I don’t usually leave comments but I just love this channel, when I’m having a bad day it’s just nice to sit down, relax and watch one of your videos. There’s a really calming aura around these videos and I can’t express how much I love it! Sending much love to you, and glad you’re enjoying your time in the UK! We’re glad you’re here :)
Older houses and public buildings in the UK have single taps but almost all new houses are built with mixer taps. They are quite easy to replace and all the DIY stores sell mixer taps. Usually when people update their homes they change to mixer taps.
Shops used to shut at 6pm, and had a half day during the week and never opened on a Sunday. The changes have only happened after a weakening of the workers unions thus forcing them to work longer hours.
With the sink taps you just have to PUT THE PLUG IN THE SINK and then mix the hot and cold water to the desired temperature; same result as a mixer tap.
The reason I heard for the separate taps is that originally the cold water came from the town supply, and was rated potable. Most houses had their water heater in the attic, and the old ones could get contaminated. So the cold water was guaranteed drinking water, the hot was not considered drinking water. Modern houses using modern water heaters it's obviously not a thing anymore, but that's what historically caused the strange tap system
On the shopping hours... I'm British and live in Germany, I like that the shops in Germany are open less than in the UK and nothing is open on Sundays or public holidays. People in retail also have families, it's good that they can all have at least one day together per week. The sinks have a plug, fill the sink with hot and cold water to the desired temp and use it, saves water and much better for the environment.
I use yo work in retail your right about people needing time with their families apart from Christmas day the shop was open 7 days a week. We had what could be described as a rolling shift pattern. We got 1 weekend off in 7 weeks other wise it was mid-week days we could never go out as a family . Don't think they paid overtime, once sunday open became legal it was ordinary pay
As a retail worker, I am very glad that I am not forced to work through the night. People need a work/life balance. The tap thing is easy. You put the plug in the sink and mix the water to the temperature ou prefer. It saves a lot of water. I have a mixer tap in my kitchen and it is impossible to get properly hot water. I have to boil a kettle to wash the dishes, which is ridiculous. Fortunately, in the bathroom, I have separate taps, so my baths are beautifully hot.
I found your channel yesterday and I’m loving your videos! Glad you’re loving it over here 😁 This video is so lovely and calming… the auto petrol pumps sound great lol (though I’ve got a tiny little car so it would probably be done by the time I’d got back in the car! 🤣) Your place in the countryside is gorgeous.
Lovely to hear from you again however there is one thing I don't understand. Repeatedly Americans complain about having two taps. Simply put the plug in and run both taps until you get the temperature you want. It also saves water and most homes are now fitted with a water meter so it is costing you a lot of money to just let the water run away.
I’m so happy you and your lovely family are enjoying and making the most of your life here in the U.K. I have never visited the U.S. but I appreciate it would be very different from the U.K. and you made a very brave decision to up sticks from what you know yet from your videos I can tell you are loving your new life here… Happy days to you all x
I can understand the restaurant thing, as I spent some time in the US and missed being able to go to a decent Indian restaurant, they are everywhere in the UK but hard to find in the US (and when we did find one it wasn't very good), I do wish there were more Mexican restaurants in the UK, I love Mexican.
I live in Manchester area and I pine for a decent Tex- Mexican Restaurant. (disclaimer: expatriate Texan) I make do with the Taco Bell in the Exchange mall downtown.
Me too, i love the textures and flavours of Mexican food. I've never been to an authentic restaurant, so i attempt recipes i find online. I would miss Indian food; it's my go-to takeaway.
I love it that you love the UK - it makes me feel proud. I have moved away myself as sometimes it drives me crazy there.. but it's in my blood so I still love England and the other countries for their beauty.
The petrol lever was removed some thirty years ago. This was in part due to the move from attendant service to self service. There were a number of incidents where the public misused the lever causing spillages.
And there's always the slight risk of forgetting the nozzle and driving off while it's still in the fuel filler. You Tube informs us this does occasionally happen in the US.
Put the plug in the sink for a wash and mix the water in the basin, no need to choose between hot and cold 😂😃You notice things about the UK we take for granted. I’ve always enjoyed my visits to America and I’ve always found you to be a friendly nation.
FYI Mains water in England is drinkable. However hot water stored in a storage cistern could become unsafe to drink. Bylaws prevented hot and cold water being mixed
Also, I love going to the Mall or Supermarket in the US. The selections are off the chain!!! Its like, I fancy a Mountain Dew. And there's around 10 different choices! It's crazy
@1:12 I think that has to be the same thing for anyone living somewhere different to where they’re used to. We all grew up on the food that we know and love and food let’s face it, is a huge part of our lives!
You’d be er survive in Germany. Half day close on Saturday and all day Sunday. I grew up ( here in the U.K. ) with everything being closed on Sunday and I remember being wonderful. A day when no pressure to do anything. I would bring that if I could. People who work in retail have families and they deserve that time off too.
The reason shops had to close on a Sundays was originally to allow people to go to church..the Sabbath day was holy....This only changed when big business took over, in the '80's...I worked 12 hours in Blockbusters...no lunch break....only time allowed to close was to take the takings, just across the road to the Post Office!...
A great video as always, but I have to say about opening times if shops are open past 8 then people have to work those unsociable hours? Ok for the consumer but what about the work life balance of the workers and their families? I would rather keep that for them rather than at the (small) expense of my own inconvenience. As to taps, you are allowed to run both at the same time and collect the water in the sink to your preferred temperature? Another option of course is get a plumber to change the sink and install a mixer tap? That is also allowed too.
