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Posts Tagged ‘london relocation agency’

Why NOT Get London Relocation Support from Your Employer

Saturday June 11th, 2011

A few months ago, I wrote a post entitled, “Relocating to London: Negotiating an Expat Package with Your Employer.” I recommend you check that one out if you’re in the process of finding out if you can make a London move happen with your existing employer or if that employer is now offering you the option whether you think you’ll like that transfer or not. Basically, it compares the degree of leverage that you’ll likely have depending on the situation (i.e., a requested transfer versus “forced” one) and what items you can reasonably expect to be covered in an expat package—bearing in mind that, of course, every situation is different.

At any rate, I just got back from hanging out with several American expat couples that I’ve been so privileged to become good friends with since first meeting through London Relocation’s social network for expats moving to London. Three of these couples moved here with a job transfer that at least initially provided generous expat packages that covered housing. One of them is now on their own after a couple years here, so have just moved to a new family-friendly London neighborhood that is conducive to raising their new baby (due next month—a new expat is born!), all by their own choice given what they need lifestyle-wise and can afford. Cool. Another couple has been here about a year and told me how they’re still waiting to find out whether they’re moving in seven days or not. Huh?! They, too, are expecting their first child soon, so need to move into a different London apartment that will offer more space and less death-defying stairs. Unfortunately, given their expat arrangement with the employer that transferred them here, they have to work through the third-party business appointed by that employer in securing the new housing. They were given a few options and chose what they liked best, yet they’ve had no communication whatsoever recently whether, in fact, that is where they can live and if they should indeed be packing up all their stuff to move house very, very soon or not. Beyond frustrating!

A third couple, then, has previously related grievances to me about the relocation agency they were forced to work with through the employer that transferred them; they had found London Relocation through their own internet research efforts and really wanted to use us, but their company gave them no choice. Instead, they suffered through viewings of one crap apartment rental after another, and they weren’t thrilled with other aspects of the service, making them especially wish they could’ve worked with London Relocation’s friendly folks instead. Their expat situation is one that must be revisited year by year, so they never know how long they’re staying in London. Sure, they get their rent paid for and probably then some, but year-by-year they’re at the mercy of what the employer dictates, which impacts how they can make plans for what country they’ll be living in, one, and two, where they can live even if they’re staying here. It also impacts the accompanying spouse in this situation a great deal, as she’s just started a London-based business that hinges on her actually living here to carry out its service, so she’s stuck in limbo where promoting that business is concerned as long as she doesn’t know where the next few months will bring them.

This all just made me realize that perhaps I shouldn’t have been as frustrated as I was to be an expat by virtue of a new job, not one that transferred us over here. We lamented that we hadn’t had a sweet expat package deal to take care of finding our flat to rent or covering the cost—but in retrospect now, we’re feeling pretty lucky that we didn’t! Yes, this is an expensive city to live in when you’re paying out of your own pocket, but at least when you do so you’re basically also buying your freedom to dictate for yourself how long you stay, where you live, and whose services you employ to sort that relocation out. You can contract a fabulous destination service provider like London Relocation if you want to have that peace of mind that your ideal apartment awaits you after only one day of viewings.

Just something to ponder as you’re researching a relocation and might be miffed that your employer isn’t offering you an expat package…

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Living in London – Going from Excess to Experience

Tuesday May 24th, 2011

 

I’d wondered if it would be difficult to keep writing about relocating to London when I myself am not there – I’ve just entered week 2 of my visit home, and often my blogs are otherwise inspired by what I’m actually up to or happen to see any given day in the UK. Once you yourself move to London, though, you’ll realize it will never again be very far from your mind. Not only is it constantly in the news for some political/cultural reason, but you’ll likely find that living in London offers enough contrast to your previous lifestyle to make you as constantly compare the differences when you return home as when you first move abroad. Crazy how the unfamiliar can become familiar and vice-versa!

One ghost of my 2008 London relocation that really comes back to haunt me while I’m here on the US side of the Atlantic is that dreaded experience of packing. The two weeks of boxing my belongings to ship overseas or into storage (see my Saturday Weekend Warrior series for detailed packing tips for moving house) weren’t nearly so bad as that very. Last. Day. The day that I had to officially evacuate the premises of my condo so my new tenant could move in – even though I was still going to have to sit around and wait a month for my UK visa to come through before moving to London. I remember how I’d held onto so many items I considered precious either sentimentally or monetarily that I’d wanted to carry on or check with my baggage rather than send on with the movers. They were items I wanted close as they made me feel a little bit more myself in the absence of everything else, which does bear legitimate value in that respect. But not all the items did…I recall being indecisive about clothing and other random objects like the toasting flutes from our wedding, and at the last hour I’d realized I hadn’t kept enough luggage behind to hold it all. Talk about a freak-out! I threw a royal fit, cursing and crying. But you know, it wasn’t about the stuff after all.

