It's always tempting to comment on the changes you notice when you return to your homeland after a prolonged absence. So, not being great at resisting temptation, here goes.
1. Nobody used to overtake on the inside on motorways and if someone was hogging the overtaking lane they'd be flashed to pull over. For the first time I noticed this rule being broken, with drivers choosing to pass on the slow lane rather than challenge a lane hogger. Wonder why this has changed - fear of road rage reactions or laziness or overseas habits creeping in (Australians use the slow lane as a fast lane because lane hogging is so bad.)
2. The highways and byways were full to overflowing with ripe blackberries during our stay, yet we only saw one other person picking them - and that was just a chap on his way home from work having a taste while he walked. We picked kilos of them, much to the amusement of our various friends and family upon who we bestowed the excess bounty.
3. The dreaded dog-poo bags have hit the UK too, with the same silly human response that we've noted elsewhere; that dog owners invariably do the right thing while people are watching, collecting deposits with little black bags, but then a lazy few then completely undo any good by hurling the offending bag into the bushes or beside the path. Now I'll accept that some might be walking back that same way and will pick up the bag then but this obviously hadn't happened with the bags we saw littering otherwise pristine Scottish highland walking paths or the Yorkshire moors. Yuck.
4. Food standards continue to improve, but this time prices have risen too.
5. Economically the whole country appears to be bustling and busy, even in quieter rural and regional areas. Building and development everywhere - with attendant price rises the only downside.
6. Half the country seems to be gluten intolerant. Seriously, it's out of control! Although, to be fair, several folk we visited who are now avoiding gluten suspected there had been a problem for many years but only had a official diagnosis without the last 5-10 years or less. Is this a new issue or simply a sign of greater awareness? Let me know if you have answers/theories.
7. Cheesy chips are out and sweet potato chips are in.
8. Oversized, under flavoured coffees are slowly being replaced by smaller, stronger coffee and the hipster trend towards single-origin brews and coffee "science" is slowly emerging; it's one of the few areas where Melbourne is ahead of the game and I was shocked by how much of a coffee snob I've become.
9. The Essex accent has taken over England's south east; Victoria Beckham has a lot to answer for. Innit.
10. We were really lucky with the weather we had in Scotland and were happy to pay relatively high accommodation costs to explore an area I'd never visited and John had previously enjoyed, but we fully understand why most of our fellow travellers were foreigners and why most Brits tend to go south, lured by cheap package deals and predictable sun and warmth.
11. I never realised so much of the uk's national parks and woodlands were privately owned. The benefit to the nation is that the cost of upkeep is largely born by the (presumably rich) owners. The downside is relying on them to do the right thing; maintenance standards are covered by legislation but not sure how effective policing is. While I have mixed feelings about walking the gorgeous Yorkshire moors surrounded by shooting ranges and teeming with specially bred pheasant (and grouse?), birdsong punctuated by the sound of distant gunfire, I applaud the move towards replacing plantation timbers with mixed deciduous trees.
12. You can get cider with 10-12% alcohol. Scary.
13. Hipster culture seems universal - beards, skinny jeans, check flannel shirts, retro cool, micro breweries, fixie bikes, fair trade stuff, VW Kombis and espresso coffee are tropes repeated throughout the western world.
14. Shopping is a lot less fun since globalisation took hold. Same stuff in same stores everywhere.
15. Cyclist in the UK are very brave, not just in city traffic; I wouldn't ride down those narrow country lanes on a bike. Still England's recent cycling successes have spawned a huge rash of riders out and about, with the inevitable angst rising between cars and bikes. Be interesting to see how the tension is resolved.
This is all in addition to the general news of the day – horrific issues facing refugees fleeing Syria and elsewhere, and the often polarising responses this provokes in nations already feeling the strain from constantly growing populations. Britain feels very full when you're in traffic, but still looks very empty when you fly over it and see all the green spaces between the towns and villages.
It was glorious driving into Ely and Salisbury and seeing the respective cathedrals standing proud as the tallest building over the surrounding city; a very rare sight in Australia, which could learn a lot about regionalisation and compact, low-rise dwellings from Britian.
And of course all this is secondary to the main event that drew us to England - my niece Tegan's wedding to her long-time partner Chris Smart. What a wonderful day, with their four children and many siblings and friends forming the bridal parties. And Tegan's dad, my brother Andy, making his first day visit from hospital since he went in for a 'simple' operation in January. Great to see him up and walking – he has since progressed to walking without a stick – and even giving a speech ... with impromtu jokes included! Huge progress, but still many challenges ahead.
We managed a 10-day loop around the country, taking in as many friends as we could contact and fit in, from Ely and Ipswich to Yorkshire and Scotland, Wales, the Cotswolds and Devon. Apologies to those we didn't see; with luck the next visit, though shorter, won't be too far away and I hope we catch up then.
Thanks to all for your time, hospitality, generosity and patience with the often-fluctuating plans. We had a ball and we'll soon be back for more.