I have been to the Mall of America in Minneapolis a couple of times. Now that was big! 4 Department stores. 1 in each corner. Then multiple corridors on several floors with many shops and restaurants along each one. And unbelievably a theme park in the center all under cover. It was massive! 😉😬👀
I really enjoy your channel. I lived in Germany for a couple of years so do understand the culture shock. The shopping hours there are really strict. Nothing is open on Sundays and Saturday is a half day. This is due to a strong retail union that insists that retail workers have a right to a family life. I just got organised and worked with it. I now totally support it. Who, seriously who, need to grocery shop at 23.30, even if you are a shift worker? Days have a cycle, you know that as a farmer. 24 hour convenience is exploiting the lowest paid, with the less rights. You also live in a rural community, how could a shop stay open so someone can buy parmigiana ham on the off chance someone's life will be devastated if they have to substitute a cheese? I liked your differences, I also liked that none of them are major, and seriously destroy the quality of life - well aside from TexMex - it's a cultural thing, Texas doesn't have many good Indian restaurants
i agree. people's health and well-being, family life matter more than making money. shops in uk used to close half day. each district had it's early closing day, usually thursday; ours was wednesday. so the staff could go home and do their own tasks. they also worked half day saturday. so 5 whole days. most everything was closed on sunday. it was a better way of life.
I hope Mrs Duck is successful and you get to see her chicks as she takes them down to your pond! My parents have fed a succession of duck and pheasant families over the years, and have often been rewarded with a visit by the chicks later in the year.
love watching your experiences you don't have to miss out with your taps, as a plumber, I can tell you its very common to have a mixer tap instead of 2 single taps, either get a plumber in or do it yourself no need to change any of the pipes just change the tap to a single spout lever tap, stop by at any plumbing merchants and they will help you out.
It is always interesting to listen to Macs cultural differences, especially as I have extended family in Chicago and St Louis. I must say I was pleasantly surprised on how minor the things he and his family missed. As Mac will find most new houses post 2000 have mixer taps installed and it is a simple DIY job. On the restaurants, yes convenient but in certain states like Florida and across a lot of the south/mid west you drive into every town and it looks exactly the same chain restaurants, and this is not just a visiting Brit observation of the lack character if you read one of Ohio’s famous sons Bill Bryson books he says the same. Petrol pumps well we don’t have that kind of freezing weather where you would really need that and the canopy protects you from the rain. All of the retail things well I am not A big shopper, but I have always felt that the downside to that is those people have to work those unsociable hours away from their families on minimum wage (less in the states) just so you can stroll around a mall until midnight. The things are bigger is definitely true but we are a country of 67M versus 330M so it is not really surprising! I love GB as a proud Brit and I hope everyone including Mac and the family enjoys celebrating the unique occasion of Her Majesty the Queens Platinum Jubilee over the extended Bank Holiday next weekend.
Understand you missing things from home. Have lived in France for 30 years and still miss England. Mainly the pubs, countryside and the people . Glad you're still enjoying yourselves x Happy Easter weekend 🐣🐤🐥
Hi love your Vlogs I have had Tex Mex here in the UK, having lived abroad myself it's ok to list the things about your own country you miss. your positively and enthusiasm for this little island of ours shines through.
I'm a truck driver in the UK most of our truck fuel pumps stay open with that little lever as we take a lot of fuel if not we use a tennis ball to hold it open 🙂
In the UK we used to have these fuel pumps which with the latch on them. I remember using them in the seventies. I don't know why they were discontinued.
I totally get it, when I travel to your home country I am often bug eyed at how much bigger things are in the US. Can I just dispel one thing. We do have mixer taps here in many homes so you could make that change in your home in one afternoon if you hit your limit in winter.
@@chrisbodum3621 majority of boilers are set to around 60C mainly for washing up in the kitchen, there are thermostatic valves for taps to set the temperature to normally max of45c but these are not common in a standard home. Mixer taps with 1 hole sinks/basins are getting more popular these days, the main reason 2hole sinks and taps have hung around was they were the cheaper option for builders/property developers to use, looking on screw fix, the cheapest pair of taps is £16.99 the cheapest mixer is £37.99.
There are always pros and cons, but if fairness yours seem small....nice to see you adapting so well....your kids will grow up well rounded and open minded to other cultures, especially when you also take them to trips to other countries too.....go to Berlin and find a little bit of the Berlin wall and try to explain to them what happened to have such a barrier between two sides of the same country that became so different.
I chose your video this morning to watch while I take my blood pressure lol, out of many, because I always know it'll bring a happy smile to my face unlike some other content which might just raise the old BP! Joking aside of course you will miss some home things, they're part of who you are! In Australia we have the single taps, but we don't have the self-measuring pumps, I wish we had! I can understand your enthusiasm for Bass Pro Shop, you can make a day out of it. It's a good advertisement for UK people to visit the US! Your kids are lucky having all that beautiful green space! And trees are so patient, Lol! Thank you for the great video!
Thank you for your insights. Totally understand why you miss the food/restaurants you particularly loved. About the taps I hear quite a lot of Americans comment about the UK not having mixer taps in bathroom sinks. In point of fact they do exist. We have one attached to our bathroom sink. So do a lot of my friends. You probably know this already by now. You can buy mixer bathroom sinks/taps in UK. So a trip to a bathroom showroom can fix any issues people have with sinks that have two taps. However, just pointing this out, if you have two separate taps and you want to wash your hands and face safely, well you can just do what millions of Brits do and put the plug in the plughole and run the water into the basin (both the hot and the cold) and when it's deep enough and the right temperature then you can wash your hands/face.
Cholera was the causation for two faucets (taps) Victorian engineers put a system together that ensured no contaminated water could feed back into the main cold supply of purified water.The hot water and cold water only ever mixed in the sink. Hot water was isolated by air gaps from feed from the mains via a feed tank and a float valve. Any disease was isolated.
Understand why you miss your home country food. Food preferences / standard comparisons between UK and the US will always be somewhat subjective and controversial. We found that on our US holidays (skiing / California tour / Florida) is that whilst we enjoyed the ease and variety (some great fish dishes) we also felt (for us) that there were too many fast food joints and the portions were enormous even in restaurants. generally we were missing veg dishes but in LA we found a great asian style restaurant where you dipped fresh veg into boiling water - delish after weeks of fries / burgers
The UK used to have those clips to allow the pump to run on its own while filling up, but no more for some reason and yes they made things easier. They maybe still on the diesel pumps for lorries however.
