dollars in the US, the cost in the UK will be the same number of pounds." This is changing, though; for example, prices on Macintosh computers dropped radically last year.

Restaurants are slightly more expensive than in the US, but food bought at grocery stores is not; in fact, it is often cheaper.

However, your ATM card is really useful only if it is also a "check guarantee card." This essentially makes it good for credit and insures merchants against theft. Without that status it will be useless as a debit card, and perhaps more importantly no merchant will cash your check without it (although it will be accepted as payment for bills over the mail). Therefore when you get an account you want to insist on getting a check guarantee card.

And this one detail may turn out to be the biggest hassle you have to go through in the UK. Banks will happily open a plain savings and checking account with almost no questions, but they'll make getting the check guarantee card almost impossible because you have zero credit history in the UK. Unfortunately, no matter how sterling your credit history in the US is, no matter how amazing your assets and investments in the US are, they meaning NOTHING abroad, and help not one bit towards getting that important card.

Probably the best way win the trust of the bank to give you this credit is to ask your employer (someone in the salaries office, say) to call the bank to vouch for you. They in fact may be motivated to do this because they are eager to find a way to auto deposit your paycheck. Some other things that might help are:

The primary way flats are advertised are via Estate Agents (why call them "Real Estate Agents" when there are no Imaginary ones?). Go to their offices and ask to see a listing. They will drive you around to any of the properties that interest you. Advertisements for flats often give the price on a per-week basis, although you actually pay monthly. "Hob" (a hot plate) or "cooker" (synonymous with stove) are other words you will find in advertisements. By the way, many British stoves, even modest ones, have a open broiler on the top, which is a real treat: they grill steak and fish much more effectively than the down-below broilers of US stoves.

There is a nasty property tax called the Council Tax, formerly known as the Poll Tax, which you are required to pay, even if you are merely renting the property. The tax is paid only 9 out of 12 months of the year. We pay $66 a month for our flat. Good news for students: there is a special provision that may make you exempt, depending on your living situation, so look into it before you pay it.

If you have to move cash from the US to the UK, or if you will be living in the UK off of funds in a US bank account, using an AMEX (American Express) card is a good way to go. You tell them to set up your account in such a way that when you use your card at an AMEX cash station (which can be found in every large town in Europe), the checking account at your US bank gets debited. Or you can even use your bank's ATM card to do so. ATMs are everywhere, and if your card is on either the "Cirrus" or "Plus" networks (look at the back of the card), it will work. From either card, the conversion is done at that day's exchange rate, and no more (unlike the money changing service such as Thomas Cook, who charge a fee for the transaction). You can also cash an ordinary American check at any AMEX office. I think AMEX limits the amount of transactions to a total of $1000/month, but it may depend on your account.

If for some reason you do wish to pay income tax, the monthly deductions will be between 20-27% of your salary (mine was 20%).

National Insurance is a different affair. No-one is exempt from this, I believe. $186 per month is taken from each monthly paycheck I get.

Before you leave, visit with a qualified tax accountant to find out exactly how you should handle things. Even if it costs you $100 or so, you might just be saving several thousand.

British supermarkets (Sainsbury's, Waitrose) are about the same in size and appearance of the average American supermarket. The American chain Safeway is also found in the UK.

Many American brands of products you are accustomed to are sold here, and if not, the British/European version is usually equivalent in quality. If there is a particular brand of item that have you become so reliant on that you you have been never been able to tolerate a substitute (many people feel this way about pharmacy items like decongestants and rash creams), you might want to stock up on them before you leave. Also, many foods that are particularly "American" are made completely wrong here: if you're addicted to authentic NYC bagels, real Vermont maple syrup or southern BBQ sauces in the UK you should either plan to go cold turkey or arrange shipments!

