SNORKYMEDIA I don't drink beer, however, compared to the US it's probably warmer than what we are used to. Beer drinkers in the US prefer very cold beer, even in winter, even at football tailgate (outside in the parking lot, ikr) it has to be chilled
Where DOES this warm beer thing come from? I've never understood why Americans say that. I'm English and I don't think I've ever had a warm beer in my entire life, or where in the UK I'd even find one.
Americans are used to beer so shit that they have to serve it at about -50c so that you can't actually taste it. Also, the Americans don't understand that "beer" is an umbrella term that encompasses dozens of different drinks from stouts, to IPAs, to Ales, wheat beers ect. When Americans hear the word "beer", they immediately think "lager", so when the barman hands them a pint of Ruby Ale, they cry because it isn't the freezing cold, fizzy piss they're used to in the states.
+James E. Tarrant Speaking of piss, it's indeed a travesty when a first time visitor to London ends up drinking a pint of *_Carling Lager._* With 5500 breweries, the U.S. has led the craft beer movement for decades and I'm quite certain most adults know there are alternatives to ice cold Budweiser. Local Hefeweizen was over marketed in the '90s followed by Belgian style witbier and now for the past 15 years it's IPA.
Hey man, I'm a student in York and without meaning to sound disrespectful or anything, that comment about the beer stung a little. Beer in the UK has a culture similar to wine in France. Each different beer should be served at a different temperature, to compliment the flavours. A porter or stout for example will be served a lot "warmer" than a pilsner or IPA. I have worked in bars for about 5 years now, and served many American tourists, but find it amazing how so many are oblivious to beers other than lagers and Guinness. Not many lagers are made in the UK, we generally import them from other nations (other than carling from the north east of England) but especially in the north of England and in Yorkshire in particular we drink a lot more more cask conditioned ale. A type of beer that doesn't tend to be popular in other countries because it's to "heavy" on the palate. We have the greatest choice of beer types, brewed locally, in the word but they won't always appeal to everyone's taste If you're interested in English beers at all, then don't hesitate to message me and I'll gladly suggest a few that I think would appeal more to the American palate than what you have possibly tried before.
There's no need to apologise mate. Otherwise I'd have to apologise for how most of my fellow British people believe their viewpoint is the only one. Been a while since I've watched this video, but it's nice to see an American with a taste for (non popular) beer styles. I hope my original comment wasn't in any way condescending and appreciate your reply.
+Colin Haynes Stella isn't a great example of European lager to be honest. I can full heartedly suggest a few other beers from the UK that I know get exported (though I'm not entirely sure to where) such as hobgoblin by whychwood brewery and anything by theakstons. the old peculiar they do is a fantastic porter for winter. I wish I could try more American beers, but all that seem to get imported to the UK are IPAs and lagers. The US is turning out some cracking IPAs at the moment it must be said. But in winter they do tend to be a little on the cold and light side for my taste. I was in Australia this summer and was surprised by some of the British beers that turn up in the shops over there. Belgian wheat beers are also fantastic, but that's a matter of taste.
+tom boyle If you look on many of the lagers here you will find it was probably brewed in the UK even if it is not a UK lager. Only the specific brands that say "import" are actually imported (and even then some can look like import and not be).
+woltersworld Should be cool cellar temp, like a well run cold faucet. Lager beer will be chilled as will chilled Guinness. The only beer that is cool rather than cold are the dark beers like bitter, mild, brown ale etc. And the advantage is that you can sink a pint in one hit without freezing your guts!
+Phoenix0nFire88 Actually, the better pubs will have beer that is warm or room temperature. That is real beer. Only cheap and nasty continental lagers are cold (and fizzy).
If you want to experience a proper pub, make sure it isn't a Spoons. Also, don't get fish and chips from a pub. The only reason pubs sell fish and chips is to appease tourists and it's usually not brilliant.
+jerry6711 I don't think he had lager in mind. Proper cask ale is the nuts, even the mass market ones like Old Speckled Hen or Greene King IPA are several classes above any lager.
+jerry6711 Camden Lager, Brick Lane Lager, Adnams Dy Hopped Lager, Meantime London Lager, London Fields unpasteurised Lager... Is that OK for starters?
+Ireland1984 Sorry, I meant the mass market lagers. Of course, there are outstanding craft lagers out there, just avoid urine like Carling and the so-called "Budweiser".
When he refers to England often he's talking about London. It's much more expensive in London than it is in the north of England or even in other parts of southern England.
If you actually live in London, you quickly find it's cheaper than the rest of the UK for most things. 2 glaring exceptions are housing costs and pub prices (although there are cheap pubs too. They're just rarer). The West End and other touristy areas/sites are very expensive but most Londoners don't shop there. There are 32 London boroughs. Each has a population equivalent to a decent sized town or city. Most of them are not particularly touristy...
That's not actually true. The Lake District and Northumberland are amazing. I'd always send American tourists to Northumberland as it's got Alnwick Castle (where Harry Potter / Downton Abbey did filming) , Bamburgh Castle and Lindisfarne. And awesome unspoilt beeches. Then there's the Coast to Coast. And obviously the Lakes are amazing. And Hadrian's Wall. And Muncaster Castle and the Ratty railway. And the Solway Coast. I could go on!
The beer isn't warm. Just because it isn't frozen doesn't mean its warm. We don't need to freeze it because it has taste and it sounds like you expected lager but got bitter. In England we have so many varieties of beer like lager and ale, real ale, bitter etc. You have to know when buying house or special which it us going to be. I hate bitter but love lager or real ale.
Gambit771 amen. Most people just aren't adjusted to the deeper flavours of proper british beers/ales/stouts etc. and therefore just pass it off as "warm" and bad.
