American Culture Shock in UK - Funny things I've noticed living in England

This video is about my “culture shocks” as an American living in England the past few months. My perspective might be a bit different than most, since I have travelled to Britain 20+ times, and have often stayed for a few weeks. I have learned a lot about the UK over the past few decades. But after moving to England and living in our own home, we have really settled in. I LOVE it here… don’t get me wrong! But there are some quirky things that I’ve noticed about Britain that I wanted to share. They are a bit more obscure than the usual “drive on the wrong side of the road, hot & cold taps are separate, Brits drink a lot of tea” observations.
Please let me know if you find these observations interesting, if you disagree or agree! And I hope you subscribe and stick around so we can talk about more British stuff in the coming months! I love making friends with Brits and Anglophiles from around the world!
Thanks so much for watching this video!
Cheers
XX
Dara
To learn Why I Love Britain so much, here’s my video explanation: • Why I Love Britain
To check out my video series on “weird British things” click here: • Weird & Wonderful
If you love British cheese and want to learn more about it, check out this video: • British Cheese Tasting...
For my attempt at making British foods at home in Texas, watch this series: • Britain at Home Recipes
And if you want to see travel videos, here are my travel vlogs:
DEVON - • Devon Vlogs
CORNWALL - • Cornwall Vlogs
SCOTLAND - • Scotland Vlogs
SOMERSET - • Somerset Vlogs

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

I haven’t asked this before, but PLEASE SHARE this video if you can. Thanks so much! I hope you are amused by my quirky observations of life in Britain. Cheers XX Dara

[@googlpanda]

Shared on our community page 🥰

[@MadameMinima]

Shared too 🥰

[@The_Brit_Girls]

Will do! 👍👍

[@StephenandAndie]

shared in stories (insta). ☺️

[@jillhobson6128]

I think you'll find that the UK met office is one ot the most accurate in the world Obviously as the UK is so small compared to the US ,there are bound to be regional differences

[@gerrymccartney3561]

Nothing wrong with grated cheese. Make America Grate Again.

[@googlpanda]

🤣🤣

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

OH.MY.WORD. 😂😂😂😂😂

[@StephenandAndie]

😂 that’s amazing.

[@ians3586]

Good one! But I think we’re good as we are.

[@nickmail7604]

Mate, brilliant observation!

[@AlastairjCarruthers]

I always enjoy our annual "SNOWPOCALYPSE!!!", which just means anything over half an inch of snowfall 😂😂

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

We had one in Texas this year... first time it snowed in 10 years! It made for a great drone video!! ❄️ kzbin.info/www/bejne/gX-tlKGKptt0nM0

[@AlastairjCarruthers]

@@MagentaOtterTravels Wow yes, that is a true "snowmageddon"!!

[@nancyrafnson4780]

Where I live, we have REAL snow!! In a really good snowstorm, we can get a meter of snow! Love from the Heart of Canada 🇨🇦 (Manitoba).

[@Ionabrodie69]

@@nancyrafnson4780 Yes but what’s nothing to you. In Canada is a lot to us in the UK. It’s degrees isn’t it… Britain gets everything in moderation.. so when it’s MORE than usual it’s noteworthy ..👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧

[@littleannie390]

I grew up in Yorkshire in the 60s and was used to quite deep snow each year and sledging in the fields in the snow. However, winters are generally warmer now and the way everything grinds to a halt when there is half and inch of snow is hilarious, we are never prepared. Also they close schools every time it snows which never happened when I was a child. I don’t remember ever getting time off for snow. The reason the weathermen never get it right is due to the unpredictability of our maritime weather. I sometimes think when they just need to look out of the window.

[@eamonndoyle4753]

Wouldn't it be boring if every country had the same culture and traditions.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Absolutely! And when I ask questions about things that are different, I learned so many interesting things in peoples responses! So many things that I never thought of before. ❤️🇬🇧

[@eviltwin2322]

The doorknob thing - you'll generally only see those high-up-&-in-the-middle ones on REALLY old doors. It's not actually a handle, it's what they used to knock the head of their canes against in the olden days before doorbells and as an alternative to door-knockers. If you see them on more recent doors it's just a twee affectation. Yeah, the absence of a grid pattern is because of the age of our cities. Yours are so young that you were able to effectively design them from scratch. Ours developed more organically over a couple of thousands of years as villages grew and spread into each other.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

I always love hearing your analysis and informative comments, ET! The whole cane knocking on the decorative door knob is fascinating! Thanks for that info.

[@gerrymccartney3561]

Door handles high up and in the middle of the door are generally found on houses that were built when they had servants to open the door from the inside when you knocked.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Excellent point! I never thought of that!

[@david-lt9wj]

And a lot of houses in regency Cheltenham have such high ceilings that putting a waist high knob on an enormous door would be aesthetically strange...

[@ethelmini]

@@MagentaOtterTravels If you didn't have servants, it was quite likely the only time you'd go through your front door was in your coffin too!

[@anthonyweedonweedon1426]

@@ethelmini Yes, what you say is correct. I can tell plenty of tales about that kind of thing.

[@williebauld1007]

All actual fire escape doors must open outwards for quickness in the event of a fire and they are always very well signposted

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Good to know!

[@tricklevent]

.........hello - not all fire doors need to open outwards - it depends on the occupancy and use of the room - if under 60 people can safely use a room, the fire exit can open inwards

[@kingspeechless1607]

@@tricklevent I would still prefer an outward opening door so it can't be inadvertently blocked by the very people trying to use it.

[@tonysheerness2427]

@@kingspeechless1607 Doors that open out can be blocked by something outside, outside your control.

[@rocketrabble6737]

@@tonysheerness2427 Well we'd better give up then!

[@Audrey-fu7bi]

The Politeness was what struck me, lol. I was running very much late and sick running through Heathrow, about to pass out from Pneumonia or a cold, and I had things packed terribly wrong (every liquid has to be bagged), and this security lady took great care in repacking my shampoo and soap, while apologizing for the inconvenience, while rubbing that bomb powder roller around my backpack, hahaha. Then she wishes me luck because she “knows I’m under pressure to make my Norwegian connection flight.” An officer nearby says, jump on young lad! I’ll getya there by-the-clockswing! And off we go on a kart to my gate- in time. We US Southerners who are heavily English Butter bread like crazy too!😂❤️

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

I love that story! Thanks for sharing 🤣… I have had those travel nightmare dashes through the airport as well! Thanks so much for watching the video and taking the time to leave your comment! I really appreciate it.❤️ and I agree, butter makes everything better! 😋. Cheers! Dara

[@The_Brit_Girls]

Great start Dara, talking about the weather never disappoints us Brits, lol!

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

😂

[@bashbailey6778]

Ref the cheese, Americans tend to have the neat square that looks like plastic and helpful for the lazy. Or you can have proper.cheese that requires a little effort, either to slice or grate, but much more enjoyable!

[@jeanlongsden1696]

doors are always "push" to enter a room/building in the UK. that way you will not hit someone walking past in the hallway or pavement. but all "fire exit doors" are push to exit a building. as for high door knobs. it is because they are just decorative. as the actual lock (usually Yale) is the opening latch and you push the door to open. general stores or as up Brits call them "corner shops" use to rent a small area of their shop to the Post Office, a bit like how they sometimes have a Pharmacy in a store. but over time, the Post office took over the stores when the shopkeeper sold up. they kept selling basic food items and newspapers, magazines and comics. the reason for grated cheese in sandwiches is because it takes up more volume. so it looks more filling than a flat slice. also grated cheese tastes better than sliced, as it is aerated. as you said, the reason our roads come at you from all angles is because of age. back in the day, everything would be focused on the town market and local church. so you would have a dirt track/road from your (then) country cottage to these destinations. so as more buildings got built, they connected their track/road to the nearest one. much in the way your American farmers did with your tracks from one city to another back in the wild west.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

All excellent points! Thanks Jean!

