We had an election in London recently, for Mayor. This is not the Lord Mayor who has a show, but the Mayor who is responsible for law and order, transport etc.
The winner was Sadiq Khan, who starts his third term. He first became Mayor in 2016. I am not a big fan of Mr Khan, or what he has done, but voted for him, as I’m sure many did, because the alternatives were so much worse.
In a speech, Khan said he intends to make London a great city. No-one asked him why he hadn’t done it in his first two terms, but that’s politics – you can say what you want and no-one questions it.
He did say one thing he was going to do – remove Boris buses from our streets by 2030.
If you are the kind of person who decides, before you leave, you will only have what you know, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Burger King, Arby’s, KFC, Taco Bell, then we have some words for you.
Ah yes, McDonald’s, Starbucks, something you know, something safe. We do have these places, but so do so many cities. To a large extent, all cities around the world look similar. There’s a McD’s on every corner.
But there are several USA chains that never succeeded here. Arby’s didn’t, Taco Bell has a handful of outlets in the whole country, there is a Burger King in places. Wendy’s? Nope… If that’s all you are willing to eat, you will have some troubles.
But there are some things you should know:
they are not the same as you know them. Sure, McD’s has a ‘Big Mac’, but stricter and different food laws, other raw materials and local tastes means it’s probably very different from your expectations. The prices will be different, too, more expensive over here probably. The range will be different, more restricted. The sizes may be more sensible. Asking for off-menu things and customisation is not really done here.
Starbucks is everywhere. Oh no, was, then COVID hit and so many branches closed. We have met Americans who like UK Starbucks coffee because it is “less bitter” than the USA. So it’s definitely different. Starbucks is relatively down market here and there are much nicer small and local coffee places you can try.
We could go on but find it depressing…
If this is all you will eat, then good luck, but it’s not the same as you might expect and it’s mostly not nice.
Why not try local equivalents, and not cheap and nasty places either?
These are the general guidelines for England. There are many websites that go onto more detail, so look at those before you do something illegal:
If you want to enter a pub and buy yourself an alcoholic drink, you have to be 18 years of age or older.
If you wish to drink alcohol in public you must be 18 or over.
If you wish to buy alcohol at an off licence you must be 18 or over.
If you are under 18 you may enter an off licence provided you are with an adult, but you may not buy drink. An adult may not send you into any place to buy alcohol if you are under 18.
If you are 16 or 17, you may consume alcohol in a public place (such as a restaurant) if you are accompanied by an adult and eating.
At times, some pubs do allow younger children into their premises for food, often in designated ‘family rooms’. The cut off time may be 9pm or earlier. Check with the pub before you go in.
It is also allowed, though discouraged, for younger children to drink alcohol in private residences.
Proof of age
As with many countries, if you are lucky enough to look young you may be challenged to prove your age. We’d love to say this is nothing personal, but, of course it is. If you start to protest, you will not be served and may be asked to leave. The staff are just doing their job.
You need to provide some kind of legal, perhaps government issued, undoctored identity document that the staff will recognise and which shows your face and date of birth. A passport is ideal. Someone else’s say-so is not good enough.
Some properties, nightclubs for example, may operate stricter age rules eg
This will be clearly signposted. If you look young, you may be challenged.
If you are of a suitable age, why wouldn’t you be happy to undergo a simple check?
