British Expatriate Network

Something caught me off guard last week. I was in a breakfast bar/bakery 5 mins from our house here in North Grafton, MA.

I heard a guy's voice in a 'yorkshire accent' say that his sausage links sandwich was excellent and I almost stopped breathing. I'd just asked for a slice of egg custard. It seemed like we both heard each other at the same time and I dashed around the counter zooming in on him.

After asking the obvious "what he'd asked for to eat exactly" (cos it must have been good and I might want it being a fellow brit and lover of 'home' food), I asked where he was from !!!

Now I come from 5 mins from Meadowhall in Sheffield and he said .....................

"WINCOBANK",

wel I could have died, he might have well have said "George Clooney" ... I blushed :shock: - and I've not blushed in a long time. My heart rate increased, I was overcome with excitedpantsness. It was sooooooooooo exciting.

Wincobank is just next to Meadowhall too. Anyway, he's been here for about 15 years, just lives down the road from me and also has a small baby and american wife. BUT, here's the thing, I had to dash off because I'd just left my sleeping baby in the car whilst I popped in and grabbed a couple of buns.

HOWEVER, I told my hubby all about this (trying to make him jealous of me meeting this guy too that looked around our age) and I thought, crap in hell, I'm never going to see him again. I could imagine us having drinks and playing cranium or something daft.

Just 2 days ago, I went to the bakery again for cup cakes (I'll never lose the baby weight) AND HE WAS THERE AGAIN, with his sausage links !!!!! :grin:

I said, "oh great, looks like I will be seeing you again then" and he said "I hope so", gorsh I thought.

Now, the thing is, would I be too forward in introducing myself properly and kind of seeing if he, his wife and baby would like to come over to ours for a drink etc. Or is this all insane and would he think me stupid, because really if I was back home, I wouldn't grab hold of any guy in a bakery and invite him back to our house. It's because he talks like me and is from within 10 mins of my parents house.

What do you think, should I make a next move or would that make me daft ?

I don't know what to do. I really feel like I want to do something. But what would something be ?

Not to your house, but to a local cafe or something, yes go for it!

We have two American gals in our Britgroup....one is married to a Brit and has lived in the UK so understands when we say how we miss stuff like high street shopping and choice in supermarkets, the other was very good friends with one of our girls who has since moved to Europe so we've adopted her!!

Maybe you could get a similar group going there, advertise in the local stores or paper - there's bound to be some more Brits up there - and ask the wife if she'd like to come along.

I know what you mean though, I have found myself gravitating towards the voice and wondering if I was back in UK would I socialise with this person or not?

Anyway. I've got a gazonking jar of Quality Street sat in the living room.....just thought I'd share that....not the Quality Street obviously although you can have the toffee pennies if you want them! wink

Debs x smile

Hello lovely debs, I bet that quality street cost you a fortune, did you get it from Mrs Bridges Pantry? I've been in there but I'm not paying her prices - shocking. There's a London Pub near there too in CT (it's only 15 mins down the road from us), but they've got no puddings and custards on the menu. It doesn't seem very british really. Bit disappointing.

I think it would be great for you to introduce yourself and meet up with them. I don't thing it's too fowared at all. It's nice to meet other people you have something in commen with especially if its your hometown. Kinda makes you feel not so far away from home. He's obviously friendly enough too.
It's funny because my husband never notices other Brits talking around us. I'm always the one pointing them out to him. Don't know if that's a guy thing or just a him thing. By the way..my husband is from Barnsley - so I've been to Sheffield and Meadowhall many many times!

Possibly a guy thing - I'm usually the last to notice someone is a Brit and then am not particularly bothered. Curiosity burns out in about 30 seconds or less. I do have a British friend here but he's a footy friend first and the fact we are both British takes a very distant second.

He's not particularly bothered. He does have one Brit friend here too (from W. Yorkshire) but they too have a ton in common (x-box, football, beer, etc) so the "British" part is not necessarily the reason they are friends...other than their love for British food. The food is all they seem to talk about when it comes to talking about going back for a visit.

I just think if I lived in the UK I would be excited to hear an American and would be quick to talk to them and find out how they got there and things... but that's probably the people person in me!

Oh go for it Nicky! For goodness sake, you met us off the internet! I would defintely invite them over.

Yes, definitely invite them over. Easier in your home, I'd think, as you both have kiddies. Don't let a friendly Brit get away!

When you meet a fellow Brit over here, do you find that you quickly slip into BritSpeak phrases, accents and slang that you normally wouldn't say to Americans because you not sure they'd understand? lol

Dinner and a play date for the bairns.

Definately Adeshell !

THANKS GUYS

Yep, I second, third all those opinions that say go for the invitation, it'd be fun.

Hiya,
Nikki go for it, what ya got to lose?

Speaking of Quality Streets and Roses....I've been home 5 days now and if I see one more bloody Quality Street or Roses I am going to throw them in the bloody rubbish bin. They are all over the house, even my American husband is constantly eating them. At the pantomime today (seeing the Chuckle Brothers), a family were passing a box of them around.
Besides Quality Streets and Roses, I'm having a fab time. The jet lag and plane ride though has been tough for my little un, but he's a trooper. Sunday, we took a drive out to Knaresborough...a gorgeous little village and to Harrogate. Tomorrow, I think we'll take a drive to Lincoln.
Pauline Fowler's final days finally came to an end on Christmas Day, unfortunately it wasn't Dot's final days.
The smoke in the pubs is definitely something else, and so is what the lasses are all wearing.
We went one night to the pictures, wanting to see Borat, but the last showing was 820pm, missed that one so we saw The Holiday instead. We were the last ones in the pictures at not even 11pm, one explanation they're all at the pub )
Anyway not to hijack the post, but the Quality streets got me going, but just wanted to give you a quick run down of our Chrimbo in Hull.

Even though I have never been to Hull and it was lampooned on "to Hull and back" (Only Fools and Horses) and even though I'm a southern Jessie...I'm very envious of a christmas back home.