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Subject:Re: Tech Writers in the UK From:Joy Hughes-Pearl <the -dot- pearls -at- FREENET -dot- HAMILTON -dot- ON -dot- CA> Date:Sat, 17 Aug 1996 19:47:43 -0400
On BThu, 15 Aug 1996, Andrew Swartz wrote:
> Does anyone have advice about looking for work as a technical author in the
> UK?
> For family reasons, I will be moving to The North in England (somewhere
> in striking distance of Sheffield) and I have the usual questions about
> looking for work in a place I don't know anything about:
> 3. Where are the better places to live and work? We are thinking of
> Manchester, Leeds, and Nottingham.
Sheffield is an O.K. place to live. Nottingham is a great place to live,
a small city with not as much crime and violence as the larger cities,
Sheffield, Manchester or Leeds. They are more like U.S. cities in terms
of drug rings, gangs, knife fights and supposedly some drive by shootings
that are drug related (at least in Manchester). However, there are really
nice areas in these cities too.
The outskirts and rural areas around Sheffield are nice. Please note that
public transport is poor to non existent in rural areas. You can commute
for work but forget taking in a movie in the evening. In many areas the
last bus leaves the city at about 8.00 p.m. Many cars cost about twice
the price of cars in Canada, as does gas.
I think that Manchester is about a 1.5 to 2 hour drive from Sheffield.
Leeds is about a 2 hour drive. Nottingham may be a bit shorter distance.
It's been quite a while since I drove in England. I grew up near
Sheffield. Please remember that it takes about twice as long to drive
anywhere in England than in North America. The roads are narrower and
winding in many areas. The motorways are like highways, but if there is
construction or an accident you can get 15 miles of traffic backed up.
> 4. Are there cultural differences I should be sensitive to as I look for
> a job there? Is the computer industry there much like the computer
> industry here?
There are differences in the words used. English and North American
English are not quite the same!
Hope this helps. If you'd like more info. please e-mail me at:
the -dot- pearls -at- freenet -dot- hamilton -dot- on -dot- ca
Joy.
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