culturally phenometastic

in my head i have a loosely assembled list of things that i think of as being essentially english. the things on this list come from a variety of places, tv, movies, girls annuals, enid blyton.

here's some of the things i've seen so far.

a canteen with proper canteen ladies.
a farmer wearing tweed.
a camp of gypsies (caravans and all).
a cleaning lady with rollers in her hair.
a caff (or greasy spoon).
chavs.
proper fog.
little villages with stone houses.
moors (pronounced moo-ers, very important).
stiles (for getting over fences).
canal boats.
a hedgehog.

here are some things that i want to see.

a miniature village.
the seaside (loosely described as brighton i think).
the queen.
an oxford professor riding a bicycle.
someone actually drinking bovril.
an aristocrat.
a badger.
a mole.

contemplating my list got me wondering what other people think of as english, or british. or welsh, irish, or scottish for that matter. so, i encourage you to let me know, and i'll add it to my list and let you know when i've spotted it!

and now for something completely different...

jeff and i are off to buy a second car today. this will actually be the first time i've gone to a car yard to look at and possibly purchase a car. i'm hoping that my expectation of being harangued by a car salesman will turn out to be unfounded (whilst secretly hoping that he does as it will give my fuel for my blog fire!).

i feel like i am in a very strange and unfamiliar place, where we buy household appliances and have serious conversations about investing and retirement. somehow it's snuck up on me, but i seem to have become a grown-up. i wonder, does this mean i have to start drinking sherry, and despairing at the follies of the young?