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Outside
their homes the British can tend to be reserved and
do not enter into conversation as easily as people
do in hotter countries where much of life takes place
outside. British reserve is not necessarily unfriendliness,
nor is it only foreigners who experience it. The British
are equally reserved with each other. It is seen as
important to respect the privacy of others and impolite
to intrude where you may not be wanted. It is frequently
politeness, which prevents the British from making
the first move, but we can be warm and friendly. You
must expect friendship to develop more gradually than
you are used to at home.
The
British are renowned for their politeness. Please,
thank you and sorry are probably the most used words
in the English language. There are no absolute rules
about where/when you use these polite terms, but
you should certainly use them when shopping, addressing
strangers and on public transport. Even in the home
family members will use "thank you" and
"please" with one another. British people
feel more comfortable when these words and phrases
are introduced into conversation than if they are
omitted. In Britain it is normal when meeting someone,
especially for the first time, to shake hands. This
is acceptable for both men and women. In Britain
unlike some other European countries, it is not
usual to embrace or kiss the other person unless
they are family or a very close friend.
Going Out
One of the most popular British past-times is going
to the pub. Pubs are allowed to open 24 hours but
usually operates between 11.00am and 11.00pm. Landlords
will choose their own hours within these limits
and more restricted times may be chosen. In restaurants
with a table license, that is a license to sell
alcohol only with food, the licensing hours are
longer and children of all ages can be admitted.
Clubs also have extended licenses. Drinking alcohol
is not frowned upon in Britain. You may find that
much of student social life is based around the
bar. People will usually offer you a drink when
you visit them at home or go to a party. In all
cases it is possible to ask them for a non-alcoholic
drink. Never feel that you have to have an alcoholic
drink if you don't want to. If you prefer not to
visit places that sell alcohol, make this clear
to your friends. There are usually alternative places
where you can meet.
Queuing
"Queuing" is simply the way in which people
form a line in a shop or when they buy a ticket
etc, with the intention of allowing those who arrive
first to be served first. It is advisable to take
your place in the queue and not go to the front
or push your way to the front, as this may annoy
other people in the queue. If you are in a desperate
hurry, people will almost always let you through
to the front if you ask politely.
Women
in British Society
British
women, in common with women in most Western countries,
have been fighting for sexual equality for much
of the last century. If you come from a culture
where women are treated differently from men, you
will need to know what sexual equality means in
Britain today. Discrimination against anyone on
the grounds of his or her sex alone is illegal.
This means that women are entitled to be accorded
equal respect and status with men in all areas of
life. It is not at all unusual for women to go out
on their own and to meet together in public places,
such as cafés and bars, for business and
social reasons.
Equal
Opportunities
Sexual
equality is not the only equality sought in Britain.
London Academy of Management Sciences is committed
to promoting Equal Opportunities for all in all
its dealings with students, staff, applicants and
the public. The aim of this policy is to ensure
that no student receives less favourable treatment
on the grounds of gender, age, race, colour, nationality,
ethnic or national origin, marital status, trade
union activity, or political beliefs. The Academy
is further committed to ensuring that no person
should suffer disadvantage as a result of a physical
or mental disability, sexual orientation or family
responsibility, provided they have the necessary
attributes to undertake the course.
If you feel that a member of staff has breached
one of these policies, there is a student grievance
procedure. If a student breaks the code of conduct,
which includes the Equal Opportunities statement,
they could be subject to disciplinary proceedings.
The Post
Office
Normal business hours are 9.00am to 5.30pm
Monday to Friday, and at some locations 9.00am to
12.00pm on Saturdays. In addition to stamps and
telephone facilities, they stock many useful information
leaflets and forms.
Telephones
You
will find public telephones at all airports, seaports,
railway stations, bus stations and on many streets.
Instructions on how to use them are displayed next
to the telephone. They accept coins from 10p upwards
and many also accept British Telecom (BT) phone
cards, which can be bought in shops where the green
phone card sign is displayed. There are also a variety
of other companies' phone cards you can buy that
offer cheap rates for international calls.
All
calls made from private telephones are much cheaper
than those made from public telephones. These calls
are even cheaper between 6pm and 8am and at weekends.
The British Telecom website gives details of different
packages at www.bt.co.uk.
International
calls can be very expensive; you might wish to check
the charges with the international operator before
you call on 155. It is generally cheaper to call
after 8pm but it depends on the country you are
calling.
| Some
Useful telephone numbers |
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152
The international operator |
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118
500 or 118 118 Directory enquiries (helps you
to find a number but costs money to ring) |
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123
Gives you the time |
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Driving
in the UK
During your first year in Britain, an International
Student may drive a motor vehicle with a valid overseas
driving license or an International Driving permit.
