Off to the UK next week.
 

Heading to the UK for a quick trip on the 6th. Actually putting fun before work by heading to Wales first for some R&R then back to London town for SWMBO to work for a couple of days.

I'm definitely going to the Internal Fire Museum of Power waaaay out in Tangye, Wales. Look on YouTube for neat Internal Fire videos.

Sounds like a blast.... except, maybe, trying to pronounce some of the names in Wales...:D like Ceulanamaesmawr, or Swyddffynnon, I mean really, don't put all the vowels in one word and leave them entirely out of the next....;)

Where are you going in Wales? I'm from Pontypridd. By the way, 'y's and 'w's are vowels.

Absolutely. I'll make sure to do some stretches and take Advil before attempting to pronounce anything like Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

Flying into Heathrow, express rail shuttle to Paddington Station then the train to Carmarthen. Then taxi 16km to Nonni Barn B&B. From there, it's up for grabs...probably to some hired car touring around the countryside to a few of the sights...SWMBo has a biz contact we might go to see in Cardigan. Definitely going to Tangye to the IFMoP.

Wife and I had a great vacation there recently. Im sue ypull have fun.

- Peter.

That express train from Heathrow to Paddington is probably the most expensive train ride in Europe: I wouldn't be surprised if the Orient Express works out to be cheaper on a mile for mile basis.

My advice is to take the tube - unless the ticket is paid by someone else. The downside is that it does take longer however.

Be prepared for a very long train ride to Wales - nice scenery on the way though. Stock up with some good food at Paddington before you get on the train to Wales - on board train food tends to be poor value and quality.

When you get to Wales and you hire a car watch out for speed cameras - they are particularly bad in North Wales. It has become a sort of new tourist tax.

If you hire a car in the UK I recommend getting as much insurance at the hire company as possible. Some hire companies have a no risk no deposit arrangement (with a credit card). Again much like in many other parts of the world charging you for damage you didn't make on your hire car is also a bit of a sport.

Other than those possible pitfalls I hope you have a great time. It will be beautiful and green where you are going (and I'm sure you'll work out just why it is so green when you get off of the train!).

Hey man, there is a guy in London that owes me $1800.00 can you get my money for me? I will split the $1800.00 with you.

I'm leaving on the 9th, flying back on the 24th. Back to Oxford for a little bit.

Last trip for a while, next one might be to France/Germany, hopefully to pick up parts :D

IWM
 

Randy,

If time permits: http://www.iwm.org.uk/

I finally got to the Imperial War Museum in 1999. Really fantastic.

Have a pint of bitter for me.

My immigrant ancestor was born in Bideford, England (Devon County), but a dna test I took shows that I have more genetic matches among Welshmen than I do with the English.

I've always wanted to visit to see what the people look like.

I used to live in Bideford - I went back last summer and things have really changed. It is hard to find anyone with a Devon accent anymore. Everyone now seems to come from Essex (or other parts of south east England). In the last ten years there has been a massive shift of people across the UK. Communities in some areas are greatly changed.

As for the DNA results linking you to the Welsh that isn't really too much of a surprise - it is just a short hop across the water. In some parts of North Devon you often used to be stuck with Welsh television (bloody nightmare if you don't understand the language). Bideford not only used to be an important port along that bit of the coast but they had two quite busy ship yards on the Torridge - so it has been a place with strong links elsewhere for quite some time.

I have two days in London. It being the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Brittan, I plan to go to IWM Duxford one of those days.

Thank you for the pointers..particularly the ride to Wales. Not planning to hire a car out there because of the whole drive-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-road thing.

Ahhh come on be a bit Italian - use both sides or what ever it takes! (It would at least confuse the speed traps)