August 2007
Having recently relocated to London, England from Vancouver, Canada, I have come across some things that may be helpful to know upon your arrival.  Lucky for me I have a friend that has lived in London for the past five years.  This has definitely helped to ease my transition into the big city.  It first became apparent that I was in dire need of some pointers when I arrived at Heathrow with an oversized duffle-bag (no wheels) and a misshaped extra long snowboard bag.  My friend Veronica asked if I needed her to take the day off work to help me make my way to the flat I was moving into. I responded that it was “no biggie” and that I could probably figure it out on my own.  She insisted on meeting me and I am forever in her debt.  In retrospect, the web of colourful lines that make up the tube map eventually would have been navigated.  It was the luggage I could not have managed on my own.  Not all of the tube stations in London have elevators and there were some instances where we had to carry my bags up flights of stairs and manoeuvre through crowds of people… not so easy when your snowboard bag is the same size as you!  I have come to understand now why luggage with wheels was such a great invention and something worth investing in.  Next time I travel, and I’m bringing enough belongings to move somewhere for more than a year, I will most likely fork out the cash and organize a cab straight from the airport. 

First Things First 
If you are moving to London for employment and will be staying for an undetermined amount of time, three important things you need to do are: sort out a NIN* (National Insurance Number); arrange a bank account; and get a mobile phone (it is pretty much impossible to find employment without these).  I’d suggest you should expect to put a full day aside for sorting these 3 things out.
Your National Insurance Number is something needed for tax purposes and is essential to your employer – it is the equivalent to a SIN or SSN (Social Insurance Number in Canada, or in the States a Social Security Number).
*Important to note you need an appointment to apply for your NIN interview so call ahead.

HSBC offers a basic bank account that can be activated with your passport and is therefore the easiest to obtain and most ideal.  It is an international bank so it may even be possible to look into accounts at a branch at home before you move over.  Some other local options for banking are Lloyd’s TSB and Barclay’s. 

Mobile’s are essential to living in London as landlines are not free.  You are charged for each call on a landline and actually can get better rates with a mobile provider.  You can buy a basic mobile at any Woolworth’s for next to nothing and set it up on a pay-as-you go plan through one of the many mobile companies like T-Mobile or Orange.  This is the easiest and fastest way to get a contact number for applying to jobs and looking for apartments… after all there’s nothing like missing a call about a possible job or having an uncouth flatmate jot down an illegible message.  Once you get yourself a bank account and establish how long you will be living in London you can switch to the more affordable monthly payment plan.  You will need a “Sim” card for your mobile (a small transferable chip that you can add to new mobiles should you decide to upgrade your phone and it holds onto all your pertinent phone settings like contact details and old text messages etc.) and you can top up your balance at pretty much any supermarket.  Once you have a phone, the first thing you should do is save a local number of anyone you happen to know in London or the reception desk number of the hotel/hostel you are staying at.  If you end up lost it’s always nice to be able to call and get assistance from someone you can trust (on a side note, the emergency number in London is actually 999 although 911 will still work!) 

National Insurance Number - www.dwp.gov.uk/lifeevent/benefits/ni_number.asp

Mind the Gap
The Oyster card is a must have in London.  It’s a pay as you go system that you top up at your convenience and costs less than buying a ticket at the counter.  The Oyster card works on the underground and all bus services.  You pay a £3 deposit for the actual card and then top up the balance as you need to.  It reduces normal fares by up to 50% and will top you out at a full day fare if you use your card excessively.  Travelling by tube (underground) can be cheaper at certain times of day (off-peak hours) and if you are travelling with children, you can purchase them unlimited travel, and in some cases free all-day travel as long as they are always accompanied by a paying adult. (On trains, tubes and buses after 1000am you pay 1 pound only for your child....provided he/she is under 16 years old and as long as they travel with you).  For more information on travelling with children, off-peak hours or London transport in general check out this link www.tfl.gov.uk.

The only drawback to the Oyster card is that, at this point, it is not compatible with the overland trains so I suggest if you are travelling locally for the full day and know you will be taking overland trains as well as the bus or tube then you should purchase a day travel card. When travelling overland, if you travel at off-peak times...usually after 1000am, with a child under 16, you can purchase them a ticket for 1 pound as long as they are accompanied by a adult.

