Travels with Charley - Breakfast British Style

The breakfast buffet British style is always exciting on the first day. We have a choice of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and juices, much like an American buffet. The similarity begins to diverge from there. Sausage is rather like the American hot dog; English bacon resembles thin American ham; the eggs are generally hard fried but can be ordered poached or scrambled. Various breads, crescent rolls, and bagels are available with accompanying butter and jelly. The bread can be toasted in a vintage looking, but very serviceable, toasting machine. About the size of a bread-box, the machine has a small conveyor belt inside that runs the bread under a broiler and spits it out, partially toasted, down below. Running it through once is not quite toasted enough, but twice is a little too much. Other enticements are offered at breakfast as well. Cooked mushrooms, beans (look like pork and beans without the pork), and stewed plum tomatoes, all ostensibly to be served over the ever present triangles of fried bread. The children were happy to have various cereals, yogurt, and fruits.

Not only were the foods different, the table settings were much more formal, even in this casual dining room. Charlie got this photo of the "rules" and how to interpret the place settings. This was project in the children's group meeting.
I am quite sure many of the "rules" were not new to our munchkins, but they were reinforced by two lovely young ladies who worked well with the kids. Pleasing their mentors, as well as "earning house points" for a prize, the kids had some interesting conversations around the dining tables. Learning some culture in England.....priceless.