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RAF MILDENHALL, England --  The United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) is made up of a group of islands lying off the northwest coast of mainland Europe. The largest islands in the group are Great Britain (which consists of England, Scotland and Wales) and Ireland (which consists of Northern Ireland, or Ulster and the Republic of Ireland or Eire). The Republic of Ireland, although geographically part of the British Isles, is not part of Great Britain or the United Kingdom, but has, since 1922, been an independent nation. England is about the size of Utah, with a population of about 60 million. It is the largest of the countries forming the United Kingdom. London, the capital, is one of the largest cities in the world. The widely differing scenery of England includes lakelands, woodlands, moors, agricultural lands and large industrial towns, mainly in the North and Midlands. RAF Mildenhall lies in the northwest corner of the county of Suffolk.

Living in a British community
If you decide to live on the economy you will quickly come across our famous, or perhaps notorious, British reserve. In practice, this is a reluctance to invade another's privacy, or to have our own privacy invaded. It has come about as a result of living in more crowded conditions than you have been used to in the States. You may find that you just have to reach out a bit further here in order to get to know the British people, but most will warm to you, and you may even get a friend for life!

Home Deliveries
Home deliveries are still relatively common in English villages. The milkman may call early in the morning, and, in addition to milk, will often carry eggs, yoghurt, bread, juice and soda. The local fish and chip van may well visit your village once a week to sell one of our most popular national dishes, freshly cooked, and during the summer months you will often see local ice cream vans in your village too.

Shopping
Most stores are open Monday through Saturday from 9:00am until 5:30pm. Many family-run shops in small towns and villages close for lunch so that the whole family can eat together. The British lunch hour is typically from 1pm until 2pm and, in addition, every village has an early closing day once a week with shops closing for the day at 1pm. Ask your neighbors which day.

Smaller shops don't always supply bags, so get into the habit of carrying a few plastic shopping carriers around with you; it will save you the embarrassment of having to stagger home juggling an armful of individual purchases.

British post offices traditionally provide a larger variety of services for the public than their American counterparts, (though they close for lunch, when the majority of working folks might be expected to need their services)! In addition to handling mail and selling stamps they provide some or all of the following; 1. A variety of banking services 2. Bill payment facilities and budget plans; for example, you can buy a couple of 1 pound stamps toward the cost of your phone bill every time you use the Post Office, then when the bill comes in you're financially prepared. 3. Road Tax discs. 4. Driver's license application forms.

Climate
British weather is temperate. The average daytime temperatures are 35 degrees during the winter and 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer. Sweaters and jackets are generally the dress of the day. Mildenhall experiences a wide variety of weather conditions. We record an average of 18 thunderstorms each year. The majority of these occur in the spring and summer months, but may occur at anytime of the year. We get some snow, averaging seven inches annually. In the winter months, it gets quite windy with speeds up to 65 knots. Black ice is also a winter hazard.
In the last 50 years, Mildenhall has not recorded a temperature lower than 5 degrees Fahrenheit. We do, however, experience an average of 48 days a year when the temperature dips below freezing. The average high temperature in the summer months is 70 degrees Fahrenheit with occasional high temperatures in the 80's. (For the past few years, in the summer, we have had a heat wave with temperatures reaching and staying in the 90s, compounded by a drought (no rain) and the lack of air conditioning in most facilities. There is a chance of similar weather in the future). The UK experienced its hottest weather since 1911 in July 2006. Please note that in the winter month's sunrise may not be until 0830 and sunset can be as early as 1530. On the other hand, the spring and summer daylight hours can be as early as 0400, with sunset near 2200

Events and Tourist Attractions
For current information on places of interest go to www.visitbritain.com and www.enjoyengland.com , here you will find details of the Tourist Information Centres which are located in most major towns and have free information about the surrounding area and national events. You will see these annotated by a white sign with a blue "i", and more information is available through the Airman & Family Readiness Center Relocation Manager. Local libraries have automated databases with loads of information on activities and events, and don't forget to check out the Information Tickets and Travel on RAF Mildenhall and Lakenheath. After you arrive, check the "What's On Locally" bulletin board when you have an email account set up at your unit.

Community Relations Advisor
Your Community Relations Advisor, can help you with any queries you have concerning life in Britain, and can be contacted at DSN 238-2254, commercial 01638 542254 or through the Airman & Family Readiness Center at DSN 238-3406 or 01638 543406.

Other useful web sites:

Part of the official web site of the British Government in the U.S includs information on things to do; history and geography, food, and glossary of British terms: http://www.britainusa.com/4kids/

Additional relocating information from the US Embassy: http://www.usembassy.org.uk/uk4us.html