Picking one UK show to attend..

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

To ghet teh best out of a visit, beware stereotypical British reticence, this does mean that, if you look at something in fascination there's a good chance that the person standing next to it will say nothing – they aren't being rude or ignoring you, there's just an assumption that someone studying something doesn't want to be disturbed.

If you ask questions, you will find most people will open up rapidly and go out of their way to help. Like people anywhere in the world, Brits love to share their local knowledge with an interested audience.

I once asked a couple of casual questions at a pumping station. The first got me an hour in the basement having the intricacies of the valve gear explained to me as it popped and clicked away, the second question led to a team of four people starting up an entire beam engine (using the end-of day residual steam in the boiler) just to show me how it was done.

Plus, if you get the chance, try and get off the beaten track into the older areas of some of our mid-sized cities and towns. It's amazing what old architecture and street layouts you can find.

Here's an example – ignore the cars, satellite dishes and wheelie bins, this little unadopted back street in Nottingham is otherwise largely as it would have been 100 years ago.

Neil

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