I love your videos!! As a fellow American living in the UK in the past year and half...I agree with you on most things....our family really enjoying our time in the UK here....and wow......8 foot pizzas....!!! US does everything big!!!
If you like tex/mex/BBQ you should try somewhere called hickories there’s not that many in England but if you live in the West Midlands there’s one in kingswinford or one in Worcester near the city centre. It has a really strong southern theme running through the restaurant from everything to menu, music and decor... it would definitely take you back home...
Petrol pumps used to have locking latches virtually everywhere in the UK but it became apparent that they are dangerous so most local authorities insist they be disabled. The result is the UK has hardly any static electricity spark fires per year at petrol stations (less than 5) and the US has thousands. It is just a safety thing.
Based on the information I found 1000s a year is quite overblown. From what I could find it was less than 50 a year. Anyway, I may have missed something, do you know of any study reporting this high number? Also, I know this is an older comment, so I hope my question is not a bother.
Years ago we used to have the little clips that allowed you to lock the petrol pump in the on position and let go of the handle but these disappeared for some reason, probably due to some obscure health and safety concern. All modern houses and many older ones do have mixer taps.
We tend to not just run taps, we use the plug and fill the sink with water at the temp. we want. Also most places are replacing single taps with a mixer tap.
as far as i knew you can let the petrol pump, pump petrol itself, usually some mechanism within the lever itself will click when you squeeze it all the way and it will lock in place
Loving the duck nesting in your garden. I had a mallard do the same. You’re doing the right thing keeping your distance. They desert if disturbed too much.
1. Separate taps are getting to be uncommon now AND that’s what the plug is for to mix the water. It’s a left over from Victorian plumbing constrains. Also, it’s easy to replace with a mixer tap 🤓 2. All the little Tesco and Sainsbury shops round here in sleepy Cheltenham are open from 0600 - 1100… 3. We’ve a Tex / Mex restaurant here. May not be as good a one near the Mexican border of course 😏 4. Seems the removal of the petrol pump lock is being implemented in the US. For safety reasons due to static build up causing fires (in the US). Also, love,your channel and so glad you are enjoying life 😁
There’s a couple of reasons why the petrol stations in the U.K. don’t have the feature to pump fuel without you holding the handle. 1) the cost of fuel in U.S is considerably cheaper and most Americans fill the car up till the pump shuts off ..this is not the case in the U.K. because fuel is so expensive and most people do not fill up ..we put in a desired amount we can afford eg: £20’s worth. 2) in America the majority of fuel station explosions are caused not by using your phone at the pump but caused by static electricity from the driver who sets the pump to fill up and walks away from the pump, then they get into the car or reach into the car which can cause static electricity to generate by rubbing your hand or clothing against a bare metal part or the cloth seats then as they return to the pump the static electricity jumps from the hand to the petrol vapours which are still present around the filler cap. Then it’s BOOM. That’s the reason we don’t have that option at our pumps.
Nice one Mac! There will always be things that you miss, that remind you of time past, where you grew up. The freedom of choice is always prominent for US citizens, and is a habit difficult to break. Another good and well balanced comparison of different cultures!
I live in the UK and am from the US and been here for 16 years. I used to miss Taco Bell, Wendy's and other American restaurants but they're all here now. I also missed Frank's Red Hot sauce but they have it here. You can change your taps to single taps for cold and hot. My kitchen has the single tap.
Thank you so much for not destroying the water trough! They are all over England, used to be used by cows but also horses when travelling the country. We like keeping stuff over here lol Sorry you miss your homelands but we are really glad you are here with us ❤.... Yeah, our taps are rubbish. I think we keep the hot and cold just to annoy the rest of the world 😂
If you do not like separate taps then just change them - every DIY shop sells mixer taps or get a plumber. Meanwhile - put the plug in and mix the hot and cold in the sink.
Have been to several Bass Pro shops in the US and yep they are something else, you can quite easily spend a whole day in one just looking round. What I liked especially were the roads, just put your radio on and drive for hundreds of miles in one day.
As a Brit that loves to visit the US (and even worked there a short while) I miss barbecue too. Nobody does barbecue like the Americans. However, there's one place that you will LOVE. Check out Red's True Barbecue in Manchester. It's the nearest thing you will get to US BBQ and honestly, it's seriously good.
I think Asda is now open 24 hours a day in most places, and they can be found in most medium and larger towns. Way back in the '70's before 24hour shops we teens used to trek to the nearest petrol filling station, as those usually had a small convenience store attached, and would be open to 11pm or midnight, and the weekend too.
p.s. I am really enjoying your series. I live 3 miles from Stonehaven and your recent visit to Dunnotar Castle inspired me to do the same last weekend! As a local I had last visited it as a child in the '60s, and never got around to it again until now... 🙂 As a bonus I got to see a pod of dolphins making their way up the coastline from the windows of the castle.
Have to say, thats a nice home you have, plus all the ground and pond too wow! As to the taps, there are single outlet taps here, you just have to have them changed! Your becoming very British and you don't know it! Keep having a great time here, you seem happy. - good luck and bless your family.
When I fill my car up with petrol I certainly wouldn't have time to go and sit inside it let alone clean it. It takes a couple of minutes. Do you drive a car with a tank as large as a jumbo jet's?
The reason there are 2 taps is the water temp is set much lower than the US (or at least should be), so you should be able to just use the hot tap to wash yourself (though 50c water is still pretty hot it will not scold you).
