Location

Bolton	Money
Bolton is located 20 miles from the city of Manchester. Bolton's social history has roots back to 1251, with an industrial history commencing in 1337. Today it's a major town with diverse industry. It is twined with Le Mans, France and Paderborn, Germany. Bolton is linked with the cotton industry that was the commercial powerhouse of the industrial revolution. Nowadays, Bolton is a large and busy commercial centre surrounded by beautiful countryside and country parks. The locals are understandably proud of the Premiership football club, Bolton Wanderers FC, based at the recently constructed Reebok Stadium next to the wonderful sports facilities provided by the Bolton Arena. Hide
Still using the pound Sterling (£) the UK is unique now in Europe, with even neighbouring Ireland being part of the €urozone. In Britain they drive on the left, they are an island and arguably enjoy closer relations with the USA than the European Union. There are currently no plans to join the Euro zone, so expect the pound Sterling to be around for quite some time yet. All students are required to set up a current account with a local bank. A student current account, called the “Passport Account” with the popular High Street bank, HSBC, is currently the easiest for a foreign student to open, requiring only your passport or national Identity Card. This will then give you a cash withdrawal card and PIN (personal Identity number) with which to draw out cash bank charge free, at any ATM which is part of its vast national network. Accounts providing credit or debit card facilities, with or without cheque books, require greater levels of documentary id verification and proof of the provision of regular funds. Hide
Bolton Arena	North west England
A magnificent 14.3 million GBP sports and leisure complex sited in the Middlebrook leisure and retail park, Bolton Arena opened to the public in April 2001. Since then not only has the Arena demonstrated to the world it can host international events of the highest calibre, staging the Badminton competition of the 2002 Commonwealth Games but has become a major sporting facility for the local community. Hide
Manchester United, Liverpool, Everton, Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers, Wigan Athletic, Blackburn Rovers. That’s 7 Premiership clubs within 30 kms of each other! With the National Football Museum (www.nationalfootballmuseum.com ) at nearby Deepdale, the home of Championship club, Preston North End FC, a founder member of the English football league, you will find yourself in the spiritual and historic home of football. The biggest local city is Manchester, just 25 minutes by direct train from the Arena station, and is the 3rd most visited city in England by foreigners (www.visitbritain.com ). 30 minutes to the north you will find the Lake District National Park with the Roman cities of York and Chester all within easy travelling distance. The north west of England is an undiscovered gem! Take some time to get to know exactly why it is the first location for football in England. www.visitmanchester.com www.visitliverpool.com/ www.visitenglandsnorthwest.com/ www.premierleague.com Hide
Climate	Opening hours
The UK climate is often described as “mild temperate”. However, due to Britain’s geographical position as an island on the edge of the Atlantic in North West Europe, the country is susceptible to quickly changing and dramatically variable weather conditions. Yes, it’s not unusual for a country to be capable of experiencing wind, rain, sun, fog, ice, and snow. What makes the UK unusual is the fact that it is possible to experience all of these weather features during the same day…However, despite this caveat; the seasonal changes are clearly defined. The secret of surviving the British climate is to always expect the unexpected. Different layers of clothing often allow people to remain comfortable and to adapt to the ever changing conditions. The British do feel at ease talking about the weather and sometimes appear to be a nation of amateur meteorologists, so it is always a safe topic of conversation with a stranger! Winter Relatively mild temperatures with gusty wind and rain are probably more common than cold and clear spells at sub zero temperatures. Snow, except on high ground is relatively uncommon. Spring In a word “changeable”. Expect the lot! April showers can be the order of the day, but rain is usually of the showery type. Manchester’s nickname is “the rainy city”. The annual Easter break always provides a dilemma for the UK holidaymaker, with the biggest difficulty being how to predict whether it will be pleasant enough to spend time outdoors. Summer Summers can be warm and hot, especially inland, but the exposed coastal regions can be kept cool by seaboard wind and breezes. It is still wise to remember that the month of July has rather a large average rainfall, despite its nominal membership of the summer months. Periods when temperatures rise above 27 degrees centigrade are likely to qualify as a “heat wave” in the UK. It is still wise to remember that the harmful effects of unprotected exposure to the sun are just as much a risk in Britain as anywhere else. I Autumn Leaf falls in this season are often spurred along by wet and windy weather; with cold sub zero snaps being less common. Again, like spring, this is a season when the weather is in transition, so be ready for all eventualities! NB – There can be marked differences in weather, especially air temperature, depending upon where in the UK you may find yourself. Scotland and the north can often be 5 to even 10 degrees centigrade colder than London and the South East. Similarly, rainfall can be markedly greater in Scotland and the northern English counties of Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cumbria and Northumberland. Carrying a light waterproof jacket is always sensible when walking in the hills, lakes, mountains or countryside or playing sport outdoors. Hide
If the 9 to 5 working day is the norm then expect this pattern to be replicated in shop and public office opening hours. However, to counter the inconvenience of this for the working shopper, this is a continuous opening period with no lunch break and most large supermarket chains now open their stores 24 hours a day, 7 day a week. Major retailers in town and city centres now regularly operate reduced opening hours on a Sunday (11.00 to 16.00). Expect cinemas, swimming pools and sports centres to operate a similar policy. Hide
Everyday life in England
Breakfast Traditionally, the English breakfast is a rather big meal compared to most southern European or Mediterranean countries. Cornflakes, eggs, bacon, sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms and toast with butter, jam and marmalade washed down with cups of tea with milk are what we normally think of. However, as with many things, eating habits are changing now in the UK. Conscious of the wisdom of a healthy and balanced diet, coupled with the pressures of time, most people don’t eat a “full English breakfast” anymore, or certainly not every day, preferring instead to have just cereals, fruit, yoghurt and fruit juice with maybe a slice of toasted wholemeal bread and low fat margarine. Breakfast eating habits will vary greatly from family to family, person to person and even from day to day. You should find that your host family ask you what your personal preference is when it comes to this meal. However, as a guest in their house and as a visitor in a foreign country, it may be best to try that which the family regularly enjoys. Lunch (Northern England known as “dinner”) In Britain, to fit in with the pattern of the 9 to 5 working day, this meal is usually taken quickly and whilst on the move. Most UK workers will just grab a sandwich from 12.00 to 14.00, some office workers eating at their desks, with the whole break rarely lasting longer than 45 minutes. Many others simply bring in food from home, a packed lunch or the remains of last night’s dinner! A full range of lunchtime sandwiches, potato crisps, fruit, cake and biscuits are always available in High Street sandwich shops, the Arena cafe and big chain supermarkets throughout the day. Expect to spend around £3.50 to £5.00 on a lunchtime sandwich in the UK. Sunday lunch takes on a more important role and is often the only time during the working week when the whole family sits down together around the table to eat. This longer meal time experience is usually made up of roast meats served with a selection of vegetables, often followed by a sweet “pudding” course. This is a British eating experience not to be missed. It is now more and more common for British families to take Sunday lunch together at a pub restaurant. Dinner (Northern England known as “tea”) This is usually the biggest and most important meal of the day for the British. However, it can still be relatively informal. Quick and ready microwave meals can be eaten from on a tray on your lap in front of the television, takeaway food like pizza, Indian and Chinese can be collected or ordered in for dinner, too. The main difference usually is that dinner often happens relatively early in the UK. It is not uncommon for families to eat between 17.00 and 18.30, with cinema and theatre performances and other evening social activities starting at 19.30. Hide