Need input from UK members...

[The cack]

This doesn't really have anything to do with watches...except that I'll probably be coming to the next London GTG because I am moving to the Mildenhall/Lakenheath area on May 2nd. I was hoping some of the UK Locals could give me a little insider information on the area, local hot spots, etc...This will be our first time in the UK and any tid-bits will definitely come in handy.

Regards,

Jack

[scottie333]

This doesn't really have anything to do with watches...except that I'll probably be coming to the next London GTG because I am moving to the Mildenhall/Lakenheath area on May 2nd. I was hoping some of the UK Locals could give me a little insider information on the area, local hot spots, etc...This will be our first time in the UK and any tid-bits will definitely come in handy.

Regards,

Jack

RAF have a base there I think?

[f4juk]

RAF have a base there I think?

RAF Mildenhall is home to an air refuelling wing (forget the number) of the USAF flying KC-135s but used to be the European base for the SR-71 Blackbird. 2 or 3 miles away, RAF Lakenheath is home to whatever squadron it is flying F-15E Strike Eagles and once home to the McDonnell F-4 Phantom II

As an aviation enthusiast, I went every year to the air shows at Mildenhall until they stopped them 2 or 3 years ago.

@Jack - if you're not in the USAF, ignore the references to posting!

Unlike a posting to Fairford or Upper Heyford when they hosted USAF units, Mildenhall/Lakenheath are not in picture postcard "merry olde England" country. They are in the Fens which is a flat, featureless countryside which would not feature highly in a places to visit in England brochure!

Mildenhall is a market town but not very big. One curry house, one chip shop, 3 or 4 pubs, posh hotel called "The Bell" but not much else. There's a pub near the main entrance to the base and a motorcycle speedway track to the north side.

Lakenheath is a sleepy village and I can't remember anything about it!

Locals always seemed very hospitable to the Yanks in the pubs. No anti-American undercurrents. But like everywhere, there's always the odd [censored] head who is looking for an argument.

Hot spots? Dream on baby! Best thing about Mildenhall/Lakenheath is the A11/M11 which will get you to London in about an hour!

If you want to be part of the community, pick a football (soccer) team to support. The top 4 are Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. Chelsea and Arsenal are in London so are the closest. 99% of British males and 50%+ females will get into a conversation about football so forget about rounders and get into a game the rest of the world plays!

We Brits may seem hard to comprehend at first but most of us are friendly and welcoming. We have a dry sense of humour which many Americans find hard to understand but that's just the way we are. Get to know us and we make you one of the family. Enjoy your time in England.

Cheers

[cool-arrow]

This doesn't really have anything to do with watches...except that I'll probably be coming to the next London GTG because I am moving to the Mildenhall/Lakenheath area on May 2nd. I was hoping some of the UK Locals could give me a little insider information on the area, local hot spots, etc...This will be our first time in the UK and any tid-bits will definitely come in handy.

Regards,

Jack

[/quot

Lakenheath sux but they have a BX. Cambridge, Norwich, and Nottingham are the coolest places near that area. Lakenheath and Mildenhal are small desolate little towns. Dont buy a british spec car, bring your American car. The further away from the bases and Americans the better off you will be. Base housing sucks and so do the off base houses. The towns only exist beacause of the Bases. People will want to take you to Newmarket but if your going that far you might as well drive another 10mins and go to Cambridge. I can give you all kinds of info. What do you like to do? Do you have a family? I am assuming you are PCSing since May is a PCS month.

[scottie333]

"Lakenheath sux but they have a BX. Cambridge, Norwich, and Nottingham are the coolest places near that area. Lakenheath and Mildenhal are small desolate little towns. Dont buy a british spec car, bring your American car. The further away from the bases and Americans the better off you will be. Base housing sucks and so do the off base houses. The towns only exist beacause of the Bases. People will want to take you to Newmarket but if your going that far you might as well drive another 10mins and go to Cambridge. I can give you all kinds of info. What do you like to do? Do you have a family? I am assuming you are PCSing since May is a PCS month."

2 things... What is a BX???? I think you mean a PX!! LOL

I disagree with reference to "Dont buy a british spec car, bring your American car." American cars normally guzzle fuel and at our fuel prices, it's not really cost effective. He would be better buying a cheap runabout which he could sell at the end of his tour (assuming of course that he's in the military).

Just my 2 cents worth...

Scott.

[The cack]

Thanks for the input gents. I had to serve a year in Korea away from my wife to get this assignment and believe me, she and I are stoked about getting there.

Why the advice about not getting a british spec car? We are bringing our american spec car over, but were planning on picking up a used british car too?? Any specific reason this would be a bad idea??

Thanks Again!!

