8 Reasons Why I Hate the UK
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 27. 05. 2024
- I don't always love my life as foreigner living in the UK... here's 8 things I hate about the UK! đŹ
ps: if anyone happens to read this, I actually DO love the UK.. just not all of it.
0:00 - ooh spicy video
0:18 - you're better off hibernating
1:46 - why's it gotta be so narrow
5:08 - beep beep we're not moving
8:25 - get ready to pay!
10:50 - where'd my money go?
14:19 - us vs them
15:36 - sweaty mess
18:02 - aka grown men screaming outside
20:59 - hate more than love?
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Hey! I'm Alanna - a twenty-something documenting my life as a Canadian living in England.
I share the ups and downs of an expat living abroad and what it's really like living in the UK. It's not always easy, but there's been so many wonderful experiences, too. I post a CZcams video every Tuesday & Friday plus an additional video every Saturday on my Patreon account. I also livestream every Wednesday and Sunday at 5:30pm GMT/BST on Twitch.
Alanna x
Re: hibernating/the winters, and the dark nights - a lot of folk (especially North Americans I think) forget just how far north the UK is. Partially because the Atlantic jetstream means we get mild weather and we don't get the cold winters that you'd expect. Pretty much all of the UK, bar a little bit of Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall is north of the 50th parallel (i.e. 50 °N). To put that into a Canadian context, 50 °N is just north of Winnipeg.
My mother was a teenager in the UK during WW2 & she worked as a waitress. She said that some of the Canadian Servicemen remarked that 1) The UK does not have a climate, only weather - & a lot of it, & 2) That the UK had a 'lazy' wind because it did not go around one but through one.
Well UK is Beutiful Small Island we can have Spring/Summer/Atum and Winter in one Day lovely Jubly!
@@stevenmutumbu2860 we rarely get snow in england
@@mr_peasant True but its abit chilly In London now we may have a white Chrismas but a highly doubt it.
It's an island ffks!! Ofcourse it's not going to have a climate like a massive continent!!
I agree 100% with class consciousness. "It is impossible for an Englishman to open his mouth without making some other Englishman hate or despise him," wrote George Bernard Shaw.
I hate the class system here. It's ridiculous and belongs in the 1920s...
Americans talk more about class than we do now. Time has moved on.
I could see in your face in the beginning that you were already expecting the (ridiculous 'If you don't like it, go home!) hate, but still went for it without disclaimers. Respect! Fun vid!
đđ» thanks for watching! I always want to talk about the pros and the cons
I don't think that it is hate, more exasperation. I would suggest that Alanna should do the opposite and stay and experience the rest of Britain apart from a small unrepresentative plot in a diminutive corner of UK. Perhaps then her comments will be more measured and less blinkered.
WHY THE HELL DO YOU HATE MY CITY OR COUNTRY ITS NORMAL ALSO NO IM NOT
There's no debate to be had on roundabouts. They are simply a better option than traffic light / junctions. Much safer, much more environmentally friendly, and quicker to get around than waiting at traffic lights. There's even recent US news videos on the fact they are starting to be implemented more in North America. They are also extremely easy to use.
Easy once you get the hang of them, we're all trained to use them in our driving lessons remember. But if you remember first being taught to use them, for most I'm sure it doesn't come totally natural to them.
They confuse me. Not used to them I guess.
@@rubynelson1164 Iâm not sure how difficult give way to traffic coming from the right is difficult to understand.
@@rubynelson1164 In the UK, our driving lessons teach you how to drive properly and we have a proper test before you can get your driving licence.
@@iangascoigne8231 Or left in the US!
It's not so much the latitude but moreso the fact that Toronto has a continental climate vs. the UK's oceanic climate. This means Toronto gets cold, relatively dry, clear, sunny, windless winters. Uk gets wet, miserable, windy, dark, sad winters.
Most people South of Glasgow know nothing of wind North of Scotland and the islands rainfall and wind speeds are on average a lot higher than the rest of the UK
It also gets dark later though
On the bright side, you don't have to shovel rain.
@@joshuataylor3550 yes that's one of the ways that latitude does play a part,
Isn't UK weather one the hardest to predict? đ€
I agree with most of the points but as a disabled person with a rare condition I have to disagree with the point on NHS trusts. In my 40+ yrs experience of needing regular treatment I've found that the best facilities often are in the north as southern trusts often lack resources and availability for the population numbers. Southern trusts get more money but it doesn't go nearly as far.
That's my experience too and I've used the NHS in both England and Scotland. I'm in my 60s and have MS so I have plenty of NHS experience.
@@wilmaknickersfit it's a strange one isn't it. You'd think the south would be better because of the way the money flows but in really doesn't work out that way. For me hospitals like Liverpool university hospital and hope hospital Manchester have been a life changing gift. I'm eternally grateful for them.
I hope you're doing well, I have a friend with MS I know it's not easy to live with.
@@teelaprincessofparrots3808 Best wishes to you too.
@@wilmaknickersfit Scotland is arguable the best for the NHS. Free prescriptions and much better support.
My Aunt in Scotland had an accident which left her partially paralysed and in a wheelchair. The level of care she received was far higher than it would have been in England including fee home helps coming in every day.
As a normal person I cannot say the same
"The roads were not designed for that amount of cars"! My dear girl, it is highly likely that those roads were in place for several hundred years, possibly thousands of years and were first off tracks for people to walk on, then for horses and carriages. Now they have to do duty for motor vehicles. Yep it is a bummer all right. :)
There are very few roads, other than those built by the Romans which have been there more than a couple of hundred years.
@Colin Deal How many US roads have you driven on? You don't seem to know what you're talking about.
@@PanglossDr Romans didn't build the Roads as one Greek chronicler said most Countries had Road and villas and baths before the Roman expansion but the Romans came along and tarted them up but would you believe classically trained Archaeologists don't believe this lol even when it's written in an historical book lol
And then they built the Preston Bypass and it was downhill from then on with straight boring roads.
@Colin Deal and a lot more dangerous according to the statistics.
