So you brought your entire suite of electronics to London and are about to plug each of them into the wall and suck down electricity like an American. Oops. Not that easy. I’m not sure how or where this all started (probably the French), but electricity is different in the UK than other parts of Europe and the USA.
Electricity in the UK:
Voltage: 230V – outlets are quite often controlled by wall switches. They are not always “on”. 240V may also be found although 230V is the official voltage.
Frequency: 50Hz
Type of Electrical Plug Used: Type G. It has three prongs (two flat and one rectangular) forming a triangle.
Wall sockets basically look like the picture below:
The plug on the left goes to a tea pot for afternoon tea and crumpets.
The cool thing with the wall sockets here is that they all come with on/off switches right on the wall. This is great for not consuming electricity when you don’t want to. It means you can save your electricity for plugging in your vacuum so you can Flowbee. That’s right…a perfect haircut EVERY TIME.
Anyways, what all this means is that you need to take your US power plug and get it to fit into those crazy looking ones in the UK.
There are basically two routes you can take to use your American devices:
1. Voltage converter - converts 220-240v voltage to 100-120v. This means it will make it so less voltage goes into your device so it doesn’t blow it up.
2. Plug adapter – If you have a device that runs at 220-240v already or if you have a device that has a built in voltage converter this is all you need.
Voltage converter (L) and plug adapter(R)
How do I figure out whether my device will need a converter or adapter?
Look for the Input section of the Power part of your device. If it has a range like 100-240v, you are set. If it’s static like 120VAC, don’t plug it in. Again, just look for a range like 100-240v. It’s pretty simple what it will do if you don’t listen to the London Ninja: YOU WILL BLOW SHIT UP!!!…or more likely it will short and you won’t be able to power up your portable clock anymore.
Pobrecita.
I watched my first movie in London tonight at the Odeon Whiteley in Notting Hill right next to my hotel.
I, of course, watched Transformers. More Than Meets The Eye. Great summer movie. It was pure Action, Action, Action. Michael Bay style…lots of cheesy panning shots, lots of slow motion, lots of dramatic music with a heroic narrator, lots of American flag-waving. We got it all in this movie. Excellent.
So what’s different about watching the movie in London vs what I’m used to in the US?
1. Small screen - Yes, take it back about 10 years and this is what I experienced….like going to the school theatres like the Four Star in San Francisco.
2. Long previews. 20 minutes worth of adverts and previews (isn’t it 15 mins in the US?)
3. Bloody expensive. 9.25gbp and 6gbp for the popcorn combo. That’s radical. US prices = $18.50 for the ticket, and $12 for popcorn and pop. Add it up for a grand total of $30.50 for 1 person’s movie experience. Bloody hell. (I’m assuming you realize that I took advantage of the Orange Wednesdays and brought in a snack from my hotel.)
4. Non stadium seating. The seats felt a bit high, also. Ultimately, once you go stadium, you don’t go back.
5. Sound was loud but not spectacular. You don’t get any of those THX, DDS type of sounds. Just basic speaker sound. Boo.
and…last…but…not…least…..[drum roll.....]
6. Don’t get to watch the whole movie. Ok, maybe this doesn’t happen everytime, but WTF. About 2 hours into Transformers, right at the start of the critical and well-known freeway scene…BAM…no video. There was sound…just no video. WTF. yeah…WTF. So we went out and they told us that they would give us a voucher. A bloody voucher? I want them to rewind the damn thing so I can watch the entirety of the movie. And then I want them to take all the popcorn in the theatre, put it into a tub unbuttered, and allow me to swim in it like a dolphin…oh, and free Coke for life. And by Coke, I mean Coke and Rum. They did get the video back at a certain point and we finished off the movie but I completely missed the scenes where Jazz and Bumblebee…[don't want to spoil it for those that haven't seen it].
Long story short: This was the one movie I wanted to watch this summer…now I’ll have to sneak in again so I can watch that scene I missed.
Two words for my First experience in the cinemas in London: Bloody Hell.