Gambit771 Yes and the beer is good too if you avoid the mass produced stuff and go for 'real ale' from smaller 'craft' /micro breweries. There has been a massive growth in small breweries over the past few years - in Scotland I would recommend Tempest, Fyne Ales and Cromarty Brewery. In England I like Oakham Citra a lot but there are plenty of other good English beers.
+Otto Hashmi My local pub does serve warm ale when it should be served at room temperature. That's because it's a shit hole. Avoid drinking in shit holes and you won't encounter warm ale. Dear tourists, you can get beers, ales and lagers from all over the world in England. If you are in Chester go to the Bear and the Billet, they have a beer menu. If you are in Cambridge go to the Pint Shop
Beer is sold at cellar temperature, which is warmer than a fridge. If you're beer is too cold it doesn't taste of much because you need a bit of heat to release the odours and flavours.
It's the weather that makes The British Isles (especially Scotland) quite unique in it's countryside. I myself find the weather to be a good thing; but then I like rain.
i will disagree with two points 1. The Beer in England is actually lovely if you find small breweries. Shepherd's Neame is particular is a good one. English cider is also the best in the world 2. The weather in England is no worse than the weather in Germany The rest seems fair enough. I love England,its one of my favourite places :)
It's so confusing how people assume English people are all friendly, the majority of people in cities will easily start on you if you piss them off, that's normal culture
+matt Some places in England are full of people who are also pissed off that they are getting ripped off every time they buy something, every train they get on is late and it rains half the time. These things don't only piss off tourists! Try Liverpool. It is one of the friendliest cities and people there all agree that everywhere else is full of angry arseholes and will generally chat to anyone!
+matt in America the perception of English culture is that they're all still living in the Victorian age with posh accents and top hats. Blame shows like Downton Abbey
Speaking as an Englishman I agreed with everything you said until you started slagging off our beer. Our lager is rubbish (although we don't really do English lager - it tends originate abroad) and that is served cold. The warm beers like ales are delicious and what I like about them is that there is so much variety. On going to any pub worth visiting you will be presented with a variety of different ale taps to try. If the pub is friendly they will usually let you try a little bit of one before you buy a pint. Although I will admit that not everyone will like the taste of an ale. You could always try a nice west country cider. Everything else in the video was pretty much spot on.
xXMinniNinJaXx there is countryside in the outskirts of London. I live in a town on the outskirts of London called Orpington and if you drive for just 5 minutes from my house you are surrounded in farmland and trees
+Nivada Stars Leeds is great, depends on what you're into as a tourist. If you want industrial revolution, architecture and literally the best arms and armour museum in the world (literally, the leeds royal armouries has weapons and armour that people from across the world go to study etc.) then you're in the right place. Has infinite restaurants and pubs etc...if you want to experience "real" England then you go somewhere like Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester etc. and York, but it's kind of like the Yorkshire London. I know, spent a shitload of my time there and you constantly get harassed by tourists asking where the Minster is...literally infront of the bloody thing! It's a nice place but it is still a tourist place compared to somewhere like Leeds which isn't.
+beorma Americans don't Listen anything and everything other than London is Crap!! dont waste your time- Go to Paris or Italy for a weekend instead / Stay In West London if you Can especially young people you have More than enough to do in London -
Hey, American Coors and Budweiser are like making sweet love in a canoe rocked by the waves on a beach ... ... ... by which I mean fucking close to water. ;)
I wouldn't say "dissing" per se. Americans just prefer cold beer. We all are opinionated. They like cold beer for some strange reason--just used to it I guess.
What a refreshing change to see someone saying that we English are actually friendly! All we do here is moan about how crap everything is most of the time so its nice to get an outsiders perception..we can't do anything about the weather sadly but if you come between June and August you will get some surprisingly warm days
Steve Veasey i just dont understand most people around here, they bitch about how shit the country is without even giving a thought to how great we are in comparison to pretty much every other place on earth. it just pisses me off the amount of ungreatful people i see daily.
***** I suppose most people are stuck in low paid unfulfilling jobs and they get bitter and cynical about life in general. From house prices being unaffordable to bad schools to rubbish Public Transport to the lack of Police to the waiting lists on the NHS to being a graduate where the only jobs you can get are in call centres - the list is endless
Steve Veasey Well said! I can't believe what I've just read, totally agree! I'm a British born citizen and three years ago I left the UK for a new life in Australia. The weather was really getting me down in the UK and I had worked in some low paid unfulfilling jobs. I also was another one of them people that complained about all of the above! Basically apart from the weather here there's nothing much more I can say for Australia. So I am now moving back to the UK towards the end of 2015. Its made me realize the UK is not as bad as I made it out to be, I think changing countries completely changes your outlook on life!
Steve Veasey Dude... anything below 30 deg. C in June is surprisingly COLD for me, so... yeah. I just moved here about 2 months ago from Romania, and I'm still shivering under the duvet at night. It's cold as fudge here. For people from the continent and generally from moderate climate areas - LEAVE YOUR T-SHIRTS AND SHORTS AT HOME, because you're only gonna use your winter clothes here.
Emil Alexe Yeah, it never gets really hot in the UK so I could see how you would feel cold all the time! I had the opposite problem, I lived in Las Vegas for 18 months and the heat was literally suffocating to me so I stayed indoors with the AC on most of the time :-)
We drive on the correct side of the road, btw. It all dates back to knights on horseback where you hold the horses reigns with your weakest left hand and you use the strongest right hand to hold the sword or lance facing your opponent and vice-versa (with or without a horse it's still applicable) and that's why we drive on the correct side. Also, if you're American driving here, learn the protocols of roundabouts as on the whole, Americans don't have them and use intersections instead.