Iâm with you. As a uk resident who spent 26 years here. Iâve lived in Australia for the past 3 years. Itâs a brighter, more spacious, newer and generally happier vibe. After visiting the uk again after 3 years itâs worse than I ever remember it being. Could never settle in England
Tara!đđ
My in-laws love Britain and settled here. They found Australia too hot, with very little history. My feelings on Oz are about then same as theirs. Boring architecture and irritating accent's.
U fogot 1 thingâŠ. Its more dangerous in Australia
Mmmmm,but my mum is getting older so I'm stuck đ
@@sutty8526 We do have beautiful architecture built similar to the UK but not as old . We have absolutely gorgeous national parks to explore anyway . UK has sone great things about it but so does Australia . Go visit Ballarat NSW , Adelaide , Melbourne and even sone buildings in Sydney . They are built similar to the UK . The UK even has what you call boring modern buildings . I was born in England but have been living in Australia for years . We have beautiful colonial buildings and aboriginal art that goes back thousand of years . Maybe you should visit the beaches in Western Australia . They blow
Your mind away . How about appreciating both countries .
Traffic has gotten terrible in the last 20yrs, itâs because the population has risen massively in that time.
Excessive immigration is the problem, especially illegal immigration.
I know our current government has pushed this erroneous idea of "illegal immigrants" , but it is still true that no immigrant is illegal until they have been properly processed and deemed so. It is also worth remembering that we take in far fewer refugees than almost any other developed country.
Car ownership generally has increased. There's a cornucopia of financial packages designed to get you to buy cars nowadays.
I love our winters. Nothing better than it being rainy, cold and dark outside and you have a brew and roaring open fire. It's why our traditional pubs are so amazing. Fun fact as well which may help driving anxiety, UK roads are apparently some of the safest in the world. I'll shut up now.
We go to Cyprus regularly and are amazed at the bad driving we see .usually an accident very often .they don't stop at junctions and traffic lights. They just come out so you have to stop to avoid a bump. You have to have your wits about you.
I love our Winters also. In fact I get seasonal disorder in the Summer as I loathe it lol.
I liked your imagery of home comforts.
I lived in the Uk for 8 months and I hated everything about it! The only thing I loved about it is that I already left đ
A cold, crisp night with a starry sky is a joy. Snuggling into bed and feeling cosy is lovely too. Not keen on the dark mornings but I love all our season. Summer can be tough though.
Great video! hope the comments are nice! And congrats on your subathon doing so well! It was a lot of fun hanging out in your streams the past few days, you did such a great job with the subathon!
Thank you so much for all your help!!
for once I find myself disagreeing with you regarding our roads :) I can't imagine anything worse than straight wide boring roads, the tiny country lanes are so beautiful, full of the Character that you say you loved, straight motorways and main roads are just to get you quickly from A to B but I'll often go for a drive just for the pleasure of doing the country lanes. I'm going to guess but I think it might be a confidence thing, the meeting oncoming traffic and having to sometimes reverse, after you get used to that it will not bother you very much :)
Totally agree! Driving isn't driving going straight for miles! I think she needs to go back to Canada
Can you honestly not negotiate roundabouts ! You need to take your test again
@@marycarver1542 she isn't driving at the moment either! Roundabouts are such a great invention! So quick and relies on common sense! I.e. give way to the right
Don't matter anyhow government's policy is to remove public ownership of independence of travel.
My brother drove from Ontario to Vancouver and said it was so incredibly dull. Roads so empty and straight you'd see a car coming in the distance. An hour later same car still in the distance.
Driving for hours without turning at all. And yet still speed traps randomly in the middle of nowhere.
I always love the way you add stories from your life when it comes to you doing list/reason videos
Glad you like them!
Why is Wales always overlooked? Never mind about moving up North, go West, itâs beautiful down here!
I love Wales! Yes, it's gorgeous ;-)
and free prescriptions for residents - think it's only England that pays now.
@@barbarahayden5602 Yeah we pay for all of them .
@@keithrose6931 no, each country has it's own NHS budget. England seems to have more people so the charges are supposed to offset some of the costs. Still better than living in the US. x
@@barbarahayden5602 Perhaps if the English didn't give the other countries of the UK such a big budget it could be different. One pay all pay and yes far better than the USA. Take care x
Country roads were made long before the invention of the car ! Long live the British countryside.
The cars you showed in the film were driving down a ONE WAY STREET so the road only needs to be wide enough for one car.
We shouldn't change our country roads for thr comfort of city dwellers and foraineres each one leads to a hidden gem of a village or hamlet
No it's a one way street BECAUSE it's only wide enough for one car!
The street clearly came long before the traffic regulations.
Wide enough for one CART.
Those streets existed way, way, way before horseless carriages (cars) weâre never dreamt of.
A lot of the problems with britain's infrastructure is due to our towns and cities being old and the roads being poorly optimised for modern traffic. I love my country and its history but I also hate being held up in traffic because of the many choke points and awful roads that should have been redesigned 20 years ago.
@@DjDolHaus86 unfortunately many of those roads are probably lined with peoples home.
British weather is defined by the Gulf Stream, damp cool summers and damp warm winters when compared with other countries on a similar latitude. This summer has been exceptional due as they say to climate change.
Kent roads are narrower than most other parts of UK with the exception of South-West. Generally, UK roads are typical of most in northern Europe. Roundabouts are used throughout Europe and are not confined to UK. The car density and therefore general traffic is a commensurate with the population density and this applies to the whole developed world. The more affluent the country is the greater the number of cars per capita, so combining the two makes Britain a very crowded place on the roads. Go to any less dense part of Britain (outside the tourist period) and you will experience low car densities.
The financial situation and the cost of foreigners here is the same the world over, its something to contend with wherever you go unless the cost of living in your chosen country is very low - you will still pay more that the locals though.
