However, there is a logical explanation for the quirks of the inhabitants of Foggy Albion
■ They prefer paper letters to telephone communication. They are used everywhere, from correspondence between a doctor and a patient, and ending with sending money. Correspondence across the country reaches within a day.
■ The British use abbreviations and alphanumeric abbreviations of words, phrases and sentences in daily correspondence:
■ Wish each other a bon appetit in French. They say Bon Appetit because there is no equivalent phrase in English.
■ Can count on a personal message from Queen Elizabeth II on special occasions: 100th, 105th, and every birthday thereafter, and 60th, 65th, 70th, and every subsequent wedding anniversary.
■ They do not consider it prestigious to live in the city center. They consider their own house with a garden to be ideal.
■ Sandals are easily worn in winter. Hardened since childhood by the lack of central heating. Even in cold weather, heating in houses works on a timer – an hour before bedtime and an hour after waking up.
■ Organize open days for tourists in their homes if they live in historical places.
■ Install separate taps for hot and cold water. They wash their faces by mixing cold and hot water in a stoppered sink. If an ordinary mixing tap is installed in a castle being restored, the price of the building drops.
■ They drink tea with milk, both black and green. This tradition is so strong that manufacturers sometimes place a warning “It is better to drink without milk” on packs of green, herbal and fruit tea.
■ Traditional porridge (oatmeal) is not eaten every morning, but, as a rule, cold season.
Photo: Alamy/Legion-media, Caro/Lederbogen/Legion Media
Material published in Vokrug Sveta # August 8, 2016
Daria Evans