If you are in London working and you need to keep a record of your travel costs for re-imbursement, you can receive printouts at the Oyster office of any tube station. You can also register your card online and top it up online for a more in depth tracking of your journeys.  As a last resort you can call the Oyster head office and have them mail you a detailed report that will track your travel back, up to eight weeks.

National Rail (overland trains) - www.nationalrail.co.uk

Cabs, Rickshaws and Bicycles… Transport in general
Even though cabs seem to be a convenient mode of transport, with the efficient bus/tube transport in London they are not usually necessary.  As a North American, I find the infamous black cabs difficult to spot because they are not the bright yellow I am used to and the vacancy light is at the front of the windshield rather than on top of the roof.  The traffic is so slow here you are almost better off travelling by bus or underground to avoid congestion and delays. 

On the rare occasion that the buses are scarce, if it’s past midnight and the tubes have stopped, or if you’re stranded in an unfamiliar area and/or going to an isolated neighbourhood then cabs or mini-cabs can be very useful.

You will notice many buses with an N in front of the route number, for example 155 and N155 – this stands for a night bus and usually means it runs virtually the same route for the early morning hours (until you are familiar with your surroundings it is always wise to plan your journey ahead of time using the London transport website) or there is the 24 hour bus services which are the exact same route for 24 hours and will say so on the bus stop sign.

Another option for getting around the city is always the bicycle rickshaw.  The drivers seem a little crazy and tend to rip around side streets and hug the corners like they’re on a race track, but it will be an adventure none the less.  Do keep in mind you will pay a hefty fee to ride the rickshaw rollercoaster. 

Feeling brave? You can always buy yourself a road bike and cycle alongside the chaotic traffic (which let me remind you, consists of extremely large buses and bumper to bumper vehicles) also keeping in mind that the road rules are opposite to that of North America. 

If you choose to travel by foot, the automobile/pedestrian right-of-way seems to resemble that of Las Vegas… so unless you are at a crosswalk, otherwise known as a “Zebra Crossing” please note that as a pedestrian, you have no right-of-way!!  To make your life easier you can always look down and read the painted “Look Right Look Left” prompts on the street so you remember which way the traffic will be coming from when you narrowly avoid being run over. 

In all honesty, there is no better way to discover London than by walking.  From Trafalgar square for example, you are within walking distance of all the hotspots, ie. Picadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Convent Garden, Soho, Oxford Street, Regent Street, Carnaby Street, Southbank, Hyde Park, and the Palace.  The London Eye is an ideal landmark to use as your own “eye” so to speak.  You can see it from pretty much anywhere so if you feel lost you can search for it in the skyline to re-establish your bearings.  Another important guide is the pocket book entitled London A-Z as well as the free colour coded tube maps you can find at any tube station.

In peak hours, London roads seem to be congested and slow moving for the most part so you will find that once you figure out the tube map, the underground is probably the quickest and most straight forward route to travel London. 

NOTE for car users: 
The London congestion charge was controversially introduced in February 2003 as a means of reducing the traffic flow in Central London.  A payment of £8 is required each day when a chargeable vehicle enters the congestion charge zone with a penalty payment required for non payment.

The Congestion Charging Operating Hours are 7:00AM - 6:00PM 
Charging Days are Monday to Friday (excluding Public Holidays). 
The Congestion Charging Zone is clearly defined by signs and / or road markings at entrance and exit points. 
The standard daily charge is £8. 

For information on the charge, the zone and how to pay visit www.transportfor london.com

“Real” Football 
To fully appreciate the British culture, partaking in some sort of English sport is recommended.  The apparent choice would be football (soccer). Whether it’s watching a game at a traditional English pub with a pint of lager, buying tickets to a live match or just simply having a kick-about in the park, it is an English passion to be revered.  Regent’s Park is a massive park on the Bakerloo Line where you can go to see people from all walks of life playing small sided games of football on the grass.  On more than one occasion I have shown up at the park and joined in with a group who needed some extra players. 

If football’s not really your thing you can hire paddle boats and laze about while you float down the river that runs through Regent’s.  There are loads of walking paths and places you could rollerblade or go for a leisurely bike ride.  Another option is to just grab a blanket, a good book, and maybe a few mini bottles of wine and relax (yes drinking in public is allowed here in the UK - so as long as you don’t get disorderly - it is not a problem to have a few casual drinks in the sun). 

