One of the joys of living, visiting or studying in a new country is to learn its culture. Whether it is any one of these three reasons mentioned, on arrival and at a convenient time, a tour guide can be employed to take you around the country. In England, the culture of the people may differ from your own country in many ways. Visitors to England can obtain a cultural guide at the hotel that they are staying.

The English, known to be polite and well-mannered, always join a line at the back of the queue. They often frown on anyone who forces their way to the front and although they might not actually confront the offender, they may give out sounds suggesting dislikes.

An English person finds it very uncomfortable to stand close to another person while talking to him or her. Enough space should be maintained while in conversation with another person. 

When in England, it is best to check for no-smoking signs before smoking a cigarette. Some English citizens look at smoking in a public place as being rude. Restaurants, banks, hairdressers, post offices, shops and business places often display no-smoking signs in their establishments. 

Conducting an illegal drug trade in England is wrong and if caught the maximum penalty for such an offense will be administered. The English hate whenever unscrupulous persons enter their country and conduct any form of drug trade there.

In some parts of the world women are treated unfairly and sometimes paid less for the same work a man does, while in England women are rightly treated the same as men. In the home, both women and men share the household chores; however, this may differ in each home.

Just as in all countries around the world, women in England are cautioned not to walk alone on lonely roads at nights. If one has to move around, it is advisable to do so with the aid of a taxi or in a group.

The English looks at sniffing in public as rude and it suggests that a handkerchief be carried around at all times to blow the nose. One must never spit in a public place in England, as this is looked at as being extremely offensive.

Meals are served three times per day in England and usually begin with a light breakfast followed by a light lunch consisting of fish, vegetables and potatoes between the hours of 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. The evening meal also call tea, supper or dinner consist of pasta, meat, vegetables and eggs is eaten at around 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

At restaurants, the English are very polite to fellow customers and waiters. A citizen of England dining in a restaurant in that country never snaps his or her fingers to attract a waiter but instead raises the hand and always uses the words “excuse me” and “thank you.” At the restaurant, it is bad manners to put your elbow on the table and speak with food in the mouth. When an Englishman finishes eating, the knife and fork is place on the plate, which signifies to the waiter that he is through eating. It is consider by English custom bad manners to be heard when chewing the food or drinking. Customs in England requires a customer to leave a 10% tip at the end of a meal for the serving waiter or excluded if stated on the bill saying, “service included.”

The citizens of England view chewing gum, eating, and drinking on the street as normal behavior; however, banks, business places and post offices considered eating in them off limits.

In England young people under the age of 18 are considered being under age and therefore not allowed to drink alcoholic beverages. The age of maturity for the consumption of alcohol is 21 and many bars and shops have kept strict policies on this law. Men and women in British culture can drink together and this is acceptable to all.         

In English culture there are set times for bars to close. Closing time is 11:00 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays and 10:30 p.m. on Sundays. At 10 to 15 minutes before closing time, one usually hears the familiar cry of the barman saying, “Last round.”

Shops in England open between the hours of 9 to 10 a.m and close 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 P.M.; however, one may do late night shopping on Thursday nights because shops open until 8 p.m. Some large shops are open on Sundays during the day for 6 hours and supermarkets close on that day at 4 p.m.    

Banks and post offices may vary depending on location with opening and closing times. The opening and closing times for banks and post offices from Mondays to Fridays are 9 a.m to 4:30 p.m. 

In England, it is customary to drive on the left and not on the right as done in other countries. Tickets bought before taking the bus or train and while on a public transport, eye contact should be avoided with strangers.

When living in England one has to learn the various cultures that exist. However, if one needs to learn fast, a cultural guide can always show you the way to do things.