What should I buy in the UK?

[broma25 2]

The DFW area has an Ikea in Frisco, but Ikea is such cheap #######! I ought to know...most of our furniture is from there. We're on our second Klippan sofa...that thing is a piece of sh!t.

I know what you mean about IKEA stuff, however their duvet covers are fine and their linens in general. Also about 1/4 of the price of what you pay for a duvet cover in places like Target, where a sheet costs $10, but sew 2 sheets together and its suddenly $90.

They dont really have much choice though unless you like flowers or circle!!

I apologise to the OP that this is only very loosely related to your question, but does anyone know the equivalent for Full/Queen/King to Double/Queen (do we even have Queen beds in the UK?)/King - if for example I have a US Queen Bed and want to get some UK fitted sheets for it? I also have a UK King Duvet - same question in reverse.

If anyone can help me I'd be really grateful.

And thanks very much Mr or Ms Mint Aero a few posts back.. now I have a craving!

Check out the Ikea website they have sizes on there

[broma25 2]

Buy some decent bras! If you're a woman that is. Bigger sized bras are a buggar to find over here!

I noticed that....British women seem to have really large breasts in relation to American women, even accounting for higher rates of obesity in the USA. I'm the same bra size here as in the USA, but shops here sell G cups and bigger! The largest cup size I ever saw in a store that caters for women of average size is DD. Where DO G cup women buy bras in the USA?

I dont have a problem either in the UK or the US with bras. I was certainly not at the front of the queue when they handed out boobs...lol

[Leney 0]

I dont have a problem either in the UK or the US with bras. I was certainly not at the front of the queue when they handed out boobs...lol

No bother, my hubby says anything more than a handful is a waste But I feel your pain! lol

On the other hand, we won't have back problem when we get old

-----

Here's some information I found:

source: http://www.homespacedirect.com/acatalog/Bedding_Guide.html

Bedding Size Chart

Size Chart

UK bedding size chart

Below is a size chart for UK bedding. Please note, manufacturers and listing will quote approximate sizes, so the actual size can be + or - 5 cm of the sizes below.

Super King Size bedding - Size Chart

Duvets/Quilts - 260 cm x 220 cm

Duvet covers - 260 cm x 220 cm

Flat sheets - 305 cm x 280 cm

Fitted sheets - 200 cm x 185 cm

Click here to see our full range of bedding.

King Size bedding - Size Chart

Duvets/Quilts - 225 cm x 220 cm

Duvet covers - 225 cm x 220 cm

Flat sheets - 274 cm x 264 cm

Fitted sheets - 150 cm x 200 cm

Click here to see our full range of bedding.

Double bed bedding - Size Chart

Duvets/Quilts - 200 cm x 200 cm

Duvet covers - 200 cm x 200 cm

Flat sheets - 229 cm x 259 cm

Fitted sheets - 137 cm x 190 cm

Click here to see our full range of bedding.

Single bed bedding - Size Chart

Duvets/Quilts - 135 cm x 200 cm

Duvet covers - 135 cm x 200 cm

Flat sheets - 180 cm x 260 cm

Fitted sheets - 90 cm x 185 cm

[Disco 0]

I apologise to the OP that this is only very loosely related to your question, but does anyone know the equivalent for Full/Queen/King to Double/Queen (do we even have Queen beds in the UK?)/King - if for example I have a US Queen Bed and want to get some UK fitted sheets for it? I also have a UK King Duvet - same question in reverse.

If anyone can help me I'd be really grateful.

And thanks very much Mr or Ms Mint Aero a few posts back.. now I have a craving!

There really is not. US beds are far bigger then European beds. (yes yes insert your fat joke here, I can take it )

I brough twin sheets to the UK when I went to Uni. I was even tucking the fitted sheet in. Honestly I think your better buying that here.

[Widge 0]

Things I wish I'd stocked up on more before leaving UK

M&S underwear (as well as the quality you have to get your feet and confidence before you start asking the questions you may require to get what you want - or is this just cos I'm older)

High % cotton socks and especially ankle socks (I've always been a fan of silly socks and they are a) very hard to find here in high cotton content and b ) no funny socks) ankle socks the standard ones in UK are hard to find here as they are either knee high or the hidden trainer ones.