This topic needs to be broken into three main areas: British Cuisine, British "Fast Food," and standards of quality in British restaurants. First, British Cuisine. Although clearly not ideal for vegetarians, and rather high on fats and cholesterol, its quite delicious when prepared well. I have had wonderfully satisfying meals of finely seasoned roasts with delicious garnishes and sauces both at restaurants and friends' homes. So it is unfair to attribute the "bad British food" reputation to their cuisine, in my view.

Second, British Fast Food, by which I mean the food that is sold cheaply for lunch at pubs, "caffs" or small takeout shops. Here you are likely to discover at last that you really are in a foreign culture (having been fooled at first by the common language). The very names seem designed to send chills up American's spines: Sausage Roll, Steak and Kidney pudding, Bubble and Squeak, Green Mushy Peas, Cheese and Pinapple Toastie, and Pie and Mash. So here the problem is not really one of "bad food" but whether you are ever likely to develop a taste for their dishes.

The kind of eating establishment you will want to identify if you want to avoid such food is the caff. "Caff" is their pronounciation of the word that is spelled "cafe," and that ought to give you a warning for starters. Caffs are the culinary equivalent of the pokey little antique shops that retired people in the US like to open in low-real-estate shopping zones in small towns. They are attempts to run restaurants as cheaply as possible in a small shop with only a small domestic kitchen stove, quickly prepared food (for example, egg sandwiches with white bread), and---no kidding---plastic lawn chairs and tables for furniture. Although they are popular gathering spots for locals, you're not likely to get good food there.

Lastly, there are British restaurants, the area in which I cannot pull any punches or lay the blame on cultural relativism. As an American, you have simply been pampered by high standards. Sure, you'll find good UK restaurants and bad US restaurants, but the proportion is distinctly in favor of the US. For confirmation, you'll find that most Brits who have travelled to America agree with this estimation...I've heard Brits talk nostalgically about the breakfasts they ate at Denny's, of all places. Of course, if the restaurant is expensive, you're probably okay; the advice I'm giving here is for moderately priced restaurants. Essentially you will have to be accustomed to having a lower success rate at finding satisfactory restaurants by chance: you can't just take a look at a place, size it up, and estimate its food quality with as much accuracy as you probably can in the US. Often you'll find the items on the menu to be as inspired and flavorful as TV-dinners, or in worst cases, cooked in grease that's been recycled too many times.

Unlike the US, where white lines are painted to indicate a crosswalk at practically every intersection, there are few such zones of safety in the UK; there are just rare "zebra crossings" (like on the Abbey Road album cover) with flashing lights that oblige the driver to stop. When there's no zebra crossing at an intersection, drivers do not think you belong in the road (and will barrel down on you, expecting you to leap out of the way). The fact that they don't think you belong there even when your were there first, before the car arrived on the scene (say, if they came from around a blind corner), lends an air of uncivility to the experience of being a pedestrian.

I thought I'd compare highway codes of our two countries to see if they were the source of this societal difference, and sure enough, my sources showed that in the US the burden is on the driver to watch out for pedestrians, while in the UK the burden is on the pedestrian to watch out for cars. Here's what a copy of the UK highway code which I purchased at a bookstore tells the pedestrian on the subject of crossing the road: "If there is any traffic near, let it go past. When there is no traffic near, it is safe to cross. Remember, even if traffic is a long way off, it may be approaching very quickly." Here's what the 1992 California Driver Handbook says to the driver about pedestrians: "Pedestrians have the right-of-way at intersections, whether or not crosswalks are marked by painted white lines. . . . Always stop for pedestrians crossing at corners. Stop for anybody crossing the street. Do not pass a car from behind that has stopped at a crosswalk. A pedestrian you can't see may be crossing."

You might almost say that you don't need to worry all that much about which direction traffic is coming from, because you'll have to run like hell to avoid getting hit anyway.

To be fair about it, however, it must be observed that roads tend to be much smaller here than in the US. Consider that an average road in the UK may have been laid down in Roman or Medieval times, and with the cities that have grown around them have made widening impossible. As a result, there is very often simply no room to spare for the drivers, and even putting one foot in the road puts you at risk.