If you wish to drive after this time, you must apply
for a provisional UK license before the year ends,
and pass a Department of Transport driving test.
With a provisional license you are not permitted
to drive without being accompanied by someone who
has a 'full' UK license and has passed the Department
of Transport test.
For further information see the DVLA website www.dvla.gov.uk.
Or look at the UKCOSA guidance note www.ukcosa.org.uk/images/driving.pdf.
Television
License
If you have a television, you must buy a television
license. You need one license per dwelling. If you
live in a shared house (where you rent the house
as a group), you will only need one license, no
matter how many televisions there are in the house.
If you live in accommodation where you rent your
room individually, you will need to buy a license.
The license fee pays for the BBC (British Broadcasting
Corporation), which provides non-commercial television
on channels BBC1 and BBC2. You can buy a license
from the Post Office. There is a large fine if you
are found without a television license.
Female Safety
It may be wise to purchase what is known as a "rape
alarm". If you find yourself threatened or
in a dangerous situation you can press the alarm
and it will give out a very loud noise. Rape alarms
are available from most hardware shops.
To
report an attack or an attempted attack or a crime
in an emergency, dial 999 from any telephone box
free of charge. You can than state whether you want
the Police, Ambulance or Fire service.
Public Libraries
You will find public libraries in every locality.
Membership of your local public library is free
of charge and you need only to provide proof of
residence to be able to borrow books. All libraries
should have a reference section where you may be
able to consult large dictionaries and encyclopaedias.
The public libraries are excellent sources of information.
They stock national and local newspapers and a wide
variety of magazines, which can be read free of
charge. In the library entrance there will usually
be a notice board with local information.
Airports
Gatwick
is a longer way out of London, so it is more expensive
and lengthy to take a black cab all the way. Most
students arrive at Heathrow which is larger and
is nearer to London.
At
the height of the rush hour (8.00-9.30am and 5.00-
6.30pm) all tube trains are busy; try to avoid travelling
across London during these times. Arriving in the
middle of the night is more difficult because most
public transport doesn't operate throughout the
night.
Black Cabs
(taxis)
When the yellow sign is lit up, this means that
a black cab is available for hire. You will need
to stick your arm out to stop the cab. You can also
pick up a cab at a taxi rank. The black cabs are
metered and start at £3.50; the cost can be
expensive if you are travelling alone. The alternative
to black cabs are mini cabs: these are unregulated
so a price should be set beforehand. It is advisable
to learn a bit about London before you start to
use mini cabs. Mini cabs are ordinary cars and can
be ordered by phone or by going to a mini cab rank.
Never get into a mini cab without checking the driver's
credentials. Also there is no bargaining when it
comes to taxi fares in the UK.
Buying
a Street Map
You
can buy a street map of London called an 'A to Z'
from most newsagents. It is very useful and details
relevant landmarks, stations, and hospitals.
Registering
with the Police
Only
certain 'relevant foreign nationals' normally need
to register with the police, if you are unsure of
whether you need to please check your passport,
it will state whether it is necessary. Those who
need to register will be told to do so at the airport
and should visit the Overseas Visitors Office, Brandon
House, 180 Borough High Street, London SE1, open
9.00am-4.30pm, within seven days of arriving to
the UK, otherwise there visa will not be accepted.
Take your passport, two photographs and the registration
charge of £35 (approximately).
Making
Phone Calls
If you want to ring home, you can use the public
telephones, which are easily identified on the streets.
Public phones are either coin or card operated.
You can buy telephone cards in most newsagents.
If calling overseas you should dial 00 and then
the country code. The cheapest time to ring is between
8.00pm and 6.00am. To ring a UK number you must
know the area code which prefixes the telephone
number. In London there are two main area codes
- 0208 for and 0207. You don't need to use the whole
code if you are ringing someone in the same London
area, simply 8 or 7.
Television
and Radio
There
are five terrestrial channels in the UK, the two
BBC Channels, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. Information
about television programs can be found either in
newspapers or in Radio Times magazine.
Outside
London
Staying
in youth hostels is one of the most economical and
fun ways of seeing the country. There are over 240
in England and Wales with seven in London. Nearly
all have cooking facilities and most offer excellent
value cooked meals. Prices vary according to the
facilities provided and the location. You may book
ahead by telephone. If you do not have a membership
card of the Youth Hostels Association in your own
country, you can buy an international Guest Card
at any youth hostel. Their website is www.yha.org.uk
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