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

This past weekend my UK hubby and stepson and I went to get a milkshake at Shakeaway in little ol' Ipswich. It had snowed here, so it was of course almost empty with only one other person inside. Lo and behold that woman came up to me and asked me if I was American because she had heard the way I had said "Smarties" and said she was from PA. Definitely a random encounter!

This past weekend my UK hubby and stepson and I went to get a milkshake at Shakeaway in little ol' Ipswich. It had snowed here, so it was of course almost empty with only one other person inside. Lo and behold that woman came up to me and asked me if I was American because she had heard the way I had said "Smarties" and said she was from PA. Definitely a random encounter!

An American from PA in Ipswich?? I think I might know her! If it's who I'm thinking it is, she used to be on UKY.

An American from PA in Ipswich?? I think I might know her! If it's who I'm thinking it is, she used to be on UKY.

Wow! That would be even MORE strange! She said she had been here for 7 years, is now divorced from her UK hubby, and used to live in Claydon I believe? Sound familiar?

An American from PA in Ipswich?? I think I might know her! If it's who I'm thinking it is, she used to be on UKY.

Oh I think I know who you mean but her name escapes me at the moment!

How old was she Mrs M? (roughly)

Wow! That would be even MORE strange! She said she had been here for 7 years, is now divorced from her UK hubby, and used to live in Claydon I believe? Sound familiar?

Nope, not her. Bummer!

Courtney, she was TheButchersWife.

Hmm. Maybe my brain is fuzzy. I was thinking about that girl who had a daughter named Courtney. Was she from Ipswich?

Hmm. Maybe my brain is fuzzy. I was thinking about that girl who had a daughter named Courtney. Was she from Ipswich?

You're thinking of Carly, Courtney. And that's who I thought of too! She was Ink-Spirational here (that was her most recent screen name, but I know she had others before that).

That's exactly who I was thinking about Chary! Thanks for that. 

I think I have been here too long now, because I can't say that I find Americans in unusual places here.  I mean - we're freaking everywhere!   

I often don't notice an American accent here any longer when I do run into one - DH usually has to point them out to me, lol!  I myself have a fairly pronounced regional American accent, so I still get the Brits whose eyes pop when they hear me open my mouth & think I just got off the boat, which is always funny.  I don't understand why people are so surprised to find out how long I've been here & that I haven't started to speak with a British accent - it's just not happening, that.  Of course, I use the British words & turns of phrase & other Britishy things but no accent.

I am reminded of once when DH and I were on holiday, on a Gulf Coast beach in Florida, and there were some Liverpudlians there on the beach too - admiring the dolphins.  DH said (joking!) - I didn't come to America to be surrounded by all these Brits!  I was trying to get away from those people. 

Hmm. Maybe my brain is fuzzy. I was thinking about that girl who had a daughter named Courtney. Was she from Ipswich?

She did actually have a daughter with her at the Shake shop (funnily enough my stepson and her were playing foosball together). The daughter was around 6-7 maybe? And the woman was probably mid to late 30s would be my guess.

I was washing my car and saw a guy walk passed me, looking lost, did the awkward look at him, and he asked me for directions to a house, I tried to help him, but I had thought his accent sounded a bit American, but just left it at that... He then walked passed me a little later and I asked him if he found it, and I told him "You sound a bit American" he said "I am.. from Arkansas, been here 10 years now"

Another time when I was living in London, I was working at a Co-op (first UK job) a girl came in dressed as a cheerleader, she sounded American, I asked her and she said, "I'm from the US", I said "So am I!" Her reply was "so, what? I don't care" haha!

Another time, at the antique store in Huntingdon, I heard a guy talking, asked him if he was American, he said yes, and he was stationed here.

I did make good acquaintances with a serviceman, we were at a bar, and my wife noticed a guy at the bar and said he looked American, so when I went to get our next drink I heard him talking and realised he was southern, asked him about where he was from, and he was an American stationed here, he bought me a few American things.. Ranch dressing, Taco Bell (Before they opened in the UK), Mt. Dew.... (I work with a woman that does all of her shopping at the base because her friend is American, makes me angry)

My wife ends up having to point out Americans for me... haha

I was shopping at a souvenir/doll shop in the Cotswolds and the shop assistant sounded American and I found out she was and she had lived in the UK some time. She retired there after working as a teacher to US servicemens children who were based in the UK.
I met another couple of ladies who were sightseeing and they also were school teachers of servicemen in England.

I'm always shocked when I come across an American in Bradford. I've been told we only have two Americans including me that go to my university. I came across one at mcdonalds who said she was from Washington and came to be with her husband. Then there was a guy who came to hook up our cable internet who said he was from Utah (but he sounded australian) and that he's been all over so his accent is muddled. Also he told me that he's never applied for ILR or naturalised after ten years here and laughed about it which made me mad but that's another story.

I'm always shocked when I come across an American in Bradford. I've been told we only have two Americans including me that go to my university. I came across one at mcdonalds who said she was from Washington and came to be with her husband. Then there was a guy who came to hook up our cable internet who said he was from Utah (but he sounded australian) and that he's been all over so his accent is muddled. Also he told me that he's never applied for ILR or naturalised after ten years here and laughed about it which made me mad but that's another story.

He probably has a version of  ILR just didn't really know it or realize it, these things were much easier 10 years ago. My Mum got her ILR about 30 years ago and it just involved my Mum&Dad waiting in a really long queue, after she'd flown here to marry him (with my sister in tow!) She didn't naturalize until I was about 15 and that involved a really simple form and about £20.

He probably has a version of  ILR just didn't really know it or realize it, these things were much easier 10 years ago.

Indeed. And you'll find people on this forum who really didn't have any immigration woes, just upped and moved. My how things change though!