Living in Britain

Many things will be different in Britain from the way you live at home. You might find this exciting, or you might find it a bit frightening. We have adapted this information from English UK’s ‘Your Stay In Britain’ guide to give you an insight into our island.

• Living in Britain
• Politics
• Cultural Traits
• Good Manners
• Queueing
• Weights & Measures
• Money
• Value Added Tax (VAT)
• Tipping and service charges
• Post
• Telephones
• Internet
• Smoking, Drinking, Sex and Drugs
• Electricity
• Water
• Further information from English UK

Torbay is in England, Britain and the UK. Confused? There are three different countries within Britain: England, Wales and Scotland. Together with Northern Ireland, these countries make up the United Kingdom. Each has its own distinctive character and identity.

The population, particularly in larger towns and cities, is very multicultural. Britain has received many migrant people, either seeking political refuge or better work and education.

The Queen is the Head of State but all the UK’s laws are made by the parliament which consists of two Houses: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The House of Lords does not have as much power as the ‘Commons’ and merely revises and amends laws.

There are three main political parties in parliament, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and Labour. At the time of writing, no single party has control over the House of Commons (this is known as a 'hung parliament') and a 'coalition' of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats is running the country. Two rival parties working together is common in many countries but extremely unusual in the UK!

The English in particular have a reputation for being reserved. This means that they are controlled in their public behaviour and keep their emotions private. For example, on public transport people do not usually talk to strangers.

Most of the time the English are reasonably polite – count the number of times they say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ when they buy anything in a shop. Please be aware that their underlying politeness often makes it difficult understand exactly what they are saying. If someone thinks that you won’t like the answer to a question, they may confuse you by not answering directly. If you don’t understand if they mean ‘no’ or ‘yes’, just ask.

In general Britons obey the rules and have underlying respect for the law and the police. However, Britain’s newspapers – particularly the ‘red top’ or ‘tabloid’ popular papers – are full of crime and police mistakes, mixed with celebrity gossip and scandals involving Members of Parliament. We are pleased to say that this does not offer a full picture of Britain. However, the media’s obsession with sport, particularly football, is shared by a large proportion of the population.

If it’s raining, you may be told that it’s a lovely day: this is supposed to be funny, and is an example of irony. This can be confusing, but it’s one of the most common forms of ‘humour’ in Britain. It is also common to hear disrespectful comments about our politicians and the royal family, but millions vote for the same politicians in elections, and bow when they see the Queen. You could say that the British just like to say one thing and do the opposite.

It is a long-standing cliché that the British like to queue for everything, but it is important that you line up with everyone else if you are waiting for a bus or to be served. If you ‘jump the queue’ by pushing to the front of the line, you will appear rude and will be asked to go right to the back.

Britain’s currency is the Pound Sterling. Bank notes change from time to time, so check that any notes you have been given are still valid by looking at the Bank of England's site.

Euros cannot be used in the UK. You can exchange money or travellers’ cheques at any bank or Post Office, and some large travel agencies have Bureau de Change exchange desks. You will need your passport to change cash.

International credit cards such as Visa and Mastercard are accepted by most shops and businesses, as well as by LAL Torbay. You will usually need your PIN code to use your card, and the card may be refused if you don’t know your PIN, if you have not signed the back of the card or if the card is not in your own name.

You may be able to get money from cash machines (ATMs) or you may be offered ‘cash back’ at supermarkets, where the amount of cash you request will be added to the amount charged to your credit card.

Students who stay for six months or more may be able to open a bank account; ask Welfare for advice on the best type of account. Banks in Torbay are usually open 09.30-15.30 Monday to Friday, and a few open on Saturday mornings.

VAT of 20% applies to most purchases. This is included in the price of goods: what you see on the price ticket is the price you should pay. If you spend £100+ in one shop, you may be able to claim tax back if you live outside the EU. Ask a shop assistant for details, or see Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs' website.

There are few set rules for giving tips to staff in England. The main rule is that tips are not compulsory.

In restaurants, service is included in the price unless the menu says that a service charge will be added. If you want to leave a gratuity, ask if the staff can keep it (sometimes the management will keep the tips!) and give the tip in cash. 10-15% of the bill is sufficient.

You don’t need to offer tips in self-service shops and cafés. Never tip bar staff, but you can offer them a drink.

Never offer tips before you have been given a service: most British people would assume that it is a bribe, and feel insulted.

Individual stamps are only sold in Post Offices but books of six or 12 stamps are also available at some other shops. All overseas letters must carry an ‘airmail’ label. If you have any difficulty, seek advice from the school, where you can also buy postage and send mail. The main public Post Office in Paignton is in Torbay Road, and is open from 09.00 - 17.30 Monday - Saturday. There is also a small Post Office in St Michael’s Road, a few minutes’ walk from LAL.

You can check international postage rates on Royal Mail's website.

You must not use your host family’s telephone without permission and you must pay for all calls, including local ones. Calls are cheaper after 19.00 and at weekends. Calls to numbers starting 080- are free; numbers starting 09- are very expensive.

The dialling code for Torbay is 01803, or + 44 1803 if you use a foreign mobile phone.

To dial an international number, dial 00 followed by the country code, the area code (minus the first 0) and number. E.g., for Munich (089) 2525 2400 you would dial 00 49 89 2525 2400. There is a list of international dialling codes on BT's website .

To call abroad without using coins in a payphone or putting a charge on your Host’s bill:

• You can reverse the charges by calling the international operator on 155.
• You may purchase pre-paid phone cards from the school’s Reception. These can be used from domestic or public phones.
• You can pay for a call with a credit card by dialling 0800 032 0023.

Payphones can be found in many locations. Some phones take coins (minimum 60p), others only take credit cards and pre-paid phone cards. Some can send e-mails and SMS text messages.

Fast internet access is becoming more popular: some host homes will let you use their internet connection, plus there’s a free network at LAL Torbay and at Hunters’ Lodge. There are also various cafés in Torbay with internet access (see page 29), plus wireless 'hot spots' where you can pay for wireless access from suppliers such as The Cloud, or BT Openzone. Much more of the bay is covered by the Fon network: if you have a subscription to one of their partners around the world, you may be able to use this network.

You must not log in to strangers’ networks without permission: it’s illegal.

Tap water in Torbay is safe to drink. It has a low mineral content (we say that it is 'soft') and does not have fluoride added.