It wasn’t that I couldn’t bring everything I’d so thoughtfully set aside. First of all, it’s not as though I couldn’t have borrowed or bought additional baggage to pack it inside! Second of all, it was just the fact that it was becoming an issue, that the stuff that had up until then fit so perfectly inside my home and in my life was now feeling like cumbersome dead weight that I had to schlep around in a laundry basket and stow in my car trunk for the time being. That suddenly that combination of items made no sense together or in the question mark my life was becoming, and it was a difficult early lesson in simplify, simplify, simplify.

Honestly. I know I have boxes of clothing, for instance, sitting in storage at some family member’s house or other. Gee, now after not seeing it in almost three years and only imagining what musty, wrinkled, yellowing state it must be in now, do I really think I’ll ever wear any of that crap again? Especially after I’ve been accumulating giant piles of the clothing I did bring to London to give away? When we move back, I’m figuring after a quick glance into those particular boxes out of sheer curiosity of what outdated items my hording held onto, I’ll promptly reseal them and kick ‘em to the curb for AmVets.

You see, the right attitude to have when living in London as an expat straddling international borders with essentially a foot in two countries is, yes, simplify. At first you’ll want to define yourself in terms of your stuff—your clothing, your house, your car, whatever—but after enough time living abroad you’ll start to instead define yourself in terms of your experience. It won’t be about what you have but what you do. Exploring the city and traveling to other towns and countries is certainly a part of that, but it’s also negotiating in other ways this giant “Reset” button you’ve just pushed in deciding to relocate to the UK—it’s where your career or education will take you or what other opportunities you’ll discover for applying your talents.

Beyond my individual existence, I think the impact of this “Reset” is even what I enjoy most about the way my relationship with my husband has evolved, along with the friendships with other London expats I’ve established; we’ve all had to leave the stuff behind and redefine ourselves in this simplified state of being, so we relate to each other more on a level of intrinsic substance, not material pleasure. There’s not enough time in a day for all the experience London has given me, which leaves not a minute to waste worrying about what stuff I was or wasn’t able to move with me. I know now what I can do without, that I don’t need to pad myself in pretty shoes or decorative knick-knacks to feel whole. Even if I wanted to, heck, that London apartment we rent doesn’t have enough space to fit it all, which started as a curse but became a blessing—at right about the time that living in London became living.

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Living in London: Windsor Castle Times Two

Monday May 16th, 2011

Having moved to London from the US three years ago, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting not just one Windsor Castle in the UK, but two. And just within about a week’s time recently, I’ve revisited both!

The first Windsor Castle is, well, the real one. Situated just outside London’s urban sprawl in the town of Windsor, of course, Windsor Castle is one of the royal palaces still in operation. Just like the royal standard flying atop Buckingham Palace is an indication that the Queen is in residence here in the city, so it will fly above Windsor Castle when she’s occupying her quarters there. This wing is not accessible by the public, although much else of the castle is should you decide to visit after your London move—I encourage you to! The St. George’s Chapel on site there is the resting place of many influential British monarchs, including the present Queen’s parents, King George and the Queen Mum, and you can wander through the grand opulence of the castle’s corridors and rooms to glimpse history as portrayed by sculptures, portraits, and crests. There is an admission fee, but if you request the applicable form, you can obtain a stamp at customer service that entitles you to return again for free within the course of twelve months.

Windsor Castle is located right at the border of Windsor and Eton, which you’re likely familiar with as the home of Eton College, where Princes William and Harry studied and which has been an elite educational institution for boys for six centuries. If dining in the vicinity, make sure to treat yourself to the traditional dessert “Eton Mess” – it’s not as messy as it sounds and is utterly deelish! :) To get to Windsor by train from central London, take the overground train from Paddington Station to Slough (which is none other than the fictional location of the UK’s original The Office series, *hee*). It’s about a twenty-minute ride and, from there, you can catch the express train to Windsor that takes only a few minutes.