The type of house you desire is probably available to you in other parts of UK rather than the overpriced, overpopulated SE. My neighbour has a large 5 bed detached house with a good sized garden, two car integrated garage, a pool in a separate pool building, very friendly neighbours(!) and I bet that if marketed it would be at the price of a small semi-detached 3 bed house in SE. Actually, pools don't really add to the value of a house as families often see them as a safety risk and I have heard of them being filled in when sold. The English weather is not conducive to having an outdoor pool without extortionate heating and maintenance costs.
For heavens sake, do not believe that the North is anyway backward. The NHS Trusts are universally good or bad wherever you are. The reason for the SE being more expensive is because primarily London is the 'Central Place' (check out Central Place Theory) being the seat of the National Govt and the financial centre and everyone gravitates to that. Also, because Govt is based in London there is a clear local focus and too much has been spent on pet projects in SE. With our new found WFH trend, being in the central place no longer means being there for employment or Govt and there is an exodus away from SE. Any socio-economic effects are purely historical and hysterical and its finally been recognised that the Midlands and the North are the industrial and innovative heart of Britain.
Get off your fixation about air-con, its not a panacea for solving poorly designed and badly built buildings. When we had the recent 39.9degC hot day this year our house which is nothing special was only 25 degC (the temperature that some heat there houses to in winter) internally and has remained between 24.4 and 25deg all summer. Air-con or more accurately cooling wastes energy, is inefficient and is the source of health problems. Leave air-con (HVAC) for the wasteful, glitzy buildings.
You clearly live in a problem area if you experience the sort of drinking culture you describe, it may be prevalent in cities, much less now in university towns but everywhere else your model is not common.
Very well put! What she describes are minor inconveniences to the indigenous population. No country is perfect. And as for pools and air conditioning? With our climate?
Need for air con definitely depends on the building. My old building got hot in the summer and cold in the winter, my new more modern building is so much better, stays cool in the summer, and needs less heating in the winter.
@@andrewcook8093 How old is your 'old' building? You are lucky that your modern building doesn't overheat in summer as most modern buildings tend to be lightweight with a goodly amount of insulation that mostly allows the buildings to heat up due to solar gain but does not allow them to cool down at night so they start from a higher base temp each day. The main reason for being lightweight is cheap cost due to the speed of construction.
You will find that the vernacular construction in most countries has evolved at a time where cheap or available energy was unobtainable so that in hot dry climates heavy buildings predominate and in hot humid countries lightweight buildings with solar shading, tall ceilings and and high level air flow are prevalent. We need to look at our vernacular styles before we decide to rely on energy and technology to cure our building problems.
As a point to note is that most installations we talk about are heating and cooling not air conditioning that by definition should include humidity control. If you cool warm ambient air the moisture is retained in the cool air and as a result the relative humidity increases, sometimes beyond the comfort level i.e. >60%RH so that where humidity control is absent the air is damp and cold, which makes it feel even colder.
@@clivewilliams3661 My old building was cheap housing, I want to say 60s maybe and was very thin walled. In my current building my flat in particular doesn't really get a lot of light, I have one south facing window and everything else is fairly well shaded so it may be that my flat stays cool as a result of not getting a lot of light.
We have great roads in Cornwall. You spend as much time reversing as driving forward. I'd scrap as many lights as possible and replace them with roundabouts. Roundabouts are much faster than traffic lights. Also severe crashes - those that result in injury or loss of life - are reduced by 80% when you build roundabouts. Finally, roundabouts cost less to implement. Over the long term, roundabouts are $5000 - $10,000 cheaper per year as there are no electrical costs involved. They have all the advantages - it's borne out by the facts.
Talk to any highway design engineer and they will tell you that a traffic light junction has a greater flow rate than a roundabout, its borne out by the facts, however unlikely.
There are too many really scary roads in Cornwall. Not because they are narrow, but because you cannot see ahead at what is coming.
Winters are better than our summers. Nothing better than snuggling up in a duvet in winter and sleeping, as opposed to the absolute HELL of the hot nights where you basically melt and try to sleep in a puddle of your own sweat.
đ you're totally right!
Speak for yourself when a lot of older homes in Britain's are cold and damp and even after working all the hours that God sends it's still a struggle to keep the home at a reasonable level before creating more mould and damp
Oh god, those road images gave me flashbacks to my first year here in Japan when I lived in a small countryside town and had to drive...the anxiety those kinds of roads give are no joke!
(also just want to say, recently found your channel and am enjoying the content :) )
Ahh thank you!! I've always wanted to go to Japan đ
Have you ever driven in LA? OMG! Or Jakarta or Bangkok? After experiencing traffic in those locations I have never complained about UK traffic again. đđđđ
No, but I'm sure she's driven on Highway 401 through Toronto, which is the second busiest section of freeway in North America.
Air Con is a tricky one. I love having it in my car as it can get incredibly hot with the sun shining in, but I would struggle to justify the cost (both monetary and environmental) in my British home. Great to hear your thoughts as always đ
I would have happily had it this summerâŠ
Were all going to be needing it in our homes soon enough. These extreme summers are only going to escalate.
I live in Australia and it gets hot here, so bought a reverse cycle A/C unit and had it installed, not that expensive and not overly expensive to run, you use it when you need it, you will thank your god for the purchase after the first summer.
@@hdmartyh What "extreme summers"? This summer was a bit warmer than the average, but in 1976 it was hot for months, not just for a few days. Try looking at the unadjusted temperature history data (if you can find it).
You need air-con in your car because it is a lightweight tin box with a high proportion of glass i.e. it has a low thermal mass and large solar gain. Where the enclosure is a high thermal mass the space heats up and cools down slowly and thus on very hot days the heat is absorbed by the high mass structure making it feel cool, it then cools down overnight. This is why a stone cottage with 2 foot thick walls is consistently wonderfully cool in summer and cosily warm in winter. If your car was to have the appropriate thermal mass so as not to need air con then it would probably be a boulder on wheels.
My new favourite channel!! I love hearing about our country, from a "foreigners" perspective !
đâ€
Great video! I've lived in college towns so I know how charming it is to wake up to a bunch of roaring drunks. You should have included a clip of your neighbor shouting football anthems!
đ true!
