Can you believe it is less than eight weeks until Christmas??
Which also means 2023 is less than nine weeks away. Where did this year go? The thought of it spurred me on to get a few chores crossed off my ‘to do’ list. Starting with taking my car in for its annual service – I have a lease with Volkswagen Santa Monica which is a bit of a nuisance as I live in Hollywood. I always dread it as it means dedicating a whole day to killing time which usually leads to shopping for things I don’t really need.
It’s taken me years to learn that no matter what time I drop it off it is never ready to be picked up till the end of the day. So this time I opted for the more dignified hour of 11am – which resulted in a stress- free start to the day. Not only did I get to sleep in, it also turns out nobody else has cottoned on yet. For once I was the only customer; relieved but confused I asked the service rep why it was so quiet and she assured me that if I had arrived 45 minutes earlier I would have witnessed absolute chaos. Not sure if I got lucky or if perhaps 11am really is the magic hour.
The silver lining of this annual appointment is that it always means I end up popping in to Ye Olde Kings Head Shoppe for some British delicacies. I usually start by browsing their freezer section. It’s filled with pies, imported sliced white bread that is apparently impossible to replicate in the USA, black pudding, white pudding, and even potato waffles! Then I remember I can’t buy any of it as I don’t have a car and by the time I get mine back everything will be defrosted 🙁
But it doesn’t mean I ever leave empty handed as they have an extensive selection of dry goods plus all the latest sweets from the UK. Even Crunchie Rocks – if you haven’t tried them I highly recommend! Best of all, they sell ‘99’s’ – for those of you who don’t know what I mean it’s a good old fashioned Mr Whippy Ice Cream with a chocolate flake stuck in it. I’ve not had one for years so maybe that clouded my judgement, but it was the best ice cream I have ever tasted. Ye Olde Kings Head is also the place to go if you want to pick up a free copy of this very newspaper – the British Weekly – it was such a treat to read the actual newspaper as I usually read it online.
It brought back memories of when I first moved to LA in the 90s – I didn’t really know anyone and there wasn’t much information on the World Wide Web, so I would pick up a copy of this, the (now defunct) Union Jack and the LA Weekly in the hope that I would find something fun to go along too. I felt quite proud to see our column on these pages too, as little did I know back then that I would be a contributor to something that once helped me feel more at home in this strange city.
My only suggestion to Ye Olde Kings Head would be is, to let people know that this newspaper is free for everyone to take, as it’s displayed alongside all of the imported British newspapers and magazines leading one to think you have to pay for it. When I took my copy I half felt like I was pinching it.
Talking of fun things to do – regular readers will already know that we have our weekly pub quiz at the Market Tavern – located in the Farmers Market at the Grove. We make a point of encouraging people to not be afraid to come along alone as we will find you a team to join. This sentiment stems from when we were in the same boat as you when we first arrived – so please don’t be hesitant to join us. You don’t have to be good at trivia, or even British, you just have to be fairly pleasant and ready to have some\ fun!
Would also like to give a special mention to local charity Adopt a Letter. Every Christmas they try to fulfill the letters written to Santa by the less privileged children living in and around Los Angeles – Brits in LA members have supported them for many years through toy drives, volunteering and answering letters – this year Hamburger Mary’s in WeHo is dedicating their Legendary Bingo night on November 1st to benefit this worthy cause. So please go along if you can, or alternatively visit www.adoptaletter.org to find out other ways you can help.
Full details for both of these events can be found at www.Britsin.LA or on our Facebook page @BritsinLA
Don’t hesitate to contact me at hello@britsin.la if you have any questions.
And finally: don’t forget the clocks change in the UK this weekend – which means there will be only a seven hour difference until our clocks go back on November 6th
Cheers!
Eileen