My more local Windsor Castle, however, is a pub tucked away in the quieter streets of Notting Hill that the tourists usually neglect on their pilgrimage to Portobello Road. A popular neighborhood for American and Canadian expats in London, Notting Hill is home to several pubs along the beaten path, but Windsor Castle is a peaceful haven that makes you feel like you’ve really stumbled on a nice secret. Be prepared to mind your head as you walk through the tiny doors of once-private areas of pub seating, and, if it’s a nice day and you’re not in the mood for the cozy darkness of its wooden interior, try to grab a seat outside in its charming beergarden, where you can sip your traditional ale or wine under the protecting shade of trees.

When you relocate to London, you’ll readily find there’s no end to the high-profile tourist attractions and low-key local haunts alike, so the best part of living here is trying to hit them all!

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Living in London: Put Your Walking Shoes On!

Tuesday May 3rd, 2011

When you relocate to London, you’ll find there’s no end to discovering things to do, whether for yourself or visitors that you host. A major perq of moving to London is having much more opportunity to explore all its nooks and crannies, so you’ll receive guests who are excited to have their own personal, knowledgable tour guide. :)

As I mentioned Monday, this week I’m hosting a close friend of mine, so my posts will be based on our activities so you can get some ideas for city excursions and how you might conquer a lot in a little time if you tackle your London tours in clusters (in the spirit of my “London Bundles” series) and make the most of London’s public transport.

So yesterday, my friend was keen to check out the London Eye, which didn’t exist when we last toured London together in 1998. Catching the District Line to Westminster station gave opportunity to see Big Ben and Parliament up close (with Westminster Abbey looming not too far away) before we crossed the River Thames and boarded the Eye. New to me this time round (who hadn’t been on the Eye in two years) was a “4D Experience” you can have for just a few minutes prior to getting inside your Eye-Pod (hardy-har…my cleverness is infinite, isn’t it ;) ).

A clear, sunny day, it was perfect for staying outside a while, so re-crossed Westminster Bridge and walked along the Embankment, where, just before the tube station, we cut up onto Craven Street to see the former homes of Herman Melville (author of Moby Dick) and Benjamin Franklin—Benjamin Franklin House, in fact, was effectively the first American Embassy in London, where Franklin lived for almost sixteen years just prior to returning to the US in time for its war of independence.

From there, Trafalgar Square was right around the corner and Buckingham Palace a stroll down the Mall. Pleasant to see the palace this time without the Royal Wedding masses crushing me, there were still apparently enough buffoons present to attempt climbing the palace fence—never in my entire experience living in London so far had I seen a royal guard pointing his firearm at civilians…well, yesterday changed that. “GET OFF THE FENCE!” was shouted by two guards, in fact, as they lowered their guns to their waists and aimed them directly at the tourists. Yowzah! Never fear, a bobby came to the rescue. And just so ya know, probably some of the nicest gift shops you could visit in London are located along Buckingham Palace Road—two of them located along the palace boundary and another just across the street from the Queen’s Gallery entrance.

In the interest of time (and our tootsies), rather than backtrack on foot, we just walked to the nearby Victoria station and caught the District Line to Temple station, which is just around the corner from The Strand, which, had we hung a left, could have led us into the theatre district, but we took it to the right, which led us toward Fleet Street. Just before the road changed its identity for the first of two times during that walk, we popped into the Twinings tea shop across from the Royal Courts of Justice. This narrow lil’ tea store was founded in the early 1700s and still has its Royal Wedding commemorative blend in stock, a special tea commissioned by the Queen. And then, just before Fleet Street turned into Ludgate Hill, we ducked into the little alley of Ye Olde Cheschire Cheese, favorite haunt of Charles Dickens and Samuel Johnson. There, we tucked ourselves into a cozy nook in the cellar bar, then tucked into a steak and ale meat pie and sticky toffee pudding, all washed down with a pint of Samuel Smith’s Organic Wheat.

My husband works near St. Paul’s Cathedral, so we lingered in the area until we could meet him for dinner. Enjoying the last of the sunshine sitting on Paul’s steps, I discovered that my friend is also a fan of the film Closer, rendering it imperative that I dash her off to Postman’s Park nearby to “meet” Alice Ayres at the setting of the movie’s critical scene. And while we were already so close by, I figured why not take her over to Smithfield Market, where I could show her the historic meat market along with St. Bartholemew’s Church (which has featured in many films and was the site of a printing press where Ben Franklin worked) and the site of William Wallace‘s execution.