Other sports of interest are rugby, cricket and boxing.  Rugby is surprisingly referred to as the gentleman’s game when being compared to soccer (which has a reputation for being a bit of a thug’s sport)… more to do with the fans than the sport itself, I think.  Rugby is very popular among the locals and if you ask they will be more than willing to explain the rules and the differences between rugby league and rugby union.  Cricket, as a first time watcher, is much more palatable and quite exciting if you can catch a one day match.  Once you become familiarized with the etiquette/terminology and stop comparing it to baseball you might start to understand the appeal and strategy behind the sport and may even enjoy a 5 day test. Then there’s Boxing – my personal favourite.  London is full of privately owned boxing clubs where unlike the “boxercise” we offer at home (an aerobics class with a boxing theme) you actually train like a boxer without the fear of being hit, you take a jab at the heavy bag, you skip, and you even go in the ring to try out a flurry of punching combos.  One gym in particular is called McKenzie’s and is located above a pub in Herne Hill.  You enter the gym from the parking lot in the back, and when you open the door you are pummelled by a wave of stuffy heat and fresh sweat produced by the hardcore devotees.  The atmosphere is so intense, but inviting at the same time! 

You will meet the owner Clinton McKenzie himself.  He is a former boxing champ and Olympic competitor with the evidence of his title fights plastered on the walls. Then there is Angel, a professional female boxer from Russia, who with her dedication and passion for the sport motivates you to want to do your best. Together the team at McKenzie’s will take you through a rigorous training session that will leave you completely “K.O’d” yet strangely anxious to book your next session.  They tailor each workout to your specific fitness level and push you just a little harder each time. 

Sometimes finding the time and motivation to work out when you have just moved to a new city seems impossible, yet there are gyms on every other corner in London.  If you want a membership the prices can vary.  I found Fusion, a gym in my neighbourhood, to be very affordable.  It is a chain of fitness centres that offer a basic gym/community centre with options to partake in other activities such as drop-in football/badminton/  basketball, martial arts programmes, and different aerobics classes.  Some of their gyms have swimming pools and squash courts and the price is reasonably low.  You can pay monthly and opt out at any time with a months notice.  There are also many other chains as well as exclusive gyms and clubs all throughout London that would meet the varying needs of any traveller. 

Yoga studios are also becoming more apparent in London, even though most of the instructors and members seem to have North American accents!  Covent Garden is a big centre for fitness fanatics...try Pineapple Dance Centre for aerobics, ballet, and all other forms of dance as well as fitness classes.

To reiterate, for most things in London you will need a bank account in order to sign up on a monthly payment plan, and the gym is no different as they will not accept credit cards unless you are paying the total annual balance. 

London Gyms - www.city-visitor.com/london/gyms.html
Football Site - www.thefa.com/default.aspx
Women’s Football Site - www.thefa.com/Womens
Rugby Site - www.rfu.com/index.htm
Kennington Oval (to watch cricket) - www.vauxhallandkennington.org.uk
Boxing at McKenzies Gym - www.mckenzieboxercise.com/family.html
Fusion Centres - www.fusion-lifestyle.com

“…if I were an Oscar Mayer Weiner”
If you are “jonesing” for some North American treats that you may not be able to find at the local Tesco’s or Sainsbury’s you may want to stop by the Canada Shop near Covent Garden.  Here you can find such delicacies as Kraft Dinner, Real Maple Syrup, Fugee-Os, Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, and proper Dill Pickles (which is an anomaly to me how the pickles here just don’t have the same crunch as the ones at home, as far as I know they are still made from cucumbers, but they just lack that crunchy salty goodness).  The Canada Shop also doubles as an Australian, Kiwi, and S.A. Shop so you can find other goodies too; if I might make a suggestion, TimTam biscuits from Australia, no other cookie will ever taste the same again.  The Canada Shop is conveniently located next to The Maple Leaf Pub which as the name suggests, sports a Canadian theme.  Here you can watch North American Football,US NASCAR, NHL, college basketball and college baseball.  They will play all the big games and serve up Canadian beer and classic North American appy’s like buffalo wings and poutine. 

