Cambridge is a medieval city with great stories about ghosts and the place to hear them is with Cambridge Ghost Tours. Our tour guides, Fenella and Tom had really great personalities which made this tour so enjoyable.
I have been on previous ghost tours in Cambridge. In my opinion, this was much more exciting. They were not just giving you a tour of places, pointing out places that ghosts had been reported about anyone can do that. Instead they tell in such a way that you don't want the tour to end.
This is child friendly and they can curtail the information to suit the youngest person. The youngest on our tour was 8 years old. But of course that is a decision that you will have to make.
Also, as an American I find some tours presume you know who or what they are talking about. This was not the case with Cambridge Ghost Tours. I would be confident to say that even if you do not know who they are talking about, they explain it so you will.
I would hands down recommend Cambridge Ghost Tours as a different way to see the city (and the best ghost tour in town!). They also have special Halloween events- if you are brave enough!
The tour happens rain or shine so dress appropriately! It rained during our tour but it added to the ambiance.
We were going into town to go on a Cambridge Ghost Tour, so we thought we would eat before hand. A new restaurant has popped up on Bridge Street in Cambridge. If you are looking for the American burger in the United Kingdom, Byron Burger is the place to go!
It feels like an American diner, as you see in the picture below. It serves American sodas and beers. You can get a root beer float from here! I had a cream soda (proper American cream soda high fructose corn syrup and everything! Okay actually I had two- that ruined my no caffeine rule!) and my hubby have a Brooklyn beer now that he has had a taste while we were in New York City. They serve a range of hamburgers, the American way with American style sides. It was great! Jon is a lover of burgers as it is and I usually eat them when out due to my allergy so we were happy.
They had plenty of staff so you were never waiting too long to be served or get another drink. They were super friendly and attentive. It was a comfortable place to go to. It was also affordable. Not a dinner that will break the bank, just the way I like it!
The sign says Byron- Proper Hamburgers and it is 100% correct! I feel as an American I have the qualifications to make this judgement :) I have a place to go when I am home sick and just need a proper hamburger.
If you have been following my Facebook page, you know that I am a fan of Philippa Gregory. I have not read all of her books yet. That is on my list to do when I am finished with my degree (only 3 more classes but who is counting!).
Last night I was able to attend a sold out event held by Topping & Company in Ely where Philippa Gregory talked about her new book, The King's Curse, which is about the curse placed on Henry VIII and his failure to produce a male heir. Philippa is a historian that brings it to life. So I was so excited to meet her and get her to sign a copy for myself and one of my sisters-in-law for Christmas. Don't worry she doesn't read my blog.
I was thinking last night and I think that it was a mix of Philippa's books and living in England that got me interested in history. I have always been an avid reader, well not so much since I started school again, but I just cannot get enough of a good story or finding out something new. I have a dresser full of books that I will start to read at the end of November and I can't wait.
The first book that I read of Philippa's was The Other Boleyn Girl, which was later made into the film which was also filmed in Ely Cathedral.It is the story of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, from the perspective of Mary Boleyn, her older sister and the king's mistress. What I loved so much about this book and all of the other ones I have read was that Philippa takes the historical facts that we know and fills it in with how things happened in a believable story. So you are learning about the events but feel like you know these historical people personally.
Reading her books have made me such an expert on Henry VIII at pub quiz it is my area of expertise.
I think that lead me to love England and its history so much that I wanted to do a degree in history and hopefully will improve my blog. I promise to pay it more attention after it is all said and done, I have a lot of ideas that I am writing down.
If you find history books boring but want to still learn about it, I definitely recommend reading her books, she make history delicious!
Yesterday I caught up on the Misfits series on Netflix awaiting our storm that did not come. I remember when I first started watching it. My husband used to go to pub quiz on Thursdays and he would come home and all I could talk about how great this show was. He was not sure he would like it because it was based on young delinquents in London. Once he started watching it, he was hooked.
The storyline is that there are five delinquents who have been sentenced to community service. There was a huge storm and it gave nearly everyone a super power. I think it was whoever was outside when the lightning struck. This quite clever because any new person that comes in show can almost have any power such as going into the past, bringing people back from the dead (but you have to kill them as they become zombies of course!), hearing what people think, seeing through walls, etc.