Oddly enough the leaver is still there but the tab has been removed but there definitely several gas station fires a year because the pump does not turn off
Regarding the shop opening hours, these have been arrived at by concensus. Shop staff generally earn the legal minimum wage, or just above. This is sufficient to get by and so shop workers will generally choose to work contactual hours (8/day) and no more. Shoppers recognise this and have done all through my lifetime (50+ years). Thus we do not expect shops to be open after 8pm. In fact, many smaller, privately owned shops close at 6:00pm or 6:30pm. Off-licences (liqor stores) and convenience stores, often owned by British-Asian families, frequently open as late as 10:30pm, especially in major cities.
Always enjoy your videos. In the days before self service petrol stations. The pumps always had a switch for the attendant to lock on the fuel so he could clean your windscreen whilst waiting for the filling to finish. This changed with self service so rightly or wrongly. It seems to be a safety issue
Oh! the stores staying open! BUT, the consumer mentality is different here in the UK than it is in the US. For instance, I still think its amazing that Saturday shopping is such an event. Everybody goes, they spend the day, drink coffee in the cafes with friends, get what's needed from many small shops instead of the big stores and wander through the markets, if they are lucky enough to have them. It's colourful, fun and more like it used to be. I am friends with my green grocer, with the butcher and I get fresh, just made bread from the baker. I guess I'm nearly a convert. I'll trade longer hours for that experience. Besides, I think it's a better work/life balance and we're much less consumed with consuming here in the UK and that's valuable. I really like your videos! I love the energy, the peacefulness you exude and your family (including your lovely wife!) are beautiful!
I remember back in the early 70’s our petrol pumps had that self-fill button, not sure when it changed or why As for the water thing……… that’s what the white thing (called a sink) is for, to mix the hot and cold water in
I love this video. Especially life just carrying on behind you. For taps I recommend sticking your hand in the cold first then under the hot haha There’s a restaurant called Hickories in the North West that does American style smokehouse food. I’d love to know if you thought it was authentic
Gas: We do have them but they're only on diesel pumps to fill trucks. buses and farm tractors. The nozzle is also extra wide so no good for filling cars. Another thing is, I think fuel tanks on American cars/trucks are a lot bigger. Probably to cover the, exceptional to us Brits, exceptional mileages between American towns and Cities. Speaking of gas spillages only had one bad one. I was a bus driver and we had to fill our buses after our shift on the way back to our depot/garage. The bus/coach I had this day was fairly new and had a nylon type tank. Just as it reached capacity the auto switched off I noticed a river of fuel running down the forecourt and into the road. The tank had split!!! Police and Fire Brigade had to be called aswell as council environment officers. over £200 of fuel gone and a massive cleanup bill. Plus the gas station was shut for hours. It was a design fault luckily for me. So the bus builders had to pay.
I knew you'd include the taps! That was a shock for a friend of mine who visited from the USA. If it's any consolation, I'm a Brit who also hates them being separate! But even when there's a mixer tap, it can produce a very similar problem if the flow from the hot and the flow from the cold come out of separate sides of the same spout. Really crazy that you can burn or freeze yourself from just one tap. By the way, how long did it take you to get used to calling them taps instead of faucets? (Our outdoor taps always used to be called faucets, don't know if they still are.)
You used to have the switch on the petrol pumps in the UK. But as more and more stations became completely self-service the latch was disabled. Think the issue is spill especially if the latch fails to disengage. If I remember correctly it is an insurance/contract issue. I live in a 16th century house, all our taps are dual ones. Pretty much a modern bathrooms in the UK since the 80s has mixer taps.
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I don’t usually leave comments but I just love this channel, when I’m having a bad day it’s just nice to sit down, relax and watch one of your videos. There’s a really calming aura around these videos and I can’t express how much I love it! Sending much love to you, and glad you’re enjoying your time in the UK! We’re glad you’re here :)
Thank you... I will try to keep them coming.
I know! I really love watching this channel. It is so relaxing! 💕
Oh me too. Love this family x
Take no notice of negative comments we love your vlogs x
😊 thank you
To solve the tap problem, put the plug in the hole ;)
Put the plug in the basin - run both hot and cold taps and get a basin full of perfectly warm water to wash with. Simples!
All I can say is how welcome you and your family are in England 🇬🇧
Older houses and public buildings in the UK have single taps but almost all new houses are built with mixer taps. They are quite easy to replace and all the DIY stores sell mixer taps. Usually when people update their homes they change to mixer taps.
With the separate taps you're meant to put the plug in and full up the sink from both taps to get the best temperature then wash up.
Shops used to shut at 6pm, and had a half day during the week and never opened on a Sunday. The changes have only happened after a weakening of the workers unions thus forcing them to work longer hours.
With the sink taps you just have to PUT THE PLUG IN THE SINK and then mix the hot and cold water to the desired temperature; same result as a mixer tap.
The reason I heard for the separate taps is that originally the cold water came from the town supply, and was rated potable. Most houses had their water heater in the attic, and the old ones could get contaminated. So the cold water was guaranteed drinking water, the hot was not considered drinking water.
Modern houses using modern water heaters it's obviously not a thing anymore, but that's what historically caused the strange tap system
On the shopping hours... I'm British and live in Germany, I like that the shops in Germany are open less than in the UK and nothing is open on Sundays or public holidays. People in retail also have families, it's good that they can all have at least one day together per week. The sinks have a plug, fill the sink with hot and cold water to the desired temp and use it, saves water and much better for the environment.
I use yo work in retail your right about people needing time with their families apart from Christmas day the shop was open 7 days a week. We had what could be described as a rolling shift pattern. We got 1 weekend off in 7 weeks other wise it was mid-week days we could never go out as a family . Don't think they paid overtime, once sunday open became legal it was ordinary pay
As a retail worker, I am very glad that I am not forced to work through the night. People need a work/life balance.
The tap thing is easy. You put the plug in the sink and mix the water to the temperature ou prefer. It saves a lot of water. I have a mixer tap in my kitchen and it is impossible to get properly hot water. I have to boil a kettle to wash the dishes, which is ridiculous. Fortunately, in the bathroom, I have separate taps, so my baths are beautifully hot.
