The 39 steps to a thoroughly British experience

Well we survived the 5 day mad dash tour of the UK- even managed to squeeze in some

wonderful English riots along the way. I won't say much about that except that I have seen some of the worst and best in this country, I've been ashamed, infuriated, saddened and uplifted all at the same time.

Anyway we/they managed to

1. Have close encounters of the cow variety- in the city courtesy of the Town moor in Newcastle

2. Listen to choirs practicing Parry and Elgar in Durham Cathedral

3. Eat vast quantities of fish and chips- in fact it was fish and chips 3 days in a row- score 1 for British food, or was the other food that bad??

4. Walk through Heather and wild mountain thyme

5. Eat haggis (and like it!)

6. See Salmon jumping up the Shin falls

7. Take a red London bus and sit up front, upstairs

8. Be accosted by a Dumbledore clone on the Royal mile

9. Hear bagpipes on the breeze ( the best way in my opinion) and up close and personal

10. Kilts, kilts, kilts

11. Be delayed on a train due to disruptive passengers being removed,

signalling difficulties and waiting for other trains

12. Been searched through airport security with grumpy, unhelpful staff

13. Sticky toffee pudding

14. Drunk Irn bru (I think I may have 2 coverts to the cult of Irn Bru)

15. Been munched by the terror of the west coast of Scotland...the midge

16. Whiskey tasting at 11.30am

17. Met a real Highland cow

18. See some of the (in)famous nightlife of Newcastle

19. See some of the craziness of the Edinburgh festival including synchronised leg waving, victorian magicians and a full on street musical Sound of music/austin powers cross

20. Watch the sunset behind Edinburgh castle

21. Squished on a tube, with luggage

22. Pose outside Center court in Wimbledon

23. Cross the swinging bridge of Doom over a gorge and waterfall- witnessed by a million

tourist (that one joyous terror was all mine)

24. Enjoy a pint in a proper pub

25. Insulted by Neds on Princes street

26. Sitting on a london bus, watching a Hindu festival pass by

27. Experiencing a rowdy 40th birthday party in a restaurant including joining in singing 'happy birthday'

28. Superdry stores- which have nothing to do with Japan, but have random Japanese labels on the clothes, its the reverse of Engrish

29. Pub Lunch

30. The endless wait for luggage at Heathrow

31. Sheep, everywhere

32. Toasted bacon sandwiches and mugs of tea- first class on the train

33. Wrapped up in blankets eating BBQ outside

34. Oyster cards- I'm a lucky holder of a special commerative Royal wedding one...lucky me!

35. Splurging in a Cath Kidston store- we were in there for hours

36. Takeaway Ramen - Tokyo style in Newcastle

37. toast and jam for breakfast- no random salads or hot dog sausages

38. black cabs with british flag designs...the olympic fervor is stepping up a pace here

39. Collapsing in a big heap at the end of this and needing to sleep for a week

And a few snaps from the madness...