Thoroughly pooped from all our on-foot London travels, we gladly sat to a high-carb dinner with the hubby at Zuccato City Italian restaurant on the darling Bow Lane, a cute area of narrow shop and pub-lined streets located just behind St. Paul’s.

Oh my goodness, I’m exhausted just writing about it all again, and we definitely felt wiped by the time we reached home, but it was an amazingly achievable feat that we did manage at our leisure, so it didn’t feel like we were on a mission. And we hadn’t even gotten going until noon! It’s just a testament to London and all it contains within walkable distances, getting you geared up to see and learn more as you round each corner. Relocating to London is like having your lifestyle chug a Red Bull in that way—totally optimizing your everyday with renewed zest just when you think you’ve seen it all. :)

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Relocating to London From A to Z: It Ain’t Called “Victorian” for Nothin’…

Wednesday April 20th, 2011

Relocating to London requires a lot of preparation, notably the search and rental of a London apartment. As new London expats acclimate to the city, there’s usually a lot of “oohing” and “ahhing” over its Victorian architecture, and in thinking about the actual structures of the city in terms of where you might live and sight-see, I’m paying homage today to one particular lil’ lady whose reign largely gave us the London we see today. So, for today’s contribution to the April A to Z Blogging Challenge, I bring you:

“Q” is for QUEEN VICTORIA!

As an American living in London for a couple years, the letter “Q” automatically carries my thoughts to “Queen.” Well, it’s either that or “Quidditch”…and I hate to break it to you, but that game isn’t real…Harry Potter doesn’t really exist here in the UK…(but try telling that to these guys: “Quidditch for Muggles“…and okay, while on the topic, I have to toss you this too: “Like it’s Quidditch“). Enough! I can’t believe I’m actually derailing this away from Britain’s longest-reigning monarch!

Okay, so Queen Victoria. Rather than delve into her personal history, I thought I’d point out how much a part of your everyday her era will be once you move to London. To start, if ever you find yourself strolling through the lovely Kensington Gardens, take a gander at that stately building on its west end: Kensington Palace, where Victoria grew up as a princess and was proclaimed the successor to England’s throne at the young age of eighteen. You’ll note a large statue of her as Queen overlooking the grounds’ Round Pond, and if you head west on Kensington High Street, after doing some shopping to doll yourself up like a princess, hang a left onto Earls Court Road and take a rest at the Princess Victoria pub. If you walk eastward instead, though, you’ll see two notable structures standing in Victoria’s husband’s memory: Royal Albert Hall and the Prince Albert Memorial just across the way in the park. And if you dip down from there into South Kensington, you’ll of course chance upon the well-known Victoria & Albert Museum.

As Queen, Victoria moved out of Kensington Palace to stretch her legs more at Buckingham Palace. She was the first sovereign to live there as of 1837, and her statue can be seen as part of the Victoria Memorial just in front (where tourists love to sit these days to watch the Changing of the Guard). She also occupied Windsor Castle and other residences outside London.

Speaking of residences, the strips of terraced housing that we see lining many-a street in London emerged during the Victorian era. Built with shared walls, their design was energy-saving for heating and also enabled more people to occupy less space. According to Inside the Victorian Home, whereas at the turn of the century only 20% of Britain’s population lived in its cities, 80% did by Queen Victoria’s death: “One-third of the houses in Britain today were built before the First World War, and most of these are Victorian.” And the black railings that we see adorning these houses and park fences were a direct influence of Queen Victoria’s—not only did she wear black the rest of her life upon her dear Prince Albert’s death, but she had all of London’s railings painted black to symbolize her grief as well.

And, of course, the London Victoria rail station will likely figure into your commute at some point, whether via the Underground (one of the tube lines also being named for Victoria) or the overground train (I often take the Gatwick Express train to Gatwick Airport from there). The Victoria coach station is also located here if you travel by bus.

So maybe I could have easily used this topic for the letter “V” instead, but I have other plans for that… At any rate, you can get a quickie glimpse into Queen Victoria’s life by watching The Young Victoria and, better yet, study up on the woman from right here in your new London apartment or assorted authentic London locations.