I brought a duvet but wish I'd found a really really low tog summer weight one.

Foodwise almost everything is available online but I haven't found "mixed herbs" anywhere (still using ones I sent over from Eng)

If you bake bring a UK baking tin for things like mince pies here they are all muffin depth (twice as deep)

If you are bringing UK recipes bring a set of UK measuring spoons everything here is done by the cup and it isnt the same as a UK cup

If you want to make an old fashioned UK steamed pudding bring a pudding basin as impossible to find one with a lip here (this either makes sense or doesn't lol)

[msu17 0]

Wow, I have never seen that! Where on earth (well actually where in the UK) do I get one??? I NEED!

I would say if you have one specific hair product you use, bring that. Paul only uses this one brand of gel. We carry the brand in the US, but not the right kind of gel.

This is the start of my non food list for when I go home (UK) in Sept.

Hand Towels (the hand towels here are more like guest towel size)

Tea Towels (again the ones here are tiny)

Dish cloths (here they are pretty expensive for what you use them for I love the ones back home which are like 3 for 50p...lol)

Duvet Covers (hard to find here and expensive when you do find them).

Cushion covers (i like to be able to take mine off and wash them. The one's you buy here usually are not removable).

Maybe I should get myself a little business going here..........English Linens!!

So funny that you mention that cos he's bringing our t-shirt fabric duvet covers here. I can't find them anywhere in the US...you usually have to just buy the whole tshirt fabric comforter!

We're using them as a liner for everything in the suitcase

Edited May 24, 2007 by msu17

[homesick_american 1]

Things I wish I'd stocked up on more before leaving UK

M&S underwear (as well as the quality you have to get your feet and confidence before you start asking the questions you may require to get what you want - or is this just cos I'm older)

Excellent point; underwear is sized differently for women in the US.

High % cotton socks and especially ankle socks (I've always been a fan of silly socks and they are a) very hard to find here in high cotton content and b ) no funny socks) ankle socks the standard ones in UK are hard to find here as they are either knee high or the hidden trainer ones.

Are you a guy? I never had trouble finding ankle socks in the US; maybe they only make them for women?

I brought a duvet but wish I'd found a really really low tog summer weight one.

Foodwise almost everything is available online but I haven't found "mixed herbs" anywhere (still using ones I sent over from Eng)

You could find out what's in it and sort of mixed up dried ones on your own, though...right?

If you bake bring a UK baking tin for things like mince pies here they are all muffin depth (twice as deep)

Good idea; I hadn't thought about that.

If you are bringing UK recipes bring a set of UK measuring spoons everything here is done by the cup and it isnt the same as a UK cup

If you want to make an old fashioned UK steamed pudding bring a pudding basin as impossible to find one with a lip here (this either makes sense or doesn't lol)

Holy #######, you're right! I didn't even realize the cups were different. It hasn't come up since all my UK cookbooks use metric measurements, not imperial. I brought American cooking cups and teaspoons over with me because I wasn't sure I'd be able to get them here, and most of my cookbooks are ones I bought in the States.

[Oath 0]

Purchase a healthy stock of real Irn Bru.

[elmcitymaven 9,711]

Paracetamol with codeine, as you can't get codeine over the counter in the US (or at least you couldn't when I left the States waaaaaay back in 1995). I'm stocking up already!!!

I'll reiterate the teabag point -- a good supply is an absolute must. American "tea" is utter garbage. Every time I go over to see my parents I bring the HUGEST box of PG Tips I can find, not only for myself but now that I have re-educated them in the ways of true tea they crave it too. Whatever you do, stay away from Lipton Tea over there -- it tastes like a**e.

[Tommy&Dawny 0]

Paracetamol with codeine, as you can't get codeine over the counter in the US (or at least you couldn't when I left the States waaaaaay back in 1995). I'm stocking up already!!!