I think that this is a great example of British tv. This show is a dark comedy. It has a lot of violence, sex and shocking vulgar language ( and I worked on the flightline so hard to shock me) but it is fantastically written. It is not intelligent humor like most of the shows have but it is not slapstick either. Every show keeps you wanting more. Despite some of the characters being violent, you like them because they crack you up.
I would say it is more of a lad's show but the women are just as tough as they are! I enjoy it!
I can't wait to see the rest of the series as I am caught up to Series 4.
Yesterday the question was raised in one of the Facebook groups if someone should get both the US and UK flu vaccines. It is a valid question if you do not know anything about flu vaccines. I worked in the Swine Flu Incident room in 2009 in the East of England Strategic Health Authority which is part of the NHS. I am no expert but this has given me a bit of an insight to how things work in response to emergencies.
First off the vaccines are the same. The World Health Organization predicts which three strains of flu will be prevalent during the flu season in the North Hemisphere and the manufacturers make them. So getting a flu shot on base and off base is not going to provide you with more protection and dangerous double dosing on vaccines. Also if you think about in this way, service members get the flu shot annually but they do not get another one when they reach their deployment base because they are covered. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vaccinations/Pages/how-flu-vaccine-works.aspx
There are different approaches between the US and Europe on to how to distribute the flu vaccine. In America and Canada, anyone over six months old can get a flu shot. In Europe, nursing home residents, people with chronic medical conditions like asthma, the elderly, pregnant women, health care workers, and children from ages 6 months to 2 years, because they are more susceptible to the symptoms of the flu get the vaccine. America gives to everyone because if they look at the group that is suggested in Europe then about 75% of the population would meet the criteria and the patient pays for the vaccine. http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/17/health/flu-vaccine-policy/
This varies for many reasons such as the lack of sick time in the US, whereas in Europe they have it. In Europe only doctors can give it out. I think that they often give it out in schools in the UK but this has to do with the NHS and the schools being part of the government's responsibility and saves the parents a trip!
Well if you ever thought about this, I hope I cleared it up!
The event will start and finish each day at The Academy Health & Fitness Centre in Barrow. Each day will be a different route which will consist of both road and off-road terrain, while taking in the beautiful Suffolk countryside.
The Great Barrow Challenge is for both civilian and military individuals and teams.
So come and join us to see a view of England you can't replicate and challenge yourself.
Last Year Jon and I were in Nottingham at the same time as the Robin Hood Festival was going on in Sherwood Forest. It was great to see all the little children dressed as Robin Hood and Maid Marion.
Sherwood Forest is about 40 minute drive from Nottingham and Nottingham is about a 2 hour drive from Cambridge. While this was a great time to see Sherwood Forest, I would suggest not driving all the way from the bases for the day to see the Robin Hood Festival.
The festival going on made the trip to Sherwood Forest worth it because otherwise you just go see the Major Oak. There were all sorts of displays, falconry, jousting, games and other stalls. It was free to attend but you had to pay for parking. You could make this an affordable day by packing your own picnic and then let the children run free.
Also take them walking around Sherwood Forest and see the Major Oak.
Want to see Prince Charles and The Duchess of York? The best way to do this is to go to the Sandringham Flower Show in the 25th July 2012from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
It’s a great event to bring the children to. There are exhibits of horses and other displays like aerobatics teams, dog shows and bands and of course flower displays from the Women’s Institute (you might know about them through the movie Calendar Girls).
It’s only a 45 minute drive from base.
The Sandringham Estate is open to take a stroll. Sandringham Estate is where the Royal Family spends their Christmas and attend Christmas service at Church of St Mary Magdalene which is also usually open to visit.
I asked the question of where the Queen sits as she is the Head of the Church of England and the answer is she sits up front with the priest and other clergy members.
So take the day off and see how close you can get to royalty.
I remember the first time I took my husband to his first fourth of July celebration and when my jaw dropped as an American asked him the question "Why don't the British celebrate the 4th of July?". I thought the answer was quite obvious but I suppose it isn't.
As Americans, we celebrate the 4th of July because it is the day in 1776 we adopted the Declaration of Independence which was finally signed by all members on 2 August 1776. The colonists felt that they wanted to become independent because the King in Great Britain was raising their taxes and increasing the rules that they had to follow.