Really good review until you said that the beer is warm. Not it bloody isn't You were drinking a Heineken and Guinness both should have been served cold and the condensation on the glass shows this...now though if we move into beer/ale etc which Heineken isn't that is a lager then yes many of these should not be served cold but just room temperature, also to say uk doesn't have great beers and you should drink foreign stuff is almost an insult. The UK produces many of the top 100 beers in europe having some of the oldest brewery. It's all simple down to the fact Americans don't seem to have a clue when it comes to the different between ale, stout, bitter, lager, beer etc to them its all the same thing beer.
woltersworld other than that I thought it was a pretty good review :D. Bet yes lager is generally without flavour and more simply designed to get drunk or refresh on a hot day. Ales comes in 1000s of flavours and some are deffo a more aquired taste. If you like lagers then try many of the IPAs a lot of them are served cold and could be right up your street or another good one is called Waggle Dance it is a honey beer very good.
Joe Pan, First off lets start with the fact that for someone who has "i been in the uk" sadly you fail at speaking the language... Secondly their is a big difference between UK and British. And WTF "waiting!" who the fuck do you think you are! You also failed to read my original post where I said UK produces many of the top 100 beers in Europe, not UK produce 100 of the top beers in Europe. I struggled to read your piss poor post but I presume you were asking me to name 5 so called British beers that are in the worlds top 100. So let's start with Thwaite's Big Ben in 2014 this was voted Europe's #1 Brown Ale not only that it was also voted Worlds #1 Brown Ale, also last year Europe's #1 Bronze Ale was yet again another Beer from the UK. Worlds best Mild ... oh you guessed it UK, Worlds Best Chocolate & Coffee Beer .. UK, Worlds Best Herb and Spice Beer UK , Europe's Best Bitter...UK, Europe's Best Golden Ale.. UK. Do you want me to keep going on because there are lots more! I am not saying the UK is worlds best producer just saying we have some damn fine ales. Now stfu you poor excuse for a human and eat your humble pie!
Emexrulsier You sir have proven to be proper British ,And i am happy to say , i made my point coz none of the beers you mentioned are sold in EU shops ,voted Europe's #1.LOL . You should sail off your island and see the world. " eat your humble pie! You are funny We are just cracking up in tears,in bloody tears.Please carry on be more British for us.
As a couple of others have said, I was surprised you believe English beer isn't very good. I live in Prague - perhaps the beer capital of the world - and even I believe English beer is the best I have had anywhere. Of course, you should aim for a good ale, ideally made by enthusiasts, but you will never find a better beer anywhere else in the world.
I am just not a big fan. the ales and ciders (I love the ciders to be honest but wow do they give me a wicked hangover) are pretty good, but in general I don't see people as much at the pubs drinking local brew (except in Scotland but this video was on England). I just like my stella and hoegarden I guess :)
A good pint of English ale...and there are a lot of bad ones...is probably the best thing about my country. Especially because foreigners haven't worked out how good it is yet. A quality pork pie and a pint, is a very special thing. My city, Norwich has so many amazing pubs. Never found pubs anywhere near as good anywhere else in the country. Although I haven't spent as long looking for good pints elsewhere.
woltersworld yeah but you forgot to remember is that we never ask for any tip you probably should have mentioned that's all and I know that you mentioned that we have good service thank you very much I was talking about the tip thing that is all
I'm English, I love England, and this video made me chuckle! If you're English, you moan about customer service here! The beer is cold here, just not frozen. The weather is brilliant - four seasons in one day! A lot of people are friendly, but be prepared for arseholes. London isn't real England, unless you go into the suburbs, away from the tourist attractions. England and the rest of the UK is definitely worth a visit or twenty!
Patrick Dunn it's not that rainy in London trust me. it rains once maybe twice a month. and you are extremely unlikely to live in London city, you will probably live in what we call a borough of London which means a town on the outskirts of London which is controlled by the London authorities.
LOL London has some rain but come to us in the Lake District we are classed as the rainiest place in the whole of England due to our highest peaks it rains on average about 5 times a week and the other days are just cloudy bollocks
Lee Francis Yes, it rains more in Washington and Oregon than in London. There's more precipitation in New York than London, although some of it is in the form of snow. London, and England generally, doesn't rain all that much.
Next time you come over to England. Visit Nottingham. Go to a pub called the Salutation Inn and try one of the many great real ales they have whilst enjoying the atmosphere of one of the oldest pubs in the world.
Yep. Incredible beer selection, amazing food, a great folk night, atmospheric as hell and with a hilarious landlady. Can't go wrong with that combination.
Bernardthecheesecake why? its only driving. just make sure you either know how to use a stick shift or stipulate an automatic when hiring. Roundabouts? basic rule is give way to traffic from the right, inside lane for turning right , outside for left) all this info is readily available on the net just don't drive in London Its hard work and not worth the hassle for unfamiliar drivers.
Our beer isn't warm, we just don't serve it in pitchers with a metric fuckton of ice in it. Real ale is served at cellar temperature and you're really missing out on some truly amazing beers by only sticking to that super chilled mass produced continental rubbish.
Good point Dan. Do these people who called ale (what we call beer) warm beer also call red wine "warm wine"? Something that is room temperature or just below room temperature is not warm. It is just not chilled.
You're right pal. The only reason why you would super chill a beverage is to mask the flavours. When you buy those cheap largers they will always be served ice cold so they taste of nothing, served warm? terrible.
So right. Chilled beer tastes like piss which is WHY it is chilled. Anyone who visits the UK and doesn't try some of the hundreds of superb real ales is missing out. It's served at cellar temp. so that you CAN taste it - very nice, complex, flavours. And don't forget real cider!!!
Tancred de Beaumanoir Too right an 'all. I recently re-located back to the States. (British born/bred, moved to states 2012, went home Christmas 2013, back in states now) And I have to say, I rekindled my love of the proper pint. Having to put with any "beer" that has the word "lite" in it for 2 years really ruined my taste buds. Soon as I got back home to Blighty, it was back on the bitter and ale, and I haven't looked back since.