The narrow roads were built for horse and carriages ! There are many modern multi
lanes if you want them. Our history is the way it WAS, accompanied by the modernisations!
Surprised you haven't mentioned customer service. As a Brit, it's one of my biggest gripes about the UK. I've never been to North America so I can't comment on what the customer service is actually like there but I get the impression it's better; can't be much worse!
I'm at the point now where I just expect all dealings with companies/organisations to be completely woeful and then I'm pleasantly surprised when it's simply OK.
You should check out the channel of Those Two Brits, Joel & Lia. They've traveled extensively in Canada and the US and have often remarked on the poor customer service in restaurants and stores in the UK vs the more attentive service in North America.
It was a lot better. I think it went South from 2000 onward. We are going to sh**. The standard of living for your working class is sh**
Thanks for another of your most interesting and amusing videos, Alanna. It's great to see that you aren't in any way trying to sugar coat your life here. Reality is so different from imagination/preconception.
There are things about the UK that do suck..the same could be said for anywhere else though.
It's great to see your honesty and your ability to see the funny side of things. Thank you âșđ
I live in Arizona so summer can become overwhelming and depressing. Today the temperature will be around 44°C, but at least my home has A/C...
OH man, stay safe!!
While a foreign resident does have to pay tax and NICs, bear in mind that this funds the ongoing cost of (among other things) the NHS. It does not cover the historical cost of setting it up and expanding the establishment of the service to the state in which you find it when you walk in as a foreigner. We (the British) have paid for that. If you come from a country used to insurance as a model for providing health services, look on the NHS surcharge as a one-off premium for healthcare for the full duration of your visit instead of the periodic premiums you no longer need to pay. Sure, some of the tax you pay on your earnings will go to the NHS, too, but that is only to keep it going, and able to provide the care you might need. Remember also, you don't pay anything much if you do need medical attention, just prescription charges and optical and dental charges at the reduced NHS rate, and not even them if your earnings are low.
Just to add to the last sentence... or you live in Wales or Scotland, where prescriptions are free.
You are totally right...Autumn is definitely the best season! All the leaves changing colour and then falling....woodland walks smell really intense. The temperature is just right: especially if there has been a hot summer. Also you know that bonfire night is just around the corner,
and Autumn is basically the start of the long countdown to Christmas! I prefer the seasons in this order: Autumn. Spring, Winter...with
Summer last! The only way to escape a British heatwave is to have a cold shower every 15 minutes throughout the day! lol
It is my favorite time of the year as well.
Hello, Alanna. As a Canadian Alana who comes from Ontario I must agree that latitude is an important factor in how winter affects us. Torontonian winters have many lovely bright sunny days, so that even a person who hates cold could find some enjoyable periods. I spent some short amount of time in the UK in winter, but even moving to Paris found the dismal, cold rain penetrating and miserable. Enjoy your stay, and good luck for the future.
Great video Alanna. Can't argue with any of your points and sadly I can't see much changing anytime soon except possibly on the aircon front!
Thanks pal!
I lived in Ontario, Canada several years ago for 2 years and not all homes were large, as you state. I lived in an apartment or rooms in a larger building. If you had a large home you were generally well off
Had to laugh when talked about the traffic backups, how soon we forget TO has no traffic 401, 400 and QE2 have habitually back ups. I have sat in traffic for three hours just going to the falls (Niagara Falls). Thank you for the info about the UK eh!
UK government's are introducing congestion charge reducing speed limits to make journeys longer and extra toll's on roads banning vehicles from town's and city centres and charge's to enter a out skirt of town. This includes combustion and electrical engine vehicles.
@@alancrane4693
Back in the days of horse drawn carriages the average speed in London was 12mph. Today the average speed is the same, 12mph. Buy a horse, much more fun đ
My wife has problems with the roads down here, she's from London where everywhere is nice and big and down here there are roads that are so narrow your car barely fits on the asphalt they are that narrow, and then you turn the corner and there is a tractor. I've driven on two wheels to pass a vehicle on one of these roads before. Or you are driving towards Kent and the road is a nice wide single carriageway road and its a single track under a railway line. Check out the Magic Roundabout at Hemel Hempstead, where 6 roads meet and each has its own roundabout which itself is a roundabout and traffic moves both ways. We call them "magic roundabouts" after the TV show.
I agree with everything you mentioned in this video! Wow, I thought I was the only one dreading these things đđ Glad to know theres someone I can relate to đ«â„ïž
Thanks so much for watching!
First time I've had to disagree with your comments - regarding northern NHS trusts vs southern NHS. The reality, the southern area is grossly overpopulated and the NHS trusts there have larger overheads, especially through London additional payments for salaries. Northern NHS trusts like Leeds (20 miles from York) do far better than the south for outcomes. In fact, speaking of York - much better place to live than the south, it has the history and with house prices, you can get detached, dual drive, empty bedrooms, more bathrooms and a decent utility room plus larger kitchen and grounds. Heck spend ÂŁ40grand on a pool too and still less than a grotty flat in London and with probably some of the best driving roads in the UK just miles away. Anyway, really love the videos.
Agreed. The additional payments are sometimes referred to as "London weighting" as, simply put, everything is more expensive there so those payments are designed to cover the difference.
I have spent a lot of time in York/Hull and the surrounding areas. York is a great city and close to some beautiful countryside. A mate of mine used to rent an apartment in the centre of York. I never asked him exactly how much it cost - and I know it wasn't cheap, by Yorkshire standards - but there is no way he'd have been able to afford that in London. On the subject of drink, York has loads of good pubs and bars (and some rubbish ones as well, but you get that in all cities) and the beer festival is brilliant; it's absolutely huge so if you like your ale and cider then it's worth a visit.
In the U.S. i was trying to work out what "R R Xing" meant written on the road, when I realized I was already in the middle of a level crossing with no lights, barriers or other warning signs, and the "R R Xing" was American for Rail Road Crossing! Fortunately their trains don't usually go as fast as ours, and I was fortunate their wasn't one coming at the time.