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Relocating to London From A to Z: Enjoying London with “Flare”

Tuesday April 19th, 2011


If you’re relocating to London and have visited before, there are prime central neighborhoods you’ve surely heard about given their high level of tourism. When you move to London, though, you see that you approach these same areas from a different angle; perhaps you’ll seek to avoid them altogether, but me, I like to still play tourist and keep sucking up all that I can. Today’s A to Z Blogging Challenge, then, is:

“P” is for PICCADILLY CIRCUS!

Now, we recently wrote about Piccadilly Circus and how it’s such a hub of tourism. Essentially the Times Square of London, the bright lights and foot/street traffic can be over-stimulating, and I confess that it’s not an area I like to frequent for this very reason. As a London resident, you’ll likely not gravitate toward such novelty shops and sites, but what Piccadilly certainly does have going for it is a nightlife of theatre, restaurants, and bars.

In February, I wrote about how I’d attended the play The Children’s Hour, starring Keira Knightley and Elisabeth Moss, located at the Comedy Theatre in London’s West End. Well, just last night, my husband and I watched yet another famous film actress grace the stage: Sienna Miller in Flare Path. Set in an English village inn during World War II, the play follows three young couples, the husbands of which serve in the Royal Air Force. Bonds of love and loyalty are put to the test and

delivered powerfully and endearingly by strong performances. I thought everything about this show exuded class, from the quaint hotel interior to the period clothing to the well-crafted dialogue of the well-cast characters, and I highly recommend it. The Royal Haymarket Theatre is just a five-minute (if even) walk from Piccadilly Circus tube station and has plenty of dinner options nearby. We ourselves dined at the Mint Leaf, which offered a reasonably-priced “pre-theatre” menu of its flavorful and rather cosmopolitan Indian cuisine. We didn’t have much time to waste, so the staff was very friendly and efficient about serving us the food and bill in enough time to catch the play right next door!

If you enjoy live stage performances or simply being where the action’s at, Piccadilly Circus is a-buzz with plenty of options if you don’t mind all the people. It’s good to step out of your London apartment now and then to interact with the masses, after all, so live it up in any way you can!

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Relocating to London from A to Z: The “A to Zed” Atlas

Friday April 1st, 2011

All right, those of you moving to London! It’s April 1, so time to kick off our A to Z Blogging Challenge. Thinking up this one was a no-brainer for me; the idea practically smacked me upside the head and said, “Derr!” (But don’t worry, the topic itself is not as antagonistic ;) ). To kick-start our alphabet:

“A” is for A-Z  LONDON MAP!

I told you. “Derr…” right? And yet what could be more appropriate for starting our alphabet game or incredibly useful for your London move? London is a tricky city to get around in. Sure, the tube and bus routes are easy enough to figure out and should deliver you to wherever you need to go, but you’ll still have to be able to navigate the streets on your own. This is an old city, so there’s no tidy grid system to work with, and only the black taxi drivers have gone through enough rigors of testing to have this hairy network of streets memorized.

What you need in your purse or pocket is your handy-dandy A-Z street atlas (pronounced, “A to Zed,” if you want to sound like a local). These maps come in assorted sizes depending on the scale of book you want on hand, but all of them will show you down to the minutest lane and in a very user-friendly fashion. So if you’re exploring what neighborhoods to live in, searching for flats to rent, trying to find the location of your job interview, or already finding your way to social engagements as a new London resident, pop into a Ryman shop or bookstore at assorted locations and pick up your copy. You can also find them online at:

www.a-zmaps.co.uk.

If you’re going to stock anything on the bookshelf in your new flat, it’s the A-Z.

 

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Relocating to UK? The Facts About Flats For Rent

Wednesday March 30th, 2011

Those of you who are moving here, planning a vacation, or just plain enamored with the city and looking to discover as much as you can about it, I just wanted to give the heads up that London Relocation is participating in the “A to Z Blogging Challenge” starting this Friday, April 1st. That may be April Fool’s Day, but I’m not foolin’ ya—I already post to our blog every day any way, but this time it will be within alphabetical parameters; i.e., every post (except on Sundays, when we’ll have our regularly scheduled Weekend Warrior Sunday history lesson) will be inspired by the letters of the alphabet, in order. You can expect, then, a fairly random assortment of topics, though probably not any more random than what I already post on all-things-London…

So, as usual, I’ll introduce sights to see, places to eat and drink, neighborhoods to live in, and assorted other property and moving tips for getting sorted with that new apartment of yours.

Now I’ll be a true lady of letters. ;)

So please do drop on by if you’re keen to see what the next letter will stir up in this alphabet soup of sorts!

