London Church/Cathedral Concerts
Dan Comstock
time I will be there is the weekend of 3/14-19/96. If you know web sites
and/or phone numbers or any other source of information, please drop me a
note! I'd most like to find info on organ and/or choral concerts, Evensongs,
and the like, but any information is welcome.
Thanks!
Dan
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DAN COMSTOCK
Los Alamos, NM 87544 "Knowledge is Power"
coms...@rt66.com - Auntie Mame
B4 f- t w+ s+ e k- k&c++++++++++
AKA: BiblioBear and/or Bibliophile
also Furnicate on IRC
Also answering to HEY YOU!
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CG
Greetings,
I'm planning 4 weeks in the UK in May: into Heathrow, 6 days in London,
then renting a car & heading NNW towards Cardiff & making a loop
through Wales, eventually ending up at a friend's home in Sheffield.
One of my concerns regarding renting a car for 2+ weeks is the
difficulty of adjusting to driving on the left, as well as having
the controls on the other side. I'd be interested in any
anecdotes/advice/suggestions from others regarding their first UK
driving experiences.
As others in the group have stated, the price difference for a rental
car with automatic transmission (seemingly only available on mid-size &
up) and the smaller manuals is considerable. I'm trying to decide if
spending the extra money in order to remove a "degree of difficulty"
from the driving experience is worthwhile.
Cheers,
Chris
Pam Townsend
>
>Greetings,
>
>One of my concerns regarding renting a car for 2+ weeks is the
>difficulty of adjusting to driving on the left, as well as having
>the controls on the other side. I'd be interested in any
>anecdotes/advice/suggestions from others regarding their first UK
>driving experiences.
>
>As others in the group have stated, the price difference for a rental
>car with automatic transmission (seemingly only available on mid-size &
>up) and the smaller manuals is considerable. I'm trying to decide if
>spending the extra money in order to remove a "degree of difficulty"
>from the driving experience is worthwhile.
>
>
>Cheers,
>Chris
Hi Chris,
My husband and I rented a car in England several years ago. Our original plan was to
share the driving responsibilities, but I turned out to be kind of spastic at trying
to shift with my left hand. I kept forgetting and reaching with my right hand --
only to smack it into the door. My husband, on the other hand, had very little
trouble. So I ended up being the official navigator, an arrangement that worked out
quite well. Thankfully, the concept of staying to the left didn't seem to be a
problem for either of us.
If I were to go alone, I would spend the extra money for an automatic transmission,
but as I said, my motor skills -- at least when it comes to shifting left-handed --
leave something to be desired.
Whichever kind of car you rent, you'll have a wonderful time and get to see
wonderful sights and places you wouldn't otherwise. Enjoy!
Pam
Michael Gallagher
>
> ...Another problem is ... when turning left or right ...
During my last trip to England, I had a "prang" because of a bad habbit
from the states: when turning right, I just looked to my left to see what
was coming, and then go. This is not a problem in the states ... but in
England, where turning right means crossing a lane, you invite diaster if
you don't look right, and I got in a small autmobile accident as a result.
I was unhurt and my car was undamaged, but I did dent the other
driver's door a bit.
Since then, I have made it a habit to look both ways before turning right,
and i advise anyone planning to drive in England who doesn't look both
ways before going right to get into that habbit *now* instead of
suffering the consequences later.
"Are you pondering what I'm pondering?" --- Brain
Michael J. Gallagher aka mmf...@prodigy.com
Tom and Evelyn Moore
Hi Chris,
You will find a page of tips on driving on the left hand side of the
road in our Web pages at
http://www.iol.ie/~avondoyl.avondoyl.htm
We hope that you will find these useful, and the information on the
other pages also.
As for renting an automatic versus a manual shift car, that is very
much up to yourself. If you haven't driven a manual shift car very
often., the dexterity of your left foot might leave something to be
desired!
At a minimum you need to drive a manual shift in both city and rural
road conditions for several hours each before you travel. And
remember that you will be changing gear with your left hand in cars
here, rather than with the right hand as in the US.