The Canada Shop - www.canadashop.uk.com/

Off the Beaten Track for an Art Attack
London is known as a mecca for theatre, stage, opera, and comedy clubs with shows to be found on any given night and in abundance.  As I am a movie fanatic, I am always on the lookout for interesting events to do with film.  Apart from finding all the blockbuster hits in movie theatres around the city centre, I found London also has a repertoire of independent theatres with ever present Film Festivals available for more artsy viewing.  A new Festival that had its debut June 2007 and I found myself volunteering at is the Declaration of Independence Film Festival.  It offered a selection of American and Canadian Features/Shorts/ and Documentaries with guest appearances from the Directors.  By taking part in this festival I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a few of London’s hidden art-house gems.  The Renoir theatre in Russell Square (part of the Curzon cinema family) is situated in a modern recently re-vamped area within walking distance of Leicester Square and Covent Garden surrounded with a nearby park, coffee shops and restaurants with outdoor seating.  The Horse Hospital is just around the corner from the Renoir and is just that, an old Horse Hospital transformed into an independent venue that features rare films, music and art shows.  The Roxy Bar and Screen is a unique way to take in a film and features old movies in a pub setting where you can have a bite to eat, a pint, and a film all in one sitting. 
To find listings for various music festivals/gigs, film festivals, and art exhibits you can look in the weekly distributed Time Out Magazine.  When it comes to finding places to live, cars, jobs, or activities - the Gumtree website or Guardian newspaper are great resources geared to traveller’s of all calibres.  Other job specific sites are the Loot, Mandy and Grapevine. 

Renoir/Curzon Cinemas - www.curzoncinemas.com/flash
Horse Hospital - www.thehorsehospital.com
Roxy Bar and Screen - www.roxybarandscreen.com
Time Out Magazine - www.timeout.com/london
Gumtree - www.gumtree.com
Guardian - www.guardian.co.uk
Loot - www.loot.com
Mandy - www.mandy.com
Grapevine - www.grapevinejobs.com

Shop till you Drop
When it comes to shopping you can find almost everything you need up on Oxford Street, but the headache you endure due to the sensory overload almost makes it unbearable.  The best time to go is midweek before noon.  This way you avoid the crowds and can actually find a fitting room without a line-up.  The first time I walked into Top Shop on Oxford Street, I was completely overwhelmed.  I think it consists of at least four floors and it is always packed with shoppers.  If you can convince yourself to stay and have a look around you will find some pretty good deals on clothing, accessories and shoes. 

Nearby to Oxford Street you will also find Regent Street and Carnaby Street which have loads more shops and even some of the same shops again.  Top Shop, H&M, The Office, Mac Store and Zara can all be found in this grid of retail mayhem. 

Camden Market is located near the Canal and therefore have the makings of a full day excursion.  You can spend all day browsing the stalls and surrounding areas and take a break for lunch in a restaurant near the canal.  They are open 7 days a week, but the best days to go would be on the weekend when there are more stalls available. 

Camden Market - www.camdenlock.net

Pub Etiquette
The etiquette of going for a casual pint seems to be ingrained in the general public of Britain.  So much so that when walking through my neighbourhood of Elephant and Castle, which is in the southeast and has a reputation for being a little rough, I stumbled upon an older gentleman that lived out of his shopping cart.  As I looked a little more closely I happen to notice that as he was sitting there in the park with his cart full of belongings he was stopping to refresh himself with a pint-sized tin of beer.  Then I saw something that showed me just how proper the people of England are, there he was pouring his tin of beer into a pint glass.  Even the down and out in London are still so sophisticated that they remember their manners!! 

My favourite thing about London, apart from the people watching of course, is the freedom to walk around and explore.  One of the best things I’ve done so far was called the Monopoly Pub Crawl.  We got a small group of friends together and followed the instructions from the official website www.monopolypubcrawl.org.uk/route.jsp. You then navigate your way by foot, bus, train and tube to 26 pubs that coincide with the London Monopoly Board.  It gives you a strict itinerary to follow and I suggest you only drink half pints if you plan on making it to the end!
In the growing pub culture and restaurants, it is important to remember that tipping is not mandatory and more often than not there will be a service charge automatically added to your bill.  If you feel the service was exceptional you can tip above and beyond this, but at the same time if the service was poor you can actually ask that the service charge be removed from the bill.  It is completely at your discretion.  When out drinking with co-workers or friends drinks are often bought in rounds so don’t just assume that everyone is exceptionally friendly and enjoys buying your drinks all night.  It is an unwritten rule that you will eventually be responsible for buying a round. 