The reason why I think it is obvious is because as Americans we would not celebrate the Independence of Guam or other territories that we have.
But don't worry there will be plenty of celebrating here on the bases, every year RAF Feltwell host a huge event with fireworks, airshow and of course rides!
As you may now, I have just moved into a local village just outside of Cambridge. Now village life is different from city life even in the UK.
The chances are you are going to be bumping into the same people over and over again so you have tailor your approach to getting to know people.
One thing that I suggest is keeping an eye out for local events. For instance, my village has a local fun fare on the village green this week. Next week is a bake off and there are other ones that come up over the year. Go to them, people are often very friendly at these things- even the British! I can only say that because I am married to one. For some reason, in these circumstances they feel more free to chat to people they don't know so it might be okay to talk to people in lines here but not at the line at the bank. Not sure what but that is the way it is.
The second thing is to use your local shops. Save yourself time, gas and sometimes money by shopping in your local shops. It is good to support the local communities as it gives a good impression of the American presence in the area and it helps to keep the things open that you love. Also in my own opinion, I think that the vegetables and meat are way better than anything you get on base at the commissionary. I am a "cook from scratch" kind of girl but the British call it just cooking so no readymade meals or Hamburger Helper for me, you can make your own. Also it gets you a bit more engrained in the local area instead of hugging to the Little America.
The third thing you can do is volunteer. A few weeks ago I heard that one of the Rainbow (Girl Guides = Girl Scouts) packs were going to have to close if they did not get leaders to take over. I am already a Brownie leader in the village over from mine. I would hate to see it close so I have told them that I would fit it in. You might be able to help your village out with something like this. Then you get to know a few people. One of the girls lives on my road and her dad works with my husband.
I have a dog and for whatever reason people will talk to you more if you have a dog than if you don't. I am not sure why but even when walking in Cambridge strangers would stop me all of the time but I guess that is the life of a golden retriever owner! I walk Dusty in the morning and in the afternoon and we are always talking to people. So I suggest walking your dog regularly and meet people.
Give it a chance. I know it takes a long time to fit in. I belonged to my sailing club for 3 years before I felt like one of the gang so I am going to assume that this will be the same. The good thing about being an American is that we are naturally warm and friendly and that can work to your advantage. The British will go at their own pace to getting to know you, but once they do, you will not be able to get rid of them!
If you are American, you must visit the Madingley American Memorial Cemetery. Its is best to take it in at a ceremony on Veteran's Day or Memorial Day where they often have a fly by. But it is the most serene place.
This is the only cemetery in the UK dedicated to Americans who fought in WWII. There is a long wall with the names of 5,126 names of those lost in action. There are four different statues for all the services. and this is inscribed on the top of the wall:
THE AMERICANS WHOSE NAMES HERE APPEAR
WERE PART OF THE PRICE THAT FREE MEN
FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THIS CENTURY
HAVE BEEN FORCED TO PAY TO DEFEND
HUMAN LIBERTY AND RIGHTS
ALL WHO SHALL HEREAFTER LIVE IN FREEDOM
WILL BE HERE REMINDED THAT TO THESE MEN
AND THEIR COMRADES
WE OWE A DEBT TO BE PAID
WITH GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF THEIR SACRIFICE
AND THE HIGH RESOLVE THAT THE CAUSE FOR WHICH THEY DIED
SHALL LIVE ETERNALLY
The Chapel is very nice as well. Inside, there is something for all religions in there. The stain glass in the windows are of the 50 US stats listed in order of joining the Union. There is a map of the the shipping lanes during the war and bombing targets. On the outside of the chapel, there is a map of the American airfields in the UK during the war.
There are over 3,800 Americans men and women buried in this cemetery. There are 24 graves that have not been positively identified.
If you need a reminder on why you are stationed here, this is a good one that is not to be missed. It makes me proud to have served my country.
If you like to go to the theatre like I do, it can get expensive so here are some tips that I use:
Sit in restricted seating. At the Cambridge Arts Theatre, there are 3 seats on each side of the upper circle that are cheaper , I always get these seats and move if it is not crowded that night.
