British/American Relations...
Hi there!
If this question has been asked over and over and I just haven't taken the time to look for an answer, I apologize. I'm sure I'm not the first one to ask.
I'm a middle-aged American (no kidding...you figured that out when I said "hi") who would love very much to visit England, Scotland and Wales. I've wanted to visit since I was a teenager, but I've rarely had the opportunity or the finances to do so.
About 25 years ago I lived in Australia - Newcastle, NSW, which is about a 2 hour train ride north of Sydney. My oldest daughter was born there in 1986. The day I went to the American consulate in Sydney to get her American and Australian passports (I was proud of her dual citizenship) was unfortunately the same day that then President Regan decided to drop bombs on Iran. As we went into the consulate all was fine. While we were inside the consulate the "deed was done". As we left the consulate there were all these people outside the consulate screaming and shouting at us with signs that said "Go Home Yankee" and things of that nature. I didn't even realize at that point what had happened. All I knew was that security was immediately cranked up inside the consulate (no explanation given) and I had a 2 month old baby with me who was in danger of getting rocks thrown at her. Anyway, we were safely escorted out of the consulate and into the relative safety of the streets outside the immediate area and that was the end of it - in Sydney anyway. At home, someone who knew we were Americans had throw eggs at our door, but that was it. No one physically threatened us personally. Newcastle was remote at that time and most people living there had never seen an American in real life - only on television so I guess the novelty of it helped to keep us from being in much trouble.
My point - As an American, do I have much reason to be concerned about how I will be accepted if I travel to Great Britain as a tourist? I'm sure that there are those who love Americans, who hate Americans and who have no particular feelings about them either way - but should I be concerned?
Thank you for your kind responses. :-)
Melody
If this question has been asked over and over and I just haven't taken the time to look for an answer, I apologize. I'm sure I'm not the first one to ask.
I'm a middle-aged American (no kidding...you figured that out when I said "hi") who would love very much to visit England, Scotland and Wales. I've wanted to visit since I was a teenager, but I've rarely had the opportunity or the finances to do so.
About 25 years ago I lived in Australia - Newcastle, NSW, which is about a 2 hour train ride north of Sydney. My oldest daughter was born there in 1986. The day I went to the American consulate in Sydney to get her American and Australian passports (I was proud of her dual citizenship) was unfortunately the same day that then President Regan decided to drop bombs on Iran. As we went into the consulate all was fine. While we were inside the consulate the "deed was done". As we left the consulate there were all these people outside the consulate screaming and shouting at us with signs that said "Go Home Yankee" and things of that nature. I didn't even realize at that point what had happened. All I knew was that security was immediately cranked up inside the consulate (no explanation given) and I had a 2 month old baby with me who was in danger of getting rocks thrown at her. Anyway, we were safely escorted out of the consulate and into the relative safety of the streets outside the immediate area and that was the end of it - in Sydney anyway. At home, someone who knew we were Americans had throw eggs at our door, but that was it. No one physically threatened us personally. Newcastle was remote at that time and most people living there had never seen an American in real life - only on television so I guess the novelty of it helped to keep us from being in much trouble.
My point - As an American, do I have much reason to be concerned about how I will be accepted if I travel to Great Britain as a tourist? I'm sure that there are those who love Americans, who hate Americans and who have no particular feelings about them either way - but should I be concerned?
Thank you for your kind responses. :-)
Melody