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[expatinuk]

The point is, there isn't a side to walk on.  Everyone just walks where they damn well please. 

Depends where you live in the UK.  I had it firmly drummed into my head as a child that you walk on the right side of the road, except at right-hand bends.  However, I suspect that this was because I lived somewhere that did not generally have pavements.  Are you saying that in the US people do the same on the pavement?

No... in the US we DRIVE on the pavement... we WALK on the sidewalk...

[octoprof]

The point is, there isn't a side to walk on.  Everyone just walks where they damn well please. 

Depends where you live in the UK.  I had it firmly drummed into my head as a child that you walk on the right side of the road, except at right-hand bends.  However, I suspect that this was because I lived somewhere that did not generally have pavements.  Are you saying that in the US people do the same on the pavement?

No... in the US we DRIVE on the pavement... we WALK on the sidewalk...

We walk, bicycle and drive on the right side. The only exception is if you are walking in the street (no sidewalks, etc.), you always walk facing the traffic, which is of course on the left.

[dyst_uk]

No... in the US we DRIVE on the pavement... we WALK on the sidewalk...

I must check and see whether our language school does evening classes in American English.  After all, it's got to be almost as useful as Mandarin... 

[notaprof]

No... in the US we DRIVE on the pavement... we WALK on the sidewalk...

I must check and see whether our language school does evening classes in American English.  After all, it's got to be almost as useful as Mandarin... 

I once worked for a British company that ran ESL programs in the US.  There were people in England who were puzzled that the company would think it was profitable to try and teach proper English to the Americans.   But many felt it was high time that someone did so!

[brummagem]

Jonesey, you forgot Robbie Williams, a total no-talent image person.  The English have a difficult time chruning out raw, brazen in-your-face talent.  Or is that just an American thing?

For a week now I have been trying to forget this post, but I take popular music very seriously (occupational hazard). The suggestion that UK popular music is about image while US popular music is about raw talent is, quite simply, blowing my mind. I won't bother defending the sheer entertainment value of Robbie Williams, but 'a difficult time churning out raw, brazen in-your-face talent'? You mean like the Beatles? The Rolling Stones? Dusty Springfield? The Who? Small Faces? The Clash? The Smiths? Pulp? Even if you consider the contemporary charts, the UK charts tend to be more varied and interesting (though both are pretty awful). I would certainly include Amy Winehouse, Muse and Richard Hawley in the category of raw talent. When people ask me why I moved to Britain, I often say because 1 in 7 households owns the Best of the Beautiful South. I half mean it! There may be reasons to pick on the British, but music is not one of them.

But, then, I love mushy peas and feel full of joy when I hear a Take That singalong.

[expatinuk]

But if you REALLY know music you also have the Housemartins....

I do think that the UK does have many more boy bands than the US.

And before you go on and one about the RAW talent of Amy Winehouse.... you have to talk about the Spice Girls... together again.

[brummagem]

The Housemartins may very well be the best thing to ever come out of Hull.

As for the Spice Girls, at least some of the support is motivated by a dark sense of humour: Toronto narrowly beat Baghdad as the city that 'fans' voted to host a special performance on the tour.

[daniel_von_flanagan]

The Housemartins may very well be the best thing to ever come out of Hull.

John Godber/Hull Truck Theater?
William Wilberforce?
Robinson Crusoe?

OK, music only:
The Hullaballoos
Spiders from Mars (all but Bowie)
Sade (well, just her band)
Swing Out Sister (Grimsby is almost Hull)

And the English Civil War.
Credit where credit is due...  - DvF

[babbinacara]

As for the Spice Girls, at least some of the support is motivated by a dark sense of humour: Toronto narrowly beat Baghdad as the city that 'fans' voted to host a special performance on the tour.

I just can't stop laughing....