Hello Brits in LA:
We are always being told what a wonderful resource Brits in LA is and most of the credit must go to our brilliant members who are willing to share their knowledge and recommendations at the drop of a hat. I fully realized that we had created something special back in 2008, when I met a fellow member who gave Brits in LA credit for getting him a job, an apartment, a car and a girlfriend!
I could have really done with a Brits in LA database (in Britain) this week, as I have been given the task of helping my mum get settled into her new home, which is in a neighborhood that is unfamiliar to us both. We needed referrals up the wahzoo; from rental cars to moving men, to upholsterers and everything in between. The Brits don’t seem to be as active on review websites like Yelp, and often seem to (lazily?) opt for the well-known names for any services they require. It was such a comfort booking my trip with BLA sponsor Air New Zealand then using Beach Financial Group for Travel & Auto insurance, knowing I wasn’t getting ripped off and was guaranteed a great service. Rental cars stumped me too, as there is far too much choice and variation in price – but I ended up using Europcar in Richmond. (Simon who works there was really helpful) upon BLA member Laura M’s advice, but made sure to take out an independent insurance policy. I spent far too many hours reading vehicle specs as I had no idea what the difference was between an Opel, Astra or Leon – I opted for a brand call Seat in the end which is apparently made by Volkswagen – as a Jetta owner I am already familiar with the VW controls, which made driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road much more relaxing. On the flight over I was mentally practicing changing gears on a manual vehicle (stick shift and clutch control!), but I am ashamed to say I chickened out and leapt at the chance of upgrading to an automatic for an extra $7 a day… I have been reliant on a fantastic map app called Map.Me which doesn’t require an internet connection – but make sure to download the region you are exploring in advance of your journey. And talking of mobile…I have also finally learned the difference between add-ons and top-ups when purchasing a local pay-as-you-go plan – not sure I can explain it well enough but look into add-ons for better deals. I went with ‘Three’ or is it ‘3’? Anyway, all this research trying to get half decent deals has been exhausting and very time consuming – which brings me to an idea I want to test out…
I would love to put together an ongoing list of your recommendations – whether it be a plumber in Whitstable, a B&B in the Orkney Islands or a taxi firm in Belfast. Even your favorite tourist attraction or pub or club. I think a UK database with our recommendations could be invaluable to us all, especially those of us who have been away for many years – so if you have any good ones to share, email me at eileen@Britsin.LA and I will try and come up with the best way to categorize them and make accessible for us all. Please put UK Database in the Subject matter – as will make it a little easier for me. All I ask is that you have actually tried them yourselves or know someone who has. No spam/referral/sign up links please 🙂
Next week I recommend you join us either for our weekly Breakfast Club at Cecconi’s or our bi-monthly Pub Quiz at the Pikey with guest host Sandro Monetti- both on Tuesday. Full details can be found on our Facebook page. Email us at BritsinLA@gmail.com if you need us to find you a team to join. Everyone welcome including non Brits!
Look forward to hearing your recommendations
Cheers!
Eileen
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