It's Tuesday August 18, 1999 The Q inn , Stalybridge Cheshire,
England
Stalybridge Cheshire Hosts 2 pubs that just happen to have the
Longest and Shortest pub names in England I am at the Q inn (obviously
the shortest) I have asked folks in here for the longest pub name
but no one can fully remember it. I will sort it out later for
you.
One thing that has been very difficult here is driving on the
other side of the road, roundabouts, and passing only on the right.
When I first started driving I was so nervous. I was not thinking
about If I was going to have a wreck
I was thinking about
when I was going to wreck. I have never remembered to wear my
safety belt more in my life. I always have it on. My first two
weeks here I had people waving their fists while I wove back into
the correct lane, competed with ambulances in a roundabout and
forced people to pass me on the left only to have them kindly
give me the peace sign. Only they do it with the backside of their
hand here. Things are getting better but I still occasionally
have North American relapses.
I will have to say that even though the streets here are
cramped and some places in England have traffic as bad as Los
Angeles, the drivers here are the most courteous I have seen anywhere.
I am told the blue car in the picture I sent you is a 1981
Reliant. It is one of those 3 wheel cars that became popular here
to evade road taxes. Evidently you are taxed the same as a motorcycle
with a sidecar. The gray car behind it is my rental car. I thought
this car was pretty groovy
nothing like any of the puddle
jumpers in the states. I like it
But I have received many
derogative comments. Evidently in this culture, The Euro-Ford
KA is a girl's car. And I am accused of having to sit in the back
seat to drive it. I have even had perfect strangers say to me,
"Hey up, don't you think that car is a little small for you."
Which is a polite way of saying, don't you realize that is a girl's
car and should be properly painted pink. Hell, it's a wonder he
didn't tell me to get a hair cut.
Want to go for a ride?
The Kount