I'll reiterate the teabag point -- a good supply is an absolute must. American "tea" is utter garbage. Every time I go over to see my parents I bring the HUGEST box of PG Tips I can find, not only for myself but now that I have re-educated them in the ways of true tea they crave it too. Whatever you do, stay away from Lipton Tea over there -- it tastes like a**e.

No, codeine is still not an OTC drug here in the states. Still prescription required.

As for tea bags, I keep trying to tell Dawn that she NEEDS to bring the mahusive box of PG Tips with her, because our choices aren't exactly stellar!!

[homesick_american 1]

Paracetamol with codeine, as you can't get codeine over the counter in the US (or at least you couldn't when I left the States waaaaaay back in 1995). I'm stocking up already!!!

I'll reiterate the teabag point -- a good supply is an absolute must. American "tea" is utter garbage. Every time I go over to see my parents I bring the HUGEST box of PG Tips I can find, not only for myself but now that I have re-educated them in the ways of true tea they crave it too. Whatever you do, stay away from Lipton Tea over there -- it tastes like a**e.

They sell various brands of hot tea in the USA, some of which are also sold in the UK (like Twinings). Liptons is no good for hot tea; it's an iced tea brew. Hot tea brews are no good for iced tea and vice versa.

We bought a giant box of PG Tips to get the free monkey, but I prefer Twinings.

[Dr_LHA 3]

No, codeine is still not an OTC drug here in the states. Still prescription required.

For paracetamol and codine, the simple rule is that if the Queen is on the money, you can buy it over the counter, otherwise you can't. The only exception is Ireland.

As for tea bags, I keep trying to tell Dawn that she NEEDS to bring the mahusive box of PG Tips with her, because our choices aren't exactly stellar!!

Agreed. I've managed to live in the USA for 8 years on 2-3 cups of tea a day and have never bought tea bags in the USA. Thank god for PG Tips 240 boxes. They're the one thing I always get friends/collegues to bring me if they're coming over from the UK.

That said, my local supermarket does actually sell PG Tips, and they are available in most UK import shops.

[Rubycon 0]

(yes yes insert your fat joke here, I can take it )

Faaaaaaaat!

Purchase a healthy stock of real Irn Bru.

Definitely!

Just one sensible thought though people - you might want to be careful carrying UK over-the-counter painkillers to the US. I'm sure there must be some kind of restrictions on bringing in stuff when it is prescription only in the US.

[elmcitymaven 9,711]

(yes yes insert your fat joke here, I can take it )

Faaaaaaaat!

Purchase a healthy stock of real Irn Bru.

Definitely!

Just one sensible thought though people - you might want to be careful carrying UK over-the-counter painkillers to the US. I'm sure there must be some kind of restrictions on bringing in stuff when it is prescription only in the US.

You'd think, but I have managed to bring over 10 boxes at one go for family members. (No, I'm not from a family of junkies! ) I figure that 10 boxes of 32 split between us both will last me up to the expiration date, or else I need to get me to a hospital!

[Fandango 1,439]

Wow, I have never seen that! Where on earth (well actually where in the UK) do I get one??? I NEED!

I would say if you have one specific hair product you use, bring that. Paul only uses this one brand of gel. We carry the brand in the US, but not the right kind of gel.

This is the start of my non food list for when I go home (UK) in Sept.

Hand Towels (the hand towels here are more like guest towel size)

Tea Towels (again the ones here are tiny)

Dish cloths (here they are pretty expensive for what you use them for I love the ones back home which are like 3 for 50p...lol)

Duvet Covers (hard to find here and expensive when you do find them).

Cushion covers (i like to be able to take mine off and wash them. The one's you buy here usually are not removable).

Maybe I should get myself a little business going here..........English Linens!!

So funny that you mention that cos he's bringing our t-shirt fabric duvet covers here. I can't find them anywhere in the US...you usually have to just buy the whole tshirt fabric comforter!

We're using them as a liner for everything in the suitcase

Oh geez, I can't remember where we picked it up...prolly Ikea or some other standard no frills place....it was no place fancy, I do know that. could have even been M&S or Tesco

The difference between king sized in the US/UK is vastly different, but these tshirt duvet covers look HUGE. And so we measured them, and they will work.