The best fish and chips are the ones that you buy near the sea. So best places are Scarborough, N.yorks, or Cromer and Sheringham in Norfolk - the taste is far superior than anything you'd buy in a pub, or local high street.
London has a lower annual rainfall than Lisbon, Paris, Oslo, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Helsinki, Istanbul, Milan, Moscow, Rome, Vienna and Zurich. What rain London does get tends to be spread thinly over days at a time with days of cloud either side of that. That's what gives the impression it's always raining. Glasgow on the other hand has twice the rainfall of London.
I live in the north of England and it really does rain most of the time. Between October and April, it is usually always dark, wet and gloomy. That is one of the reasons we go so over the top with Christmas.
As an Englishman, I can confirm that in comparison to other countries, the UK gets a ton of rain. Even if it isn't raining, the weather can usually be described as "looks like it might rain". Don't take my word for it though, you can do some Googling and see the rainfall stats, if you've got nothing to do :)
Beer here isn't that good. Let me guess, you've drank Carling? :p You should try real ales and craft beer, there's thousands of them and at least 2 or 3 in each pub. They're great, as long as you don't prefer lager.
only problem is its take a bit of time getting used to a stronger flavour, seeing as americans drink mainly weak lagers as "beer". Just have to try and taste the flavour as oppose to the alcohol.
"As long as you don't prefer lager." That's probably a big part of it right there, if not for Mark then for Americans in general. The American beer industry was built by Germans; you may be familiar with the names Busch, Miller (originally Müller), Pabst, and Coors. Those German brewers overwhelmingly preferred lagers, so they became the standard in the U.S. and eventually the rest of the Americas. Ale and lager are very different products; if you buy one expecting it to taste like the other, you're going to be disappointed. As with any part of a foreign culture, try to appreciate it on its own terms rather than comparing it to something back home.
Agreed - Ales and Beer in England are a different beast to Larger and is served just below room temperature - Larger are served cold. Most if not all pubs serve at least a few guest ales/beer and cider, and there are a lot of pub that sale nothing but... the drink trade in England over the last 20 years has put it right up there amongst the best
It's fascinating to me (as a Britisher) to hear things from a foreign visitor's POV and most of what was said here I agree with. A little note about "warm beer". What's going on then?! Well, there are a LOT of breweries dotted around everywhere in England, virtually every county has its 'local'. Some of the ales produced have been popular for literally centuries. Here's the thing though: MOST (not all) are *supposed* to be served and drunk at room (cellar) temperature for the same reason that red wine is. The flavours, of which there are many are tasted properly at this slightly higher temperature. I've heard Americans complain that it is also "flat", this is not the case, it is usually served by hand-pump straight from the barrel and has just a hint of sparkle. The bottled versions are usually a bit more fizzy. I handed a bottle of British beer to an American friend of mine once (who was used to Bud Lite) and she said "It tastes of perfume!" so I arrogantly retorted "Yes, Cindy - that's called flavour!" The flavours take some getting used to but once you get the taste and the rich diversity of flavours, you'll notice that it can be as complex as a fine wine, some are also deceptively strong. Cheers :-)
+BaddaBigBoom True, American beer manufacturers have been adding fizz since the 1960s and it is thought that this fizz is what makes you FAT. In Latvia, I drank a 3 litre glass of the home brew from LIDO in Riga. It went down smooth and tasted great and I was not bloated at all. www.lido.lv/eng/about_us/photo_gallery/?gal=1842&photo=1844
Hey! Guess what? I drank Guiness, Bass, Newcastle, Budd Lite all in the same night ! And I am OK ! Sometimes I mix Guiness with Budd Lite floating on top ... I call it a " BP black and tan ", after what BP did in the gulf of mexico during that oil spill. The oil went to the bottom and the clear water stayed on top. Budd Lite floating on top of Guiness.
Good vid. As English - no complaints about the 'hates'. I'd add one more, don't get your hopes up too high with fish and chips. Quality varies massively. More reliable is the (all day) full English breakfast. Can't remember the last disappointing one I had. As briefly explained English bitter is not chilled in a pub. Bottles, certain brands are in supermarkets. Lager is chilled everywhere.
It does not rain nearly every day in England. It's variable. Some Summers can be hot and dry and some more rainy (not every day though). The trains are expensive because the government privatised them. The cheapest tickets are those where you buy in advance rather than on the day. You can buy online through the National Rail Enquiries site if you know where you want to go to and from. If you use the tube and buses buy an Oyster Card. It takes out the hassle and is cheaper than trying to pay cash. The reason people bump into you on the streets are that some places are really crowded (like Oxford St) and full of tourists. The beer isn't that good? No way. Lager beer may be mostly foreign and is served cold. What he calls warm beer includes a variety of good English ales - some made by small local breweries - with different flavours. With cold beer you can't taste the flavours so well. Cold beer is nice in hot weather but the weather isn't always hot. A good ale near a roaring pub fire in the Winter after a nice walk in scenic countryside - you can't beat it.
+Sabo Rivaille Tip from a brit: Turn on some lovely coloured lights inside and grab a nice bit of cheese or some fish and chips. That should do the trick!
protip: Don't waste your time going to see the changing of the guard just because everyone does it and you think your have to and its going to be some sort of fantastic experience when in reality its a crowded mess and unbelievably boring. skip the changing of the guard and get a jump on a different attraction while the rest of the people are sitting in front of the palace.
I did an attraction in London and afterwards I was asked my age when I said I was 18 they asked "do you know what that means" I said no and they yelled out "you can drink!" and cheered and people in general were very friendly and more than willing to teach you the history.
