EXPERIENCES IN ENGLAND: SHOPPING, TOURING ARE EYE-OPENING

Life in England continues to be interesting with so many new things to see and do that are different from the United States. Shopping for instance in the smaller villages has both advantages and disadvantages. One advantage is you are in walking distance of all the shops some of which are on the street in the market.

Even clothes, brought in from London warehouses, are sold on Saturdays in Bury St. Edmunds, Sudbury and other villages throughout England. In London there is the famous "Pettie Coat Lane" market where you can find just about anything from valuable antiques to the latest fashions. I find it lots of fun to wander through the booths looking and talking to the people.

One Saturday morning I bought very fresh fish that turned out to be delicious when I later baked it at the cottage. The "Brits" eat a lot of fish and lamb and not nearly as much beef as the Americans.

I guess the biggest disadvantage of the shopping in England is that you don't get as much for your money when you shop. Most things are fairly expensive, especially clothes and shoes and home appliances. The L "pound exchange rate with the dollar" is Ll.74 to the $1. So, as you can see, it takes a FEW MORE DOLLARS to buy things on the British economy.

One thing very different in England is you know immediately what something will cost since the tax is already added in and no tax is added when you pay for your merchandise: the same thing applies in restaurants. Of course tipping is extra and always expected.

Another big difference in England is they tend to buy less frequently and buy the best they can afford. Many families buy what we consider luxury cars such as Mercedes and BMWs but they may only buy two cars in a lifetime. In America, we seem to have endless amounts of cheaper merchandise that will wear out quickly and need to be replaced frequently and this seems to fuel the American economy; where as the English find this extremely wasteful. The "Brits" are a bit envious of the prices in our markets but have been slow to follow the American way of "More is Better" believing their value system to be superior.

Since I last wrote I have had some first-hand experience with the Dodds Schools in England. The Dodds is an educational system provided by the American Defense Department for overseas military dependents. I decided to substitute a few days for them since they are always looking for qualified substitute teachers.

I thought I could get a good idea of what their schools were like by being in the classroom and observing the students and school policies on the job. Of course everything is paid for by the American government and there is no taxing of the local people since all the schools are on the military bases and used only by military dependents. Due to the down-sizing of the military in Europe, many of the schools have closed because the bases were closed and no longer needed.

The classrooms I saw were not large but very well-equipped with a computer and a telephone in every classroom. Discipline problems were nipped quickly since an administrator was an the spot immediately if students were out of line or extremely uncooperative. Also, each teacher was required to provide a syllabus for their class so that students, teachers, parents, administration and counselors would know what each student would cover on what day and week of the school year.

The classes were truly multi-cultural with students from many different parts of the world, but each showing respect for the other. Some of the bizarre things I noticed were the wild hair colors (green, yellow, purple, pink, etc.) and the body piercing. Two different girls had a rather large, 3-inch metal rod in the middle of their tongue. I was intrigued and asked one of the girls if it hurt to have a foreign object in their mouth all the time and why she had her tongue pierced. The young lady said that it gave her something to do and she liked the feeling of having it in her mouth.

I smiled and thought "I've only been out of the classroom for one year, am I this uninformed about this new fad of youth?" I never saw this before in Cape Girardeau. The young lady was very well-behaved and seemed to be an above-average student yet felt the need to seek attention in such an unexpected way.

There has been time on the weekends to travel and explore places like Bath with its ancient Roman baths found during an excavation of the city streets. The cathedral at Bath was beautiful but not nearly as large and impressive as Canterbury, Ely and other cathedrals of England.

Another wonderfully fun outing was to Stratford-von-Avon, birthplace of William Shakespeare. I was very disappointed that we could not see a great play there. I would recommend anyone planning to visit there to book well in advance so that they can see a production of choice. The bill of fare in the famous Globe Theatre during our visit was Fame, the contemporary musical. Needless to say, we were very disappointed not to get to see some Shakespeare in this world famous theatre. We decided that it only gave us an excuse to return at a later time.

Not very far from Stratford is the exciting Warwich Castle. This experience was a lot of fun since the "English Heritage" (a national tourism and historic preservation organization) had done a tremendous job of bringing the castle to life with wax figures in authentic costumes, with sound effects adding to the believability of the history associated with the castle. A live duel in the Great Hall of the castle -- climbing the steps to the tower and then back down to the torture chambers actually used in medieval times -- gave you a good feel for life in another age. Dozens of area school groups were enjoying an educational field trip. I can think of no better way to experience history than "being there."

I left Warwich Castle a little exhilarated because of all the pomp, color, people and drama. Warwick castle is a terrific place to visit, there is definitely something for everyone.

Another pan of one weekend was filled with a trip to Brighton. It is the site of one of the most unusual dwelling places for past English monarchs. The Royal Pavilion looks as if it was stolen from India or Turkey and plopped down in the English coastal town of Brighton. Brighton has for many centuries been a popular vacation and health resort.

Earlier members of royalty considered the saltwater and fresh breezes very therapeutic to their health and well-being. Former monarchs lived in the Royal Pavilion which is heavily influenced by exotic whims and tastes in architecture and decor. Earlier "wags' described the Pavilion as a cross between a miniature Taj Mahal and a Turkish brothel. They say art imitates life and the Pavilion certainly makes one wonder what kind of mind was the motivating force behind such a colorful building. The Royal Pavilion is the number one tourist attraction in Brighton and has been for many years. People come from every corner of the world to see this lavish palace filled with priceless treasures. definitely a must while touring England.

Three months have flown by and Christmas is almost here. I am eager to return to America and see friends and family during the holidays. I can hardly wait to see my granddaughter Emily dancing in "The Nutcracker Suite" and see familiar faces again and watch a good old American football game on television. As the old saying goes "There's no place like home for the holidays."

Judith Williams Johnson and husband Dr. George Johnson of Cape Girardeau are on an extended stay in England. This is another in a series of reports about their experiences.