UK trip highlights – December 2023 – Shankar

Trip background: Samrita, our daughter, was graduating from her Master’s program from the University of Manchester; we planned to attend the convocation program and use the opportunity to visit London and Edinburgh besides Manchester. Neither of us had previously seen much of the UK, so we planned to spend ten days in the UK from 4^th to the 13^th December 2023

Getting ready for the trip:
1. Overall itinerary:
  1. London – 4^th to 8^th Dec
  1. Edinburgh – 8^th to 11^th Dec
  1. Manchester – 11^th to 13^th Dec; convocation on 12^th Dec
1. UK Visa: The UK visa is a time-consuming process – you should provide for at least six weeks from application to receiving the visa-stamped passport
  1. Application process – all documentation is to be uploaded online
    1. Some details require documentation to be gathered before the process – for example, the passport pages for each foreign visit over the last 10 years
    1. Visa cost approx. Rs. 12k per applicant
  1. We got interview dates withing 3 biz days of completing the application
  1. Preferable to opt for “Premium” processing of visa – cost Rs. 2,750 extra per visa but got comfortable treatment during the interview process and, more importantly, free UK SIM cards valid for a full month – covering data and calling (both UK local and international)!
  1. We received the visa-stamped passports within 3 weeks of the interview
1. Clothes: Since we went in December, we had to carry a load of winter gear –thermal undergarments, gloves, sweaters, long overcoats etc. Please remember that if you are well protected, you can enjoy the cold, otherwise you may have a miserable time! The mantra is – you might as well be over-protected than under-protected! Another thing to keep in mind is that the English weather is very fickle, it can rain anytime; so, please carry umbrellas – one for each person traveling!
1. Flights:
  1. Priority pass – now not accepted for international flights – you have to register with your credit or debit cards
  1. Onward – flew Srilankan (part of Emirates) – Chennai to Colombo 1 hour, Colombo to London approx. 12 hours – great service, comfortable flight
  1. Looong queues – make sure to reach the airport at least two hours prior to the flight!
  1. Return – flew Etihad (Manchester to Chennai) via Abu Dhabi; poor service and uncomfortable, old, cramped flight from Abu Dhabi to Chennai – made the 4 hour flight seem longer than the 12-hour Colombo to London flight

Arrival:
1. Old, creaking infrastructure: As soon as we landed, we realized that the Heathrow was old with highly stressed infrastructure; we were also visiting in December, so they seemed to be short-staffed ahead of the Christmas vacations. It took over two hours only for the immigration.
1. Taxis:
  1. Bolt and Uber are popular taxi hailing services; Bolt is a wee-bit cheaper; download the apps, ready for use.
  1. If you are taking a taxi from the airport and if you are carrying plenty of luggage, be sure to book “Excel” cabs that cater to outsized and heavy luggage.

Stay:
1. London: we stayed at Wilde Aparthotels – expensive but very well-equipped “service” apartments
1. Edinburgh: most expensive hotel tariffs – most hotels have average quality infrastructure, which is mostly old, what with the building restrictions in Scotland (see below)
1. Manchester: Motel One – miniature-sized apartments, located just outside the Manchester railway station

Moving around: Taxi drivers make for interesting company – talkative, engaging, opinionated. The public transport infrastructure is still wonderful, especially trains – superb network, not just metros but also connecting cities across the UK – comfortable seating, with clean and hygienic pantries. Sensible to buy a “season pass” (Oyster swipe cards) that provides concessional tariff for train travel. For certain transactions, you may need a local SIM.

Food: If you are vegetarian, you can rest assured that you will have plenty of choices – there are plenty of Indian as well as Italian restaurants. There are many “Indian” restaurants, probably more per sq. km., than anywhere else in the world, especially in Edinburgh! Interestingly, these are patronized more by whites than by Asians, probably because these expensive for the average Asian. The most expensive meal we had was in (Hotel Saravana Bhavan) HSB – a meal for the three of us put us back by a cool GBP 70!

Soaking in the sights and sounds:
1. London: The top tourist attractions include the The Big Ben, London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Tower of London etc. The Andamans connection: Trafalgar square had the statue of Havelock who was the British administrator in the Andamans during the infamous incarceration of Indian freedom fighters, many of them sentenced to hard labor in the Cellular Jail.
1. UK is a “museum” country. There are many museums reflecting all the accumulations from their colonial legacy. Depending upon your interest, you may find the following fascinating, although you may also feel that these museums house so many of the “stolen” artefacts that came from the colonies:
  1. The British Museum: Houses some world-famous objects such as the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures and Egyptian mummies.
  1. Natural History: This world-famous museum promotes the discovery of the natural world through such exciting exhibits as the Life and Earth Galleries, wildlife garden and geological collections.
  1. Art: The National Gallery houses the national collection of paintings in the Western European tradition.
1. Edinburgh: Edinburgh seemed straight out of a Harry Potter novel – castles, 100 / 200 year-old buildings retaining the original facades. The other thing that strikes you is the almost complete absence of high rises. Upon enquiring, we learnt that the city layout and plan retained over a couple of centuries. Buildings are not supposed to touch the facades and any alternations etc. can only be done to the interiors! Here are some places to visit while in Edinburgh:
  1. Edinburgh Castle: This iconic fortress dominates the city’s skyline and offers a glimpse into Scotland’s history.
  1. The Royal Mile: A historic street connecting the castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, lined with shops, restaurants, and historic sites.
  1. National Museum of Scotland: A treasure trove of art, culture, and history with fascinating exhibits.
  1. Mary King’s Close: An underground street and a glimpse into the city’s history.

From time to time, Scotland has been trying to secede from the union so as to retain its Scottish identity and culture – even today, it sits uneasily as part of the UK!

Manchester: Reflects its history as a manufacturing powerhouse in the early part of the Industrial Revolution. As in Mumbai, many of the textile mills of yore have been converted to apartment complexes.

General notes:
Cosmopolitan mix: The UK of today has one of the most cosmopolitan populations anywhere in the world with an estimated one in six out of every citizens having been born outside the country. Some areas seem to have only Arabs, probably reflecting more recent immigration trends. Also, unlike in the US, immigrants seem to be engaged less in knowledge / tech related jobs than in less-skilled jobs.
Christmas gaiety, festivities: Since we were close to Christmas, many Christmas-themed parks with rides, food and entertainment were thereAlso, streets were all decked up – including the world-famous Regent Street in London

Convocation: Our daughter’s convocation was a great experience. It started off by getting the traditional gown, the cap, etc. We then made our way to the convocation hall which was suitably decked up for the occasion. The programme started off by rituals of the academic and non-academic staff of the UoM carrying the artefacts ceremonially to the dais. After introductions of the chief guest and others, the entire list of students was called out one by one based upon their particular Master’s program. It was a wonderful experience to have our daughter’s name called out on stage and to be formally awarded the Master’s degree.