Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

I have to admit that I'm very fond of Halloween as practised in Canada, and invited local children to trick or treat at our house for our first Halloween back in the UK.

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

Halloween has been around for a long time - but I am sure that the Americans commercialized it. I remember as a little girl growing up in Northern Ireland going door to door dressed up - not in full costume - but we always wore masks. We didn't say "trick or treat" or didn't ask for candy. We received nuts and apples. Then we took our bounty home and "bobbed" for apples in a bowl of water. I must admit, I quite like Halloween - I like to see the little kids in their costumes (including my grand-children).

I like Thanksgiving too - but unfortunately it is almost a "forgotten" holiday now with many of the stores opening as early as 5 pm and some of them opening all day. I feel sorry for the store clerks who have to work. I don't know if they get paid overtime or not (somehow I doubt it). I hate Black Friday - have never participated in it. I don't understand why it has gone "across the pond" as it isn't as if the Brits have the Friday off work. Anyway, for those of you here in the US "Happy Thanksgiving".

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

I must say I remember ''penny for the guy'' he was the one who was to end on the Bonfire!! ( The origins may have been lost in the midst of time)

Anyway its gone far to commercial, and so as Christmas!! But I do enjoy it!!

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

No, unfortunately the origins are not lost in the 'mists of time'. Didn't you learn the rhyme when you were a child too?

'Remember, remember the fifth of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason, the gunpowder season,
Should ever be forgot.'

Gunpowder plot 1605. A group of Roman Catholics plotted to blow up the House of Lords during the state opening of Parliament and assassinate James I who was a Protestant, then install his nine year old daughter as a Catholic head of state. The plotters were discovered and hanged drawn and quartered, not burned (which would have been kinder).

It is the equivalent of burning an effigy of Bin Laden on a bonfire every year on 9/11 for the next four hundred years.

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

Thanks!! I remember the Remember bit, but the other part I'm sorry I never learnt !! I suppose the Hanged ,drawn, and quarter bit would be a little hard to imagine what with the Health & Safety of today,

But the Guy was the evidently the penny, for to burn old Guy Fawkes!!

By the way, I like your analogy of Bin Laden, I think we must change it, to put a penny in the Bin!!

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

I just started subscribing to the Las Vegas Review Journal newspaper. The paper this morning must have weighed about 10 lbs. because of all the inserts (ads).

You have mentioned traditions. In the UK do they still have Christmas carolers who go from house to house singing carols through the letter box?
The motivation is the money. "....if you don't have a penny God bless you"

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

So many good memories and posts on this page, I remember them all.

We always made a guy to push around in a pushchair, I love bonfire toffee, those were the days, I always feel sad that so many kids get burned on the 5th of November.

Im not much of a singer but went caroling as a kid...

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

:blink:

:blink:

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

The equivalent of chocolate Easter eggs for the last 2014 years trumps that.

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

I noticed Black Friday only just started to take off here in UK last year, so its quite new to the Brits, and last year Asda of course being an American retail giant owned by Wal-mart held there first Black Friday last year and took the nation by storm and people were scratching there heads and saying what the
- - - - well fast forward 12 months and every large retailer over here are jumping on the band waggon and there all advertising Black Friday sales, ---- now what I thought was interesting was just yesterday I heard on telly that after the B.F. sales get ready for Cyber Monday ---- Apparently thats when all the big chains in UK open up the internet with there after black friday special sales with even bigger discounts, does anyone know if the States have a Cyber Monday?
Oh its soo so sad that The UK is quickly turning into a little USA its really pathetic in my eyes, the Brits have every single expression now that at one time would only be heard in the U.S. ------ but at least they have kept there accents, ----- at least for now anyway :eek:
Black Friday has been around in America since before the second world war, ------ I Googled it!!!! ;)

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

What is the equivalent of chocolate easter eggs?

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

Hi All.

I just thought I would pop a post in here about the annual BE Polls & Awards.

Every year , almost since BE began, The BE Lounge has hosted annual awards.

One peruses the categories and then nominates someone thought worthy of said category and description. THe nominations can be private . You simply PM - private message to the person running the show. This year it is young Gozit.

As there is such a great group of people in this thread I thought it worth putting up a link in case any of your wished to vote for the 'most helpful or the 'kindest' etc.


The LINK IS HERE.

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

In England once apon a time we called them bed - sits ---- now we call them the american name studios, we used to call the bigger places flats ---- now we call them apartments, I have just had a discussion with a friend here and he explained to me that posh people who think they are a little better then the rest call them apartments and the ordinary common folk still call them flats, ----- so the american word apartment ---- the one word we in U.S. have always used for that one thing has in the last few years been swiped by the English and adapted to something that they can use for class distinction, the posh people say oh no I dont live in a flat ----- I live in an apartment :eek: ;)
When will the UK stop swiping Ideas and words from America and be happy with there nice little British terms,
Black Friday has become a nationwide succsess over here this year, big chain stores are reporting billions of pounds in profit just in the one day, its been so good for them that they decided ---- well why just have the big sales on Friday, lets extend it to Saturday and even Sunday and oh hell lets do Monday too, and lets call it Cyber Monday mostly for online sales and we will all make more money then we could dream of, --- so be it!!!!
One thing I must say about Corporate Britain, they certainly learn very fast how to capitalize on American Ideas, they say what ever the Yanks can do we can do better :thumbsup: :lol: :eek:

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

Do any of you North American returnees know if vegetable suet can successfully be substituted for Crisco (which we don't get in the UK)? I want to make my own Bisquick mix and not sure if I could get away with using suet. Any help appreciated thanks :)

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

Tesco sell Crisco.