[cool-arrow]

"Lakenheath sux but they have a BX. Cambridge, Norwich, and Nottingham are the coolest places near that area. Lakenheath and Mildenhal are small desolate little towns. Dont buy a british spec car, bring your American car. The further away from the bases and Americans the better off you will be. Base housing sucks and so do the off base houses. The towns only exist beacause of the Bases. People will want to take you to Newmarket but if your going that far you might as well drive another 10mins and go to Cambridge. I can give you all kinds of info. What do you like to do? Do you have a family? I am assuming you are PCSing since May is a PCS month."

2 things... What is a BX???? I think you mean a PX!! LOL

I disagree with reference to "Dont buy a british spec car, bring your American car." American cars normally guzzle fuel and at our fuel prices, it's not really cost effective. He would be better buying a cheap runabout which he could sell at the end of his tour (assuming of course that he's in the military).

Just my 2 cents worth...

Scott.

It is called a BX on USAF bases and PX at every other branches bases, and they have the Navy exchange on some bases. It is all run by AAFES, and they have a BXtra at Mldenhal. The advice I give about bringing your car is that there are many crooked dealers on base and off base. Most of those cars will not pass MOT the next year. MOT will cost you alot of

[The cack]

Cool-Arrow - Thanks for the heads up. Sounds like we may be better off just buying anoother new car through the exchange new car sales program or something along those lines. My wife and I appreciate your help.

Regards,

Jack

[cool-arrow]

No problem, It is a great country filled with great people and a ton of history. Lots of stuff to do here, you have Scottland 3 hours away. Plane tickets are cheap to the rest of the EU. Paris. Rome, Barcelona, Greece, Amsterdam, you cant beat the loaction, you are right next door to some of the biggest tourist spots in the world.

[The cack]

No problem, It is a great country filled with great people and a ton of history. Lots of stuff to do here, you have Scottland 3 hours away. Plane tickets are cheap to the rest of the EU. Paris. Rome, Barcelona, Greece, Amsterdam, you cant beat the loaction, you are right next door to some of the biggest tourist spots in the world.

What are the names of some goof towns to live in. I've been looking on www.rightmove.co.uk for houses to rent and there are some very nice ones in the Cambridge, Bury St. Edmonds areas. Are there any other towns/villages we should be looking at?

Thanks again for all of your help! ! !

[cool-arrow]

What are the names of some goof towns to live in. I've been looking on www.rightmove.co.uk for houses to rent and there are some very nice ones in the Cambridge, Bury St. Edmonds areas. Are there any other towns/villages we should be looking at?

Thanks again for all of your help! ! !

New Market has some nice houses, but there is a high theft rate and a large American presence there becuase of base housing. Stay away from Brandon it is near the base, theft is extremly high and Americans get robbed there anually by professionals. That includes vehicle theft. Most of the time they just steal everything in your garage, car or shed. It happens every year and you will hear about it 50 + people with there house being broken into. They try and keep it quiet for some reason probably to keep up foreign relations. They also have county houses there which is equivelant to the Ghetto in the US. There are some small towns and villages scattered in between. The only problem is that most of those houses are very old, and havent been remodled. Meaning they usually have 2 taps 1 boiling hot the other freezing cold. There faucets are not like in the US where we have 1 spout and two [censored]s. Most of the houses in England have no water pressure for washing your car, showering feels like a trickle. The older the house the worse the water. Lime here is ridiculous they do not flourinate there water or have chlorine in it. So lime deposits build up very fast. Houses are very small compared to US houses rooms are not much bigger than an American walk in closet. Cambridge is very nice and you never get woken up by planes flying over. They also have off-base base housing which most people do not know about here. It is the best of both worlds becuase they have all American spec appliances, and have been upgraded. You can find some very nice recently renovated houses in the economy but they are hard to find and very $$$$$. If you are mil to mil it should be no problem. Do not get a oil house they are horrible to get serviced. You have to call the company have them refill your oil tank and it is more $$$ than having gas. Gas is the way to go here. Air conditioning in houses is non existant but only needed for about 2 months out of the year. It does get hot here and the summer brings a ridiculous amount of flying insects. Each summer it reminds me of a biblical plaque of insects. Houses here do not have window screens either. The door [censored]s here are the same as they were a hundred years ago with big caste looking keys. The locks can be picked in seconds by a non-pro, so a house alarm is a big plus when living off base. Washing machines and dryers are very small. A letting agent may say that the house is wired for American appliances, but that is a lie they are not suffeciently wired. You will always blow the fuse 100% of the time if any other appliance in the house is running becuase of the transformers you will need to covert power to your American appliances tv, fridge, computer, etc.... You are on spot with Cambridge and Bury St. Edmunds easily the two best towns you could live in near the base. Everything else is down hill from there. This IMHO, some of these little things are over looked and not told to people in great detail. Looks like you have been doing your HW I am sure you will find a great house. Everyone will lie to you and say that there area is nice becuase they live there. Dont belive the hype I have seen all of my friends house and the best houses are in Cambridge. I moved there after living in Mildenhall for a year, and now 4 of my friends have moved into my neighborhood. Houses may look good on the outside but it is the inside that really counts.

Good Luck