I agree
I don’t know why separate taps are such a big deal either!!!
The right way is to fill the basin with the amount of hot water and then fill to the level and temperature with the cold tap, simples.
I found your channel yesterday and I’m loving your videos!
Glad you’re loving it over here 😁
This video is so lovely and calming… the auto petrol pumps sound great lol (though I’ve got a tiny little car so it would probably be done by the time I’d got back in the car! 🤣)
Your place in the countryside is gorgeous.
Lovely to hear from you again however there is one thing I don't understand. Repeatedly Americans complain about having two taps.
Simply put the plug in and run both taps until you get the temperature you want. It also saves water and most homes are now fitted with a water meter so it is costing you a lot of money to just let the water run away.
I’m so happy you and your lovely family are enjoying and making the most of your life here in the U.K. I have never visited the U.S. but I appreciate it would be very different from the U.K. and you made a very brave decision to up sticks from what you know yet from your videos I can tell you are loving your new life here… Happy days to you all x
I can understand the restaurant thing, as I spent some time in the US and missed being able to go to a decent Indian restaurant, they are everywhere in the UK but hard to find in the US (and when we did find one it wasn't very good), I do wish there were more Mexican restaurants in the UK, I love Mexican.
I live in Manchester area and I pine for a decent Tex- Mexican Restaurant. (disclaimer: expatriate Texan)
I make do with the Taco Bell in the Exchange mall downtown.
Me too, i love the textures and flavours of Mexican food. I've never been to an authentic restaurant, so i attempt recipes i find online. I would miss Indian food; it's my go-to takeaway.
Oddly in Fort Worth there are good Asian restaurants, as well as televised cricket matches by local teams!
I love it that you love the UK - it makes me feel proud. I have moved away myself as sometimes it drives me crazy there.. but it's in my blood so I still love England and the other countries for their beauty.
Am I the only one that think Mac have that friendly cosy uncle vibes.
Love the duck ... I so love the duck. How wonderful to have her in your garden. You are so fortunate (I am a tad jelly !) x
🦆🦆🦆🐣🐣🐣🐥🐥🐥
The petrol lever was removed some thirty years ago. This was in part due to the move from attendant service to self service. There were a number of incidents where the public misused the lever causing spillages.
And there's always the slight risk of forgetting the nozzle and driving off while it's still in the fuel filler. You Tube informs us this does occasionally happen in the US.
I love seeing a different perspective and I hope that you are respected in the UK
Put the plug in the sink for a wash and mix the water in the basin, no need to choose between hot and cold 😂😃You notice things about the UK we take for granted. I’ve always enjoyed my visits to America and I’ve always found you to be a friendly nation.
Newer properties and renovations have the mixer taps.
@@julia2jules I know most do now. We don’t, but I don’t have a preference myself. 😃
I'm in the South of England and most of the homes I visit have mixed taps
FYI Mains water in England is drinkable. However hot water stored in a storage cistern could become unsafe to drink. Bylaws prevented hot and cold water being mixed
Lol....so English ( washing in a sink) most people have a shower these days lol
Also, I love going to the Mall or Supermarket in the US. The selections are off the chain!!! Its like, I fancy a Mountain Dew. And there's around 10 different choices! It's crazy
@1:12 I think that has to be the same thing for anyone living somewhere different to where they’re used to. We all grew up on the food that we know and love and food let’s face it, is a huge part of our lives!
You’d be er survive in Germany. Half day close on Saturday and all day Sunday. I grew up ( here in the U.K. ) with everything being closed on Sunday and I remember being wonderful. A day when no pressure to do anything. I would bring that if I could. People who work in retail have families and they deserve that time off too.
The reason shops had to close on a Sundays was originally to allow people to go to church..the Sabbath day was holy....This only changed when big business took over, in the '80's...I worked 12 hours in Blockbusters...no lunch break....only time allowed to close was to take the takings, just across the road to the Post Office!...
A great video as always, but I have to say about opening times if shops are open past 8 then people have to work those unsociable hours? Ok for the consumer but what about the work life balance of the workers and their families? I would rather keep that for them rather than at the (small) expense of my own inconvenience. As to taps, you are allowed to run both at the same time and collect the water in the sink to your preferred temperature? Another option of course is get a plumber to change the sink and install a mixer tap? That is also allowed too.
We used to have petrol pumps like that but they seem to have been removed.
I have been to the Mall of America in Minneapolis a couple of times. Now that was big! 4 Department stores. 1 in each corner. Then multiple corridors on several floors with many shops and restaurants along each one. And unbelievably a theme park in the center all under cover. It was massive! 😉😬👀
I really enjoy your channel. I lived in Germany for a couple of years so do understand the culture shock. The shopping hours there are really strict. Nothing is open on Sundays and Saturday is a half day. This is due to a strong retail union that insists that retail workers have a right to a family life. I just got organised and worked with it. I now totally support it. Who, seriously who, need to grocery shop at 23.30, even if you are a shift worker? Days have a cycle, you know that as a farmer. 24 hour convenience is exploiting the lowest paid, with the less rights. You also live in a rural community, how could a shop stay open so someone can buy parmigiana ham on the off chance someone's life will be devastated if they have to substitute a cheese?
I liked your differences, I also liked that none of them are major, and seriously destroy the quality of life - well aside from TexMex - it's a cultural thing, Texas doesn't have many good Indian restaurants
I moved to Germany from Hong Kong. Massive shock that shops were such strict times and there was nothing open at all on Sundays!!!. :O
i agree. people's health and well-being, family life matter more than making money. shops in uk used to close half day. each district had it's early closing day, usually thursday; ours was wednesday. so the staff could go home and do their own tasks. they also worked half day saturday. so 5 whole days. most everything was closed on sunday. it was a better way of life.
I hope Mrs Duck is successful and you get to see her chicks as she takes them down to your pond! My parents have fed a succession of duck and pheasant families over the years, and have often been rewarded with a visit by the chicks later in the year.