[@OneTrueScotsman]

With the roads/streets differences between the UK and the US, I think it's because in the UK, most of our towns, villages and cities came long before modern vehicles and roads. Many towns and cities were established over a thousand years ago. In the US, in many cases, the roads came first and then they built everything else. It's good for the US cause they can make roads wider and straighter. Although it doesn't seem to make driving any safer, unfortunately. The same is true for American homes. I think I heard recently that the median age for a US home is 40 years. Which blew my mind. The house I live in right now was built before Shakespeare and Newton's time. And the home I lived in before have a couple of headstones in the back garden from people who died in the 1700s. I like the history of British homes. But the modern convenience of American ones. Bigger kitchens, laundry rooms, etc.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Wow, that is an amazing statistic about the age of homes! Of course, that doesn’t mean homes are being torn down. It just means there’s an enormous number of recently built homes. I do believe that! Where we live in North Texas we are in one of the fastest growing parts of the US. Lots of people moving here, and LOADS of new home building. Thanks for your comment. I appreciate it! Here’s a video I did of a tour of our UK flat: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYK1gYaro9dritE

[@jennyk488]

There are millions of houses in Gt.Britain built by the Victorians -- people didn't have cars then so no car parking areas were created. They are good solid houses but for nowadays people who live in them have to park on the road as there is nowhere else to park.

[@davebirch1976]

Let's not forget that every winter "its going to be the coldest winter in living memory" 😂😂

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Yes! EXACTLY!!! And next summer will be one of two things: either the coldest ever or the hottest ever. And spring may be the wettest! LOL I hope you subscribe and stick around for more British fun. Hopefully you like travel vlogs!

[@catherinerobilliard7662]

The door handle in the middle of a Victorian door isn’t for opening, it’s for you to grab with the other hand, or both hands if necessary, to firmly close it. To announce a death, or at Christmas, a wreath would be placed over it. Sometimes people would use it to rap on with a cane, though a bell pull was usually set in the wall next to the door, but this might be wet or home to a spider. Underneath would be a boot scraper. Later on, a letter box was added to the door, often with the word “letters” written on it, so people understood what it was for. Doors in larger buildings tend not to open outwards for safety reasons, in case someone outside blocks the exit.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Thanks so much for all the information about the door “handle“ question! That is very helpful!

[@jinxvrs]

We in the UK are very lucky with our weather - surrounded by water and also receiving the Gulf Stream, means it is much milder here than it should really be. All of Great Britain is further north than the most northerly point in the contiguous lower 48 states of the US and GB is also roughly at the same latitude as the Kamchatka peninsula in Siberia.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Good point! I"m very glad we don't have Siberian weather here!!

[@larrybell1859]

@@MagentaOtterTravels I wish we did have Siberian weather. It has not snowed a lot in 40 years.

[@mikemetz5690]

Love that all your ‘culture shocks’ were unusual!! Great job Dara!!

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@johnduncan231]

The cup measuring system is a volume system. If you are following a cup, doesn't matter what size the cup is, as long as you use the same cup.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Good point! It's all about ratios.

[@victoriaouthere8975]

The road navigation thing....I'm Ameican (Pennsylvania). The roads in the north east of the US are similar because the towns/cities are much older than the rest of the country. The roads were built around existing buildings. If you drive around Boston, for example it's the same. Lots of one-way streets, round-a-bouts, narrow streets in many places.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Thanks so much for your comment! You are right, here where I live in Texas everything is very new. Although interestingly, the newest subdivisions are being built with roundabouts here! I’m not a fan, as they just confuse me. I just want to drive around them the wrong direction because I’m used to Britain! Interesting that you mention Boston. I lived there in the late 80s, and I did find it a nightmare driving there! My son lives there now, and we will be visiting him in October. I plan to do a video about how similar New England is to “old” England❤️. I hope you are subscribed so that you can join the conversation 😉

[@adventussaxonum448]

@@MagentaOtterTravels Roundabouts shouldn't be a problem in countries which drive on the other side of the road. I go to France regularly and I notice that the road system feeds you to the correct entrance to a roundabout ( ie. to the right in France) ensuring that it is very difficult to go the wrong way. The same in the UK.... You are led to the left as you approach. It's a matter of letting your driving sense override your habits.

[@saintsaber8491]

Most post offices in towns are usually just small shops with a post office inside which is why they sell lots of different stuff.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Much more convenient that way!

[@peteince]

Up until around 10 years ago, post offices were just where you sent parcels from, collected your old age pension, bought stamps, envelopes and other stationery. They usually opened between 9am to 5pm. Then they closed the small post offices down and located them in established small stores or mini markets. That's why food is available to buy in a post office now. It was a food store before a post office counter was relocated there. It's not changed for the better as I found the small traditional post offices more friendlier.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Something you only kind of mentioned was doing banking at post offices. As an American, I thought it was so WEIRD when we first came to Britain and my husband had to go to a post office to access his money in a building society account! Very different than the US. I'm used to post offices not being friendly at all. But I like having them in shops now just because it's more convenient. Thanks very much for your comment! Cheers XX Dara

[@kennethgarland4712]

This is not altogether true. I am 73, and it's always been the case that sub post offices are in shops that sell other things. Note the 'sub': there are big post offices that are owned by the Post Office and only do post office business (although nowadays they may sell post-related items like envelopes and stationery), and these are 'crown' post offices. But 'sub' post offices are located in shops, most often newsagents and convenience stores, as a sort of franchise. I think the shop owners are paid according to the amount of post office business that they do. As far as I'm aware, this has always been the case, though it may be that in recent years the Post Office has closed a number of its crown post offices in order to save money.

[@carolinequirk6136]

Where I live many many moons ago the P.O. where in the village shops one end P.O. the other shop, some are still the same and sadly a lot has closed.

[@BakkerfeelingAdventures]

Funny to see that "the same" things can be so different. Nice breakdown! 😄👍

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Thanks for watching!

[@leecal5774]

Thanks Dara. Really interesting comparison vlog. In fact, I think yours are the best - probably because you’ve travelled and stayed here so often. And as a Brit - you learn a lot about your own country from observations by others from abroad. And I’m the same going to America. I love holidaying there. And the differences are what I also like. One thing, with the grated cheese and sweet pickle - is it basically tastes nicer. The sweet pickle and cheese mix and combine to give a better flavour and texture. And, yes, you’re right. US and UK gallons are different. You’re also right about not trying to convert American and European measurements. As for the weather forecasts - I never thought about that - but you are spot on. I follow’d one app forecast - and people complained that it was limited to a 4 hour time period. The app had to change and do it for the hour. And as a Brit - that’s what I also expect too 😂

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Thanks so much for your comment, Lee! I really tried to think hard of some comparisons that were more obscure and quirky than the usual comments about separate taps and tea drinking. That's how I came up with inane observations about grated cheese! LOL I'm glad to hear that you love visiting the US. Hopefully you'll be able to do that without restrictions one of these days! We head back to Texas next week... TOO SOON! But I have 8 months worth of travel vlog content to edit... and that will help me relive all the sunny days full of exploring fun places in Britain!

[@The_Brit_Girls]

The parking situation, in general in the UK, is usually a bit of a nightmare! Great video, Dara...loved all your observations!

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

It really is in my favourite little Cotswold villages... which is why we have to go early in the morning! ;-)

[@sueannemetz1285]

The door knob in the middle of of the door is so cool! I think I did get the door open and shut thing mixed up too when I was there!!!!

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

That purple door was beautiful!

[@chrissampson6861]

The grated cheese is a manufacturing thing. A lot of shop sandwiches are made by hand. An experienced sandwich maker deals out bread and fillings like cards, at an incredible rate, doing 5,000 or more sandwiches in a shift. Getting real cheese slices to stay in one piece during this process is really difficult and slow, so grated is used instead.

[@eddymccabe5351]

Re weather/forecasting - presumably in the US your weather patterns must emanate from a single area/direction, thus allowing greater certainty in both forecast and the reality. Here in the UK the wind/pressure areas may emanate from the Atlantic, the Arctic, Northern Europe, or the Mediterranean. What comes from the Atlantic (usually via the Jetstream) may be drawn north away from us, which is likely to produce warm, summery weather, or south, leading to more rainy, stormy fronts. The interactions between all of the above forces are so changeable as to make accurate forecasting very difficult - this was always true, but the effects of climate change are creating even more variability and strength of outcomes, eg storms, sudden heatwaves, etc.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Very good explanation of the unpredictability of "island life"! And I agree that climate change is causing more variability, as well as extreme weather, unfortunately. Thanks for your comment!

[@BakkerfeelingAdventures]

Very nicely done on cultural observations. Interesting video and well presented. Enjoy it with our morning coffee! Have a great Sunday and regards to Ian. 😊👍

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

All the best to you and Yolanda! Have a great week!

[@susanritter2520]

US grid- pattern streets are the worst, especially as they are often laid out in a N-S, E-W direction, which means the houses either receive virtually no sunlight on one side of the house, and too much on the other.

[@FunandBudget]

Oh wow the fire thing and the reason for doors opening out is new to me and makes so much sense

[@stevetheduck1425]

The thing about the doors: I noticed this for the first time in Norway. The doors on the outside of buildings open outwards, but there's usually a door that opens inwards inside that. Very cold winters, I expect.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Oh yes, that is a good point too... keeping the cold out! It is more private for doors to open inwards to homes. But it is good to have an outer door for the weather which opens outwards. We have that often in the states in less temperate climates. Often called a "screen door" or security door.

[@redf7209]

A lot of doors would open directly onto a street pathway so opening outwards would have a good chance of hitting a passer by in the face or getting caught in the wind

[@BakkerfeelingAdventures]

Very nicely done an interesting culture shock review video. Love the dramatic weather headlines. 😂

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Journalists just like to be dramatic... it's all about the clickbait. We know about that as KZbinrs, right? haha

[@BakkerfeelingAdventures]

@@MagentaOtterTravels - Haha, absolutely! 😄

[@denewst01]

Grated cheese in a sandwich makes sense - it's more consistent for mass production, the same weight of cheese goes further thus saving production cost & the increased surface area means it'll be more flavourful, which can help compensate for cheaper, less matured cheese or it being cold from refrigeration.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

I have learnt a LOT about grated cheese from all the comments on this video! Thanks for taking the time to share your comment. Much appreciated!

[@jrd33]

It's also a great way to use up the bits that are left when you've cut up all the blocks of cheese to sell. It's also good if you want to *mix* cheeses in the same sandwich, like a handful of Double Gloucester and a handful of Red Leicester. Also, people use grated cheese in cooking, so it saves having to grate your own cheese, which is always a nuisance.

[@fullfacility]

Measurement. Back in the 70's we got half-way through the change to metric measurements then stopped because of public resistance, so we have a mixture. Streets. These are not in a grid because 500/1000 years ago it was impossibly difficult to remove trees, bolders etc. so roads had to go around them.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

We were trying metric in the 70s in the US as well... but the UK got further than we did! I think our public resistance was worse, lol

[@bertrandruskin3406]

We probably grated the cheese because of frugality since the 50s when the country was recovering from the war, and most of tea shops would serve sandwiches to go with the tea. Cutting up the cheese means we use less.. It has a better texture as well compared to a flat cheese slice..

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Both good reasons!

[@wencireone]

The great thing about British weather is that it is so variable and makes it easier to start a conversation. Generally we don't get extreme weather, so highs or lows, hot or cold, dry or wet there's always a topic for discussion, especially when it is at the 'wrong' time. Boots and Coats, Shorts and Sun Screen on standby 🌧🌦⛅☀️👍

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

We are always told that weather is a safe topic of conversation... to avoid more controversial things like politics or religion. But when you are an American KZbinr talking about British weather... even it can cause a stir!!

[@wencireone]

@@MagentaOtterTravels everyone has an opinion about everything and that's all good for you and the number game, just keep on avoiding the other two ☠ subjects 🙂❤👍

[@petersymonds4975]

Hi Dara. Grated cheese. I think in the trade grated cheese is user for making sandwiches because It can be added to a sandwich quicker and easier. No slicing or sharp knives just a handful sprinkled on the bread. Butter has to be softened to spread so more often than not mayo is used as its quicker and can be used straight out of the fridge. In my last 10 years in work I had a job as a BT engineer that even as I worked indoors it was unlikely I would be anywhere with a canteen or close to a shop. Buttering sliced bread at 7:30 to make a sarnie with butter out of the fridge was hard going. I ruined loads of butter using the microwave to soften it. I soon got used to other spreads as they were easier.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

I just leave butter in a dish on the counter. We go through it fast enough! It works out fine except for the rare day it's super hot in England. And back in Texas I can't leave butter on the counter in the summer. As for the sarnie lasting from 7:30 am until lunchtime... THAT is why mayonnaise on sandwiches is dicey. They really need to be kept cool for that amount of time. Butter is more sensible. And the best sandwich is cheese & pickle anyway ;-)

[@moosic2i]

Wrong on two points! The reason grated cheese is used is that it increases the surface area of the cheese which increases the flavour of the cheese. And butter does not need to be kept in a fridge.

[@jivingdodo]

This made me giggle thanks. To shed light on the grated cheese point: most cheese, at least in Europe, is (at least historically) made in wheels and sold in large segments of the wheels. Making sandwich-sized slices would be much harder and you just don't get slices much until recently. You traditionally had to grate the segments to get something quickly and easily to fit!

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

100s of people have responded and discussed grated cheese, but you are the first one to make this point which I think is an excellent one! Makes sense! Thank you so much. Cheers! Dara

[@robinhillyard6187]

Agree! Brits don't "do" cheese slices. The cheese would go off almost instantly because of the huge surface area.

[@AllinAllBliss]

I have to say that it seems really strange to me, as an American, that British doors open in… I have never been to Britain, but I’m sure when I get there I will be perpetually pushing when I’m supposed to pull, and vice versa! 🤣. We loved the video and are going to share it now! 🤘🥳

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Thanks, friend!

[@jacketrussell]

Do all private house doors open outwards in America?

[@AllinAllBliss]

@@MagentaOtterTravels It is our pleasure! We are true fans!! 🥳

[@AllinAllBliss]

@@jacketrussell Private house doors tend to open inward, but doors on commercial buildings and/or business, by law, open outwards. Though, I feel like it might make more sense for private doors to open out, this way they would be harder for someone to kick-in...🤔

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

@@jacketrussell no…. Interesting point!

[@saintsaber8491]

Exterior doors tend to open inwards . For the door to open outwards, the hinge mechanism would be located on the outside of the home. However, any hinges located outside pose a big risk to your home's security.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

True. In private doors everywhere the doors have to open inwards. So you think I would get used to that! But my brain subconsciously expects all shop doors to open out. Weird.

[@kaseryn]

You make such a good point about door direction and fire safety. Can't believe that never ocurred to me as a carpenter and it clearly hasn't occured to a few others since post-Grenfell Tower we have been in the midst of a retro-fit for fire door frenzy (mostly 30min retardation) with fire rated door replacement and seals yet they're being put back in the same manner of closing.. also with new builds. I mean as soon as you think about it its absolutely absurd! The one concession i do see to this is that stairwell and service doors do empty towards egress.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Thanks so much for your comment! Interesting discussion 😉

[@WheelersAtLarge]

This was a fun video, made me smile☺👍 I do feel you missed a Biggie... Corner shops in residential areas 😂 no need to drive out of town to buy milk. Cheers...

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Yes absolutely! Or you could ride a BIKE to the supermarket ;-)

[@grantmason740]

You've spotted a great (or is that grate lol?) Catering trick. Grated cheese looks more generous than it actually is!

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Yes, exactly! Now I'll teach you one from Texas... put mashed peas into guacamole to stretch it out further. Since avocados are so expensive! I actually think that's disgusting, but I heard it from a caterer!

[@wobaguk]

So, on post offices that sell sandwiches etc. I think this is often the fruit of a relatively recent problem and solution. 'Proper' post offices are traditionally what you would expect, mail, finance, counter service, associated consumables. In recent years Post Offices have been increasingly in crisis, in that they arent profitable, with so much stuff taking place online. So they have been shutting down at quite a rate. This can be devastating for smaller communities, or older people who rely on them. So they have been forming partnerships with local general stores or newsagents who open up post office functions inside their pre-existing stores... that sell sandwiches and the like.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

I think the partnerships are a great idea. The postal service in the US is in dire straits as well... so this multipurpose shop idea should be implemented in the states as well!

[@MeansToTravel]

Haha these are such fun, lovable quirks, and I've noticed them too!

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Thanks for NOT telling me that if I don’t like it here I should go back to where I came from! LOL

[@junecaffyn357]

Hi Dara, thank you for this, I hate grated cheese sandwiches too as always falls out! I always look out for sliced cheese and I get it in a Ploughman’s baguette in Greggs Bakery, also in their kids sandwiches have sliced cheese sandwiches and also get sliced cheese sandwiches in Sainsburys! The weather - am showing my age but I recall the 1960’s when the weather forecasters did not have fancy equipment and forecasts were always spot on! Like many Brits talk about the weather as so changeable but one day I was serving a Canadian lady in a store and said what weather! She replied, words to the effect of “You Brits are obsessed with the weather but be grateful your not in some countries what with tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes and bush fires!” It made me think and I shut up about the weather after that bit of advice!

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Good perspective 👍

[@bobbyxhilone9224]

So many interesting observations in this video, Dara. Great job!! Not only do I read a lot of Brit books (especially mysteries), but I watch LOTS of Brit shows, so I have observed some of these same, er, oddities, and wondered the same things you have. Those narrow country roads, one lane, how in the world are there not more car accidents? Do people just drive really slow? They seem to drive pretty fast on the shows I've watched. Scary stuff; you and Ian are brave! And then your comments about the weather reminded me of a character on the old show "As Time Goes By". She was the housekeeper of a relative, and she was simply obsessed with yes, that famous BBC broadcast, "The Shipping Forecast". And I know a lot of people listen to it just for the entertainment, not really needing to know how strong the winds are in the English Channel at that moment! Thanks again, Dara, and safe travels home later this month!!

[@wolervine]

Fast, both ways, mostly stick, good drivers. Personally, I'm 37 and still don't have a license...

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

@@wolervine people are good drivers here. The locals drive pretty fast, and the tourists just do their best and hope they don’t run into anybody! 😬

[@wolervine]

@@MagentaOtterTravels I might take the plunge soon but driving intimidates me so much, constantly have the fear of unintentional homicide in the back of mind.. I've had tons of lessons but failed my theory test twice twenty years ago so assumed it was for me, plus the cost has always put me off.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

@@wolervine I can understand being hesitant to drive! It can be a bit scary 😬

[@authenticallyamber]

That’s so interesting! The things you take for granted that you think are the same everywhere but I guess not! It’s blistering hot out here now at 105 degrees 🤣

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Wow! Can’t wait to get back to Texas 🔥. Thanks for watching ❤️

[@user-jh8no1zb9e]

Love your channel content , as a Brit who lived in Los Angeles for 28 years and is now back in the UK (Cumbria and soon Dorset) , i agree with most of what you say , i always have a smile on my face with your observations

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Oh, that makes my day! Thanks so much for saying that. I lived in Los Angeles for five years, that's where Ian and I met. 💖 Cumbria is a beautiful place. We are making a return visit next summer 👍. Thanks for your support of my channel. Dara

[@grantmason740]

Love your comment about doors on public buildings, this makes perfect sense! I think from memory the thing that brought matters to a head in the US was a nightclub fire in the 1970's or early 1980's. As a country so conscious of Health and Safety I can't believe this simple step hasn't been implemented in the UK!

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

You have a better memory than me! There are some fire doors in the UK, but not in most of the shops. I also hate restroom doors that open inwards and require you to pull on a handle after you've just washed your hands (in either country)... because I was a germaphobe long before this global pandemic!

[@grantmason740]

@@MagentaOtterTravels in theory if everyone washes their hands thoroughly, the door handles shouldn't be an issue but you make a valid point. Regards exterior door opening outwards, it is such a simple thing but would avoid a crush in an emergency (as witnessed in the Boston nightclub). The doors at my local Showcase open outward but beyond that I struggle to think of other UK examples.

[@andybaker2456]

It's actually refreshing to see a US vs UK culture shock video that doesn't cover the same old topics over and over again! I can usually predict most, if not all of what the content will be: No power outlets in the bathroom, separate hot and cold taps, a pull chord to turn on the bathroom light, washing machines in the kitchen, no aircon, no screens on the windows, driving on the "wrong" side of the road...etc., etc. So it was nice to see some more unique differences! As for cups, the only thing we ever measure in cups is tea (of the hot variety). It always baffles us when we hear American recipes call for a cup of this, half a cup of that, we just can't imagine how much that actually is! 😁

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

THANK YOU for understanding that nuance!!! I am not a 19 year old who just left the US for the first time to study in London... I have been to Britain over 20 times, so for me to talk about those same old, same old topics would be boring for me AND you! So I chose some obscure things that people might not have thought of. Of course, these kind of videos get more than the typical share of hateful comments, so I REALLY appreciate yours! Now for a laugh... in my flat, we have kitchen supplies that were left over from a prior tenant, who was South African. There are actually measuring cups in the drawer! So now I'm wondering if those are UK "cups" or US "cups" or South African "cups"! haha I just gave up and started using only British recipes. Otherwise I kept ruining things! Thanks so much for watching and commenting. I hope you also enjoy travel vlogs and stick around for more videos ahead! Cheers Dara

[@andybaker2456]

@@MagentaOtterTravels What a lovely response! It's interesting though, isn't it? It's as if those 19 year olds jump on some online bandwagon and just churn out the same content they've seen their contemporaries produce, rather than trying to come up with something unique. There's a lot to be said for age and wisdom (and please don't take that the wrong way, I suspect we're roughly a similar age! 😄).

[@cireenasimcox1081]

@@MagentaOtterTravels Since I was only 3 weeks old when my father got posted to Sri-lanka I've always been an Expat. living in all the countries the RAF posted us to; & only coming 'home' for long, summer holidays.It's only now I've come to actually live here that I too notice differences.And yes! Every time I make things from recipes it's a hit & miss affair which made me lose a lot of confidence in asking people to dinner!! I had no idea about the recipe thing until you spoke about it! Now I feel so much better - my culinary skills aren't as deterioratingly dodgy as I'd thought they were! Thank you so much! ps: come over for dinner if you're ever in Brighton!! :)

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

I'm not offended... I'm the first to admit I'm an old lady! And getting older every day... Friday is my birthday!

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

@cireena The recipe thing is CRAZY! I had no clue that so many things could be different, C vs F, use of "fan setting", ounces in a liquid cup, not using cups for dry measuring, pans are all different sizes, everything is in grams, aaaaaaaaah!!! Thanks for the invite! Not sure when we will get down Brighton way... but then again I have no idea where I"m going next year once we get to Cheltenham in May! Stay tuned... ;-)

[@FlawlessFoodUK]

Great video Dara, wouldn't be British without talking about the weather lol As for the streets, the only place I know where it's very much like America is Milton Keynes, it's very much grid referenced and full of roundabouts 😂 As for the grated cheese, Kay thinks cafes and shops use it in sandwiches as you don't need to use as much to make it look like you have a lot. We never use grated at home to make our sandwiches.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

I’m too lazy to grate the cheese 😂. Thanks for your comment! Hope you two are well!

[@georgejob7544]

Try East Kilbride... polo mint city... round abouts!

[@john_smith1471]

The traditional convention for which way a door opens and also what side the hinges are hung at least for internal doors and a house front door is partly privacy, when you open a door from inside the door blocks views into the room for someone standing on the other side who might have knocked on the door or is delivering, perhaps also when we used to only heat individual rooms in cold draughty houses this helped as well.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

That makes a lot of sense!

[@stephenlee5929]

Shop doors, tend to open into the shop, this is so the door does not hit a passing pedestrian, it also means the door can't be blocked from outside. Theaters etc normally have emergency exits which do open outwards, these are generally not on the main street and usually have warnings to stay clear Many pubs have 2 sets of doors an outer door which opens inwards and an inner door which swings both ways, the outer door is often bolted open when the pub is open. What I find most confusing is, if the door is to be pushed, why does it have a handle?

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

I don’t have a good answer for that. What I find interesting is that both in the US and the UK doors to private homes open inwards. Obviously, that needs to be the case for security reasons.

[@MrMrsK21]

I remember our first time in London and saw the doorknobs in the middle of the door also. We asked our host why that was and he said that it was just purely aesthetics. Not the most practical lol. Grated cheese is an interesting one. We never noticed. We'll be sure to pay attention next time.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

I loved one of the answers someone gave about the doorknobs.. they are decorative because the servant would open the door from the inside when you knocked! Thanks for watching!

[@ethelmini]

Cheese - grating it will be quicker and make it easier to ensure a consistent amount of cheese to get your profit margin correct. I also prefer the texture to a big lump of hard cheddar. Besides, you wouldn't want it to look like you'd used plasticy processed cheese slices because nobody wants to pay that stuff in their cheese butty .

[@The_Brit_Girls]

For us moving to the United States, the pull/push on doors in stores and other public buildings was so confusing. We still get caught out with that, lol!

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one!!! I'm trying to slow down and just read the bloody door, but it doesn't always happen!

[@nigeldonaldson1647]

We call what your talking about- sub post offices that may sell sandwiches even magazines etc. but some don't, only selling the basics as for cheese again some contain grated cheese (which DOESNT tend to fall out) others are thin slices & still more (the kind I like ) are a...mushy puree mix, like the red liecter & onion ones I buy in Sainsbury's. As to no parking areas this is usually because of listed/protected buildings from times when there were no garages or drives, we say "country lanes" because the roads are facaded with hedgerow/trees on both sides.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Wait till you see the grated cheese sandwich I had at a pub in Naunton... LOADS of cheese on that! It will be part of my Cotswolds series. Which I will eventually get around the editing ;-)

[@tedferkin]

1) The weather forecasting in the UK used to be better, but climate change has destroyed all our models 2) the reason most exit does don't open outwards, is that we have a lot of exit doors that are directly on the street. Due to not having huge amounts of space on the "side walks" , or indeed space in the stores, we cannot mandate exit doors to open outwards. It would cause a lot of accidents. 3) Post Offices were a public service, there was a mandate to have them in all towns and villages. So they took on other public services. But what you are seeing is is the fact that to keep this service going, but not having a local post office, is that they moved into local shops and shopkeepers (the general store), took the business on for extra income and short fall 4) Grated cheese is more airy and UK cheese is generally not soft (the stuff we put in sandwiches) 5) The imperial pint has 20 fl oz in it, not 16 fl oz. Hence a cup being 10 fl oz. An Imperial gallon is 4.4 litres where as a US gallon is 3.78 litres 6) Most Towns, cities and villages have grown over the past centuries. If you want a grid city, go over to Milton Keynes, that was built in the 1960ss. Because of this, the roads follow the landscape 7) Yes, you are totally right, most of our roads predate cars. I lived in a village where most roads, if you park on both sides of the road (because there is no off road parking), then the entire road is taken up by the cars, you might get a bike between them. As such people also have to park on the pavements. The bigger roads in the village would allow people to park on both sides, and at least let one lane of traffic through. This is why councils now mandate off road car parking for all new houses, and in cities houses with off road car parking or even the luxury of a garage are premium properties. Also the USA has just so much more space than the UK, we're something like 5 times more populated per square kilometer

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Thank you for watching and taking the time to leave such a thoughtful comment! All good information and interesting feedback! Cheers! Dara

[@andyonions7864]

To simplify the weather here. It's very changeable. We have 2 seasons, a wet season and a cold wet season. Anything over 20C (68F) or less than 0C (32F) is apocalyptic. The easiest way to predict the weather is to say, tomorrow it will be the same as today. It's probably safer for doors to open outward. It's better for shops if they can trap you inside more easily. Not all shop bought cheese sandwiches use grated cheese. Butter is used to hold the fillings in and add taste. A sandwich without butter sounds as though it ought to be made a criminal offence. Youngsters (under 40) use metric. 50+ uses both metric and imperial. Often both e.g. 8x4 (feet) by 9 (mm). US pints are 80% of real pints. Presumably gallons of petrol are too. Towns follow the contours of the land, normally close to rivers as they began centuries ago. The art of giving way (yielding) to oncoming traffic is second nature to any Brit over the age of 17. And wo betide anyone not acknowledging the yielder's sacrifice by waving.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

You’ll be glad to know that we are experts at the waving thing! And, I have definitely adopted the practice of using butter on sandwiches! Thank you so much for your comment. I hope you are subscribed and stick around a while. There is more fun ahead😉

[@snoggydog123]

I was raised in Gloucester 9 miles from Cheltenham. High or central door knobs are only peculiar to expensive upper-middleclass houses, and are reminiscent of the age when the owner had servants. Try a thousand houses in Gloucester and, apart from the occasional old house, door handles will be in the same place as you will find them in the USA.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Hiya neighbour! You make a fair point… not ALL British doors have these peculiar handles. And I never thought about the whole servant thing until my kind viewers pointed that out. Thank you! By the way, have you seen my Gloucester Cathedral video from last Friday yet?

[@PertainingtoRose]

Lol, I have seen those unusual door knows, they always made me laugh

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

I guess they made sense back in the day that servants answered the door for you!

[@StephenandAndie]

we have a British friend in L.A. who always joked (poking fun at British weather headlines) “it’s a scorcher!”

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Yes, when it’s 72 F!

[@jillhobson6128]

@@MagentaOtterTravels The headlines were often "Phew! What a scorcher!"

[@brianberry1931]

Always in a hurry Always in a rush Pushing hard on doors marked Pull And pulling doors marked Push The Meteorological Office does quite well at weather forecasts but as we are a small island subject to a myriad of weather systems and ocean currents forecasting for all parts of the country is a very tricky business. I will finish with another little poem: Whether the weather is cold Or whether the weather is hot We must weather the weather Whatever the weather Whether we like it or not.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Excellent poems! And yes, I should slow down😉

[@phoebus007]

The imperial gallon, which we use in the UK, is 4.55 litres and is roughly 20% larger than the US gallon at 3.79 litres. Each contains 8 pints, hence the Imperial pint is 20% bigger than the US pint.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Honestly, that is just SO confusing! I wish the states would switch to metric. I studied chemistry at uni, and I would be fine with everything being metric and using scales and beakers like a chem lab! haha Thanks very much for your comment! I really appreciate it! Cheers! XX Dara

[@notreallydavid]

@@MagentaOtterTravels'' Half a mole of butter, please...'

[@Jsygrl86]

The weather thing does my head in. I swear they just look out the window and are like well it’s sunny at the moment…

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

That's how I evaluate the weather.... look at the sky and see what the clouds look like! haha

[@normanmart7933]

Post offices were sometimes in other shops but mainly separate but many were under threat of closer and were moved to anywhere that would take them on to ensure the services remained esp for older people. We tend to forget we're on a small island so weather is still unpredictable.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Unpredictable weather keeps life interesting! And having post offices in small local shops is so CONVENIENT! I prefer it to the large overcrowded post offices here in the US. Which I will be dealing with soon... since I have weeks of unread post to sort through, having just got home to Texas after being gone to Britain all summer!!

[@RichardWells1]

Love your cultural observations! *The weather:* Of course, if you insist on reading the Daily Express, all you can expect is over-dramatised weather reports. It's the newspaper's bread and butter! I've lost count of the number of times the newspaper has, in the autumn, dramatically predicted 'big freeze winters', dressing its front page with snow images, only for the forecast to come to nothing! But you're correct, Brits can't help talking about the weather - it's so changeable! *Sandwiches:* Grated cheese is so much fun. You spend your eating time trying to catch every sliver. It's a bit of a competition with fellow cheese sandwich eaters, just seeing who can catch the most! Oh, and the grated cheese is normally 'real' Cheddar with a real taste (as opposed to a slice of plasticised processed 'cheese' with no taste). 😁😁😁

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Processed cheese is an ABOMINATION. If I were queen of the world, I would abolish it!

[@RichardWells1]

@@MagentaOtterTravels Yesss!

[@doobzb5482]

Plus not every sandwich is grated cheese lol if you go to Tesco or something you'll get ones with cheddar cheese etc

[@JohnandCaraRetiredTravellers]

Great video Dara! Ha The Post offices….our 3 months through Europe we searched high and low in most every country looking to mail our post cards. They all seemed to be hiding in shops etc. Just thinking of driving in the UK gives me anxiety, I can’t imagine trying to park! 🤣! Hope you have A/C there in your home. 😊~Cara

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

No AC here... but it has been nice and cool the whole summer except for about 4 days. Ian was miserable trying to sleep on those days. At least we had ice packs! The post offices being in small shops is actually really convenient!

[@heatherboardman7004]

You don't need A/C in Britain as we only have about 2 days of excessive heat a year!

[@Nightjourney90210]

Roads are rarely in grid patterns but you're particularly unlucky in Cheltenham. My aunt lives there and she told me that the town was originally designed by a maze/labyrinth creator, so it's unusually confusing. There's always more than one way of getting to another destination. When she has local passengers in her car they always say "Oh, you're going this way are you?" Or " Why don't you go that way, it's quicker?" To which she invariably replies "It's the way I know, be quiet."

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Oh, I love that story! She sounds like a wonderful woman. I have never heard that about the street layout, but I totally believe it! It is a maze!!! Stay tuned for next Friday's video. After three years of filming I'm trying to finally publish a video about Cheltenham! 😮

[@artemisfowl66]

Dara, just found your chanel. I grew up in the catering industry. Grated cheese is used commercially because you can get away with using less cheese so you save money and reduce the fat content. I expect lots of people have told you, our roads are so different to US roads because our roads were often designed for cars, they were designed for horses, carts, carriages and foot traffic

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Well hello! I'm so glad you bumped into my channel. Welcome to the Magenta Otter Tribe! I filmed a video this year which is kind of the reverse to this one... of my "reverse culture shocks" when coming back to Texas after living 5 months in England. Here it is if you want to check it out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKKxiJiBapahZ6M Cheers! Dara

[@mehitabel6564]

I am SO with you on the grated cheese! My husband and I are both cheeseheads, we've been known to drive 2.5 hours each way just to go the only farm that sells exactly the right cheese, but I digress. Yes, cheese in sandwiches should be SLICED! Otherwise, men overboard, and that is a crime. We are planning a 'cheese tour' of France, a driving tour place to place based on cheese. We've also stopped off at a famous food market in Madrid in Spain, and carried a triple-wrapped whole cheese like a baby on a train south to Andalusia. That thing, rather like Époisses and Stinking Bishop, smelled like week-old socks and stank the carriage out, but my it was creamy velvety deliciousness. The main question is, what are your top three favourite cheeses?

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Ooooh difficult question! I love Isle of Mull and Wookey Hole and Waterloo. The last one I discovered in January 2020 while filming my famous "British cheese tasting" video at a cheese shop in Cheltenham. If you are interested in watching it I will post a link here. But warning, it was one of the very first Videos I filmed, so I was still very much a rookie. But the information is great from the cheesemonger!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppaahYWOaLSgjpYsi=SYw6M9J5d0DLbUM2 In what part of the world do you live?

[@mehitabel6564]

@@MagentaOtterTravels I loved that video. We buy cheese at Paxton & Whitfield cheesemongers in Bath. Your tasting makes me want to try the Waterloo and the Mimolette Reserve looked interesting. I watched your video late at night and I had to pause to go and raid the fridge for cheese. I truly felt for you not being able to eat that cheeseboard with your headcold.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

@@mehitabel6564 that was a crazy trip! I got a really terrible head cold, right as the Covid pandemic was starting! I didn't have Covid, but I was really sick... and there by myself and travelling alone. Not fun!

[@glastonbury4304]

Fire exit doors open out in UK, but shop doors especially glass doors open inwards so they don't open out onto the street which would be even more dangerous

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Yes, makes sense. I think we have more shop doors with recessed doorways. And certainly bigger pavements and roads ;-) You don't have the ancient little villages with homes and shops right on the roadways here in the US.

[@glastonbury4304]

@@MagentaOtterTravels very true , plus you don't have corner shops in every residential area like we do here , that are within where people live within walking distance

[@martynpovey943]

I believe the grated cheese thing may date back to food rationing where it was used to make the cheese go further.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

That makes sense!

[@t1281]

The door thing, is that just not because there’s not a lot of space for doors to open outwards?

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Yes, a lot of buildings were built on roads going through villages and towns before cars. The doors open directly onto the pavements/sidewalks... so if they open outwards they would be hitting people all the time

[@oweng7987]

A large proportion of our streets and roads were in place before any kind of motor vehicle was invented or ever conceived. Many streets / roads just used to be paths or trails that people built next to over time, then as more buildings appeared, and more horse, cart, wagon traffic built up eventually they became roads. Town planning wasn’t invented until most of our towns were already hundreds if not thousands of years old.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Yes, and that is why I shant complain about the higgeldy piggeldy roads... because they are a part of lovely historic villages and towns that I simply adore! If I want straight roads and 90 degree angles and "city blocks" I can go to New York City ;-) Thanks for your comment, Oliver! Cheers! XX Dara

[@rialobran]

I think you'll find on larger stores and venues the doors will automatically open with the fire alarm, smaller stores and shops don't require them as they wont have the numbers within to warrant it, all internal doors will need to be fire retardant and all dedicated fire escapes will open out. Our streets/pavements are generally too small to allow all doors to open out, it is deemed to be a higher risk hazard than a fire...plus it helps slow down visiting US bank robbers who push the door to escape...

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

OK, that made me laugh... Beware American bank robbers!!! haha Today is my birthday, and I appreciated the chuckle. If you have a few minutes and like flowers, or engineering, please check out the video of Cragside I just posted ;-) Cheers! XX Dara

[@petercav9440]

The shops with Post Offices are technically Sub Post Offices. They were created many years ago to bring postal services to villages and towns throughout the UK. The shopkeeper receives an income, based on throughput, for providing the service and the responsibility that they have for the mail and the monies they receive/release but they are not Post Office employees. Such Post Offices will be found in many different settings. In my childhood the local (sub) Post Office was in a shop selling haberdashery,wool and patterns. Just the place for a cosy chat for my mother while looking for a dress pattern. A bit like The Waltons☺️.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

I love that story about the sewing shop also being the Post Office! Indeed, it is infinitely more convenient to have a nearby place to post letters and buy stamps that also sells other things you need. I wish going to the PO was more convenient in the US. I'm surprised you know the Waltons! Goodnight, JohnBoy...

[@andyhughes5885]

It takes someone like yourself to point out our little quirks so we can appreciate our quaint and not so quaint way of life here, thank you. Its something we just take for granted without giving it all a second thought.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Thank you so much. I really appreciate you watching and taking the time to leave such a lovely comment! 😉 Cheers! Dara

[@andyhughes5885]

@@MagentaOtterTravels My pleasure Dara. I`ve left comments on some of your other videos too.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

@@andyhughes5885 i'm usually better at responding to comments, but I've been out of town on a girls weekend the last three days and not spending much time in front of the screen but I'm making my way through and getting caught up! 😉

[@googlpanda]

Now you're a true Brit - weather as the first subject 🤣🤣

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Indeed! ☔️ Thanks 😊

[@brianwhittington5086]

When you only visit as a tourist, you may think things are odd. Once you actually live here over an extended period, you will find they make perfect sense. Most of our towns and villages date back hundreds of years or more, long before vehicles existed. They have had to be made accessible, and at the same time, preserve historic streets and buildings from modern traffic damage.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

I agree

[@everestyeti]

Our favourite pastime, the weather. I tend not to watch or take notice of the forecast, I always take the basic survival equipment. A brolly!😂🤣😂

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Same here! In the backseat of our car this summer we kept an assortment of layers of clothing, sun hats and my windproof umbrella. Wellies in the boot. Then I was prepared for anything! LOL

[@dukestt5436]

The grated cheese thing, its mainly to do with the application of how the sandwiches are made in production. The ingredient is bought grated for the process of making sandwiches. Obviously you can get sliced cheese on your sandwich, but you would generally have to go to the "butty shop" for that and the more expensive sandwiches have sliced because it takes longer to apply.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Thanks for the explanation! Cheers!

[@pamelawhiteside4973]

Dara, you are so right about streets in Texas and the Midwest, but streets in New England are the same as the UK. Lots of traffic circles…Great video!

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Yes Pam... and I recall Boston drivers were aggressive and impatient and out for blood! It was terrifying 😬. Texas has MUCH bigger streets... true!

[@Lee-70ish]

You are so right Dara We live in a temperate climate so it never gets extreme Yet we jump up and down, although having worked outside for 43 years in rain,snow ect it is never to hot for me. Post offices are rather the counter to US pharmacies who sell groceries while in the U.K. they never do . Great vlog Dara its the differences that makes us friends as we can entertain eachother with our minor oddities but still deep down have the same values. And thats what really matters All the best Lee & Christine

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Thanks for seeing my comparisons as the lighthearted fun they were intended... some folks get their knickers in a twist most unnecessarily! It is nice to have a temperate climate... and when the temperature does dip down very low or rather high, it gives us all something to talk about! Like when it snowed in Dallas for the first time in 10 years, we had to get out the drone and film the spectacle! What type of work had you outside in the elements? I would not have fared well with that... I don't enjoy the rain enough ;-)

[@Lee-70ish]

@@MagentaOtterTravelswell anyone who takes offense Dara is not the brightest sparkler in the packet are they? I was a tech support engineer on railroad signalling And the wife was a nurse practioner. Although shes in the red cross still so been doing her pandemic bits and bobs The worst snow i remember here was in the 60s it lasted beyond April And where i live in Brentwood ,Essex You could only see the tops of the traffic signs. I was only a young boy so school unifom was short trousers ( no exceptions ) . My knees went blue lol Lee & Christine

[@brianrabe8672]

Good point about the US pharmacies. I know some Boots can also carry a fairly wide assortment of cosmetics and a few sandwiches and snacks, but the stand alone chemist still is common in England whereas it is a thing of the past here in the US. However, the norm in the US is that grocery stores have pharmacies in them which I don't think I have ever seen in England where I lived for 3 years.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

@@brianrabe8672 I have seen some pharmacies in UK supermarkets, but as I recall they had their own brand name. Kind of like how CVS pharmacies are now in Targets here in the US

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

@@Lee-70ish that is funny imagining the school boys having to wear short trousers in all that snow! Although I’m sure it wasn’t funny to you at the time 🥶

[@phillwainewright4221]

Fun Fact - There's only one street in Bournemouth, Orchard Street. Everything else is road, avenue, crescent, lane or whatever. And it's a cul-de-sac with no houses on it!

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

That crazy! I love Bournemouth! Unfortunately, we spent our lovely beach holiday there on the “coldest June in the history of Britain”!! 😫. Our family wore parkas on the beach 🤣

[@stevetheduck1425]

Grated cheese is usually hard cheese, so the cheese grated for sandwiches would / could be part of the 'leftovers made into another meal' tradition: day-old harder cheeses, even if originally medium-hard, make excellent candidates for grating into a sandwich to be eaten that or next day. Most sandwiches sold are dated as when made, I should add.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Excellent point.

[@PertainingtoRose]

In Ireland, when they go grocery shopping they say they are going for postage

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Same in the UK. It is not REALLY because the post office sells sandwiches, it's that places that sell all sorts of things like groceries also have little postal windows in them. Which is very convenient, actually!

[@daffyduck1974]

I think the road layouts are also a good inidictor of how long someones lived in the town. Its the local equivalent of what London cabbies know as the ‘knowledge’.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Definitely. I have little knowledge! haha

[@gggggggg3542]

Just found this...... 2 points 1, It's the North Atlantic Gulfstream that has a real say in our weather........ you're lucky, living in England, you get 4 seasons. Here in Scotland we only get 3 - - - early winter, late winter and waiting for winter 2, the doors.......... quite simple really, because our streets are narrow there simply isn't enough space for doors to open outwards which may force pedestrians onto the road. All fire exit doors open outwards though and they must (by law) be clearly marked "Fire Exit" and can only be opened from inside a building, there must also be no way to lock them from the outside

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

1. Yes, I agree that Scotland is rather cold and rainy... but I still love it for the scenery and the people and the culture. And the food... except haggis ;-) 2. Good point about the doors! The roads are quite narrow, and between two way traffic and pedestrians, it can be a tight squeeze! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment! Cheers! Dara

[@thomasherrin6798]

I use cheese slices in sandwiches using margarine (or butter), most people do in the UK, but catering companies use grated cheese because it uses less and is therefore cheaper!?!

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

That makes sense!

[@philcoogan7369]

Hi Dara re-doors on comercial buildings. You will find that emergency exits do indeed open outwards, main in/out doors will more likely open inwards, this is because outside there is probably a narrow pavement that may be thronged with people and opening a door into that is not a good idea. If you want to see outward opening doors look for the emergency exits at the cinema etc.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Excellent point! Funny how we subconsciously learn things and then expect them to be the same. I will probably continue to be embarrassed every time I pull on a inward-opening shop door... for years to come. Thanks for you comment!

[@rogerjenkinson7979]

I know what you're going through.Its difficult to change. In black&white TV days( I am that old) a Candid Camera café stunt swapped over the push/pull signs causing total confusion in the busy café because people persisted in doing what the sign said.Hilarious to watch confused,exasperated people accumulating on both sides of the door because, if one person made it through,the next inline wouldn't realize how it was done and so....

[@AidanEyewitness]

I am fascinated by the differences between countries. I wasn’t aware of doors or grated cheese. The post office has been turned into a multipurpose store as the old style post office was becoming unviable. As for my own experiences visiting the USA, the main difference is that everything is BIG! Big cars (well, used to be), big buildings, big streets, big tomatoes, big food portions, big cities, a very big country all the way across, much further than Liverpool to Hull. Big people as well!

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Yes, definitely big people, LOL! Because we live in Texas when we aren't in Cheltenham, we have an even more extreme perception... because as the saying goes "everything's bigger in Texas!" The British approach to post offices is actually much more convenient! And as for cheese... I'm obsessed with cheese, so I spend far too much time thinking about it, LOL!

[@david-lt9wj]

@@MagentaOtterTravels you need a fondue set for your birthday.....

[@ians3586]

@@david-lt9wj we already have one 😉

[@david-lt9wj]

@@ians3586 well ! That's a surprise, not. You need two, one in recency Cheltenham to be truly happy. It must great to come home and pour yourself a glass of hot cheese or hot chocolate straight from the fountain..

[@grahvis]

The best place for a weather forecast is the online Met Office one for your area, it is quite detailed and checked as late as possible, can be very accurate. Grated cheese is much easier to deal with and goes further, I was once asked by a hospital dietician if I sliced or grated. My ex lived in a tiny Welsh village, the Post Office was a neighbour's kitchen.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Oh my word, I LOVE the Welsh village story! In my mum in laws village, the post office is a shop in a temporary trailer! Staffed by VOLUNTEERS who live in the village! Very interesting about the hospital dietician as well! I hope you've subscribed... I look forward to hearing your comments on other videos! What part of Britain do you live in?

[@grahvis]

@@MagentaOtterTravels . Aberystwyth, on the coast of Mid Wales.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

@@grahvis I love Wales! And you live in one of the few places that I can pronounce! Along with Cardiff and Chepstow of course 😂

[@fasteddie406]

Lot of shops and public buildings have doors that are right on the pavement edge so opening inwards makes perfect sense others wise it would block pedestrian flow or even if been opened at the time smash into someone.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Excellent point. I think that most American buildings were built later and/or have recessed doorways because of doors opening outwards. Like so many observations Americans make in Britain... most of them are linked to the fact that the cities/towns/buildings are just so much older! But that is a good thing and why we love visiting the UK! Thanks for your comment! I really appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment. I hope you also watch my "things I love" video... it has the fun stuff! kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKXSe4WhftiCi6c Cheers! XX Dara

[@jennahcollings1174]

Due to heritage laws the roads cant be extended in painswick for example, same with the buildings. Due to age they are all preserved with stricken rules. No red brick buildings are allowed to be built in painswick, it has to be cotswold stone only! The only red brick building in painswick is the original Midwifery house!🥰

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

That’s an interesting fact! I adore Painswick!! Such a lovely place. Our flat is in nearby Cheltenham….. a regency town. But our flat is in a red brick Edwardian house 😉

[@davidjones332]

Until about forty years ago, in most towns we had "Crown Post Offices" which only dealt with postal services, official transactions etc. Now virtually all of these have gone, to be replaced by "Sub Post Offices", which are all private businesses contracted to provide postal services. Because they are paid by the transaction, and in rural areas there isn't much business, it is in their interest to have as many alternative sources of income as possible, hence the wide diversity of services.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

I do like having more services in one place, as I think it's convenient... especially in a small, remote town or village.

[@redf7209]

@@MagentaOtterTravels You might find in some small villages they are also combined with the pub

[@johnsbone]

I was born (on south side of the river) near newcastle-upon-tyne your video on it was brilliant.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Oh, thanks so very much! I appreciate you watching and commenting! I was so happy to finally visit Newcastle and we have really enjoyed our travels "up North"! Cheers! Dara

[@WORCESTERTHATCH]

Grated cheese in a sandwich is so much more tastier than sliced. You don't have to chew it loads to get the immediate full flavor, it just dissolves/melts in your mouth getting the best flavor out of the cheese. The difference is like chalk & cheese 🤔excuse the pun. Also, Ploughman's pickle amalgamates so much better. The grated bits that fall off the sandwich onto your plate are savory delicious bonus pickings. 😋

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Wait, did you make this comment after watching my "British sayings" video from last week? The one in which I mentioned "chalk and cheese"? What is your favourite cheese for a sarnie?

[@paulrafter6756]

Never come across a door with the handle that high, I’m 54 so would have expected to see some

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

You need to visit Pershore, then. 😉 That’s where I saw the purple door. And the abbey there is lovely!

[@Silver0Tree]

Nor me, I was baffled by that one. Maybe it's a local thing?

[@davidscargil9145]

In Milton Keynes,where i live,it is a New Town,and we have adopted the American Grid System. It`s brilliant. If you miss a turn,it can be rectified in minutes. I have lived in Older cities,that,with no grid pattern,and all the one way streets thrown in,it can take Silly Time,to rectify a missed turning. I am not sure if most new places have that system. It has many advantages,including the laying of cables and pipes,and repairs are much easier,i think. Some of what i say are assumptions,so if i`m wrong,i blame my parents

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

I totally agree that grid systems are easier to navigate. And as you point out, probably much easier for building and utilites etc. While I'm glad to have lots of efficient new cities in the world... I'm also very grateful for the ancient little villages that can be a pain to manage in terms of parking/driving... but are so beautiful and full of history!

[@davidscargil9145]

@@MagentaOtterTravels Surprised,but delighted by Your reply. Thanks so much.

[@patdavis6383]

Post Offices. Small shops get paid by the Post Office to house a Sub-Post Office to service the local community. This can be a god-send as it helps keep small rural shops afloat. It gives them much needed revenue and also drives footfall so they can sell people other items. Shops with Sub-Post offices contained are often the only (or last) retail premises to survive in rural locations. They may be the only places the elderly can get to to do some shopping. In recent years the Post Office has competed for contracts to offer more services for Government bodies and private companies. By increasing the services the Post office provides, they increase their relevance and increase their chances of survival in this era of de-regulated mail and parcel delivery.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

I really love that approach to post offices. Not only because there are so many more of them, but also because it allows for one-stop shopping. It is much more convenient!

[@Chris_GY1]

Some post offices are attached to a convenience store for example a Co-op or Spar but compared to a city or town a village only has a single store nowadays it is i have previously mentioned or a will be a general store stating it on the sign, they are differences in every village I have visited whether it is up here in the north or down south. It is normal to have grated cheese with Branston pickle, that’s how I use to have it when I was younger, the only time I see sliced cheese with pickle is instore bought sarnies. Buttering bread is normal, dry bread is horrible.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Totally agree. Butter makes everything better! If you haven't seen my Marmite taste test, you need to check that out. Everyone has a comment on how I did it wrong... but nobody can say I scrimped on the BUTTER! hahaha kzbin.info/www/bejne/nombemd7qc6rn8U