Thinking of taking bicycling trips, with camping gear, and so on? Well, before you do consider the fact that

• the roads will be even more narrow in the countryside (like, only one extremely nattow lane)
• June/July/August are the only months you can hope to have stretches of several days without rain
• while Britain is a relatively "gentle" landscape (the Rocky Mountains it ain't), you will still find plenty of steep hills to wear you out.

USENET newsfeeds are available at many universities, but not all the groups available in the US are available here. Most or all of the entire "alt." hierarchy, for example, is not available at many sites.

There are internet providers which can be reached by dialup for a monthly charge. The prices I've heard sound very reasonable, but if you don't live in a town that has an access number, your phone bills will be huge. The company that seems to be the most popular is Demon Internet Services, phone 081-349 0063, email internet@demon.co.uk. You can probably find the names other companies by making a query on soc.culture.british or uk.misc.

The university I work at has dialup modems (although not very many), so I am able to work from home when it's necessary.

My wife accompanied me to the UK, and she was automatically (well, after a visit to a British Consulate in the US) granted a work permit as well. I fact, her work permit is less restrictive than mine: my permit is good only for the job for which I was hired, whereas hers gives her unrestricted freedom in the entire E.C. Not bad, being a spouse!

My work permit allows me to leave and re-enter the UK as many times as I wish. If your job renews you for a period extending beyond the originally requested duration of the job, they will need to reapply to the Home Office. This can take a long time, during which they take your passport from you (and your spouse...your spouse's passport, that is). But if something pressing requires you to travel out of the country, they will let you have it back temporarily.

The laws change constantly...call the British Consulate to find what the current rules are on these things.

In case you have (i.e. give birth to) a child while living in the UK (I did, so it's not too silly a thought!), here are some issues of citizenship that may interest you. If the mother and father are both American, the child can only be an American citizen; he or she does not get dual US/UK citizenship simply because he or she was born in the UK. If someone you know tells you something to the contrary it's probably because they're unaware of the 1981/83 immigration laws that changed everything. For further information, you could call the Immigration and Nationality Department of the Home Office in the UK at 081-686-0688.

You have a chance to live in another country for a while? Wow, what an opportunity! You want to pass up this possibly once-in-a-lifetime chance? I'm sure glad I didn't, is all I can say.

I seldom see any evidence that Brits have any intrinic dislike for Americans; I've experienced nothing but good will from people here. Mind you, they don't particularly want Britain to become "like America," but they find it very interesting to know what's going on in the US. News coverage of US events is usually in a concerned, empathetic manner, as though they regard Americans as the cousins living "over there."

Britain is full of people from all over Europe, speaking different languages, so being a native English speaker makes you only a semi-foreigner. So there's little to worry about "sticking out like a sore thumb" as an American, unless you've got one of those expressionless, unmodulated, military-style voices, or an extremely southern accent.

Your accent will even give you a number of advantages: friends on the phone recognize you before you even get two words out; people strike up conversations with you to find out what you think of their country and why you came; and because Brits tend to size each other up by the way they speak, you will be completely classless to them and they'll show you a little respect by default.

How foreign you feel in the UK may depend on what part of the US you are from and where you are going. I happen to think that there are greater cultural differences within the US than there are between certain parts of the US and certain parts of the UK. I found the experience of moving from west coast US to northeast US (many years ago) to be more of a culture shock than my move to the UK was. I suspect, for example, that someone from the deep south will find the UK more "foreign" than someone from Boston would. Also take into account socio-economic and educational issues, not just regional issues, in predicting whether you'll feel comfortable in the UK. There's a certain amount of affinity you share with someone who comes from a similar background as you, even though it may be from a different country.