So far everything is still going great... I look in on her everyday (from a distance).
You can put the plug in the sink and fill it to the required temperature. Like we do. 😁
Top fueling up tip
Use your petrol cap to hold the leaver in when filling your car
love watching your experiences you don't have to miss out with your taps, as a plumber, I can tell you its very common to have a mixer tap instead of 2 single taps, either get a plumber in or do it yourself no need to change any of the pipes just change the tap to a single spout lever tap, stop by at any plumbing merchants and they will help you out.
It is always interesting to listen to Macs cultural differences, especially as I have extended family in Chicago and St Louis. I must say I was pleasantly surprised on how minor the things he and his family missed. As Mac will find most new houses post 2000 have mixer taps installed and it is a simple DIY job. On the restaurants, yes convenient but in certain states like Florida and across a lot of the south/mid west you drive into every town and it looks exactly the same chain restaurants, and this is not just a visiting Brit observation of the lack character if you read one of Ohio’s famous sons Bill Bryson books he says the same. Petrol pumps well we don’t have that kind of freezing weather where you would really need that and the canopy protects you from the rain. All of the retail things well I am not A big shopper, but I have always felt that the downside to that is those people have to work those unsociable hours away from their families on minimum wage (less in the states) just so you can stroll around a mall until midnight. The things are bigger is definitely true but we are a country of 67M versus 330M so it is not really surprising! I love GB as a proud Brit and I hope everyone including Mac and the family enjoys celebrating the unique occasion of Her Majesty the Queens Platinum Jubilee over the extended Bank Holiday next weekend.
Understand you missing things from home. Have lived in France for 30 years and still miss England. Mainly the pubs, countryside and the people . Glad you're still enjoying yourselves x Happy Easter weekend 🐣🐤🐥
Hi love your Vlogs I have had Tex Mex here in the UK, having lived abroad myself it's ok to list the things about your own country you miss. your positively and enthusiasm for this little island of ours shines through.
I'm a truck driver in the UK most of our truck fuel pumps stay open with that little lever as we take a lot of fuel if not we use a tennis ball to hold it open 🙂
In the UK we used to have these fuel pumps which with the latch on them. I remember using them in the seventies. I don't know why they were discontinued.
I totally get it, when I travel to your home country I am often bug eyed at how much bigger things are in the US. Can I just dispel one thing. We do have mixer taps here in many homes so you could make that change in your home in one afternoon if you hit your limit in winter.
Why does everyone have to have boiling water, why not just set the boiler to heat up to a temperature the human body can handle ?
@@chrisbodum3621 in the days of hot water in tanks, you need it hot enough to kill the bacteria
@@chrisbodum3621 majority of boilers are set to around 60C mainly for washing up in the kitchen, there are thermostatic valves for taps to set the temperature to normally max of45c but these are not common in a standard home. Mixer taps with 1 hole sinks/basins are getting more popular these days, the main reason 2hole sinks and taps have hung around was they were the cheaper option for builders/property developers to use, looking on screw fix, the cheapest pair of taps is £16.99 the cheapest mixer is £37.99.
@@chrisbodum3621 exactly. i never had that problem. just a comfortable hot water.
@@johnleonard9090 there were also sanitary reasons for not mixing the mains supply with anything else in case of contamination from backflow.
There are always pros and cons, but if fairness yours seem small....nice to see you adapting so well....your kids will grow up well rounded and open minded to other cultures, especially when you also take them to trips to other countries too.....go to Berlin and find a little bit of the Berlin wall and try to explain to them what happened to have such a barrier between two sides of the same country that became so different.
I chose your video this morning to watch while I take my blood pressure lol, out of many, because I always know it'll bring a happy smile to my face unlike some other content which might just raise the old BP!
Joking aside of course you will miss some home things, they're part of who you are!
In Australia we have the single taps, but we don't have the self-measuring pumps, I wish we had!
I can understand your enthusiasm for Bass Pro Shop, you can make a day out of it. It's a good advertisement for UK people to visit the US!
Your kids are lucky having all that beautiful green space! And trees are so patient, Lol!
Thank you for the great video!
Trees are patient...
Lovely to hear your enthusiasm for your home country and well said about the negative comments!👍
Thank you for your insights. Totally understand why you miss the food/restaurants you particularly loved.
About the taps I hear quite a lot of Americans comment about the UK not having mixer taps in bathroom sinks. In point of fact they do exist. We have one attached to our bathroom sink. So do a lot of my friends. You probably know this already by now. You can buy mixer bathroom sinks/taps in UK. So a trip to a bathroom showroom can fix any issues people have with sinks that have two taps.
However, just pointing this out, if you have two separate taps and you want to wash your hands and face safely, well you can just do what millions of Brits do and put the plug in the plughole and run the water into the basin (both the hot and the cold) and when it's deep enough and the right temperature then you can wash your hands/face.
You can change the taps buy sets of mixer taps - we did, from B&Q. Or use the plug and fill the sink with mixed hot & cold water simple!
It does appear to me that the U.S. is sending Europe all its best people!
And some to the UK too. 😊
@@ginojaco The UK is in Europe, it's just no longer in the European Union
@@Thomas-nc9fz Not really.
@@ginojaco Europe is a continent, it has nothing to do with politics or economics. Europe is a geographical label.
@@Thomas-nc9fz Outstanding geographical knowledge there, yet a total ignorance of prepositional fact. 👍
Cholera was the causation for two faucets (taps) Victorian engineers put a system together that ensured no contaminated water could feed back into the main cold supply of purified water.The hot water and cold water only ever mixed in the sink. Hot water was isolated by air gaps from feed from the mains via a feed tank and a float valve. Any disease was isolated.