I highly recommend a few driving lessons when you get a car again. You will no longer fear roundabouts. I live in the North, and have just purchased a house (after 4 years in the UK). It is semi-detached and relatively small compared to the US, but I LOVE it. I find it much easier to clean and maintain. My favourite season now is spring, with all the gorgeous gardens coming awake. Where I live, near the North Sea coast, I feel like we basically get 6 months of spring-like weather, and 6 months of autumn, my 2 favourite seasons. Like you, I don't relish the ''darkness'' of winter.
There are many major junctions with five or more entry exit points, these often use roundaboutâs alongside traffic lights. They work much smoother than traffic lights alone as they steer the traffic safely into the correct lanes.
Interesting list and spicy title lol. But wow, as A+N's resident anti-car viewer, I have strong opinions about the road one! đ (Rant incoming)
Country roads could probably stand to be wider but in cities, wide roads ruin walkability and liveability for humans in favor of cars. They're even more dangerous for cars since people end up speeding a lot more when it's wide and straight. At least from my visit to London, it was much more comfortable to walk to places than even somewhere like Toronto/NYC due to the narrower and windy roads with slower cars and smaller crosswalks. It also contributes to the difference in character you noted (historic cities and architecture vs boring buildings and tons of asphalt).
Roundabouts are also objectively safer by a lot! Intersections are super dangerous and North American roads in general have a several times higher fatality rate than British roads (both per capita and per vehicle mile traveled).
What most people forget is that Britain had wonderful roads for about 400 years, the fall of the Roman Empire meant that all the Building skills, both buildings and roads, were forgotten in a few generations, their roads fell into disrepair and roads reverted to tracks around field and land boundaries until the late 18th century and the need for roads that enabled high speed stage and mail coaches, 20 mph if lucky! Any decent paved roads outside of towns and cities were toll roads, someone had to pay for them, now that sounds familiar today. Along came railways and people saw that was a far more comfotable, safer and faster way to travel, so new roads were sidelined.
My main gripe with country roads (because we're often in the countryside) is lack of pavements and drivers getting aggressive because you HAVE to walk in the road.
I can just picture some people getting all wound up & typing away. I personally love a good country road to drive on but I've grown up with them, particularly have to shout out the Welsh ones for the scenery. Though what I do hate is you spend more time playing dodge the pot hole or is that going to cost much to repair after you hit one. As someone who likes a drink I have to agree the binging culture is annoying, particularly when you go abroad & have to listen/witness it but that's a whole other topic. Great video again Alanna
Cheers Ashers, thanks for watching!!
I wish they would not put the clock's back every October doing that is depressing
Me, too!
That was a very fascinating and interesting episode Alanna, I enjoyed this. Thanks. âšâšâšâšâšđđŒđđŒ
Thanks so much for watching!
Agree on every point that affects me, classism is a definite. And for me there has always been a London vs the Rest of the UK, as it's been a case of anything happens it AUTOMATICALLY has to take place or moved to the capital. There are other places than London, plus 3 trips there and hated everyone of them due to how they act to everyone that isn't from there. The binge drinking is bang on for me, i don't drink and that is due to not liking it plus the majority of people just want to get blind drunk and call it a 'good time'. I've been abroad and saw ppl drink almost excessively, but never been anywhere to he levels of fellow Brits who want start fights while wasted. Personally, the UK..sorry. ENGLAND, is nowdays the proverbial sh*thole, no one alter my mind on that. Plus I'd go further, if i had money and could leave this country, I bloody well would!
"There's no debate to be had " North American roads are wider, straighter, more room. Yet you still manage to T-bone and crash more than any other countries drivers. Now that speaks volumes about North American drivers and roads made so simple that..... I better stop now lol.
Also in Canada I was driving on a "trail" for which read motorway/freeway and you could exit from not only the right hand lane, but some exits were on the left hand lane, and one was in the centre lane which went up and over the right hand lane to an exit. So weird...
Absolutely Spot On ! - loved it when you said UK houses were mainly Semi- attached rather than semi - detached that explains the difference in thinking between the US and UK !
Iâm a Brit and I also hate all the things about my country youâve mentioned in this video especially the drinking culture itâs gotten to the point where I somewhat despise alcohol now and if I see foreigners witness our drinking culture I canât help but cringe and feel embarrassed, sorry you have extra taxes that sucks, thanks for your insight and thank you for going easy on us.
Thank you so much for watching!
There are more than a few Brits who feel just as you do, dear Alanna! I have to say: I'm not one that dislikes our winters but I can easily appreciate why others do. And I would tend to agree about the other things. Roads didn't used to feel so narrow when I was growing up, but it's not just the case that I'm bigger; cars have become bigger as well.....
Thank you! Definitely helps to have a smaller car, at least for me!
Canât argue with your choices and as someone who had limited choice in where they live I couldnât agree more with the drinking culture issue, I just wish they would keep their noise down a bit I donât actually mind what people drink. Thank you for todayâs video and I hope both you and the butler are having a good week and that people moderate the hate comments a bit more than they normally do.
Loved the video as always, made me giggle and seeing the foreign view (although youâre basically a Brit now) of our island is interesting!
Going to Canada (Calgary) for the first time ever next week for 3 weeks and canât wait to see a little bit of your massive country :)
Ahh I hope you have a lovey time!! It's the perfect time of year to visit âșïž
When it comes to roundabouts, I much prefer them to all-way stop junctions (which function more or less like roundabouts only without the central island to remove confusion about right of way). On the other hand, in the US you can turn right on a red light which makes so much more sense than waiting when the road is clear. Swings and ... erm, roundabouts I guess.
She's Canadian, not American.
@@terryomalley1974 Good point. Can you do a right on red in Canadia?
I saw a travel blog about an American traveling in the U.K. who had hired a car. He said that the British roads were ''fun'' because in the U.S. it's all driving in a straight line on multi-lane roads and is quite boring, whereas in the U.K. when you're driving you have to think. He also loved the little thank you wave that we all use.