Nonetheless, it will be a foreign culture to you in many ways. There are British words you may have never heard before (dodgy, pillock, punter, nappy), and different meanings of words you may have never encountered (suspenders, pants, braces, grass), and learning it all is part of the adventure. People grew up with completely different radio and TV shows, so there are a million cultural references that people make in conversation and TV that will have to be explained to you. Society is run differently (for example, much more social services), so people have different expectations of, and attitudes toward the government. The UK has a completely different history of problems and national events that shape the way they view things that happen around them: it will be a major eye-opener to you to discover how unique your American point of view is. None of this can be explained to you, there's nothing you can prepare for: you'll experience it in your own way once you come here.

There are what Brits consider to be "typically American" traits. Most of these they regard with benign amusement (although they will seldom let on that they are having a laugh over you), a few with a little more annoyance. Here are the American stereotypes, like them or not:

• Bragging, lacking modesty: proudly proclaiming one's accomplishments at work or school, or the fabulous vacation they've had
• Blundering into a situation without studying it first, making unwarranted snap judgments, being a "gunslinger"
• Talking with with your guard completely down, blurting out personal things to near-strangers (Debra Winger's character in "Shadowlands" was a good example of this)
• Talking loudly in public places to your friends so that everyone around can hear your private remarks (US students riding the tube, if you have to tell a story containing the sentence "I was so drunk last night", say it more quietly, okay?).

Will you acquire an accent? If you acquire a full-blown British accent I'd say you were either working at it, or you are extremely impressionable. You probably will acquire, at most, the faintest trace of an accent.

Make sure to get straight the difference between "England" and the "United Kingdom" (and furthermore "Great Britain" and the "British Isles", and even "Europe" for that matter). Scots and Welsh can be quite insulted by your referring to them as being English, or living in England.

• per capita GDP
  • UK: $15,900 (1991)
  • US: $22,470 (1991)
• Unemployment rate
  • UK: 8.1% (1991)
  • US: 6.6% (1991)
• Kilowatt hours produced per capita
  • UK: 5520
  • US: 12,080 (US, 1990)

(Source: the 1992 CIA Guide)

Regarding new products, British business practice is quite conservative. Suppose a new product becomes available, like CD players or microwave ovens. The US business and marketing approach is to go "guns blazing": get the product and try to make a million as quick as possible selling it. The Brits, however, simply "observe" the phenomenon for up to two or three years before making a move, even if its wildly successful in the US. Finally it comes out as the "latest thing from the US." As a result everything lags behind in the UK, so whatever the product, you can find it made better, cheaper and with more features in the US than in the UK. There are also some products and levels of quality that never seem to come to the UK. They can't seem to make milk cartons that open properly here. Cellophane tape (i.e. "Scotch tape") is appallingly bad here (gooey and yellow).

Examples of UK disadvantages in the area of comforts, convenience, or material wealth relative to the US are: small refrigerators, slow home laundry machines, only four standard television stations, home showers with pathetic water pressure, stores closed on Sunday, and expensive gasoline. In defense of the Brits, however, it's a matter of how you look at it: many of these things could be chalked up to the "comparative wastefulness of Americans" with equal fairness.

One important fact to point out is that this situation is constantly evolving. Britain has become much better even over the last five years, and is still changing rapidly (thus, be careful about trusting any descriptions from someone who last lived in the UK over five years ago). In terms of access to technology and high-quality manufactured goods, the UK is rapidly becoming indistinguishable from the US.

In the UK, I find few restaurants are ever open before about 10:30 a.m., so plan to have food at home for breakfast. You will also find that the nicer restaurants aren't open for dinner at five o'clock, or if they are, they will be empty. Most Brits have a tea break (i.e. snack) around four or five pm (yes, they really do this), which means they aren't much in the mood for a meal out until around 8pm. Oh yes, in case you didn't already know, pubs close at 11 p.m. (it's illegal to serve liquor after 11pm, unless you're a restaurant). A practice that seems to defy all logic at first is that take-out places (Chip shops, Kebab shops) might be closed in the evening yet suddenly open at 11pm. Why? Because of pub closing time, when hungry customers flood the street. Now, about food at Pubs: people tell you all the time that pubs are a place to get food (I've had delicious lasagne at a number of pubs), but what they don't bother to mention is that this is mainly a lunchtime affair. The menu may be on the wall, but they'll look at you strangely and say "I don't think there's anything left" if you try to order something after two p.m.