All cars use the same H gate for the positions of the four or five
forward gears, but the Reverse can prove to be a mystery - especially
getting the knack of releasing the gate stop - an arrangement of
depressing or lifting the lever slightly before you can engage
Reverse.
Part of the mystery [ for me ...8-) ] is the position of Reverse -
on the extreme left of the gate, or extreme right? Some gearboxes
simply use a heavier side-to-side spring to act as a gate stop.
Call in to Oxford on your route to Cardiff; it is a truely beautiful
city. You will find the country-side and the hospitality of the
people of Wales to be quite enjoyable too.
Best wishes for your hoilday,
Tom and Evelyn Moore,
Avondoyle Country Home B&B, Limerick, Ireland.
avon...@iol.ie
jth...@island.net
>jth...@island.net wrote:
>>
>> ...Another problem is ... when turning left or right ...
>
> and i advise anyone planning to drive in England who doesn't look both
>ways before going right to get into that habbit *now* instead of
>suffering the consequences later.
>
ways in North America as well. <g>
J.H.(Jim) Thorpe, Team OS/2
184 Garner Crescent,
NANAIMO, B.C.,
Canada V9R 2A6
Dylan Harris
times, and would add from my experience:
1. It is especially dangerous to drive when you're tired - when that
happens, you tend to resort to your habits, which is not too unsafe if
you're on familar roads, but they'll have you driving on the wrong
side over here.
2. You may be utterly fazed by roundabouts - practice if you can
before you get on to the roads. It had to stop for ten minutes or so
to work out what to do when I drove up to one in San Francisco;
3. Be especially careful when coming off a dual carriageway onto a
normal road. It is very easy to find yourself on the "correct" side.
Providing you take care, you'll be ok.
Dylan Harris
Evan Reader
> difficulty of adjusting to driving on the left, as well as having
> the controls on the other side. I'd be interested in any
> anecdotes/advice/suggestions from others regarding their first UK
> driving experiences.
I rented a car at Heathrow about two years ago. My wife and I drove over a
thousand miles in a ten day period from London to Canterbury and then
along the entire southern coast of England looping up to Bath and then
back to Heathrow. It was a wonderful trip. With respect to driving, I
consider myself to be an above average driver. Having to fight the
traffic each day in Los Angeles I can tell you that Śabove averageą is
pretty damn good. Iąd never driven on the left side but felt, beforehand,
that I wouldnąt have any problem getting used to it. Iąll also tell you
that my wife is a bit on the nervous side. You know, sort of the type
that digs her nails into the seat cushion but doesnąt say anything. You
just know from her look that sheąs panicing. So, with that to contend
with, I decided to rent an automatic. Yes, itąs a bit more expensive but
it sure was worth it. The are several things that I had some difficulty
getting used to. One was having to look in the opposite direction when
pulling out from a driveway. Youąve gotten so used to looking to the left
before you pull out that you donąt think about looking to the right.
Another was getting the feel of sitting on the right side of the car (this
is where an automatic transmission is really a must). For awhile you may
have difficulty judging the distance between your car and those parked on
the left hand side of the road. I noticed a tendency to drive too close to
the parked cars and nearly clipped one on my first time out. Lastly,
getting used to the turnabouts was really fun. You should stop before
entering the circle and then, when you see your chance, step on the gas.
The problem was in having to read all the directional signs while having
to concentrate on the driving. No problem....my advise is just relax and
if you miss your turnoff, just keep driving and catch it the next time
around. Oh, and also make sure that youąre on the outside lane when you
make your move.
One other thing. In the UK there seems to be great distances between
exits on the ŚMą roads. I missed a few exits and found myself having to
drive many miles before finding the next turnoff so that I could turn
around. Itąs all part of the fun. My advice. Donąt be in a hurry, give
yourself plenty of time, and if you miss an exit, stay calm. Oh, by the
way, buy yourself a really good map in England before you hit the roads.
Ta,ta
Tim Edwards and/or Marghie Parsons
I found left side driving not to be that difficult, although every
morning of the first two weeks I got into the car on the wrong side.