Driving here is a nightmare. Give me boring straight roads thatâs go where they are meant to. Drove in the states. An absolute pleasure
Vis-Ă -vis the narrow roads, those are typically only the minor roads that you'd probably only need to use if you were close to your destination. Major roads are usually at least two lanes wide, and can be much wider (the most important roads being motorways or A-road dual carriageways).
What you're more likely to come across are urban roads that are physically wide enough for two cars, but have parked cars on one or both sides of the road, making it essentially single track again.
Still though, I can imagine those being quite nerve-wracking (I can only imagine since I'm not a driver). Especially since they often have hedges on either side blocking sight lines and physically restricting the space available to you.
I noticed in my Ontario city, roundabouts have been built in the newer suburb developments as opposed to 4 way stops/lights to help traffic flow through. They are usually just one or two lanes though.
Interesting! They're definitely better for the flow of traffic, I just gotta get used to them!
Just off the top of my head - UK 3.1 road fatalities per 100000 head of population versus US 12.9 road fatalities per 100000 head of population - I'll just let that stand there, what with our narrow roads versus the aircraft runways enjoyed in North America & all the 'guesswork' at roundabouts.
I did read that in the UK each year you have an approximately 1 in 20,000 chance of being killed in a motor accident each year (we are the third safety country in the world after Norway and Ireland). In Western Europe you have about a 1 in 10-12,000 chance of dying each year. In the US the chances each year of you dying in a car crash are about 1 in 6,000. And in Ukraine (before the war) a shocking 1 in 800 chance of dying on the roads each year.
Agree entirely about the binge drinking. You bring a smile to my face even when you are having a go at us.
âșïž I really appreciate that!!
I think the binge drinking is no more and probably less than it used to be. As a student back in 1970's we would think nothing of downing 14-16 pints a night at the weekend, with Saturdays and Sundays left for hangovers and I was shocked when both my daughters went to Uni and rarely had anything other than a moderate amount, much to the disappointment of my older daughter who has hollow legs - its no fun restraining your consumption to match your mates. My younger daughter was in St John Ambulance and was invited to all the Uni concerts, but most of her time was spent seeing to cuts and bruises than the results of alcohol consumption. In our village 30+ years ago it got rowdy at closing time at The Swan and the Working Mens Club but now its the epitome of a quiet sleepy village, even the chippy now closes at 9.00pm!
Well that title is definitely going to get people's attention lol super curious to find out what it's all about cuz we know you love it here really đ
Allana - it is such an education to watch you from Connecticut! Thank you!
Actually - I left the south west years ago and returned to east yorkshire. I have a detached house with a double garage and private drive plus a high standard of living. I like our cosy winters, shut the world out and watch some of the best telly in the world. My town is incredibly lovely and lots of southerners choose to live here. Love your blogs.
You are talking about your big house is but not telling us how much it cost you to buy it.
I think her point was that unless you are wealthy in the U.K. you cannot afford spacious property, relative to what the Same price tag would give you in Canada.
And we all know thatâs true.
British house prices are probably the most hyper inflated Iâve seen anywhere in the world.
Exactly. And then: what life is it to live behind a tv? Wouldnât be my cup of tea. Enjoy.
So I hate being in the UK and I'm from the south west which is better than the north.
I know each to their own But to move up north to watch the Tele is mental đ
"Two lanes"... the width of one American SUV... yep, it's stressful! Thankfully we drive small cars in the UK. And thankfully we as Americans often encounter nice locals who are willing to reverse to the nearest passing place. Because WE stink and "backing up" and allowing the other driver to pass, LOL
A great way to deal with British Winter is to stay here in the Summertime, and use the generous British holiday allowence to get away to a nearby sunny country in late January/February X
You cannot avoid the fact that here in the UK, we live on a small, very small island, hence houses tend to be tightly packed together. Likewise, roads are narrow simply because we donât have room. Americans and Canadians tend to have good sized lots where their homes sit upon, no way can we do that here.
Really enjoy your videos but have to totally disagree with you when it comes to houses and the roads!!
Yes, roads are often a bottleneck for traffic and our houses donât generally come with acres of a back garden!
But as a Brummie, I canât believe I am saying this but, are you going to knock down Buckingham Palace for a multi-storey car park?
Turn Windsor Castle into an nondescript apartment block??
Windsor Castle has been there for a Millennium and others parts of London, Chester, York and large parts of the country are a lot older and still being used!
We donât knock down our history for a parking lot ( thank you Jonie Mitchell !)
And as for lack of investment in anywhere outside of the M25 and Cheshire, thatâs a major reason why those of us who live up north in the real world get very frustrated with people who donât want to take the time to actually see the rest of us, weâre more than Coronation St, Nora Batty, Rab C Nesbitt!
And in that you are missing so much more of the UK than a lot of the tourist traps of the London, and in that, you are making such a MASSIVE mistake!
The UK is not London, nor do we want to be, so go get on a train, visit us!
Alanna: "A roundabout is confusing and intimidating, the roads are too narrow and scary. My car insurance is through the roof." Seriously, the cost of your insurance is determined by how much risk you have of being involved in an accident and you just admitted that you're not a competent driver on British roads.
PS I'm not being mean - I hope it didn't sound like it.
Yes but if she has no track record of accidents (which it doesnât seem like she has) then insurers wonât have any idea of that, and therefore the steep premium canât possibly be a reflection of her driving ability. The cost for her will be simply because sheâs 1) foreign (insurers will use any excuse to fleece people) and 2) the fact that sheâs from a country that drives on the opposite side of the road, which automatically means from a probability perspective that sheâs a greater risk.
Postcodes can make a difference, they are a risk factor.
@@grahvis Yes that makes sense. I hadnât really thought about that.
Winter is my favourite season, I love the soft light, the moon, the dark and the winter flowers and you have a rest from the gardening even though I love gardening
The issue with road and town layouts is that in most cases these things have been `developing`organically for the past many 100s-2000 years.
Town and road re/planning has changed some of that, but even some roman roads (most of them nice and straight!) routes still exist as part of the current network.
What worked in 900 AD does not necessarily work so well now...!