You two have summed up the point I was going to make - Americans might find it hard to understand proper UK regional accents, particularly the further north you go (although Cockney Rhyming Slang is no cakewalk either). I live in the Midlands and have had to interpret between Brummies and Black Country folk before now.
woltersworld Cool! Have you ever tried scrumpy (Somerset)? DO be careful - even the second-rate stuff the locals give to their tourists is awesome - but it creeps up on you!.
amc3 It's kind of the same about how foreigners think America is nothing other than New York City, Chicago or LA. People do not think out of the box. So many Brits, Italians, French, etc. base their impressions of America on the big cities. One reason may be that Americans do not get much vacation time off so they have to make the most of short time and see the big, known destinations and nothing else.
+amc3 Why do immigrants come to America and settle in the FIRST PLACE that they encounter? It is human nature. We are lazy and want the tour guide to show us the country while we play a video game or text a friend.
Wolter s good because he really packs a lot of information into his videos. I'm English so it's interesting to hear the things that he notices most about this country. I'll subscribe.
Went to London , Exeter , Plymouth, Oxford , Portsmouth , all i remember is all good. Dartmoor park was awesome , Exeter cathedral also , people are polite & nice , the weather isnt a problem since im from Brittany . I really did good trips over there .
I'm afraid to say the commentator displayed the naivety I have often found with Americans. My experiences have not been good, and I have met many Americans both civilian and service personnel, and in the main I have found them to consider themselves superior and quite condescending. It is not my wish to bash anybody, but I can only speak as I find. I have also found that Americans seem to feel we as Brits should show some deference toward them, even though they are welcome, they need to wind their necks in a bit.
Oh shut the fuck up. I'll agree with a negative stereotype or two but what you just said is butthurt British drivel. Go whine about the French while you're at it; I understand you resent that they have better women wine weather and food, and helped created the great nation of the USA by defeating those easily butthurt Brits. The best Brits left the UK and created nations that all have higher living standards than the UK (Canada, Australia, USA, etc.)
SUpersaiyajinjerkbag Oh dear what absolute drivel. You read an experienced critique and the best you can do is attack. I would also advise you get your facts correct. Nevertheless, to try to pander to what might be your better side, before my experiences I admired America, but my consideration is based on their behaviour, attitude, and arrogance I have personally been subject to. Had they been different so to would my opinion. I can understand your defensive reaction, but it also displays a shallow view and limited intellect. When you dive into the intellectual pond, make sure you're not out of your depth.
Great video mate ^_^ I am British and could make a few small corrections: Only some beer is warm (my basic understanding is that ale is warm and lager is cold but I'm sure there's more to it than that) and also coaches like National Express and Megabus are a great way to get around cheap, but of course they do take much longer than a train. That's pretty much it... oh, and it sounds very strange to refer to England (or even Britain) as an island... I think it's too big to be called an island, surely! :)
Im not talking race or language im talking Geography. I am English and live in the South East of England. Britain is an Island of 3 countries making Britain an Island Nation. My reply was to this "it sounds very strange to refer to England (or even Britain) as an island... I think it's too big to be called an island, surely!" I never mentioned race or language. Are you trying to find an argument where there isn't one?
+Neil Pickett to big to be called an island? lol.. that's like saying, greenland is a continent! top to bottom the uk is 1000 miles! it's tiny in comparison.
Re: "warm beer". Warm beer means room temperature, not actually warm. Lager type beers, which is what Americans mostly drink, tastes better cold and is served cold in the UK. Darker ale type beers taste better at room temperature and are served that way. Ask for lager an it will be fizzy and cold. Just like the US. Ask for beer, ale, or porter and in good pubs it will be served still and at room temperature. And a big shout out to CamRA for helping keep it that way.
I am American and loved Canterbury, the Cotswolds, Stratford upon Avon, nd Cornwall. Saw Hadrian's Wall but wished we had been north a little longer. We rented a car. We found that once the English understood that we wanted to experience their country (not be demanding) they were warm and welcoming. Can't forget Bath or West Bay Dorset. It was a wonderful trip.
If you make it over hear again Cheryl, come to Yorkshire. Biggest county in England, and for centuries has been referred to as "God's own county", because of its beautiful scenery. York is an ancient city established by the Romans, then settled by the vikings, and full of history. The moors and dales are equally as picturesque as those in Scotland and the cotswolds. Leeds is a vibrant, modern city, with great bars and venues. Kingston Upon Hull has the world's largest indoor "subnarium" with thousands of species of marine life. And to top it all off, no matter where you stay, your destination is never more than an hour and a half away, it's very cheap compared to London, and the people are wonderful and down to earth :-) I consider it much more "English" than many of the usual tourist destinations, such as London.
I'm English and I agreed with a lot of this until you said the beer isn't good! It's just different, and you obviously haven't acquired the taste for it yet! British bitter / ale is nothing like the beers you get on the continent or America (which are mostly what British people call lager), but it can have nice, subtle flavours. And yes, it's not usually meant to be drunk ice cold. If you go to a lot of English pubs and just drink foreign lagers (or Guinness) then you've missed out on part of the culture! Having said that, I think you're more likely to find interesting beers in country pubs rather than in London where I'd say they are more often bland and commercial ones.
Hmm, we're very proud of our Beer. Its not larger so not chilled but neither is it warm. Chilling a beer can take a lot of the taste away. Our beer in London is not the best agreed, but if you visit Yorkshire you'll leave loving our Beers!! The best in the World!!