If you can buy a pass, go for it. At the Shakespeare Festival in Cambridge, they allow you to buy a 3 or 6 play pass. This means you can go without booking a day, so if it is raining, then you can go another day since they are outside. Works out cheaper per play!
In London you can get half-price last minute tickets at the TKTS booth in Leicester Square from 10 am on the day you want tickets. The earlier you get there the better the seats!
I work fulltime so I can't do this but you can go to the earlier shows and the tickets are often less.
If you go to London by the train, you can get 2 for 1 tickets.
Go to the theatre on the day and see if they have any going for a discounted rate.
You should use smaller theatres. Often there are traveling groups so you can see the same play at the Theatre Royale in Bury St Edmunds for less than at the Cambridge Arts Theatre. It doesn't make sense for me all of the time because I cycle into town but if you are driving it might be worth it!
If you just like going to the theatre, there are some amateur dramatic groups you can go see locally:
I found out that I had a milk and soya allergy in 2008. This has made a huge difference in my life. This changed the way that I shop and cook and I lost 45 pounds because of it. I thought I would share some tips.
I think that many people do not know that 'cooking from scratch' really takes the same amount of time that cooking a packet of Hamburger Helper does. It is also way better for you. I never realized how many things had milk in it until my allergy was identified. They use milk as a cheap filler. If you like the flavors of things like Hamburger Helper, like I like the Beef Stroganoff, it is easy to locate a recipe that tells you the spices that are used so there is no need to buy the packaged stuff. So you are saving your family from all the unnecessary preservatives as well as the costs of the packaging!
First thing everyone tells you to do a meal plan. I have done a Google Calendar and I choose meals that kind of need the same items so that it ensures that I do not waste anything. I have also taken to preparing 12 meals in one day to freeze. I could not do the 30 day cooking that many people in America do because I do not have the freezer space but this way one day a week I pull one of these meals out in the morning before I head off to work and we have it in the evening. There are so many recipes available online to do this.
I am against shopping at the commissionary and I did not buy much from there when I was in. Again, I couldn't eat many of the American products anyways but the meat is frozen and shipped here, the vegetables and bread go off faster than if bought offbase and has additives that are banned by the UK and EU.
This goes for the meat too. There are things that American farmers are allowed to do with animals that the EU does not permit such as antibiotics and growth hormone. I go to my local butcher and buy what I need for the next 5 days and its fresh and he knows where it came from.
There are some foods that are VAT free. Generally they are the healthy food so keep this in mind when shopping offbase.
I do a big shop online via Mysupermarket.co.uk every two months. It links your accounts from the grocery stores and tells you where the cheapest store to place your order. What I buy when I do this are all the staple items such as canned tomatoes, flour, toilet paper and all the nonperishable. I have been watching Extreme Couponing on the television and that doesn't work over here. Stores do not accept coupons from other stores and they do not double coupon either. However, sometimes they give you double points towards your loyalty card, which I use to get vouchers to go out to eat or go to the movies. I know that you have to pay for the delivery but I find it more convenient and it often keeps you from not buying things off your list. I check my meal plans against what is in my pantry and then buy it.
I tend to buy my vegetables from the Co-op or market. I am bad at making sure I use up my onions, carrots and mushrooms so I have taken to chopping a whole bag full of them in my food processor and freezing it in small pots. Then they can be pulled and added to my cooking as I go. This has not only made cooking a bit faster but I have reduced what I throw away. I have to warn you, we got very teary when we were doing the onions!
The fridges here are a lot smaller than the ones seen back in the US although you can get the American styled ones but I like them this size because we waste less items and we do not consume so much, everyone eats too much anyways :)!
What you eat can make a huge impact on your life and I know first hand once I got my diagnosis and I would not change a thing. I hope this gives you an insight on ways you can save on food!
I was able to score some free tickets to the Discover Ascot day at the Ascot Racecourse. Ascot is famous for the Royal Ascot which brings out people by the droves dressed to the nines. At other times in the year the dress code is a bit more relaxed but if you do not dress appropriately you risk not being allowed in. Different enclosures have different rules so do check the website for the rules.
