Being British XIV

[AidaLuthien]

I will leave the matter of tea to someone who is more equipped to answer it.

I have a different question! Which hopefully won't overlap too much with plot help.

How broad is the public library system in Britain? How about as of 1971?

I'm looking for a place that Lily and Snape might go as children in the winter time (so probably not playing out doors at least not all the time). The first thing that came to mind was a public library, but I'm not sure their industrial town would necessarily have one, much less one that is particularly accessible to two kids.

[welshdevondragon]

Jamie-most people in the UK now drink tea in tea bags, not loose leaf. If it's not a specific tastes then it's just 'tea' or sometimes 'builder's tea'. If you ask someone around for tea, it normally means just that, you have a cup of tea with them. If you have more exotic flavours, then you'll offer them tea (builder's tea), or jasmine, or camomile, or whatever else you have I hope that makes sense.

Aida-I'm pretty sure most towns in Britain have a public library, and have done since the 60s I think. Villages probably won't, but I wouldn't think it was out of place for Snape and Lily to use a library to hang out/ meet, if they live in an industrial town. And libraries are usually in/ near the town centre so easily accessible. I hope that helps-

[Northumbrian]

Please explain tea to me.

Not the meal, though that's a bit baffling too.

When I think of tea, I think of my wonderful assortment of loose-leaf glory in tins in my desk drawer that my co-workers make fun of me for (until they have a sore throat and I say, "I've got a tea for that!"). I've got oolong, assam, green, white, red, herbal. I have teas that flower in water and teas that you can steep all day and teas you want to take out of the water after three minutes. I have teas you want to add sugar to and teas you should leave virginal. I have spicy teas, fruity teas, bitter teas, sweet teas, smoky teas, minty teas. I love tea. (I've also typed the word "teas" enough times for me to think it is misspelled.)

However, I get the distinct feeling that when you folks say "tea" you mean something ENTIRELY DIFFERENT. I just don't know how different.

Please explain tea to me. Explain as though you would to a child. A very thick child.

As has been said these days most people make tea with tea bags. British teas are usually blended and mainly indian varieties – black teas. The most popular blends are simply trademarked names - PG Tips is the best seller, I think Tetleys is number 2, but I’m not certain.

Every supermarket chain sells their own brand teas and while teabags have conquered, loose tea is still available everywhere. Any supermarket will have a decent choice of at least a breakfast tea, a chinese green tea, several herbal teas (usually mint and camomile), probably an Oolong and a Darjeeling and, of course, Earl Grey. (There is a momument to Earl Grey in the nearest city to me).

I’m a keen tea drinker, I get my (loose leaf, blended) tea (Ringtons Northern Choice is my everyday tea of choice) delivered to the door by the “Tea Man”. He calls fortnightly.

I would not claim that tea has any particular healing powers, but every office I’ve ever worked in has contained tea making facilities, and most people will drink two or three cups a day while at work. If you have workmen in it would be inconceivable not to offer them a cuppa.

What else do you need to know?

-N-

[Padfoot11333]

I have another question. What month would you start school in if you went to a Muggle School? For example my school here starts in the end of August, and a school in Georgia I used to go to started on August 2, I believe. So would it vary? Would everyone start in September 1st?

Sorry if this is blatantly obvious x)

Lily xxx

[babewithbrains]

Lily -- most schools start around the beginning of September, but not necessarily September the first. (It might be the second, third, fourth, etc.)

[FearlessFlyer]

Is there a name used in the UK for a non professional sports league where adults play for fun? In the US we call them "rec" (short for recreational) leagues.

Thanks
Martha

[Equinox Chick]

Sorry, I meant to reply to this at the time. I don't think we have a particular name. There are amateur leagues in things like football (soccer to you -LOL). Apparently they have certain rules where if you do have a professional contract then you can't play for an amateur team, but that's about it.

~Carole~

[Milopie]

Hi, I've got kind of a silly question... Are there Saturday morning cartoons in England? Or something of that sort? And if so, what are some examples and what are they like?
Oh, also, around when in Autumn do leaves start to fall from the trees a lot?
Thanks so much!

-Rachel

[Northumbrian]

Hi

The Saturday morning cartoons requires another question - When?
These days there are entire childrens channels (CBBC, CBeebies, CITV) but in the past, yes.
However, we've never produced a huge number of homegrown cartoons. We tend to import them and rely on stop motion animation for everything from Trumpton through Postman Pat to Sean the Sheep.

As for Autumn, that depends very much on the weather. Last year it was late (October/November, but it can be September. This year a lot of threes thought that spring had arrived in mid-January. You can probably please yourself between September and November.

-N-

[AidaLuthien]

I know that most pubs allow minors in to eat, and serve 16 year olds beer if they order food...

but what about nightclubs? ... What about a gay nightclub right before or right after the decriminalization of homosexuality? Would they have been so illegal that they wouldn't care about IDing possible minors? Or would that have just gotten them in even more trouble?