A quick travel tip in England: If you plan on using National Rail, book your ticket in advance online. Advance tickets are considerably cheaper than buying on the day! The downside is that if your train is cancelled, you can't use your ticket on another train. But it is a lot cheaper. Another thing to note if you plan on using the underground is that all the ticket offices have been closed (apart from a tiny minority at major stations) so you will have to use a machine to get your ticket/oyster card. The oyster card is the cheapest & easiest way to get around London (if you plan on using London buses, you will have to have one as they don't accept cash any more). But you will have to pay £5 just to get the card, which doesn't count for any travel. And always tap in AND out when using oyster (even if the gates are open) or else you will pay the maximum fare, & may be fined as well.
The trains only get really expensive when you take busy commuter routes to big cities. For example, from Somerset to London it can cost 100 pounds. These are the fastest, direct lines, however. If you take switch over trains, that aren't at peak times, they can actually get pretty cheap.
it is a country. A sovereign state which is also a country. They are devolved countries within this larger country. 'Although the United Kingdom, as a sovereign state, is a country, England, Scotland, Wales, and to a lesser degree, Northern Ireland, are also regarded as countries, though they are not sovereign states. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have devolved self-government.'
Here is a few reasons why it is ONE country. One prime minister and one parliament that deals with the uk's world relations, army, economy and has the power to overrule all of the devolved parliaments. Two, we have one monarch as head of state the queen. Three one standardised currency run by one national bank (unlike the eu which has multiple) and one fiscal policy ruled by our singular chancellor for the exchequer. Four all seats in the devolved parliaments are seats in the national parliament basically making the devolved parliaments little more than westiminister play things. Five citizenship is british with the same passport for every citizen. six only the UK is recognised by the UN which is known as the united NATIONS so knows a lot about what makes a NATION (the same applies to the EU). Don't ever tell me the country I live in doesn't exist.
Trust me, it's not touristy to go to a pub, have fish & chips and a 'warm' beer, all of us do it all the time. We don't call it warm by the way, it's "cellar temperature" ;) It's mainly to do with the fact that coldness ruins the flavour of traditional ales. So the casks & kegs are kept in the basement, the coolest place in the building but not fridge temperature.
I am 55 and I have lived in Suffolk, England all my life.I love a drink and frequent the pub every weekend and I have never, NOT ONCE had a warm beer. The thing is in the USA they put ice in their drinks in the UK the ice is there but you have to ask for it. Otherwise it comes out of the pump which means room temperature, so just ask the barman to put ice in the glass.
fair enough video... but one of your points is not to step into the road without looking (really? why not?) and the other is that everyone isn't from Downton Abbey (surely not.. you're pulling my leg). As far as weather goes, it's mild. It rains less in London than Paris and far less than in Germany. The thing I would say about British weather is that it is unpredictable. Be prepared for anything year round. Also get a tourist hop on/hop off bus rather than take expensive transport for commuters.
Itsmeeman1 XD The French ain't all that bad. I mean if this country gets into a huge war they are going to be like. "Since the British are coming I'm coming!"
Hate 5# is SO TRUE. Being ethnic Chinese, studying in the UK is a pain, because the English people (both young and old) treat us very poorly. Get a lot of cussing and mockery on the streets about my looks. One might think that they'd be civil to all people. :)
Kingofthemattock I just mentioned that I get racial slurs because of the way I look. Do you look in any form Chinese? I should think not, God forbid, especially not in small towns and cities in the UK (where I temporarily reside). Maybe you should proof-read your comment for vulgarities first such as calling others 'nether regions'. I wonder who is the real 'nether region' for displaying such grandeur of characters. Such a gentleman. :) I suppose now I have a rough idea of how Germans are like then, thanks for showing me that. :) -a Singaporean
ssanimess As an Australian student with many friends who are Chinese i lived in the UK for years (Cantebury) and they never ONCE had any sort of issue with racial slurs. In fact id said Britain is one of the least racist countries in Europe. In my experience,some foreign students are just arrogant and claim to hate Britain (as you are doing) and then cry wolf at being victimised. If it truly was a pain i would suspect Britain to be less popular as a Uni destination but its far from that. Perhaps if you spent less time insulting Britain,you would find it a nicer place to live. I embraced it and grew to love it as did most of my Chinese friends,with many of them still there today.
Harry West Like I said, it has to be specifically a small town or city in the UK. People, if you want to prove your point, read every single detail of a comment carefully. However, I am refraining from naming which particular city I am residing and studying in, for fear of more backlash. I have been an Anglophile my whole life, especially since I once studied English Literature and what not. However, I've decidedly changed my whole perspective of the British after I came here. I do not hate the UK, but the people have not been very welcoming, and my experiences, less than pleasant. A good example is during my second week in the city I reside in, I got attacked by a bunch of white teenagers whilst walking in a neighbourhood to a church on a Sunday afternoon. They hurled stones at my friend and I. Please tell me that this is the British way of showing hospitality or kindness. Are you now going to tell me that I'm arrogant because of the way I look and was merely walking around the neighbourhood, just to get to church? Or that I am crying wolf because I "felt" victimised that stones were being thrown at me? To be fair, I do acknowledge that in other more developed and cosmopolitan parts of the UK, e.g. London and Manchester, and other cities with the top universities, i.e. Oxford and Cambridge, ethnic Chinese/Asians have little to no issues there. I know this because I've lived in one of those places as well. Harry, your friends must have obviously gone to the best universities in the UK in those cities mentioned above. In fact, most of my friends (Singaporeans) who come to the UK pursue the following courses: Medicine, Dentistry, Law, and Economics. I'm sure that their white classmates have a certain degree of sense in them to not hurl racial slurs at them, especially since a good proportion of Singaporeans/Malaysians/Asians take up these spots anyway. I am pursuing a degree course that is not available in those top universities, hence the stark difference in cultural experience. Get some perspective. Every single person has a different experience. The UK is a large country, not everyone lives in the same region. And don't get me started on the Scotland/NI region. :) Oh, and another thing, Harry, your friends have you, a white person as their friend. If they hang out with you, no one's going to hurt them, to say the least. :) The reason why the UK is a "popular" destination is that there are too many applicants for the top courses in Singapore. Those with the moolah choose to come here or go elsewhere, e.g. Australia/US to further their studies. If given a choice, people would rather stay in Singapore.
ssanimess I would agree that Scotland is an unfriendly area of the country (they hate everyone) but you get rude people everywhere. And im sorry,as some who is Chinese,you cant criticise another country for much. Chinese people are VERY closed to foreigners and their human rights are appalling!