Ascot is two hours drive from Cambridge. Its best to go A14->A11->M11->M25->M4. It does not seem like it would be faster but the M25 gets really busy. Use Transport Direct info. Also leave yourself additional time in case there is an accident. Do not park in the places where they charge you, if you keep going around, you will see free parking.
It is also down the road from Windsor Castle so while the racing will take up a whole day, you could try to book a room and stay in the area and hit that up as well.
The website also tells you how to place a bet and all other useful information so I would definitely read everything before you go. If you have been to the Newmarket races then you might know how racecourses operate.
I had a really good time with my friends, Laura and Jane. We brought a picnic which we ate before we went in. You are able to bring one in with you but there are only certain areas you can lay this out and you cannot bring seats.
We got really lucky with the weather as it didn't look like it was going to be very nice. We also won a bit of money, which covered our losses. We saw Frank Dettori make a great comeback and Princess Anne! Not a bad day out!
I would love to come for the Royal Ascot and dress up!
If you didn't know already, which I am surprised because I talk about it all the time, it is a daily function for me, I am allergic to cow's milk. I found out in 2007 and it has impacted my life ever since. Think about what you ate just today. Cafe latte? Biscuit with your tea? Milk in your cereal or butter on your toast? Cheese in your sandwich? Starting to get the picture? Oh, did anything have whey in it? This is a common filler for the food manufactures and also is a product of milk. I also am unlucky because I am allergic to soya too.
Anyways, I got a message on Twitter from a lovely shop in Cambridge, Chocolat Chocolat (a shop I would instantly avoid, I mean, chocolate and milk go hand in hand, right?), asking me "what were the weirdest combination of chocolate I had ever had?" I wrote back and said that I was allergic to milk.They informed me that they do a chocolate for people like me! I was so excited because no one ever caters to 'us'. Do you know how many times I have had fruit salad because there wasn't anything else for dessert? I am soooo over fruit salad.
Jon and I were in town for a play and stopped by to see what Chocolat Chocolat had to offer. It is such cute little shop with beautiful chocolates decorating the shelves. It was busy because it was a Saturday but the staff were very helpful, pointing out which ones that I could have. The other thing that also impressed me is that they knew the difference between the allergy and the intolerance.
I got some chocolates and maybe its because I have haven't had chocolate in a long time, they were fabulous. I think this might be my guilty pleasure when I am in town.
A lot of people are looking for the perfect house with the look that they are after. If you have been reading my blog for some time, you will know that while this can make a difference, I suggest that you get a house that suits your needs as you are only here temporarily. Many people like to look at houses with a view as if they are buying a house but this can be a very costly mistake.
Outside of the house that will suit your needs (but may not be what you have dreamt you will be living in since you heard you were going to be living the UK), you MUST look at the Energy Performance Certification (EPC) rating. This is going to tell you how much running the house will cost you, this is how you can save money on energy because it costs 3 times as much as in the US.
Any house that is sold or rented out must have an EPC. Most advertisements will have the rating of the house in them. The ratings go from A to G. A is the most efficient and G is the worst. The average one is D/E and if you are in the military, your utility allowance should cover a home with this rating. Here is an example of what an EPC looks like. If it does not have it in the advertisement, I would be weary of the property and ask to get a copy of it before viewing.
One thing to look for in a house, always go for double glazing. I have been living in a house for the last 3 years that does not have it in the bedrooms (its my MIL's house) and they have been just been installed, you can feel the difference now in the spring but just imagine the difference it will make in the winter- we were sleeping under 4 blankets! Please see the video below to see the impact that this can have.
Another thing to think about is other heating elements. Fireplaces are another way to heat your home. Just be sure to only use coal in a coal one and wood in a wood one. Wood burners are more energy efficient than coal burning ones. If you do get other heating elements like space heaters, make sure that they have timers on them and do not leave them running when you are not home. Do not heat rooms you do not use.
You can also look in the report to see the suggestions made to increase the EPC rating, therefore saving you money on your utilities. Things like replacing regular lightbulbs with energy saving lightbulbs you can do yourself. Although they are more expensive than regular ones definitely save you money in the long run. Other things like increasing the loft insulation or having the hot water cylinder insulated could be a good negotiating point especially if you are paying above the asking price.
