BRITAIN F1 - GENERAL INFORMATION GUIDE
BRITAIN OVERVIEW
Britain comprises Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland, and is one of the 15 member states of the European Union (EU). Its full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Britain constitutes the greater part of the British Isles. The largest of the islands is Great Britain. The next largest comprises Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. Western Scotland is fringed by the large island chain known as the Hebrides, and to the north east of the Scottish mainland are the Orkney and Shetland Islands. All these, along with the Isle of Wight, Anglesey and the Isles of Scilly have administrative ties with the mainland
CAPITAL
London
THE PEOPLE
The approximate population of the United Kingdom is 59.6 million people (England 49,855,700; Wales 2,938,00; Scotland 5,057,400; Northern Ireland 1,702,600.
LANGUAGE
There are two official languages in Britain: English and Welsh. Although not an official language, Scottish Gaelic is spoken in some parts of Scotland, as well as English.
RELIGION
The main religion in Britain is Christianity and mainly Protestant as practised by the Church of England (Anglican), the Church of Wales (Anglican) and the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian). Other churches include Roman Catholic and Methodists congregations..
BRITAIN CLIMATE
Whatever the season, the British weather is liable to change from day to day, so if you're wondering what to pack, a good idea is to bring layers, a waterproof coat or jacket and an umbrella. Most days in summer are warm, but evenings can be cool. Temperatures average around 14 - 20 degrees Centigrade, although it can be up to around 32 degrees Centigrade on some days. Winter sees Britain's shortest and coldest days (about 7-8 hours of daylight) but these can be crisp and bright. Temperatures fluctuate from around 1 to 5 degrees Centigrade.
BRITAIN TIME
Clocks go forward 1 hour at 0100hrs on 27 March and go back 1 hour at 0100hrs on 30 October.
The time for the rest of the year is Greenwich Mean Time
BRITAIN ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Passports:
On arrival in the United Kingdom, a person must show a valid national passport or other document satisfactorily establishing his/her identity and nationality.
Passport valid for whole period of the visit to the UK required by all except: nationals of EU countries, Iceland , Liechtenstein , Monaco ; Norway and Switzerland with a valid national ID card. Note:
(a) A passport is not required for travel between Great Britain and Ireland , Northern Ireland , the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
(b) Passengers transiting the UK destined for the Republic of Ireland are advised to hold return tickets to avoid delay and interrogation.
Visas: Required by all except the following:
(a) nationals listed in the chart above;
(b) nationals of Commonwealth countries (except nationals of Bangladesh, Cameroon, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia who do need a visa);
(c) nationals of American Samoa, Andorra, Argentina, Aruba, Bolivia, Bonaire, Brazil, Chile, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Curacao, East Timor, El Salvador, Federated States of Micronesia, French Guiana, Greenland, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong (SAR), Iceland, Israel, Korea (Rep), Liechtenstein, Macau (SAR), Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mexico, Monaco, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niue, Norway, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Saba, St Eustatius, St Maarten, San Marino, Switzerland, Tahiti and her Islands, Uruguay, US Virgin Islands, Vatican City and Venezuela;
CURRENCY
British money is based on the decimal system; there are one hundred pence to each pound sterling (£). Notes are issued to the value of £50, £20, £10 and £5. Scottish £1 notes are still in circulation in Scotland.
CREDIT CARDS AND TRAVELLERS’ CHEQUES
Any credit card that bears the Visa, MasterCard or American Express 'badge' will be widely accepted in Britain. Visitors with other cards should ask in advance or see if that badge is on display where they wish to use it. Please note that retailers now have the option to charge more for goods and services bought by credit card; they are obliged to display a clear indication that differentiated pricing applies.
BANKING HOURS
Generally, weekday opening hours are 0930 to 1630. Opening hours are decided by the individual banks and may differ considerably from branch to branch depending on the location. Many branches have 24-hour banking lobbies where a range of services can be obtained through machines.
WATER
The drinking of bottled water is advisable.
EATING IN BRITAIN
With a rapidly growing multi-ethnic population, England now boasts a huge variety of international cuisine. Restaurants serving anything from Jamaican to Thai and Indian to Moroccan give visitors to the country endless choice when it comes to eating out. This cultural diversity is reflected in the fact that while good old fish and chips have served as the nation's favourite for decades, competition is becoming quite stiff and taking the form of dishes like Chicken Tikka Massala.
When it comes to the more traditional menu, however, typical dishes include roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, the aforementioned fish and chips, roast chicken, lamb and the ever- popular English breakfast (usually consisting of eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread, mushrooms, baked beans). Cheese also features quite highly and many different types are produced in the country. These mainly include the harder varieties such as Red Leicester, Lancashire and cheddar.
Pies are popular too and the favourites include the renowned pork pie, steak and ale pie as well as the following regional specialties - Cornish pasties which are made with meat, potatoes and vegetables which are wrapped up in pastry, Lancashire hotpot and Cumberland sausage. Shepherds pie, made with minced lamb and mashed potato, is another traditional dish using one of the country's staple foods – the humble spud. Other popular English creations include English Mustard, HP sauce and Marmite.
TIPPING IN BRITAIN
Where a service charge is not included in a hotel or restaurant bill, it is customary to give 10 -15% tip. Taxi drivers are also usually tipped between 10% -15%.
BRITAIN SHOPPING GUIDE
Known as shopping villages, outlet villages, outlet stores, factory outlets or designer outlets, this style of shopping is very popular in Britain. Shopping villages group dozens of famous names in one purpose-built village. You’ll find china, crystal, high street fashions, designer clothes, household goods, shoes and more
SHOPPING HOURS
Shops in Britain are generally open Monday to Saturday, 0900 -1730.
Many department stores are open until 1800 or 1900 and have a “late night” on Wednesday or Thursday until 1900 or 2000. Larger shops in major towns and cities also open for six hours on Sunday between 1000 and 1800, although opening hours vary.
