Simviation Forums

An American tourist in London decides to skip his tour group and explore the city on his own.

He wanders around, seeing the sights, and occasionally stopping at a quaint pub to soak up the local culture, chat with the lads, and have a pint of Guinness.

After awhile, he finds himself in a very high class neighborhood..big, residences...no pubs, no stores, no restaurants, and worst of all...NO PUBLIC RESTROOMS.

He really, really has to go, after all those Guinness's. He finds a narrow side street, with high walls surrounding the adjacent buildings and decides to use the wall to solve his problem.

As he is unzipping, he is tapped on the shoulder by a London Bobbie, who says, "I say, sir, you simply cannot do that here, you know."

"I'm very sorry, officer," replies the American, "but I really , really HAVE TO GO, and I just can't find a public restroom."

"Ah, yes," said the Bobbie..."Just follow me". He leads him to a back "delivery alley", then along a wall to a gate, which he opens.

"In there," points the Bobbie. "Whiz away,...anywhere you want."

The fellow enters and finds himself in the most beautiful garden he has ever seen. Manicured grass lawns, statuary, fountains, sculptured hedges, and huge beds of gorgeous flowers, all in perfect bloom.

Since he has the cop's blessing, he zips down and unburdens himself and is greatly relieved.

As he goes back thru the gate, he says to the Bobbie "That was really decent of you ....is that "British Hospitality?"

"No" replied the Bobbie, with a satisfied smile on his face, "that is the French Embassy."

LOL!!

Nice one, Bobbie!

i have also met a Bobbie, very nice uniforms, and very helpful

Non-brits can never fully appreciate this joke. They may see a funny side, but it doens't have the same meaning.  ;)

EDIT: I'm sure most of you all know - but the Bobbie is the traditional term for a policeman.

I get the funny side...and unless I think of it....is it because France and Britain have always been enemies?

Ay, but you have to live in Britain to "feel" it. France is often the subject of ridicule in the press - infact whenever it is mentioned it is in some way bashing France. I believe there is a bit of tension between all borders no matter which country you are in, at least we have the Channel to bear some of the friction.

LOL

I get the funny side...and unless I think of it....is it because France and Britain have always been enemies?

Not always, since they were allies in WW1 and, too, with the French 'Free' Forces (excepting, that is, the Vichy) in WW2. In the centuries previous to the 1900s, however, such a partnership -- against Germany, no less (Britain and Germany were allied against Napoleon's France), would have been almost unthinkable. The legends of Joan d'Arc were of France wresting back French territory from England.

" the only thing the french should be allowed to host is a invasion" - 'Johnny English'

Not always, since they were allies in WW1 and, too, with the French 'Free' Forces (excepting, that is, the Vichy) in WW2. In the centuries previous to the 1900s, however, such a partnership -- against Germany, no less (Britain and Germany were allied against Napoleon's France), would have been almost unthinkable. The legends of Joan d'Arc were of France wresting back French territory from England.

One thing that we "Brits" have is an amazingly simple, fantastic sense of humour which we all enjoy, and which, unfortunately, "other" folks from "other" countries seem to lack... ...!

...So it's not all that complicated, really.... ...!

Paul... ...!

Well done, Ben... ...!

an amazingly simple, fantastic sense of humour which we all enjoy, and which, unfortunately, "other" folks from "other" countries seem to lack... ...!

Strangely, that's what I've heard many from other countries say about Brits. Some of my Celtic-descendant friends warned me about my attempts at humor around some Germans we worked with because "they just don't have a comprehensive sense of humor like we do."
From what I've found here, we're all individuals; some do, some don't.

I remember a German man about 100f tall at my friends house. He ate buckets of food and didn't have the ability to control his airwaves!
He was void of any sense of humour, rarely smiled and couldn't see the reasoning behind a joke. You can imagine the fun we had.

He was a clever chap, outloud he read a Dutch article in English when neither were his first language.

I get the funny side...and unless I think of it....is it because France and Britain have always been enemies?

It all dates back to a border dispute exactly 940 years ago.

Gryshnak

It all dates back to a border dispute exactly 940 years ago.

Gryshnak

I think it was a tad later than that. http://www.geocities.com/beckster05/Agincourt/AgBattle.html

EDIT: I'm sure most of you all know - but the Bobbie is the traditional term for a policeman.

It's actually spelled Bobby after Sir Robert Peel.

I think it was a tad later than that. http://www.geocities.com/beckster05/Agincourt/AgBattle.html

The Battle of Hastings, 1066 and all that, was responsible for an awful lot of anti-French (or at least anti-Norman) sentiment long before Agincourt.

The Battle of Hastings, 1066 and all that, was responsible for an awful lot of anti-French (or at least anti-Norman) sentiment long before Agincourt.

More info regarding my mate, Norman... ... ...!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/normans/

Paul.... ...!