Arcadia England

Are you joining us in the coming months and wondering where you will actually going to be? We have all seen the touristy photos of Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and that old village pub.  These sights are stunning  but what is Britain to us Brits?  For this flavor of Britain we asked our staff at the London center to tell us their favorite British things. There were some interesting answers which may help you when you get here. Some, you may want to avoid.

British Places

For all of you that are looking to travel whilst you’re here - we can suggest some amazing places to visit. Be sure to ask us when you arrive, we are happy to advise you. Two of the guys in the center chose to recommend sporting locations. Phil recommends you go to AFC Wimbledon to see 'proper' football (soccer) and Russell recommends you go to Alexandra Palace to watch the darts. Both come with a large dose of laughs. On a more tranquil note Peter is a big fan of the Southern Uplands which is in Scotland near between Edinburgh and Moffatt.

British TV

There were some great choices for British TV programmes. Joe started us off with the BBC modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, which keeps you thinking the whole way through each episode. Phil then changed the tone with the hilarious Inbetweeners which will give you a true perception of British schooling. This may be funny but the most popular programme, chosen by Emily, Peter and Russell was Have I Got News For You, a satirical weekly comment on news. If you get time before you arrive, have a watch of some of these programmes to get an idea of British humor and reference.

British Bands

There were some varied choices regarding British bands, from Joe's alternative choice of  PJ Harvey to the acoustic tunes of Frank Turner chosen by Phil. You may recognize the name Frank Turner as he performed at the Olympic opening ceremony and went to school with Prince William. Russell brought the recommendation back to the golden age of Brit Pop and recommended The La’s. Emily then changed the tune and suggested the electronic band Metronomy, a low key band with a loyal fan base. The shock of all the answers, Peter’s favorite British band currently is Plan B. Have a listen, it won’t be what you expect.

British Meals

This got everyone in the center thinking – or day dreaming of large plates of their favorite food. By far the favorite meal in the office was pie.  Any pie was chosen by Phil and Joe, with Peter adding a slight twist with a suggested pork pie. Russell stuck with the savory theme and recommended a lamb hot pot with extra pearl barley. Emily went all out and changed the focus to desert, suggesting a sticky toffee pudding, a must have whilst in the UK!

We hope you are looking forward to arriving in London very soon. If you have any questions, food related or otherwise head to our Facebook and Twitter pages.