Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner If anybody happens to be near Lakewood, CO next week...

IMO, not a good idea whatsoever. American tea is terrible -how well I know!- stick with Sri Lankan which we always got in the UK.

A good reason why I switched to coffee upon moving to the States. Not that I'm particularly regretting this...

I think debrucey was wanting suggestions for something he could take from the UK to the US as a gift.

Congratulations! I wish it were closer to the East Coast that weekend.

I'm sure the family won't be expecting anything, but if you can get them something uniquely British that they may not be able to buy in the Rocky Mountains, I'm sure they'll appreciate it. To combine threads, perhaps the Black Adder DVD Box Set?

Authentic British tea was a very good idea. I don't think we've had any here since Boston.. but that was one heck of a party.

A selection of English chocolate and sweets might be a good idea. Cadbury used to be a favorite, but I think it's widely distributed now?

Treacle, or even treacle tarts. Most Americans have never even heard of it. (If not for my aunt's medical studies in London some 20 years ago, I never would have heard of it, either.)

Perhaps, if they're up for a laugh, you could bring some "sponge pudding".

Pretty much anything from Harrod's..


Hey, how about Harrod's Heritage Tea & Coffee gift pack? It's only $25 (pounds.. don't know how to do a "pound" sign on this side of the pond). Their tea bag selection box, which is pretty nice-looking, is only $30.

Check 'em out here: http://www.harrods.com/food-and-wine/food-wine-gifts

Anyway, hope it helps. And congratulations, again!

How about Wenlock and Mandeville (especially if the family has children)?

Or else some memento from Wills & Kate, or from the Queen's Jubilee.....

Well perhaps not Marmite, never liked it as a lad!

I love marmite so I may have to take some of that for myself as well.

Marmite makes anything taste palatable. Even American fast food.......

British jams are generally much better than what we get here. I'm especially fond of black currant (or as you Brits spell it, blackcurrant) jam, but that might not suit your hosts' palates. Orange and ginger marmalade are lovely, too. Nowadays we can find some of the best British products on better grocery stores' shelves, but the more exotic varieties are harder to find.

My dad always brings back Marks & Spencer undershirts from Britain, but somehow that doesn't seem like a very appropriate gift!

If it's at all possible, do allow yourself as many days as possible to recover from the seven-hour time difference and to acclimate to the altitude. Denver is the mile-high city, and the air is decidedly thinner than what you're used to. People vary a lot in their acclimatization rates, but you should allow at least a day before any serious exertion.

-Andy

, considering the plethora of American-based fast food joints in the UK, I should not be surprised if Bruce has experimented with Marmite, or at least HP Sauce!

Several years ago I was rather amazed to see Marmite stocked at my local Safeway... HP Sauce too! (Okay, I purchased a bottle of the latter.)

Otherwise, American-based fast food in the UK tends to be slightly lower in sodium, the food lobbies aren't quite as powerful as they are in the US.

Well yes and no. Marks & Spencer is pretty much the equivalent of JC Penney in the US (plenty of my money has gone to both), but JC Penney is not doing well. What a shame, and a tragedy to loose a company which I grew to enjoy shopping at within weeks after moving to the US.

Maybe things will turn around for them. The Seattle store in Northgate Mall is very nicely laid out.

JCPenny sounds more like Debenhams. Marks & Spencer is as much a food store as a clothes store (and it's not a department store). It's food is generally considered to be of high quality, somewhere in-between Selfridges and Waitrose.

True, but I was only referring to the selection of clothes at M&S which bears more than a passing resemblance to the fare at JC Penney. There is perhaps no precise equivalent to M&S in the US, unless it be Costco or Wal-Mart, neither of which I shop at. (Costco because a membership is not financially viable, Wal-Mart for political reasons.)

I am only speaking of the Seattle area. For classy food beyond the usual Safeway selection, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods have incredible stuff, and you shop with fellow liberals!

I really hope they have a Whole Foods near where I'm staying, they visit it all the time on Good Eats and it looks amazing. M&S is nothing like Costco. We have Costco here and it's awesome, I have a free membership.

There is a Whole Foods in Lakewood: https://maps.google.com/?q=303-935-5000

Did you get a free membership at Costco through the university?

But of course Costco may not be very practical for me as I do not have the freezer space (nor appetite) for a whole pig or half a steer, let alone 25 gallons of V-8. Back in the UK I never shopped at Costco, and here in the US, it is not financially advantageous for a small household.

OTH, the people watching is rather a sight to behold, and after the sheer amazement at the stock (mouthwash enough to float an aircraft carrier), one might casually ask why they could not have done better with the pizza.

There is some stuff they sell which is more appropriate. For example, dark chocolate chips in 750g tubs. It keeps for ages and is great for baking. I also will get pasta and rice, that sort of thing.

A friend of mine put me on his membership as a spouse, so I effectively get free membership haha

I was going to suggest The Wind in the Willows DVDs. Even though I see some on YT already and it's available on Amazon.

The Wind in the Willows
Sang softly to me
Follow my voice
Wherever it leads

From mountains and valleys
To deep rolling seas
Born on the wings of the breeze

I occasionally shop at Whole Foods.

My wife & I will be there.

I practically live at Whole Foods.

So do I when not shopping at Trader Joe's.

Incredible experience, but the crew at TJ's are more helpful in choosing an appropriate bottle of wine, and they are so friendly.