If you find the pattern of hours that things are opened frustrating, you can always go to the American chains (Pizza Hut, MacDonalds, Burger King, 7-11 and KFC); they all follow American style hours!

I've tried to convey that the UK is a friendly, civilized place for all people who visit or live there, and I think it is. You probably will not experience any blatant racism or sexism because people try very hard to be nice. However, you may experience it in more subtle forms. Although I'm no expert, here are a few things I've learned or noticed.

Is the UK a sexist place? While educated women in the UK are very informed about feminism, you will find that modern feminist thinking has not yet seeped into the culture quite to the degree it has in the US. Women tend to accept traditional roles with less protest. One of our first culture shocks was during an interview with a landlady in which she said she'd be willing to knock the price down a bit if my wife did some babysitting now and then. Also, even liberal-minded women seem to dutifully shave their legs and underarms here; similarly "going braless" is seen more infrequently than in the US. The same women don't bat an eye when a female in her twenties is referred to as "a girl." I'm not sure to what extent discrimination in the workplace is worse here than in the US, but the sense of "male bastions" is pretty strong, and there certainly seem to be fewer laws in place to prevent it. The hours that shops and laundrymats keep (i.e. closed at night) send a clear message that the society still thinks that one member of the family (guess who) is at home during the day. When we filled out an application for a birth certificate there is an "occupation" line for the father, but no such line for the mother. Even more sinister is the fact that if you are a married student coming to study abroad, a male may granted a VISA for his wife, but female student will be denied one for her husband. All this being said, I must emphasize that on a day-to-day basis the UK does not seem very sexist. I think that attitudes have run somewhat ahead of actual laws so far.

Is the UK a racist place? It's a sad but commonly observed fact that white people tend to breeze through customs and immigrations, while people of color are stopped and questioned with more frequency. If you are Indian or Pakistani, you should realize that Asians (which is what they call Indians and Pakistanis in the UK) are generally on a lower societal rung here than they are in the US, and you may find you are treated in subtly different ways here. But before you make up your mind about the UK in this regard, be aware that only 2.8% of the UK consists of non-whites (although another source puts it at 5.5%), whereas in the US it is 13.9% (source: CIA Guide). As a person from "melting pot" America, think twice before applying the same yardstick to the UK that you use for the US.

• Pubs: an essential part of the social infrastructure, unlike anything in the US. Pubs are hardly at all like US "bars", being much cozier, friendly (usually) and not sleazy (usually).
• Fabulous beers and ales. You'll be spoiled for life.
• Fabulous natural and historical sites all over the UK, all reachable within a day. Dozens of trips worth taking (see a guidebook). My personal favorite is the western highlands of Scotland.
• There really are unspoiled "olde worlde" towns in all sorts of places in the UK that still look very much like they did several hundreds of years ago. And these aren't just "heritage sites", but places you can actually live.
• The opportunity to view your own country in a completely different light. Come to learn US history better and understand what makes it unique. Gives you a grasp on the American national identity. Make a hobby out of comparing US and UK cultures, and see how other countries view us.
• Getting to experience a foreign culture without the inconvenience of a language barrier.
• Cheap and easy travel to the continent. A ferry to France from where I am costs less than a round trip ticket to London! Package weekend deals to Paris including flight and hotel for less than $200 during the off-season.
• The excitement of having many cultures in a smaller place. The European Union is making life particularly interesting here.
• A fabulous rail system that goes seemingly everywhere
• In a word, "civilized." People are much more agreeable and less conflict-prone than in the US; they solve problems by talking things through rather than arguing and posturing. People in positions of authority tend to consider the facts more thoughtfully instead of making inappropriate snap judgments.
• Slower pace of life. People tend to really leave work at 5pm and go home, and not come into work on weekends. Everyone gets about six weeks of vacation here. All of this is much more conducive to a better family life.
• A sense of a social safety net. Universal health care, so there's not that sense of grave fear of becoming unemployed that one has in the US.
• Personal safety. It will be a very long time before the UK becomes what Brits most fear: crime-ridden like the US (as they see it). A far larger proportion of areas in major cities are safe to walk in at night in the US than the UK. Places that Brits consider a "bad neighborhood" in the UK are often quite benign by US standards.
• Common sense prevails. Although the UK gets its share of nuisance lawsuits, affirmative action laws gone out of control, and "politically correct" liberal parochialism, none of it is nearly acute as it has gotten in the US.
• Arguably better quality television. The junk on British TV is every bit as bad as the junk on US TV, but the best stuff in the UK tends to be a lot better than the US's best TV.

