Americans in unusual places in the UK...Have you found any?

This morning I was taking the train into London Waterloo from Surrey.  The guard came on over the intercom to announce the stations "Those passengers wishing to alight must be in the front four carriages..."  The guard was American!!  I have heard almost every accent on earth coming out of the train intercom but never American.

Has anyone else had any unusual American encounters?

I live in Manchester, and I meet lots of Americans all the time, but my best encounter was a few years ago I went to have an eye test to get new glasses, and the girl who checked me in had a strong Long Island accent...so I said to her "OMG you must be from Long Island" and lo and behold, she was from 3 towns away from me. Small world. Oh, and I was on line at Morrisons in my little town and my kids were moaning, and I said to the lady behind me..".ugh, I wish school was back on, thank goodness I am taking them to my parents house in NY this weekend" and she said "Oh, I am from NYC" and that was a nice conversation...we exchanged numbers but haven't gotten together. I meet lots of Americans, and sometimes I even talk to them! lol!

There are quite a few down here in Cornwall, but if you're in Surrey, pushkin, I'd imagine you'd be bumping into them all over the place!

The nice woman who is the onboard manager of the sleeper train from Penzance to Paddington is American. And I overhead an American accent from a man who stocks the shelves at Morrison's once. Once I met a woman who lived two streets over from my house in Providence, RI - although we weren't living there at the same time.

So true.  There are loads of Americans in Surrey.  I'd just never encountered one as a Train Guard.  That job along with Police Officer, Taxi Driver, etc. would surprise me to hear an American voice.  Maybe because those jobs don't qualify for visas so you'd need to be a spouse, UK descendant, etc.  I probably wouldn't even notice an American talking about his/her commute to a bank in the City or to a local tech firm.

if you're in Surrey, pushkin, I'd imagine you'd be bumping into them all over the place!

This is absolutely true... and is it bad it's actually starting to irk me? 

This is absolutely true... and is it bad it's actually starting to irk me? 

Of course it's not bad! You want to be the only American in the village!   

Ahh well one can never assume if someone is American or Canadian or from somewhere or nowhere entirely can then, unless they start chatting with them or overhear them say where they're from  

Not to mention, some people have been here so long they've got really nice mixed up accents. (In a really good way!!)

And others, well, my mate his Mum is American, so therefore, he's got an American passport, but he was born and raised in Scotland.  

So you never can tell - hehehe  

 

Of course it's not bad! You want to be the only American in the village!   

 

Of course it's not bad! You want to be the only American in the village!   

Haha!  I was that person when we lived in Great Wymondley.  It seemed to delight them no end.   

The strangest experience I had was when I was working in my Boots store in Bristol about 3 years ago, just after I'd moved back from the US.

A couple came up to the counter with very familiar-sounding accents and I asked them where they were from - they thought I was being a typical clueless Brit at first and deadpanned that they were from Bristol, but then I told them that I had relatives in Arkansas and they realised I was serious (I recognised the accent).

It turned out that they were from Arkansas too and actually lived in the same city as my relatives... and the husband even occasionally worked in the same building as my aunt .

DS gets the odd European customer in his store.  He had someone from Harrogate last week!  Didn't have Yorks. accent but he could tell the customer was a Brit of course, so asked.  Nobody seems to mind being asked (and the management is usually happy with having him schmooze with the customers)

The lady who registered me when I went to take my written driving test was from Illinois (but I tried not to hold that against her). :p  I think she was really just there helping her husband, who was actually administering the exams. 

Before we moved to London, DH lived in a small village in Somerset.  I distinctly remember going to the little local Tesco a few weeks after I arrived in the UK and the cashier being un-impressed with me until I opened my mouth at the end of the transaction to say thanks.  He totally did a double take.  DH thought it was hilarious.

Sometimes I meet Americans and neither of us bring it up. Like the lady I spoke to three times to book a facial in London recently. It's a bit like the scene in Flight Club when all the men bruised up just look and nod.

I have yet to Meet another American on My travels to Bristol. I think I'm gonna be a novelty in Bris! lol

I have yet to Meet another American on My travels to Bristol. I think I'm gonna be a novelty in Bris! lol

Sorry to disappoint, but I worked with a few Americans in Bristol! When I was interviewing for the agency they asked if I wanted a tour and when the woman started talked I almost immediately asked her where she was from because it caught me off guard. She was from Minnesota.