As Americans, we like to have our homes very warm but this can cost an arm and a leg over here. So dress warmly in the cold times and put a blanket over you when watching TV. This is why I think that you should choose a home with a better EPC rating almost anything else. You will feel the difference in your bones (the humidity makes the chill way different here) and you will feel it in your wallet.
I have never watched the Eurovision for the last seven years. I am not sure why, it just was not on my radar but in 2013, I did watch it and really could not understand what was going on or how big it is over here and in Europe.
The Eurovision began in 1956. Only members of Europe Broadcasting Union can take place in this singing competition. This includes Russia, some countries in Africa and most of the Euoprean countries. The country that won the Eurovision last year have to host the next one. Sometimes people have a Eurovision party and they invite their friends over to their homes to watch it.
So the interesting bit of the competition is that it is very political. So you go through out the night having the singing and the voting. The people in the countries can then vote for their favorite song and then the top 3 countries are given 12, 10 and 8 points. So some of the Eastern Bloc countries vote for each other as does Ireland and the United Kingdom and so forth.
A song is written every year for the Eurovision and performed by an act from that country. One of famous band that rose to fame after being part of this competition is ABBA who won in 1974. One of the UK's most famous performers were Bucks Fizz who won in 1981 with their song Making Your Mind Up. Celine Dion won it for Switzerland in 1988 which helped launch her career.
So if you in when the next Eurovision is on, watch it and let me know what you think of it. This year's is on 6 May 2014.
Ely means the isle of the eels and every year it celebrates this through the Ely Eel Festival. They usually have a parade, food and craft stalls and performances. Also the last true eel catcher is there. Its a great day out and can be educational too!
A lot of people complain the state of their skin and hair after a few weeks of using the hard water in the UK. I stocked up on shampoo and conditioner which finally after 4 years of getting out I am coming to the end of it and have bought some from Boots. It has made such a difference in the condition of my hair. This goes for any cleaning products and laundry products that you buy when you are here.
The Boots Advantage card is the best loyalty card that you can get. I buy all my pharmacueticals and beauty products here. In the run up to Christmas they have special events that enable you to get more points when you buy during this period. I use this time to stock up on the regular stuff and then get my Christmas presents or perfume for myself with the points.
One for the ladies! Have you ever thought/heard of the Mooncup or Eco Femme Pads? There are of course other options but these can really save you money in the long run especially if you add up what you are buying now and they are easy to take care of. Some people also believe that there are some health benefits on not using the commercial ones. Also there is the environmental aspect that you are not filling the landfills with disposable items.
As I get ready to file my American taxes (yes I still have to) I realized that many of you might not know how different it is here in the UK.
First off, if you are an American abroad, you must file your taxes every year as if you were in the US but you get a two month extension on the filing but if you owe money, you need pay by the April 15. I am not going to pretend that I am an expert at filing because I am not. I just cross my fingers and toes and everything else hoping it goes smoothly. I will not pay someone to do it because I owe nothing. If you earn below the allowed threshold, you do not have to pay anything as long as you are paying taxes in the country that you are living in. BTW the United States is one of the only countries that require this of their expats. It has become even more increasingly difficult because of recent form that you need to fill in if you have money stored overseas.
Here is a good list of FAQs, remember that the foreign earned income filing usually only applies to expats not military stationed overseas.
So how is it done in the UK?
Well, the average Joe that works for a company does not file their taxes. There are tax codes that say how much the threshold you have before you have to pay taxes. Only the self-employed and higher tax earners have to file every year by the end of the tax year (30 January). This to me makes sense only because it reduces the amount of paperwork that is dealt with.
The threshold has just been raise to £10,000 before you have to pay taxes and then the basic rate of tax after that its 20% for the rest. There are no deductions like in the US for donating to charity and going to school. Instead some items that are bought like books for school are tax-free.
Also because we pay council tax monthly, that replaces the state tax that Americans would pay.
So really if you work for someone else, tax wise you have it much easier except if you are an American. Now I know Americans that have become British citizens and renounced their American citizenship because of dealing with taxes. Most of these people probably own their own companies and have to pay taxes to both places. It has not come to that for me yet but I thought I would share.
I was very lucky to be able to go on a tour with Cambridge Ghost Tours.