What is the research ranking of the department you are going to work for? All British universities are ranked on a 5-point scale for research excellence, and the standards are very high. A department with a five rating means that there are many faculty members with strong reputations and long publications lists; you can probably assume that it is competetive with the best department of its type anywhere in the world, and that it is probably drawing in huge amounts of research money. The rating review is performed every five years.

The universities in the "industrial north" (Birmingham, Sheffield and Manchester) tend to have a slightly more "practical flavor" to them, with research funding tied to major industries (much like University of Michigan's ties to the auto industry). But this need not deter you, these are still three of the best research universities in the country.

The word "professor" has a different meaning here. The only people who are called professor are the ones with the rank equivalent to "full professor" in the US. Other translations: assistant professor (US) = lecturer (UK), associate professor (US) = senior lecturer (UK).

University lecturers in the UK are burdened with massive amounts of paperwork; it appears that the typical academic spends a larger proportion of his/her time on paperwork than in the US. The conservative government seems to have this idea that academics spend money frivilously, so they figure if you have to fill out three forms in triplicate for every move you make, that that will keep costs down.

Prepare for a very different interview process. First, it is quite typical for all the candidates for the position to interview on a single day (so be prepared to meet your competitors). It is not the grueling whole-day affair that US interviews tend to be, where you are marched around to see dozens of future colleagues and deans. Rather, you'll give a presentation (not always!), and a 20-30 minute interview, maybe be given a cursory look around the department with your competitors, and that's all. Sometimes it happens that the committee makes their decision on the day of the interviews and tells you before you leave! If you give a presentation, for research-oriented departments this is the single most important component of your visit, so do it well. For your interview, be prepared to describe your work at differing levels of technicality; make it so someone outside your field can get the basic message of what your work is about.

This may be arguable, but the image of a professor here seems to be a little more casual, as though looking untidy is a sign of intelligence. This means men might get by with slightly longer hair than in the US; but I would still wear a suit of some sort to be safe.

Here is the latest UK salary scale from April 1994. I'm not exactly sure how the different categories relate to the more familiar US categories; use your imagination.

• Lecturer Grade A: $22134 to $28989 in seven steps
• Lecturer Grade B: $30199 to $43134 in ten steps
• Senior Lecturer and Professor: $40527 to $49510 in eight steps

• "Changing Places" by David Lodge (Penguin Press): story about an American and a British professor who swap positions at their respective universities for a year. Extremely insightful and funny view of the cultural differences between our countries. Highly recommended! "Small World" is a followup novel by the same author. If you're going to Birmingham, these two novels, and his "Nice Work" are a must-read.
• The "Rumpole of the Bailey" stories (many different volumes) by John Mortimer. Deserves a place alongside Sherlock Holmes for great criminal fiction, although in this case from the view of a cynical trial lawyer rather than a detective.
• "The British Museum is Falling Down" by David Lodge (Penguin Press). Novel from the early 60's about a PhD student trying to get work done on his dissertation at the British Library.
• "Lucky Jim" by Kingsly Amis. Novel from the 50's about a recent college graduate stuggling to get by in his first year as a college lecturer.