Sam M I am a Singaporean who is of Chinese descent. That does not mean I'm from China. Also, Singapore is not China, please consult Google. :) The reason why the Chinese (China nationals) are closed to foreigners is because of the treatment they receive in the foreign land. Please refer to my stone attack example for some context. My case is not an isolated one by the way. Despite having gone to the police, there were no investigations carried out, and we were left out in the cold. I have friends from China here and they have more stories to contribute, but I don't want to bore you all. You do not find such treatment of foreigners in Singapore, and I dare say, in China as well. [Contextual background: Children do not go about insulting you in the face for the way you look. Elderly folk do not look at you and laugh at you in the face in passing on a daily basis.] I might hazard an educated guess and say it's because of the underlying notion of 'white supremacy' that still persists till this day.
I agree with you about renting a car, don't drive in England with the steering wheel on the left side. I went to England by airplane and rented a car at the airport. The moment you go to the car to get in you will be reminded that this is different. I didn't have any problems in driving the car, except that in the beginning it was a little awkward to change the gears on the manual transmission with my left hand.
Accurate but doesn't really talk about the chav problem which affects some of the less nicer cities such as Nottingham. Watch out for th guys wearing the hoodies and the trackies because they usually aren't nice and one thing can set them off.
Darth Krayt Just don't look at them the wrong way, don't comment when they do something stupid like graffiti on someones house or they'll use it as an excuse to try an start a fight. I meant set them off as in when they start ranting bullcrap such as "is man taking man for a dick head" and such, if you say things which may disrespect back they will probably try to fight you. I live in England and I swear if anything gives this country a bad name, its them :(
Stu Wildey I don't know Nottingham so nothing I say about it is informed. But when I hear someone say "nothing wrong" with a town, I have to assume there is much more going on beneath the surface. There are things "wrong" with every city in my experience. Does Nottingham not have any drug problem? No drunks? No vandals or thieves? Never any violence or crime? I don't care if it DID have all those things, I would still visit if it was along my path. Nottingham sounds like an interesting place.
Yes it does have a drug problem, plenty of people smoking weed. Drunks? possibly if you got to the wrong places such as st.Annes. There are quite a lot of vandals and a lot of grafiti etc. and probably an average amount of thieving. As for violence where i live (sandiacre) i have to walk through stapleford every day and there is about 10 deaths (mostly from knife crime) every year and a lot more violence than that. Nottingham is an interesting place in some areas but a lot of it isn't nice, I would much prefer to live in London or down south by the seaside.
Don't go to Liverpool, I did a tour of Britian I went up North and Liverpool isn't very nice and they don't have a British accent for some reason, couldn't understand them.
I love how many times you said "pub" and "fish and chips". This must be what we are known for on a global stage! A good review of the country and I'm glad you suggested to leave London as there is so much more to the country other than London.
Who on earth started telling Americans that it's a "tradition" to "eat your fish and chips every friday/whatever" in the pub? This is NOT a thing. I met a guy from Chicago when I was travelling who was shocked that I didn't do this, and also thought fish and chips were the ONLY national food we have. So a few things need clearing up: - You go to the pub to drink with friends. Sometimes you might eat there- and you can eat whatever you want- could be a chicken tikka or sausage and mash (a couple of 'british' examples). It's not really a 'thing' to have fish and chips in the pub. - You have fish and chips from a fish and chip shop, they wrap them up in newspaper/ paper, and you take them away with you. That's where you tend to buy fish and chips. - There are foods other than 'fish and chips' which are English/ British. For example- lots of families have a roast dinner every Sunday (so a roast meat- pork, beef, or chicken, with roast potatoes, lots of veg, and gravy). We also have cottage/shepherds' pie, bread and butter pudding, English pancakes, Yorkshire puddings, and Chicken Tikka Masala was actually invented in Britain to suit our tastes. This guy is pretty clueless. It's quite sweet though.
I am English and I have to agree with everything you have said, this is an extremely helpful video for tourists. However just one criticism - you need to try drinking traditional English ale before you knock the beer.
I agree with you in not being too critical. I am American and I agree that English beer is great. What he probably meant is that the beer is quite different than in America. Yes, it is true that American beer is almost always served cold. He just wants to get the point across that the beer is different and an American might not like it at first. However, it is an acquired taste. Once they try it and learn from an Englishman what to look for in a good English beer, they will learn to appreciate it. The same goes for English trying American beer. An acquired taste.
The reason you don't really like the Beer is because it's beer. Drink real English Ale! Ale is the business! there is nothing like sitting in a country pub, with the ceiling and beams about 5 inches from your head, and drinking a local real ale. :)
Suggestion: invest in a lapel mic. The voice gets drowned out by wind noise a lot. Also, slow down your speech, you sound like an auctioneer. Besides that, some good tips. Also recommended: Rick Steves' travel shows (PBS).
Come to Yorkshire, Cornwall, Northumberland, Suffolk, Norfolk, London is now so overcrowded and expensive. Hire a car, don't worry if you get lost, that's part of the fun and you will discover amazing places off the beaten track.