I rented an automatic because I was afraid to try shifting gears
left-handed. Aside from occasionally hitting the windshield wipers
when I wanted the turn signal, everything went well...
Tim Edwards 7, rue Albert I
tedw...@DialUp.FranceNet.fr 45000 Orleans, France
dmotley
says...
>
>
>Greetings,
>
>I'm planning 4 weeks in the UK in May: into Heathrow, 6 days in London,
>then renting a car & heading NNW towards Cardiff & making a loop
>through Wales, eventually ending up at a friend's home in Sheffield.
>
>difficulty of adjusting to driving on the left, as well as having
>the controls on the other side. I'd be interested in any
>anecdotes/advice/suggestions from others regarding their first UK
>driving experiences.
>
>car with automatic transmission (seemingly only available on mid-size &
>up) and the smaller manuals is considerable. I'm trying to decide if
>spending the extra money in order to remove a "degree of difficulty"
>from the driving experience is worthwhile.
>
>
>Cheers,
>Chris
Just do it ! The more horrific the traffic the quicker you will learn. I
had a true baptism-by-fire when I rented a VW Polo and learned to not
only shift a 5-speed with the left hand but try to remember to stay on
the left-hand side of the road too. Watch it when you go through
intersections on lonely country roads -- you'll find yourself back on the
right (proper) side of the road.
You will adjust quicker than you think. After a day you hardly notice. My
worst problem was returning to the car and going to the left (proper)
side. I drove the M-ways and country roads from Heathrow to Bath to
Birmingham and had a blast.
Drive friendly ! Dave Motley
Lawrence P. Murtaugh
Chris - Driving on the left side of the road is not difficult.
It helps that the steering wheel is on th right. Get a stick
shift and run thru the gears a couple of times in the parking lot.
the biggest difficulty I ever had while driving in Europe was
with the security system on the Renault Espace we rented. The
rental agent didn't explain it, and since he brought the car out
for us and left it running we didn't know it existed until
we stopped the car for the first time - very interesting!
Larry
Barry
: One of my concerns regarding renting a car for 2+ weeks is the
: difficulty of adjusting to driving on the left, as well as having
: the controls on the other side. I'd be interested in any
: anecdotes/advice/suggestions from others regarding their first UK
: driving experiences.
I think the experience is different for different people. Here's mine:
The very first time I drove there, my company rented a little Ford
Cortina for me (with standard shift). I thought I would have enough to
worry about without the shifting as well, but it wasn't bad. The shift
pattern (on the floor) is the same as for left-hand drive cars; you
simply are shifting with the "wrong" hand.
I had two problems:
1. I couldn't stay conscious of where the left side of the car was. I
had the tendency to hit the curb on the left side and to ride
left-of-center in the lanes on the motorway. Luckily, I never sideswiped
a car on my left (or a pedestrian, for that matter).
2. I kept looking to the right for the rear-view mirror. Every time I
did that, I found the windshield/door support column in front of my
nose. It took me many times of driving there over a period of a few
years before I stopped doing that.
One time, I got in the left side of the car, sat down and felt a little
disoriented. The dashboard seemed a little too far away. Then I noticed
there was no steering wheel in front of me! I had a good laugh, got out,
got in the right side and drove off. Only did that once.
Each time I drove there (different occasions, months apart), it got
easier. I have even driven a full-size Mercedes on some small country
roads without a problem.
Like most things, the more you do it, the easier it gets.
--
Barry
<bebe...@li.net>
Nothing is as it seems.
William Moody
adapting to the other side of the road. The most important points for me
were:
1. Yes, it helps alot to have a navigator/passenger, especially at
roundabouts.
2. I had no problem with the gear shift being on the left, except I
tended to shift from 2nd to 3rd by instinctively pushing away from my
body. This resulted in many 1-2-1 shifts, causing alot of panic in cars
behind.
3. I liked narrow blind roads - just listed for the Triumph engine
downshifting ahead, and be prepared to face the oncoming speedster.