As the song goes:

“Then you’ll know your  ABCs.

Next time won’t you call us, please.” :)

That way we can supplement your new-found knowledge and help with your move by searching plenty of apartments to rent—which will in turn allow you more time to graduate beyond the ABCs and do some experiential learning!

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Living in London on a Budget: Nectar of the Gods

Wednesday March 16th, 2011

If you’re moving to London, you’re probably already concerned about the cost of living. I don’t think anyone is oblivious to the fact that this is an expensive city to live in, particularly where renting an apartment is concerned, so you want to pinch your pence where you can.

There are assorted means of obtaining great discounts on food and recreation (we have a good list running on our site under “Resources“), and the one I’d like to feature today is the Nectar card. With Nectar (www.nectar.com), you can accrue points just by spending on the everyday sorts of things you’d have to be buying anyway and then redeem them for other necessities or indulgences!

You can pick up your card on site at a Sainsbury’s, BP, or Homebase store in London, or order one online. You may then register your card online and start reaping its benefits. The website will show you where in London or UK at large you can accumulate/use points, offering a variety of categories like food and beverage, home and garden, entertainment, health and fitness, and even travel (companies like BP, Expedia.com, and Hertz participate).

Just like we are proud to share its client testimonials to reinforce the value of our services, Nectar’s website provides them from its users as well, along with tips on how to use your points effectively.

Your London move is going to introduce you to so many fantastic experiences, so if you’re relocating on a budget, maximize the extent to which you can enjoy the city’s delights by spending smartly and actually saving money by shopping!

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Move to London and Eat Yer Humble Pie

Tuesday March 15th, 2011

If you’re relocating to London, sure, there just might be enough cause for error and embarrassment as you try to get situated in a new country, but that’s not the kind of “humble pie” I’m talking about today. :)   You’re likely already familiar with the English nursery rhyme:

Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye.
Four and twenty blackbirds,
Baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened,
The birds began to sing;
Wasn’t that a dainty dish,
To set before the king?

We were entertaining a friend visiting London from the US last night and decided to treat him to some traditional British pub cuisine, namely the meat pie. And, appropriately enough, we took him to the Blackbird pub in Earls Court! The Blackbird is our go-to if any guests (or ourselves) are hankerin’ for a meat pie, as they offer such a nice selection of them, and their pastry is exquisitely light and fluffy. They do offer a vegetarian version as well, in case Tim Burton’s film Sweeney Todd has you concerned as to the origin of the pie’s contents:

Fancy a pie from this dear lady? Want to know a little more about it first? Okay. Apparently, meat pies (“humble pies,” as we also know them) have been consumed in Britain for over six centuries, and I read that such food actually came to the Isles even earlier with the Romans, who used a flour and water casing sheerly for cooking the meat inside, not to be eaten itself. In medieval times, the pies took on a rectangular shape, so were called “coffins,” and they were stuffed with sweet fruits and spices along with the meat…the precursor to the enormous Yorkshire Christmas pie that I still cannot wrap my brain around, let alone my mouth (the famous recipe is here, for whenever you happen to have an extra turkey, goose, duck, partridge, and pigeon lying around and you’re wishing you just had one easy recipe that could use them all…hm, perhaps you’ll want to try a less ambitious mincemeat pie instead, another holiday favorite in the UK). Speaking of English nursery rhymes:

Little Jack Horner
Sat in the corner,
Eating a Christmas pie;
He put in his thumb,
And pulled out a plum,
And said ‘What a good boy am I!’

By Victorian-era England, pies had become more savory, and today we commonly see them filled with steak and kidney, pork, chicken, and sometimes game fowl. These pies were essentially England’s first takeaway foods, the early form of cheap street meat:

Simple Simon met a pieman going to the fair;
Said Simple Simon to the pieman, “Let me taste your ware.”
Said the pieman to Simple Simon, “Show me first your penny.”
Said Simple Simon to the pieman, “Sir, I have not any!”

At home in the States, I guess the closest I saw to these meat pies were the “pot pies” often stuffed with chicken and gravy. Throughout the UK, you can also find them in the related Cornish pasty form, which are very conducive to eating by hand (they were intentionally designed, in fact, to have the thick, crescent-shaped crust rolled around the edge for tin miners to hold onto with their dirty hands so they could eat the meaty pocket cleanly and discard the crust with the rubbish). You’re likely to find these pies or pasties sold at sporting venues much like we’d see hotdogs in the US!