Understand why you miss your home country food. Food preferences / standard comparisons between UK and the US will always be somewhat subjective and controversial. We found that on our US holidays (skiing / California tour / Florida) is that whilst we enjoyed the ease and variety (some great fish dishes) we also felt (for us) that there were too many fast food joints and the portions were enormous even in restaurants. generally we were missing veg dishes but in LA we found a great asian style restaurant where you dipped fresh veg into boiling water - delish after weeks of fries / burgers
The UK used to have those clips to allow the pump to run on its own while filling up, but no more for some reason and yes they made things easier. They maybe still on the diesel pumps for lorries however.
I love your videos!! As a fellow American living in the UK in the past year and half...I agree with you on most things....our family really enjoying our time in the UK here....and wow......8 foot pizzas....!!! US does everything big!!!
If you like tex/mex/BBQ you should try somewhere called hickories there’s not that many in England but if you live in the West Midlands there’s one in kingswinford or one in Worcester near the city centre. It has a really strong southern theme running through the restaurant from everything to menu, music and decor... it would definitely take you back home...
That mum duck is great. Love the updates as you are so positive. Did not know you was minted to buy a farm. lol
Petrol pumps used to have locking latches virtually everywhere in the UK but it became apparent that they are dangerous so most local authorities insist they be disabled. The result is the UK has hardly any static electricity spark fires per year at petrol stations (less than 5) and the US has thousands. It is just a safety thing.
WOW yes can see the reason as you have to be so careful of fumes....
Based on the information I found 1000s a year is quite overblown. From what I could find it was less than 50 a year. Anyway, I may have missed something, do you know of any study reporting this high number? Also, I know this is an older comment, so I hope my question is not a bother.
Tony Soprano over there with your ducks :)
Great video.
Years ago we used to have the little clips that allowed you to lock the petrol pump in the on position and let go of the handle but these disappeared for some reason, probably due to some obscure health and safety concern. All modern houses and many older ones do have mixer taps.
Bathroom taps: you can put a plug in the basin and mix the hot and cold water.
We tend to not just run taps, we use the plug and fill the sink with water at the temp. we want. Also most places are replacing single taps with a mixer tap.
Such a calm dispostion. Love these videos. x
You can buy a mixer tap from any DIY STORE in the UK (or use the plug!!)
as far as i knew you can let the petrol pump, pump petrol itself, usually some mechanism within the lever itself will click when you squeeze it all the way and it will lock in place
Loving the duck nesting in your garden. I had a mallard do the same. You’re doing the right thing keeping your distance. They desert if disturbed too much.
Thanks 👍
Loads of wildlife and loads of space for the children to run around in. You have got it all. Maybe get a camera to keep an eye on the mother duck.
Great videos! Love it! Sooo good and informative! ☺️
1. Separate taps are getting to be uncommon now AND that’s what the plug is for to mix the water. It’s a left over from Victorian plumbing constrains. Also, it’s easy to replace with a mixer tap 🤓
2. All the little Tesco and Sainsbury shops round here in sleepy Cheltenham are open from 0600 - 1100…
3. We’ve a Tex / Mex restaurant here. May not be as good a one near the Mexican border of course 😏
4. Seems the removal of the petrol pump lock is being implemented in the US. For safety reasons due to static build up causing fires (in the US).
Also, love,your channel and so glad you are enjoying life 😁
There’s a couple of reasons why the petrol stations in the U.K. don’t have the feature to pump fuel without you holding the handle.
1) the cost of fuel in U.S is considerably cheaper and most Americans fill the car up till the pump shuts off ..this is not the case in the U.K. because fuel is so expensive and most people do not fill up ..we put in a desired amount we can afford eg: £20’s worth.
2) in America the majority of fuel station explosions are caused not by using your phone at the pump but caused by static electricity from the driver who sets the pump to fill up and walks away from the pump, then they get into the car or reach into the car which can cause static electricity to generate by rubbing your hand or clothing against a bare metal part or the cloth seats then as they return to the pump the static electricity jumps from the hand to the petrol vapours which are still present around the filler cap. Then it’s BOOM. That’s the reason we don’t have that option at our pumps.
We used to have that lever on the pump too. They removed them for safety
Nice one Mac! There will always be things that you miss, that remind you of time past, where you grew up.
The freedom of choice is always prominent for US citizens, and is a habit difficult to break.
Another good and well balanced comparison of different cultures!
I live in the UK and am from the US and been here for 16 years. I used to miss Taco Bell, Wendy's and other American restaurants but they're all here now. I also missed Frank's Red Hot sauce but they have it here. You can change your taps to single taps for cold and hot. My kitchen has the single tap.
Mixer taps are the norm on modern washbasins - old ones had hot and cold, but put the plug in!
Thank you so much for not destroying the water trough! They are all over England, used to be used by cows but also horses when travelling the country. We like keeping stuff over here lol Sorry you miss your homelands but we are really glad you are here with us ❤.... Yeah, our taps are rubbish. I think we keep the hot and cold just to annoy the rest of the world 😂
😁🤣
Put the plug in the sink, you can mix whatever temperature water you want and save water at the same time
If you do not like separate taps then just change them - every DIY shop sells mixer taps or get a plumber. Meanwhile - put the plug in and mix the hot and cold in the sink.
Love your balance - glad you’re happy here.
Thanks for your insight, i really appreciate it.
Have been to several Bass Pro shops in the US and yep they are something else, you can quite easily spend a whole day in one just looking round. What I liked especially were the roads, just put your radio on and drive for hundreds of miles in one day.
Put the plug in the sink and fill it up like a little bath. It saves water too.
The tap thing is easy , put the plug in and then just turn both taps on , it's not good to have taps running with the plug out anyway, avoiding waste.
As a Brit that loves to visit the US (and even worked there a short while) I miss barbecue too. Nobody does barbecue like the Americans. However, there's one place that you will LOVE. Check out Red's True Barbecue in Manchester. It's the nearest thing you will get to US BBQ and honestly, it's seriously good.