OK, Alanna, let me explain why not having built in air conditioning is a good thing.
Ignoring the stand alone single room air cons that you can buy at your local hardware shop, there are 2 billion AC units in the world, currently, and about 70% of those are residential. About 1.4 billion units.
These are mostly built-in systems or those horrible noisy units that sit in the space of a window.
Typically about 20% of total domestic electricity use in nations that depend on AC is used to run these units.
The life-expectancy of an AC unit is 15 to 20 years.
Prior to 2015, all AC units used HFC as a refrigerant. Models since this date have used either HFC or some newer alternatives. However, the alternatives are not as efficient as HFC and so require greater power usage. Units using the alternatives are also more expensive to purchase.
A 30kg residential AC begins its life with about 45g of refrigerant but leaks about 2.5% (1.2g) per year into the atmosphere. This isn't too much of a problem with a product that is only expected to last 15 years so no manufacturer has bothered to work out how to stop this from happening.
However HFC gas is about 2000 times more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas. This tiny leakage is equivalent to putting 2.25kg of CO2 into the atmosphere every year - 3.15 billion kgs per year globally.
A mature tree captures about 0.546kg of carbon per year which equates to about 2kg CO2/yr. Therefore, just to compensate for the annual global HFC leakage we would need 1.6 billion trees. We are currently cutting down 15 billion mature trees every year and are planting only 1.9 billion future trees - i.e ones that will not be able to help our situation for at least 20 years.
With a large percentage of residential AC units leaking HFC gas into the atmosphere and not being due for replacement for up to 15 years, you can see that the headlong rush to buy AC units is only making the severe summer temperatures, that we're experiencing, worse. At this rate we are all likely to be killed by our need for comfort!
Add to this the fact that the electricity needed to run the units is mostly coming from coal or natural gas fired power stations which are pouring CO2 into the atmosphere and... you get the point.
Until we can wean ourselves off of fossil fuels and can replace the refrigerants used in the vast majority of AC units sold globally, adding the UK to the list of AC dependant nations would be to further fan an already rampant and out of control environmental fire.
This is why Heat Pumps are a complete non-starter. Same with EV's they cause far more environmental destruction than any IC vehicle.
@@steveb1739 Currently, this is true. However, at least with heat pumps we have the opportunity to start with a refrigerant that will not cause global warming or destroy the ozone layer. Like electric cars, though, they will not be truly useful until the electricity needed to power them comes from a fully renewable source - or nuclear, but that has its own problems!
Unfortunately, the government seems to think that replacing the existing car stock with electric vehicles is a solution in its own right. It isn't. Every south-facing roof has the potential to power at least the basic usage of the building it occupies. Wind energy could power the energy requirements of smart cities and towns. This would leave nuclear and green (not blue) hydrogen to cater for our industrial needs. This is where government policy should be focused, not on granting new oil and gas exploration licences in the North Sea!
I agree with you on everything except âRoundaboutsâ.
Roundabouts are so much better than the traffic lights (or even the stop signs). Imagine having to stop at every traffic light even if thereâs no traffic.
Learn, just once, properly to negotiate roundabouts. Then practice it and master it. Youâll start appreciating how amazing they are. They save so much time for everybody on the road.
Roundabouts haha !! you really need to visit Swindon , the Magic roundabout is the thing to behold xx
I prefer the winter to the summer personally. But coincidentally considering your timing in posting this video, my absolute favourite time of the year is the months of September and October.
The UK is beautiful in the autumn, so peaceful!
Try Finland!
I love our winters. Most of my hobbies and interests are more the indoors based like candle making, reading, painting etc so I suppose it depends on how people like spending their time. I love it when the winter draws in, it feels cosy and lovely to me. I also love going down our local during the winter, the big fire going, great music and having a laugh then walking home in the bitter cold, then that lovely warm feeling once you get home and close the door behind you. I suppose it's all just personal preference.
Things I noticed when I visited the UK (Bristol, Portsmouth) 22 years ago. I'm sure there have been changes. But , people were not friendly. There were a lot of chavs , drunks , fighting and they judged people from other towns as having worse accents. Basically , very classist. The work ethic was not very good. They loved to get digs in at Americans when they could, not all of them, but several. They seemed to be obsessed with guns and thinking every American owns one. They talk bad about our food , but let me tell you, I'll never forget the ultra greasy burger and over cooked meat I had in the Pubs. Other than visiting Bath, I didn't enjoy it much. I was glad to come home to a country where people don't walk around grumpy , judging everyone constantly. They seem really two-faced.
You're so bloody cool.
You talk complete sense. Even when you're pointing out the glaringly obvious not so great parts, you still seem to make it sound positive.
The content you put out is proper good.
I'm a big fan. Keep going đâĄïžâđœ
Most of the reasons here are why I left the UK for Eastern Europe, probably all of them plus a few more. the main other one being Political Correctness
Tell us more. The political correctness one interests me because Iâve noticed that too here in U.K.
Nobody else ever mentions it but I always get the impression, especially in the south, (Iâm from the north) that people seem to put too much emphasis on on been PC.
And the insincerity of it wears me down
Oh-oh, here we go again. You do like to live life on the edge. đ
You're about to be bombarded by "If you hate it, why don't you go home" messages because those folks never actually watched the video.
The rest of us know you love it here.
@@offkeychris123 I agree but there are other places where she has a presence. Alanna herself has mentioned the negative ones several times and even made really funny videos about them, so they do exist.
I can understand your opinion about roads being too small, especially after looking at dashcam videos from the North American continent. However, it's not so much the roads are too narrow (although in some cases they are constrained by the locations they are situated), the problem is that cars have become too large. The explosion of SUV type vehicles which are way too large for the majority of town/city roads is a big problem. As always, a great video and thanks for helping us to see ourselves through other eyes.
