Thanksgiving in the UK

This could go in a number of places....food, travel, chit chat etc.

Thought I'd put it in here as the food bit does seem to get a few comments.

Anyway, for the first time since 2008 when we got married we won't be going to the US for Thanksgiving, what with me being out of work and having been to the US a couple of months ago for DW's funeral.
So, the question is, DW wants to go somewhere in the UK for Thanksgiving, we've found a few places in London, just wondered if anything elsewhere, preferably closer to home in Yorkshire, or for that matter further north like Edinburgh. Fairly traditional meal etc.
Although another possibility is Bodeans in London, which would also mean being able to watch the NFL!

A quick google found this: http://gouk.about.com/od/festivalsandevents/a/ThanksgivingUK.htm

I hope you find a venue that suits you

TykeMan, you're welcome at mine.   Traditional, mid-western Thanksgiving fare.  Just be prepared to root for the Packers!

A quick google found this: http://gouk.about.com/od/festivalsandevents/a/ThanksgivingUK.htm

I hope you find a venue that suits you

Thanks for that - the Black Bull, Rimmington in Lancashire looks interesting even if they did put their webaddress wrong!

  Just be prepared to root for the Packers!

Well, as I know they aren't playing the Saints or Eagles that wouldn't be a problem!

This has me wondering if any expats:

1] Never go home for Turkey day, but do a Big Thanksgiving dinner/party at their home every year.

or

2] Are super happy to be rid of the holiday [full disclosure, I'm in this category, as I was born on Thanksgiving and it has never failed to ruin my birthday].

We've made Thanksgiving a new tradition among our friends here (I'm British, hubby is American).  It's nice to have a celebration with friends in the darkening days of winter, especially when Christmas is such a family time.  We have a few regulars whom we always invite, plus extra waifs and strays, usually ends up being around 10-14 of us.  It's fun!

we are never in the US for the day as we go at Christmas.  I've tried to cook a traditional meal and had a few epic failures so we started the tradition of going to a place not too far away that does a carvary for 3.89 (kids for 1.00 ) and I make apple and pumpkin pie for dessert back at the house.

woadgrrl- wish we could be there to root with some fellow Cheeseheads

This will be my first thanksgiving there, and since I have worked in hospitality for ages now I tend to work on Thanksgiving anyway, but do a bit meal on Sunday for us.  Probably what I will do here.  May even try turkey....i Don't normally like it, but all other meat/poultry tastes different so I may give it a whirl

2] Are super happy to be rid of the holiday [full disclosure, I'm in this category, as I was born on Thanksgiving and it has never failed to ruin my birthday].

Well DW was also born on Thanksgiving, was the actual day that year, and she's never complained about it. It's not like having your birthday at xmas when you then lose out on presents. In fact it means she's also had her birthday back in the US and she gets to have lobster for her birthday dinner!
She moved here in 2008 and that year we didn't go back...DW wasn't working and she made Thanksgiving dinner for when I got home from work and I took the Friday off so we could watch NFL.

THanksgiving is the holiday I probably miss the most since moving here, that and Halloween actually. 

Last year we were on holiday in Cornwall so made a bit of bird, some stuffing, sweet potatoes, and the husband didn't really notice and doesn't know what all the fuss is about. 

It makes me a bit sad to think that my family are all sitting around, eating, drinking, and I'm not.  I'm going to work the next day, and it doesn't matter in the slightest to anyone but me.  Well, I say that but last year I had a bottle of fall ale land on my desk that had Happy Thanksgiving on it from a friend at work. She always knows how cheer me up. 

Does anyone do anything local in London?

 

We've made Thanksgiving a new tradition among our friends here (I'm British, hubby is American).  It's nice to have a celebration with friends in the darkening days of winter, especially when Christmas is such a family time.  We have a few regulars whom we always invite, plus extra waifs and strays, usually ends up being around 10-14 of us.  It's fun!

This is what we do too, more or less. Usually no waifs or strays, as even if the regulars all come it's really more than we practically have room for! There were a couple of years when we had 20+, and while it was fun in some ways, it was waaaaay too many for our house - the coat rack fell off the wall taking some of the plaster with it, back in 2010... So then we took a year completely off (the bathroom was falling apart in 2011 & needed a redo), ran away & did our own private Thanksgiving that year, just DH & me. Last year, we returned to doing Thanksgiving, but agreed limiting it to no more than 10-15 maximum & with the usual suspects who come year after year, that's where we are & it's almost manageable (as opposed to completely out of control, lol!). About that size & people who've been our friends for many years, it feels like a family Thanksgiving (only on the Saturday following the actual holiday). DH & I do the basics - turkey, mash, stuffing, etc & everyone who attends has to bring a Thanksgiving dish to the table as well.

So if you can't find what you're looking for, I say throw your own Thanksgiving! Start this year, make a new tradition & build on it from year to year.  

...and the husband didn't really notice and doesn't know what all the fuss is about.  

My husband didn't really 'get' it the first year or two, but now he loves it! And I think he would cry if we didn't do it. This summer, he was even sad because we didn't have a chance to do something for the 4th of July.  

Hey & don't forget the Mega Thanksgiving Thread for menu ideas, tips & advice on how to 'do Thanksgiving' here in the UK.  

Well, I suspect we could be back to going to the US for Thanksgiving next year. It's only because we made a trip in June for FiL's funeral which was costly at such short notice that we aren't going this year. But we both like to go at that time - last year was brilliant with a week with family in Vermont over Thanksgiving and then a week in Clearwater, we were planning the same for this year but we can't afford it.

I'd be ok doing it at home, DW wants to go somewhere, we don't really have the room to have people round for dinner unless the weather holds and we can go out in the garden!

I'd be ok doing it at home, DW wants to go somewhere, we don't really have the room to have people round for dinner unless the weather holds and we can go out in the garden!

Yeah, I tried to get everybody to go for 4th of July at ours instead (out in the garden), because that would mean we could have more people - but everyone wants Thanksgiving, lol! There are easily about 20-30 people & more I would love to have here, if we only had the space. The joke used to be - the house next door sat vacant for several years - that we should bust through the wall & take over that house as well, giving room for twice as many. But we had to cut numbers back when it started wrecking our house & there was no room to move.    That's why I encourage others to throw Thanksgiving so that everyone has a place to go! 

Well DW was also born on Thanksgiving, was the actual day that year, and she's never complained about it. It's not like having your birthday at xmas when you then lose out on presents. In fact it means she's also had her birthday back in the US and she gets to have lobster for her birthday dinner!
She moved here in 2008 and that year we didn't go back...DW wasn't working and she made Thanksgiving dinner for when I got home from work and I took the Friday off so we could watch NFL.

Yes I'm sure it's a lovely novelty for her [and btw, those of us with T-Day birthdays hate everyone comparing us to X-mas babies, because we get just as many 'Birthday and Christmas' gifts as they do, only everyone feels sorry for them and make a big deal about them and they completely forget about us].  I'm sure her mother didn't completely forget her eleventh birthday because there was a problem with the turkey and we were expecting 20 people.  And I bet all of her friends weren't out of town [as children AND as adults] on one or both of the weekends surrounding  her birthday, so she could never have a party.  Almost everyone just plain forgets my birthday. Never intentionally and they are always super apologetic about it, but the do. It sucks. I will be happy to claim the last weekend in November as MINE, in the future.