• Paul Theroux, "The Kingdom by the Sea" (Penguin Press, 1983). A "travel biography"...author decides to see the UK by visiting every city along its permimeter, staying on foot as much as possible. Excessively cynical at times, but some good insights, and you'll learn about lesser-known places worth seeing.
• "Coping With England" by Jean Hannah (publ. Basil Blackwell, 1987). A mostly factual quide of what to expect in England, not at all cynical as its title might suggest. Starting to get a bit out of date.
• "Brit-Think/Amerithink, a Transatlantic Survival Guide," by Jane Walmsley (publ. Harrap London, 1990). Written by an American author. Pokes fun at the mindset of Americans and Brits with equal sarcasm. Very funny at times, although some of her ideas about Americans are odd (we don't all get plastic surgery, Jane), and she feels obliged to tell us what it's like being a TV producer in the UK (three guesses as to her occupation).
• "British English, A to Zed" by Norman Schur (publ. Harper Perennial, 1991). A dictionary of British words that are mostly unknown to Americans. Needs an update, but still pretty good. Very useful for reading British novels.
• "An American Looks at Britain," by Robert Critchfield (1991). Recommended by someone on the net (I haven't seen it myself).
• "The Underground Guide to University Study in Britain and Ireland," by Bill Griesar, Intercultural Press, 1992. Aimed at the foreign student, everything from a language glossary to the rules for cricket. (Also recommended by someone on the net.)
• "How to Study and Live in Britain," by Jane Woolfenden. Northcote House, 1990. A bit more stolid, but lots of useful information (i.e. on registering with the police, immigration, etc). (Also recommended by someone on the net.)
• "Studying and Living in Britain," by the British Council. Northcote House, 1991. Essentially a shorter version of Jane Woolfenden's book, although it's "official." (Also recommended by someone on the net.)
• "Driving in Britain: A North American's guide to the ins and outs and roundabouts of driving over there," by Robert A. Lockhart. Cande Marketing, PO Box 405, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3C 2T2. $12.95 plus $2.00 shipping and handling.

• An American (and Canadian) expats support group in the Manchester area publishes a useful guide, I'm told. Their address is The Ruskin Rooms, Drury Lane, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 6HA.
• For help on immigration laws, tax laws, duty imports, etc., write to British Information Services, 845 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022, Tel: 212-745-0200 or possibly 212-752-5747.
• The British Weekly, a throwaway newspaper for Brits living in the US. Contains many ads for international moving companies, export shops, etc.: 1617 Lincoln Blvd. Suite. 248, Venice, CA 90291, Tel: 310-452-2621
• Union Jack, another paper like The British Weekly: Union Jack Publishing, PO Box 1823, La Mesa, CA 91944-1823, Tel: 619-466-3129.
• International Express, "Britain's premiere newpaper for ritish news, sports, Royalty and entertainment." Speedimpex USA Inc., 35-02 48th Avenue, Long Island City, New York 11101-9748, Tel: 718-392-7477.
• If you need to get a copy of one of the daily British newspapers such as the Times, Guardian, Independent, etc., you can get them through Intenational Media Service, 3300 Pacific Avenue, Suite 404, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451-2983 Tel: 800-428-3003.

• Total area:
  • UK: 244,820 km2 (slightly smaller than Oregon)
  • US: 9,372,610 km2 (38 times larger)
• Population:
  • UK: 57,797,514 (1992)
  • US: 254,521,000 (1992; 4 times larger)
• Type of government:
  • UK: constitutional monarchy
  • US: federal republic
• Constitution:
  • UK: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
  • US: 17 September 1787, effective 4 June 1789
• Legal system:
  • UK: common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences; no judicial review of Acts of Parliament
  • US: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts
• Percentage of non-white ethnic groups
  • UK: 5.5 (1992)
  • US: 13.9 (1989)
• Full name of the country
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
  • United States of America
• Major Regions
  • UK: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales
  • US: no official regions

(Source: the 1992 CIA Guide)

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