All European cars have become bigger. Park a classic Fiat 500, Mini, Fiesta, Nissan Micra etc next to their modern iteration and see how big they have become and its not all about safety otherwise the Smart Car would never have been built, its as though the designers have forgotten what a ruler is for. Our local town has a car show every year and one year they parked a new Jaguar XJ next to a 1959 (pink) Cadillac Coupe De Ville, the iconic grand yank tank and the Jag dwarfed the Caddy in every respect except actual width, where it was a match. There was a time when our car designers wanted to make small cars look big but now it seems that the opposite is true, they want to make big cars look small.
I don't like winters back home in English either....but over here it drops to serious minus temps as i know you know. But the fact is we're all much more comfy with what we're used to.
You can find division no matter where you are right now in western countries, we all have bias and it works both ways. I confidently say that you've spent more time around political left university graduates (I don't support any party) if you've seen classism because they are very elitist and appear to believe they are better than others.
I've got what sounds like a posh accent however I've never had a penny and struggled my whole life. I fit in any social class with ease but the time I've been judged is by people that claim to be working class (even though they probably aren't) particularly Army (I was RAF). The most judgemental in the UK are the people who claim to be non-judgemental
Alanna critiquing the UK? Let's go to the comments to see all the Brits who are offended đ
Nothing wrong with being offended when someone says something you might not agree with đ.
I post so many positive videos but talking about 8 things I don't like pushes people over the edge lol what can you do!
@@AdventuresAndNaps If you have a good friend, or a group of good friends, that you mostly have only good things to say about, and you all get along well, it is inevitable that if one day you told them all things that you DIDNâT like about them, or even HATED about them, they would probably not appreciate it. We all have our faults, but part of everyone getting along is that we donât go around pointing them out lol. Friendships would soon disappear if we all pointed out each others faults đ..... Personally i love these videos, they are just pointing out some opinions, and some facts, no country is perfect, but i can understand why some would not like them đđ
@@AdventuresAndNaps the hilarious thing is, we Brits love moaning about our Country. But someone else does it on the Internet and all of a sudden we are the most patriotic people ever! đ
Phew, just 8. I think we got off lightly đ I donât like waking up early to go to work in the winter, but oddly I like wrapping up warm in the cold weather. I donât mind roundabouts but with family in Milton Keynes it can get a bit đ”âđ«đ« Interesting list, Alanna. Thanks for sharing!
Hear! Hear! Totally agree. Good list, especially the binge drinking.đ
Consider the cat thoroughly amongst the pigeons!
The Pigeons may come out on top.
That was a shite record by Bros đ
@@shaunw9270 Can you show me a record by Bros that wasn't shite?
@@leeharveydarke Funnily enough, no .
you can see so much more of the country on 2 wheels, ebike or moped those country lanes become lovely
Make the most of it as in 2030 government has passed a legislation that 50cc - 125cc motorcycle's mopeds ect cannot be sold. M.A.G are trying to fight it but very doubtful they will succeed due to it already passed through parliament. 2035 the regulation applys to the rest of cc motorcycle's.
One good thing about country roads, is that there is usually a nice pub to go in to and calm down ........đ
I think you really need a big hug!!.......đ
Nice video as always Alanna. đ
Yay! Thank you!
Only 8 things means we're probably doing Ok! Thanks Alanna! đ
Unfortunately your car insurance will be high as you're not building up any 'No Claims Bonus' each year.
Reads title, prepares "go back to Canada" speech (only kidding), watches video, "yeah fair points". Good video as always.
Thank you!
I like the spring. Watching nature emerge from hibernation. On my apple trees the buds turn to leaves, the cherry tree starts flowering, the rhubarb plant stops looking dead and its massive green leaves shoot up.
Totally! Winter sucks and as the nights are drawing in now. I know it just weeks away đą
Ooh I do love it when you stir up the trolls! I have to say that I agree with most of what you say here. The exception being a/c ( of course ), I suppose I am just used to it, like you said. I hope people are gentle with you on this one.
If there's one thing CZcams commenters are known for its calm thoughtful discussions on areas of disagreement⊠đ
A/C, if one has it may be unaffordable to actually use now.
Thank Goodness for Tuesdays. Cheers Alanna. Everyone who lives in the UK hates the UK. However, the moment a foreigner says "I hate the UK", the whole Country is up in arms. We Brits love to moan about everything, but woe betide any outsider who says anything negative about this Glorious Nation. Most Brits want rid of the Royal Family and yet after an evening of the Proms the whole Nation is suddenly the most Patriotic Country in the World. We Brits are certainly a fickle bunch.
I am from Milton Keynes, a new English City infamous for it's number of roundabouts. You can safely do a clear gridroad roundabout at around 50 mph- try that at traffic lights!
Roundabouts lol visit Milton Keynes,if you do come to Newport Pagnell and have a drink in the cannon 17 century in the middle of the town
Now that you've done things you love and hate about the UK, you need to make a video about things that are just ok with the UK. đ
đ
Or, in British English, things that are "not bad, thanks" about the UK.
Some people are taking things way too seriously. Alanna's videos are just a bit of fun!
No. I donât think thatâs fun for her. She is presenting it with humor to not go crazy in this freaking country.
What about the lack of Fly screens...............surely you haven't forgotten!
Love the way how your 10 topics of content you endlessly, "re-order" them to produce years of videos that still seem fresh, although we have heard you say it so many times before.
See that you finally mentioned the defining Brutishness "the class system": thought you had diplomatically been avoiding it. You can now add it as number 11, it will provide years of episodes and get zillions of comments.
Sorry that we drive on the wrong side of the road, don't worry we are slowly catching up with the developed world.
Canada to SE England; ...wonders why the roads are small, there is daily gridlock and the houses are like boxes with no 2 acre back yard, or set back 1/4 mile form the nearest road............clambering to emigrate to Canada LOL
Great video as always and Alanna if you are feeling adventuress you could try another shop other then Tesco's,; I know you do not believe me but really there are others.
Ahhh fly screens, I totally forgot!! đ
No doubt you already use these measures to cool off a bit during summer, but hopefully, you are able to utilize a fan or even a movable "A/C" that shoots out cool air to circulate. There are affordable products out there like this, although the latter definitely may add to your electricity costs.