I must say, prior to moving to London, I’d never been one for pot pies or just much meat in general, so it surprised me how much I enjoyed the British meat pie and continue to do so—so give it a go after your London relocation to get properly acquainted with local cuisine.

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Relocating to London: City Living and Country Eating

Monday March 14th, 2011

 

If you’re researching your move to London, I don’t know if you realize what an impressive food culture you’re venturing into. The Brits generally get a bad rap for their food, but once you’re properly living here land veering off the well-worn tourist path, you’ll discover its diverse, quality global offerings as well as delight in its traditional fare (see “Move to London and Eat Yer Humble Pie,” in homage of the British meat pie, for example).

One particularly lovely discovery I’ve made since relocating to London is a restaurant called Bumpkin. With two locations at present in west London (Notting Hill and South Kensington), Bumpkin serves up fresh, seasonal British foods that offer the cozy comfort of traditional country dishes with a cosmopolitan twist that reinvents each menu item with exciting flavor combinations. You can find the classic meat and potato fare along with superbly spiced fish, risotto, salads, etc. And it’s open all day, so whether you want brunch or dinner, creamy cappuccino or a fine wine, a light bite or a substantial dish to tuck into, Bumpkin and its casual chic ambiance is one that pleases a range of different tastes. That’s precisely why I like to take out-of-town visitors there; there’s something for everyone, and the staff is always very friendly and attentive.

Just another venue to add to your list as you anticipate your big move and will be keen to get out and explore new restaurant options after all is settled with your new flat!

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London Relocation: You Like Us, You Really Like Us!

Friday March 11th, 2011

If you’re moving to London and have already “Liked” us on our new Facebook page, awww, we’re sure feeling the warm fuzzies! If you haven’t yet, perhaps you aren’t aware that we are in the process of phasing out its Facebook profile in favor of its PAGE: www.facebook.com/LondonRelocationLtd.

Liking us there is so simple, really…like a flick of the wrist, literally accompanied with a click of the mouse. Bodda-boom, bodda-bing. That easy, so why not try it now? www.facebook.com/LondonRelocationLtd
(in case you missed it before).

And wait! Oh look what we have here…why yes, that would be a Facebook icon on the right-side of our screen here where you can access that same Facebook page link.

Hint taken?

Okay then, moving on. What you stand to benefit from “Liking” us on Facebook are daily updates on what’s going on in London, our blog posts, and, oh, whatever’s on our minds that we think you’d be interested in whether before, during, or after your London move. This is yet another way for us to open the lines of communication with you for more personalized interaction than mere words on our website. We’re interested in hearing from you, too! What questions you might have, what advice and notifications you think we and your fellow Relocation-Likers might benefit from—throw us what you got! And in the meantime, you can also expect to see these regular features on our page:

Monday Moving Tips - Advice on how to prep for moving and settling into your apartment.

Thankful Tuesdays - An opportunity for us to thank our clients and share their testimonials.

What’s On Wednesdays – What’s going on that particular week.

Travel Thursdays – Ideas for where to travel with this city as your new departure point.

Friday Night Out - A new venue featured each week for steppin’ out for a night in your new city.

We thrive on the quality interactions we continue to have with folks like you, so do pop by and visit us on Facebook!

 

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Moving to London: Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday

Thursday March 10th, 2011

If you’re moving to London, one particular UK tradition you’ll be acquainted with (or perhaps already participated in if you made your London relocation before this week) is what the Brits call Shrove Tuesday. “Shrove” stems from an old word “shrive” that means “to confess,” which is what Christians are doing this time of year for Lent. As Ash Wednesday signals the first of the forty days of Lent leading up to Easter, the Tuesday before is when people let themselves indulge on excesses that they’ll be forsaking thereafter.

As with many holy days that evolve into a secular holiday, even the non-Christian will recognize this particular Tuesday that has just passed as “Mardi Gras” (i.e., “Fat Tuesday”) as so infamously celebrated in New Orleans in the States and “Pancake Day” here in Britain, which is Shrove Tuesday’s alias. Why pancakes? Because they’re made with fat and butter and eggs and all-around ingredients that were not allowed during Lent. They’re an ideal indulgence, so it’s tradition to eat them here before beginning one’s fast. And even if you’re not observing any fast whatsoever, you can still enjoy ‘em throughout London at various venues serving them on special that day—they even have pancake races citywide! Bear in mind, however, that an English pancake is more like a French crepe; Americans looking for what they love to drown in Aunt Jemima syrup will need to either look for specifically designated “American” or “Scotch” pancakes at the the restaurants (Scotch pancakes can also be found pre-made and packaged at many grocery stores) or purchasing imported Bisquick at an American store!

