cheers

At the end of the 3-4 days they probably cant remember what they were celebrating

cheers

Nice to see Sallysimmons posting again after a long time.

trottytrue

My grandmothers family were from Ireland but I do not consider myself Irish I am English my grandfather was Welsh and my Dad was a Scot but I don't celebrate any of those either.
I think the English should make more of St George's Day I doubt many young people are even aware of when it is.
In the US they go overboard on the Irish thing turning the rivers green and all the drinking. In Boston they have a big contingent of Irish who were very upset that the Parade was taking a shorter route due to all the snow. They wanted the snow removed...
.I think older people in the UK still have resentment towards the Irish and the "troubles".
In the US resentment towards the Irish by some Brits stems from the fact that they use to send thousands of dollars to help fund the IRA. I think the Kennedys were involved in that.
My Granny on the other hand didn't care about any of it she never celebrated any of it and didn't care.
I do find it funny that here in the US someone who is maybe 7th Generation Irish considers themself one of them....on the 17th all newscasters were green and loads of Irish programs....my sons wife whose Dad is part Irish has a big party . One year I did send them a St George's Day Card....
It was funny in my family living in Chester we had to contend with the Welsh being annoying if you got on a bus with them they would immediately start talking welsh...but my Mum would always turn to the welsh channel to listen to the National Anthem at 11 it reminded her of her Dad. My Dad was always big on The Scots and Hogmanay but we always were English born and bred.....the Irish never came into it....I suppose in the end we were just a bunch of mongrels.

jasper123

Good post trotty, when you said that all the newscasters where green and they turn the rivers green etc, it reminded me of how the Americans go over the top on St Paddy's day, its easily as big in America as the 4th July or new years eve --- celebrating wise!!!
My Grandmother was 100% Welsh, she spoke the language often, she married an Englishman, my Dad was born in Wales and the family came to England when my Dad was 9, what percentage of welsh does that make me?
not sure

trottytrue

I meant to say "wear" green..don't post when you are tired
When you think about the English language it's very complicated...wear, were where Ware.

islandwoman120

And weir.....

Englishmum

And we're

jasper123

Yep they do say that the English language is the hardest one of all to learn, I,m sure glad I'm English and went to an English school ---- otherwise I doubt if I could ever learn it!!! but thinking about it, its got to be easier then Japanese,
its one thing to learn how to speak another language but another thing of learning how to read and write it too.

jasper123

Well cheers when I came home in 2010 and landed at heathrow I was surprised to see special police forces and also Army forces all armed with m16's all over the airport, so I thought Hmm has England changed? and then I found that once out of the airport it seamed that the country as a whole still had a police force that still do not carry guns in day to day life,
Now over 4 years on from my coming home ----- what concerns me the most in the governments non-stop cuts in the police force and the military, they are shrinking at an alarming rate and have been since Cameron took over in 2010,
my county alone Hampshire has laid off 600 police officers in the last year alone, and that is just one little county,
and the military has lost over a third of all its personal in the last 4 years,
in these very uncertain times that we all live in ---- now would be the time to build up the forces to a power greater then we have ever had, --- looks like thats what America does!! but instead Cameron seems to think its OK to keep cutting and cutting our forces until we will not be able to defend ourselves from any attack from another country, surely he is not relying on America's generosity to help us out of a bind,
I have always thought that ---- yes lots of countries need to make drastic cuts in lots of things to be able to keep head above water, but Ive always thought that especialy the armed forces should never be cut --- but instead invested in more every year, I feel like a sitting duck
well thats my rant over
But I still love it over here

cheers

Yes I read continually that our countries are cutting costs big time but I wonder why the push is on. Said another way, where is the savings going?

How far would you have to travel to get a climse of the US aircraft carrier Carl Vincent that is visiting Portsmouth?

Off the subject. If I didn't have prescription insurance it would cost me over $1200 for a 3 month supply of insulin (German made). With the insurance, through AARP, it costs me $120.

Cheers (getting ready for the Alaska cruise in May. This is the first time I've been on a ocean going ship since I left Liverpool for New York in December 1955 on a Cunard)

fulwood

So mind made up.. Going back this year for another vacation to UK but not as long. Trying to get maximum time there without missing too much work. Late August/September is timeframe. Still on track to moving back for good but still 2 years or more before can do that. Want to be debt free when go back. 20k student loans doesn't help. Oh by the way what is weather like in October? I thought it used to be okay but gone for 31 years nearly. Will it be dark at like 4pm? Cold cold weather?

jasper123

WOW cheers you must be excited, and the misses too, Alaska Cruise, you lucky thing, where you going? I lived in the capital Juneau for 6 months in the mid 1990's I earned my living driving a taxi, I remember waiting at the docks most days and as the passengers came off the big cruise ships we would take them around the city and most also wanted to visit a glacier,
I worked 6 months of the busy summer season, most days there would be between 4 to 6 massive luxury cruise ships in the harbour, and each ship would have around 2 to 3 thousand people on board,

About the big U.S. aircraft carrier that came into Portsmouth a few days ago with 5,000 American sailers on board, its called the USS Theodore Roosevelt, our local newspaper in Pompey reported that today thousands of Sailors came ashore and explored the city and our many pubs and restaurants, and they are spending the wages that they have saved at being months at sea,
The city welcomes the ship and the whole crew, and said businesses are reporting record sales, ----

Off the subject cheers, do you have a part D prescription drug plan from AARP? and what are the monthly premiums? do you also have there advantage plan that goes along with your part B?

Fish n Chips 56

Good for you on the two year goal to return and to leave debt free.

Not sure about October weather but weve had good luck with September in the past. Enjoy...

Derrygal

I was back in the UK in October, 2012. Temperatures were in the 50s I believe - actually there were a couple of days in the 60s. I actually had fairly decent weather (dry) although everyone told me that 2012 was a really wet year. I prefer to go in September though as it gets dark so early in October (not as early as 4 pm - probably around 6pm). This year I'm going in May.
Good for you Fulwood. Glad you have made your mind up and have a plan. All the best to you!

jasper123

If anybody is interested in seeing a 40's something English family with teenage kids being transported back to the 1950's when rationing was still around, no washing machine, no TV, no mod cons period, and very little food available to feed your family, try watching a new documentary series made in 4 parts on BBC2 TV
each episode covers an entire decade, starting with the 50's then 60's, 70's and ending with the 80's we are on the 60's now, I recommend it to anyone who would like to go back to remember how life in the UK used to be like!!! they called them the good old days
The Program is called ------ Back in time for dinner!!!