4. Traffic is your friend. Just follow it. Most problems arise when
you are tired and on isolated roads. I once drove for 5 miles outside
Bath on the right before an oncoming car "reminded" me!
5. Great signs: my favorite "Changed Priorities Ahead". No war? Murder
is legal? A labor government? Nope. 2-way street changed to a 1-way
street. Also "Give Way": Cars collapsing? nope: "yield"
Have a blast, and go for the manual car: half the fun is moving with
fast-paced awake drivers, instead of the pathetically slow traffic in the
states.
--Bill
Nick Davies
>
>
>Greetings,
>
>One of my concerns regarding renting a car for 2+ weeks is the
>difficulty of adjusting to driving on the left, as well as having
>the controls on the other side.
The handbrake and gear lever are on the other side,but everthing else
is laid out the same.
You should not find adjustment that difficult, after all you are on the
other side of the road as well which makes things feel more natural. I
always find this situation much easier than when I take my own car
abroad, where we are on the wrong side of the road for the car. 15-30
minutes and you should get into the swing of things
>
>As others in the group have stated, the price difference for a rental
>car with automatic transmission (seemingly only available on mid-size &
>up) and the smaller manuals is considerable. I'm trying to decide if
>spending the extra money in order to remove a "degree of difficulty"
>from the driving experience is worthwhile.
Depends if you have any experience driving a manual. If you have, having
the gear lever on the other side presents no difficulty. You get used to
it in about five seconds. If you haven't driven a manual in hundreds of
years I would get a bit of practice in before you get here if I were you.
Jeffrey J Beranek
just think CLOCKWISE ... CLOCKWISE ... CLOCKWISE
:-)
Jeffrey Joseph Beranek (J.Be...@nortel.co.uk)
Research Engineer (VR Lab), Software & Systems Engineering
Nortel Technology, London Road, Harlow, Essex, CM17 9NA, UK
Tel. +44 (0)1279 403529, Fax. +44 (0)1279 402047
Ian G Batten
Michael Gallagher <MMF...@prodigy.com> wrote:
> :) :) The biggest hassle is everyone in England drives like a bloody
> maniac! It's either at the speed limit or 50 mph over the speed limit.
> This may be the price of reserve --- you blow off steam behind the wheel.
> :) :)
Lane three of the M42 was running at around 95 mph on my way to work
this morning. Being used to that, I found driving from Portland OR to
Seattle a few years ago rather tedious...
> sneezed at! You'll be trying to shif with your left hand when you want
> to use the right, and I heard of a woman who got in an accident on her
> first day because of this. An automatic may cost more, but it seems
The urban legend, of course, is the American who managed to drive [some]
miles from Heathrow to [wherever] in [first, or second] gear and
[damaged] the engine.
ian
McCain
got used to driving on the wrong side. Walking was the hard part. Those
cars were coming from the wrong direction -- and they were coming fast.
And then there were the one-lane roads, with pull-outs, in the
Highlands. Thing was, if the car coming the other way was a Mercedes,
you knew _he_ wasn't going to be the one to pull over.
Roger
Michael Gallagher
>
> ... I found left side driving not to be that difficult, although every
>morning of the first two weeks I got into the car on the wrong side ...
>
Sounds familiar ---- I adjusted to driving on the left pretty quickly in
'94, though I kept getting in on the wrong side, usually just after
buying gas or putting something I'd purchased in the trunk.
Related funny story: I had a silver Vauxhall Cavalier that time, and in
the "parking area" near my friend's house, someobody else had an
identicla car. One day, as luck whould have it, my car was parked next
to its twin.
That night, my frined was to drive us to a Worthing night club, and she
walked between the cars to open the door. So I walked around to waht I
*thought* was the passenger side ..... and she was looking over her
shoulder at me, a bit upset: "Michael, aren't I driving? Isn't this your
car?" I had walked around to the far side of the other Vauxhall by
mistake.
Driving on the left? Easy. Getting in on the right? Different story;
that's probably how you REALLY tell who the American drivers are!