I didn’t make it out for pancakes, but I did enjoy a few glasses of red wine on Tuesday (in the spirit of watching my essential weekly episode of Cougar Town), as I’m giving up weekday drinking for Lent. Not to sound like a total lush, but a couple glasses of wine at dinner or a pint at a pub at any hour of the day have become regular habits since moving to London and, well, assimilating into the local culture. I didn’t even take the wine at St. Paul’s Ash Wednesday service last night, in fact…not that I would anyway…communal goblets gross me out :) . In any case, I decided to treat myself to this City-center service, as it’s always a special occasion to sit in peace and solitude and take in Christopher Wren’s architectural marvel. The glittering mosaics and carved stone made hazy with incense, the evening had a mystical ambiance about it, and though I’m Catholic, it gave me a great sense of community to  share in this event among the Anglican congregation. A blending of the familiar with the new that is such an ongoing aspect of the expat’s existence after a London move.

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London Relocation’s First Client Social a Success!

Friday March 4th, 2011

There was a time when I used to field London Relocation‘s prospect enquiries and book appointments for its clients moving to London. Now that I focus on the blog and London Living, my interactions are more so relegated to cyberspace, so I myself don’t often get to meet in person the lovely people who entrust our relocation agency to help them rent a London apartment.

It was therefore a special delight last night to have the opportunity to meet at least thirty of London Relocation‘s recent clients at our very first social! And what nicer way for those who have just made their London move to establish a new network of friends and contacts among other expats?

The event was held at Westbourne House, right on Westbourne Grove near London Relocation’s new office. Self-described as “a sophisticated mix of Parisian boutique and Manhattan loft,” the venue was suitably classy for our wonderful clientele. Honestly, it was a fantastic and really, really fun mix of people (a lot of Americans and Canadians) who have all found their way to London for various reasons and embody the right enthusiasm for their new adventure. Singles, couples, families…everyone’s needs are different, but London Relocation is the common denominator that has met those needs across the board.

Among the topics of conversation I engaged in last evening were moving here as an accompanying spouse, becoming educated on the parameters of certain budgets for certain locations, lifestyle considerations such as endless options for travel outside and exploring, commuting, going with private health insurance versus NHS, dog-friendliness of flats/neighborhoods, etc., and how making local connections (with expats and otherwise) is so important to having all your inevitable questions answered, be it during the relocation process or just afterward when you’re  trying to figure out the everyday things like where you can get your computer fixed! And I was most ecstatic to learn that clients have found our own resources to be invaluable to their process, be it the friendly staff that takes your call or right here on the blog andour social network (through which many expats have made good friends!).

So today I’d like to send a cyber-standing ovation to my colleague Ja’Nae’ Mosley for organizing such a superb outing, and to our boss-man Anthony Gallo for providing for the food and booze. :) Looking forward to our subsequent socials and hope to see you all there, too, once you move here!

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Living In London – Tots, Tips and Tipple

Tuesday February 22nd, 2011

If you are going to be making the leap over the pond and moving to London soon, then you will want to know as much as you can about living in London before you get there. Of course, nothing can substitute the experience you will get when you are actually in the city and cosily ensconced in your new London apartment, but a bit of intel before you leave will mean that you can be settled that much faster.

Tips For Tippling

London is a vibrant city and locals have active social lives that usually involve quite a bit more drinking than you are used to. It is very common to go out for drinks with the lads after work, any day of the week. It is a form of bonding and can carry on quite late into the night. If you are starting a new job, this is a great way to get to know your colleagues and co-workers and it will help you fit in and feel like you are part of the team.

Sometimes it can even be a part of the working day and it is quite acceptable for a work team to go to a pub at lunchtime and discuss business over a couple of pints and a pie. While drinking during the working day is a dismissible offence in many countries, it is the norm to have a tipple during working hours.

Boozy Tip: Do not try to keep up with the amount of alcohol that Londoners can consume. They are notorious for being able to really put it away and still walk straight at the end of the evening. Four pints of British beer will have a decidedly greater effect on you than the same amount of American beer, which has lower alcohol content.

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