Warm beer? if you buy it in a supermarket, it's unlikely it'd be kept in the fridge, but it certainly isn't warm if you buy it in a pub. I also strongly recommend to visit The Lake District - it's beautiful! You're right about the trains though - terribly expensive, they go up every year and still don't run on time
Too many visitors don't go outside the big 5 tourist traps, which is sad. there's a lot more than London,, York, Edinburgh and the cotswolds. go to the places where they actually make the beer (Which is not warm, just room temperature), get away from the big cities and take the roads that are only wide enough for one car. get out and walk a mile from the roads, you will find places no-one ever sees. seek out the smallest places, wade up the narrowest streams but whatever you do stay out of London which is more foreign than a lot of foreign places.
Stop with the criticism of London so much. It's a beautiful city full of beautiful things to see. All the major cities in the world have a foreign-born percentage - why should London be any different. It's the proudest and most beautiful city in the world.
He's not criticising London he's just stating that it's hardly representative of the whole of England and that there are other amazing places, that aren't like London, that are still fun to visit.
Dude I love your videos and in the British / English ones I can agree with most of what you say, but I have to challenge you on what you said about the beer. First of all we do not drink warm beer, lager is always served cold and ale is served at room temperature. Secondly you said the beer isn't very good, as regards to lager I suppose you are right but we more than make up for it with real British ale!
boddingtons and John smiths are great beers. kings ferry and sheering are both great companies to travel by. Plymouth is a great city to visit. so is canterbury and Rochester.
If using the trains it's worth getting a "travel card,"costs about £30.but can save you a lot. (senior,over 60's gives you a third off traintravel all over the country,also you can get regional ones.In London get a pay-as -you -go Oyster card,for the tube,buses,overground trains,docklands light railway,works out a lot cheaper. If you're planning any long distance train journeys there are a couple of options to reduce costs.Firstly if you can book in advance you'll save a lot of money.If it's not possible to pre-book,then it might be worth "splitting"the fare.eg if you're going from London to Manchester look at the station stops and see if buying several tickets along the route might be an option.there are a couple of websites that can help you out)Also avoid travelling in the rush hour as fares are higher during peak periods. Also,if you're not in a hurry consider taking a long distance bus,far cheaper than trains and you'll see the country.(as on your Greyhounds).
Ever heard of the North-South divide? It's an economical as well as cultural split in the UK that has been happening since WAY before WW1. The North of the UK was owned by the Vikings who ruled from Jorvick (now York) and after the Battle of Hastings in 1066 when the Normans decided that we weren't good enough for independence. William the Bastard (Conqueror) decided that all the money from the treasury go towards the south to improve it. This led the north into sort of disrepair until the industrial revolution 1760 -1820) when the South relied on the coal from the North. Towns (villages now) like Goldthorpe (Barnsley, South Yorkshire (pronounced Yorkshur)) sprung up as mining towns. Then Maggie (Asshole) Thatcher decided that the North wasn't good enough for continued support. We therefore, were forced into closing the mines which led to the miners strike in the 80's. Because of this, the north relied on their own resources and culturally, even though the cultures have been split since Roman times, changed into a sort of different country from the south. That's why the north is so different to the south. For example, London is higher up on the economic tree compared to the north such as Sheffield and Manchester. If you are going to visit the UK make sure you go into it without thinking of the British stereotypes you see on TV, like Downton Abbey and venture away from London to see the REAL UK. One more thing, Avoid Thurnscoe and Goldthorpe and the Dearne Valley area in general as you will get your faced smashed into the ground if you say the wrong things. IE Maggie is love, Maggie is life. Unless you explain that Maggie is the name of your wife.
Vanpyro Gaming just a point, more mines were shut down by Labour before Thatcher even got into power. Strikes were worse in the 70s too. Easier to blame Maggie in the labour heartlands and not feel like a turkey voting for christmas though.
Mathew Willis The Viking Age is the period A.D. 793-1066 in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, following the Germanic Iron Age. It is the period of history when Scandinavian Norsemen explored Europe by its seas and rivers for trade, raids and conquest. In this period, the Norsemen also settled in Norse Greenland, Newfoundland, and present-day Faroe Islands, Iceland, Normandy, Scotland, England, Ukraine, Ireland, Russia and Anatolia. Though Viking travellers and colonists were seen at many points in history as brutal raiders, many historical documents suggest that their invasion of other countries was retaliation in response to the violence from Christians towards pagan peoples, or motivated by overpopulation, trade inequities, and the lack of viable farmland in their homeland. Information about the Viking Age is drawn largely from what was written about the Vikings by their enemies, and primary sources of archaeology, supplied with secondary sources like the Icelandic Sagas.
Easiest job in the world is English weather forecaster? What a cruel statement! Britain has one of the most erratic weather systems on the planet. Predicting British weather is notoriously difficult and can only be accurate 3 days before time, at best.
+woltersworld Cask ale, if kept properly, should be cooled to around 11°C, so it shouldn't even be room temperature actually. Fizzy nitrokeg beers will be served at around 3°C and extra chilled at 1°C. If my beer was actually warm, I'd complain right away, as should you!
Indeed! The thing most people don't realise is that beer is just like wine: each variation has its recommended ideal temperature for consumption. In a good British pub you will have beers being served at anything between 1-3 degrees (lagers / "blondes") and 11-13 degrees ( real ales and bitters).
The British have a saying: There's no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing. Also, I've never been served a cold beer whenever I've visited. Where does this myth come from?
So love going thru the British museum! Takes a few days just to do it...and there's madam Tussauds, tours, just in London. They have lovely weather...any day! I would recommend the trains as it's so beautiful...if you're not in a rush. And getting a ride card for 7 days...gets you all over London.
Your comment about "they drive on the left, so you will be driving on the other side of the road" assumes everyone watching this is from the USA. People watching from Japan, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kenya, Malaysia, Cyprus, Thailand, Jamaica, and lots of other countries will say "yeah we drive on the left"