Thanks for the recommendation. 👍
I think Asda is now open 24 hours a day in most places, and they can be found in most medium and larger towns. Way back in the '70's before 24hour shops we teens used to trek to the nearest petrol filling station, as those usually had a small convenience store attached, and would be open to 11pm or midnight, and the weekend too.
p.s. I am really enjoying your series. I live 3 miles from Stonehaven and your recent visit to Dunnotar Castle inspired me to do the same last weekend! As a local I had last visited it as a child in the '60s, and never got around to it again until now... 🙂 As a bonus I got to see a pod of dolphins making their way up the coastline from the windows of the castle.
You put the plug in at the sink and mix the water to your preferred temperature lol
Most modern homes have mixers all you have to do is change your sink and taps 👍
Have to say, thats a nice home you have, plus all the ground and pond too wow! As to the taps, there are single outlet taps here, you just have to have them changed! Your becoming very British and you don't know it! Keep having a great time here, you seem happy. - good luck and bless your family.
Maybe drill and fit some sort of tap or valve in that tank? Would save a bunch of water. Just scrub the tank and drain then refill?
This is so interesting, especially the water tap difference. The little things… enjoyed this video. Take care
Thanks for watching
When I fill my car up with petrol I certainly wouldn't have time to go and sit inside it let alone clean it. It takes a couple of minutes.
Do you drive a car with a tank as large as a jumbo jet's?
😀
The reason there are 2 taps is the water temp is set much lower than the US (or at least should be), so you should be able to just use the hot tap to wash yourself (though 50c water is still pretty hot it will not scold you).
i remember when i was a kid petrol stations were called garages here in the uk.
Oddly enough the leaver is still there but the tab has been removed but there definitely several gas station fires a year because the pump does not turn off
Always great to view one of your posts.
Thanks Red 3 👍🏾
Tesco & Asda larger stores are open 24 hours in the UK. There are some smaller convenience shops that also open 24 hours. 🇬🇧🇺🇸
Want good US food, try looking around areas where the US Airforce has a base.
I concur...RAF Lakenheath the biggest US base in UK...has no end of choice in the village outside the base...
Regarding the shop opening hours, these have been arrived at by concensus. Shop staff generally earn the legal minimum wage, or just above. This is sufficient to get by and so shop workers will generally choose to work contactual hours (8/day) and no more. Shoppers recognise this and have done all through my lifetime (50+ years). Thus we do not expect shops to be open after 8pm. In fact, many smaller, privately owned shops close at 6:00pm or 6:30pm. Off-licences (liqor stores) and convenience stores, often owned by British-Asian families, frequently open as late as 10:30pm, especially in major cities.
I always put my petrol cap between the lever so it keeps pumping
I truly love this video, Hi Matthew he is so cute!
Always enjoy your videos. In the days before self service petrol stations. The pumps always had a switch for the attendant to lock on the fuel so he could clean your windscreen whilst waiting for the filling to finish. This changed with self service so rightly or wrongly. It seems to be a safety issue
Oh! the stores staying open! BUT, the consumer mentality is different here in the UK than it is in the US. For instance, I still think its amazing that Saturday shopping is such an event. Everybody goes, they spend the day, drink coffee in the cafes with friends, get what's needed from many small shops instead of the big stores and wander through the markets, if they are lucky enough to have them. It's colourful, fun and more like it used to be. I am friends with my green grocer, with the butcher and I get fresh, just made bread from the baker. I guess I'm nearly a convert. I'll trade longer hours for that experience. Besides, I think it's a better work/life balance and we're much less consumed with consuming here in the UK and that's valuable. I really like your videos! I love the energy, the peacefulness you exude and your family (including your lovely wife!) are beautiful!
Come visit worcester, there is a Mexican restaurant as well as loads of historical stuff and beautiful scenery.
I remember back in the early 70’s our petrol pumps had that self-fill button, not sure when it changed or why
As for the water thing……… that’s what the white thing (called a sink) is for, to mix the hot and cold water in
It might be better to turn the temperature down on your boiler so the water from the hot tap is comfortable 👍 I had to do that, it was sooo hot 😁
I love this video. Especially life just carrying on behind you.
For taps I recommend sticking your hand in the cold first then under the hot haha
There’s a restaurant called Hickories in the North West that does American style smokehouse food. I’d love to know if you thought it was authentic
Thanks for the recommendations. I will look up Hickory's.
Gas: We do have them but they're only on diesel pumps to fill trucks. buses and farm tractors. The nozzle is also extra wide so no good for filling cars. Another thing is, I think fuel tanks on American cars/trucks are a lot bigger. Probably to cover the, exceptional to us Brits, exceptional mileages between American towns and Cities.
Speaking of gas spillages only had one bad one. I was a bus driver and we had to fill our buses after our shift on the way back to our depot/garage. The bus/coach I had this day was fairly new and had a nylon type tank. Just as it reached capacity the auto switched off I noticed a river of fuel running down the forecourt and into the road. The tank had split!!! Police and Fire Brigade had to be called aswell as council environment officers. over £200 of fuel gone and a massive cleanup bill. Plus the gas station was shut for hours. It was a design fault luckily for me. So the bus builders had to pay.
I knew you'd include the taps! That was a shock for a friend of mine who visited from the USA. If it's any consolation, I'm a Brit who also hates them being separate! But even when there's a mixer tap, it can produce a very similar problem if the flow from the hot and the flow from the cold come out of separate sides of the same spout. Really crazy that you can burn or freeze yourself from just one tap. By the way, how long did it take you to get used to calling them taps instead of faucets? (Our outdoor taps always used to be called faucets, don't know if they still are.)
You used to have the switch on the petrol pumps in the UK. But as more and more stations became completely self-service the latch was disabled. Think the issue is spill especially if the latch fails to disengage. If I remember correctly it is an insurance/contract issue.
I live in a 16th century house, all our taps are dual ones. Pretty much a modern bathrooms in the UK since the 80s has mixer taps.