Some exciting news for London as of July 1st 2007 all business establishments are now smoke-free!!

Other neighbourhoods to visit that may not be on the radar, but have a cosy atmosphere and are layered with unique coffee shops and trendy pubs are Little Venice along the canal, Angel/Islington, West Hampstead, Fulham, Notting Hill, Denmark Hill, and Clapham Common.  For such a big city London is unexpectedly visitor friendly and painless to walk around.  Take the time to explore the city on foot and you’ll happen upon some remarkable finds to add to your travel journal.

English Jargon
A brief lesson in some commonly used phrases that may be new to you or have a slightly different meaning than they do at home. 
“Fit” can be used in the common fitness sense but more often than not it is used to describe a good-looking person.  For example, “That girl is fit” which I unknowingly said at a table full of men and wondered why the comment was received with intrigue and bemusement.  I think they started to question my sexual preference and I learned rather quickly to choose my words more carefully!  Here are a few more:

Also note that British spelling can be different from North American spelling for example “program” is actually “programme”.  So if you are employed by a company and your job requires you to take notes or keep diaries make sure you check that your spelling is consistent with the British form.  In job interviews don’t refer to your University education as School (school is only considered secondary school and nothing beyond) so make sure you say University even when you are referring to a College education. 

England + Coast = Decent Beaches?!! Who Knew
If you find that you need to escape from the city for a few days definitely consider planning a trip to England’s coast where you will find beaches and in some spots surf.  If you don’t mind travelling for a few hours (best bet is probably to rent a car or take a bus) you can head over to Devon or even Wales.  The B&B’s are reasonably priced, and there are an abundance of campgrounds (depending on the season you may want to book ahead).  Different sporting activities are available, and at most beaches you can surf, windsurf, skim board, kite surf, kick the football around, go for a leisurely walk, run in the surrounding hills, and take in the fresh air free from the bustle of the London city centre.

Croyde Beach

Sunset, Swansea, South Wales

If you find that you are missing the great North American winters and you can’t quite get yourself over to Europe for a ski holiday the other alternative is to head northbound to the Snowdome.  It’s an indoor mountain, maybe the size of a bunny-hill, but with a fairly decent terrain park.  It’s open year round and you could go just for the day or for the weekend.  It’s not going to be anything like the Rockies, but it may be just enough to keep your skills from getting rusty.  To escape for a weekend to Europe really isn’t that difficult, such airlines as Ryanair and EasyJet offer discount seat sales and sometimes even package deals.  London is the perfect home base for working and exploring. 

Surf Reports - www.magicseaweed.com
Winter alternative - www.snowdome.co.uk/snowdome2/menu_flash.htm
Ryanair – www.ryanair.com
EasyJet - www.easyjet.com

To contact the author email: coachleah@yahoo.com
 

Live In Ireland! - A Survivor’s Guide To Living In Ireland - The Honest Report On Moving To Ireland - Don't move to Ireland without reading this report.   What are the real facts about moving to Ireland and living in Ireland? Will you be looking out the window of your own thatched-roof cottage enjoying the view of rolling green hills, quiet country lanes, and neatly trimmed hedgerows?  Or is that just a overly poetic rose colored fantasy? Will you be buying a cottage in the country side for $15,000, or are those prices long gone?  If you've been thinking about moving to Ireland then you should know the facts and this report has the real facts, not poetic nonsense.  Written by an American who has lived in Ireland for over twenty years this report will provide you with the proper information so you will know exactly what to expect. He is not in real estate, he has nothing to sell you. But he can tell you about real estate and the reality of the $15,000 thatched roof cottage. (He did buy a house for around that price...)  Can you buy one for that price today?  The author, Tom Richards wouldn't leave Ireland on a bet.  ...and you can be sure that when you read this report that you'll learn the real facts that you are going to need before moving to Ireland. Written without any punches pulled. If you've everthought about moving to Ireland, this is the report to read.