luvwelly

Sile please do not come to the UK. You are far too sensitive. This is British Expats forum to moan about living overseas...flippant remarks will be made since it is not aimed at the people from the other countries.

cindyabs

It's no bed of roses, but it is MY country. I have seen the opposite statement from UK folks about the UK.

happyglow

In order to smooth the troubled waters, here's a post about what it's really like in her majesty's sceptred isles:

Everything stops for tea and cucumber sandwiches, which are always at ten to three. With honey.

If you say anything nasty about anyone the Queen will come round (in her barouche) and bonk you on the head with above-mentioned sceptre.

It's all really jolly nice.

Paddington Bear is real and can be visited at 32 Windsor Gardens, but watch out for that Mrs Bird, she's a tartar.

We all wear plus fours and crinolines, and nightcaps for bed

Yes it's just like Downton Abbey, and the class system is alive and well

We have guns but only for posh people to shoot wildlife and peasants with

Peasants have to make do with fist fighting after seventy nine beers in the incredibly quaint thatched inn, then getting up before they went to bed and going out to work licking t'road clean

We love our colonial cousins, especially when they offer us helpful advice on manners and decorum

We have a thing called grammar (no that's not the old lady on your front porch) and we love it when people use it

Never mind about irony, sarcasm and all those other silly things - we just made them up to scare people.

We absolutely do not find ourselves funny, ludicrous or laughable ever, oh no, we take ourselves seriously dammit!

Perth

It came to light today that Pisterios' brother is being charged with culpable homicide in an automobile/motorcycle accident. I smell a movie in the works...

happyglow

Absolutely. One of the reasons I've travelled so much is that it definitely applies to where I grew up (or didn't, to be more precise). Scary...

happyglow

I smell a huge rat too. You know how you just get a very strong feeling that someone is telling porky pies....

scrubbedexpat097

Wow.......just wow!

That is just uncalled for..

Perth

Let's all get over ourselves and 'ave a good laff. This is for Downton fans. Spoiler alert if you haven't seen the finale:

If Downton Abbey took Place Entirely on Facebook:

http://www.happyplace.com/21471/down...on-3-episode-7

happyglow

And this, my favourite DA, er, documentary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5dMlXentLw

Perth

I'll see your hilarity and raise you one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TegW...layer_embedded

happyglow

a bit lost on me as I'm blissfully aware of the original song, but I love the way Dame Maggie can steal even this show

rebeccajo

Ah. One of my recent whinges is how I want to be Mary Crawley. I want my breakfast in bed, I want someone to sort my clothes, fix my food, drive me about....but then....oops her husband died.

Odd ......... how we should be careful what we wish for.

Perth

Indeed! How many times have I said to myself: oh that movie star or politician or whatever rich so-and-so, what an easy life they must have. And then come to find out that some tragedy has struck their lives that no amount of money can fix. I may not be wealthy, but I have a man who adores me, a daughter who is the apple of my eye, and a dream to go home that is within reach. I think this life is a keeper

Perth

For a good Maggie Smith throwback see her in Neil Simon's California Suite, where she previews The Countess, albeit somewhat inebriated

happyglow

Thanks, I will!

And apropos of nothing, here's reason 102: