\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBesides restaurants of course, many pubs serve food but not all pubs have a waitress. Check when you go but some places expect the customer to go order and pay at the bar, as for the beer. Fare found here is usually classic British staples and some curries. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tAnd absolute classic is Fish and chips; which consists of deep-fried, battered fish (cod or haddock) served with thick chips (fries). A chippy (a backstreet fish and chip shop) is the quintessential place to buy fish and chips. The best ones are specialists, serving perhaps a few alternatives such as a selection of pies or sausages. If served in a sit down environment you’ll also get tartar sauce and a slice of lemon. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tRegional specialties include: <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Black Pudding<\/b> – a blood sausage
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Cheese<\/b> – Stilton, Cheddar, Lancashire, Wensleydale and Cheshire.
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Cornish Pasty<\/b> – beef and vegetables baked in a folded pastry case.
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Haggis<\/b> – a mixture of sheep innards, minced meat and oatmeal boiled in a sheep's stomach.
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Lancashire Hotpot<\/b> – a hearty vegetable and meat stew
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Laverbread<\/b> – a puree made from seaweed, rolled in oatmeal, lightly fried and generally served with bacon.
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Oatcakes<\/b> – a large, floppy, oat-based pancake, sometimes with a savory filling.
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Pastie<\/b> – a pasty of minced pork with onions, potato and spices, shaped into a thick disc, covered with batter and deep fried, Northern Ireland.
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Sunday dinner\/Roast dinner<\/b> – traditionally eaten on a Sunday, the meal consists of some combination of sliced pot roast, mashed potatoes, roast potatoes, peas, carrots, and thick brown gravy.
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Welsh Cakes<\/b> – scone like cakes studded with raisins and dusted with sugar.
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Yorkshire Pudding<\/b> – unsweetened batter often served with a roast dinner. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tOne of the most popular types of restaurant in the UK is the Indian restaurant, especially known for the curries. Common Indian restaurant dishes include Chicken Tikka Masala, Prawn Biryani, Balti and the spicy Vindaloo. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tBritish real ales are amongst the best in the world. Just remember its not served cold or is not as carbonated. To taste real ale one must find a pub with a wide range of ales. Small places only serve 1 or 2 and may have been there a while. Beer in pubs is served in pint and half-pint measures, or in bottles. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tScotland is famous for the hundreds of brands of Scotch whisky it produces. Scotch whisky is divided into four distinct categories: single malt, vatted malt, blended and single grain. The top 4 regions of distillation are the Highlands, Lowland, Islay and Campbeltown.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n \n\t\t\t <\/p>\n \n\t\t\tCulture<\/div>\n \n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe UK has been a centre of learning for the past 1,000 years and possesses many ancient and distinguished universities. The two most famous universities are Oxford and Cambridge. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tSome of the greatest and most famous literary works come from the UK. Most are written in the English language, but there are bodies of written works in Latin, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Scots, Cornish, Manx, Jèrriais, Guernésiais and other languages. The English playwright and poet William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest dramatist of all time. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tMusic has had its faire share of glory as well. Great folk music from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are heard nightly in pubs. Prominent among the UK contributors to rock music were The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and The Rolling Stones, as well as significant contributions to other genres such as heavy metal, hard rock, punk rock, New Wave, New Romantic, indie rock, techno, and electronica. The UK is also home to world-renowned symphonic orchestras, composers of classical music and choruses. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe pub or public house is the most popular place to get a drink and of course of culture. Even small villages will often have a pub. Beer – mainly lagers, bitters, and Guinness – is the beverage of choice. If you are lucky enough to be able to stay after the formal closing hours this is called a "lock in". This will often only occur in the later hours after 11pm and these lock ins can last any amount of time. They happen in few pubs and often only pubs with a more regular type of customer although this is not always the case. Once at a lock-in you may not leave and come back in again. Many pubs are very old and have traditional names, such as the "Red Lion" or "King's Arms"; before widespread literacy, pubs would be identified by most customers solely by their signs.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n \n\t\t\t <\/p>\n \n\t\t\tGeography<\/div>\n \n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe United Kingdom comprises England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It occupies the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern portion of the island of Ireland and most of the remaining British Isles. England accounts for just over half of the total area of the UK. The UK is located between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, to the northwest of France to which it is linked by a tunnel under the English Channel. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe capital and largest city of the United Kingdom is London. Edinburgh is the capital and political centre of Scotland. Cardiff is the capital of Wales. Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland. There are so many cities and towns of interest outside the capital city of London. Here is a sampling: <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tBelfast<\/b> – capital of Northern Ireland and becoming a popular tourist destination, it is undergoing major renovations and improvements. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tBirmingham<\/b> – central England's main city, features great shopping, is home of the famous Balti (one-pot Pakistani style of curry ) and offers great culture. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tBristol<\/b> – an historical city famed for its Georgian architecture and nautical heritage. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tCardiff <\/b>– capital of Wales, host to varied cultural events and many other modern and historical attractions. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tEdinburgh<\/b> – capital of Scotland, home to the largest arts festival in the world and numerous tourist attractions. It is the second most visited city in the UK. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tGlasgow<\/b> – Scotland's largest city is the new cultural hotspot. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tLiverpool<\/b> – Booming city, famous for its prominence in music, sport, nightlife and multiculturalism. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tLondon<\/b> – the capital of the United Kingdom, it is one of the world's most important business, financial, and cultural centres and its influence in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion and the arts contributes to its status as a major global city. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tManchester<\/b> – Thriving bohemian music scene, gay quarter, home to the world's only new work arts festival and dozens of tourist attractions. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tNewcastle upon Tyne<\/b> – largest city in the north east of England, notorious for its busy night-life, a rejuvenated cultural scene and Hadrian's Wall.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n \n\t\t\t <\/p>\n \n\t\t\tHistory<\/div>\n \n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIn its first century, the United Kingdom played an important role in developing Western ideas of the parliamentary system as well as making significant contributions to literature, the arts, and science. The Industrial Revolution transformed the country and fueled the growing British Empire. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tAfter the defeat of Napoleon in the Napoleonic Wars, the UK emerged as the principal naval power of the 19th century and remained an eminent power into the mid-20th century. Elections followed by a war of independence in Ireland led to the partition of the island in 1920, followed by independence for the Irish Free State in 1922 with Northern Ireland remaining within the UK. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe United Kingdom was one of the Allies of World War II. Following the defeat of its European allies in the first year of the war, the United Kingdom continued the fight against Germany in the aerial campaign known as the Battle of Britain. After the victory, the UK was among the powers to help plan the postwar world. The immediate post-war years saw the establishment of the Welfare State, including among the world's first and most comprehensive public health services. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe premiership of Margaret Thatcher marked a significant change of direction from the post-war political and economic consensus; a path that has continued under the New Labor governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown since 1997. The United Kingdom was one of the 12 founding members of the European Union at its launch in 1992.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n \n\t\t\t <\/p>\n \n\t\t\tNature<\/div>\n \n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t The Eden Project<\/b> near St Austell is a massive botanical garden, including the world's largest greenhouse. The complex comprises a number of domes that house plant species from around the world, each dome emulating a natural biome. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe English Garden or English Park<\/b> is a type of natural-appearing landscaped garden. The two English parks most influential were those of Stowe, Buckinghamshire, and Stourhead, Wiltshire. The main characteristic of an English garden is sweeps of gently rolling ground and water, against a woodland background with clumps of trees and outlier groves. Other elements can include: grottoes, temples, tea-houses, belvederes, pavilions, sham ruins, bridges and statues. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe English animal life is largely represented by the red fox and the red squirrel, otters, dormice, water voles, harbour porpoises, puffins, weasels, buzzards, swans, geese, and badgers.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n \n\t\t\t <\/p>\n \n\t\t\tSports<\/div>\n \n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFootball is at the top of the list in popularity. Each nation has its own football association, national team and league system. Rugby is also organized separately like football. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tCricket is a bat-and-ball team sport that is first documented as being played in southern England in the 16th century. Today, the sport is played in more than 100 countries. It is estimated that more than two billion people watched the last Cricket World Cup. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tTennis first originated in Birmingham between 1859 and 1865. Wimbledon is and international tennis event held in Wimbledon in south London every summer and is regarded as the most prestigious tennis event on earth. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tThoroughbred racing is popular throughout the UK with world-famous races including the Grand National, the Epsom Derby and Royal Ascot. The town of Newmarket is considered the centre of English racing. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tGolf originated in Scotland in the 12th century, with shepherds knocking stones into rabbit holes in the place where the famous Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews now sits. The oldest playing golf course in the world is The Musselburgh Old Links Golf Course. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tShinty (or camanachd) is popular in the Scottish Highlands. This team sport is played with sticks and a ball. Its similar to field hockey. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tIn Northern Ireland, Gaelic football and hurling are popular team sports.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n \n\t\t\t <\/p>\n | | | | | |
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