We're going to England in a few months and have gotten this message as to how to find a B&B that we have reserved. We're at a loss for words as to what it actually means.
Please translate this: "Past first turning on left Back Ends, keep going straight along main road, slow down and indicate to the right as you approach Grevel Lane on your left."

As you're driving on Back Ends, go past your first left, then keep going straight. Put on your right turn signal as you approach Grevel Lane, while will be on your left. I think that's it, anyway. Good luck.

mmm, jr, at first blush this looked easy, but closer inspection reveals a few problems:

<<Past first turning on left >> [easy peasy, this bit]

that means drive past the first turning on theleft, do not drive down it.

"back ends" - goodness knows - is it the name of the place on the left with the aforementoined drive???

keep going straight along main road, >>

pretty obvious

slow down and indicate to the right as you approach Grevel Lane on your left." >>

no idea!

have you googled their address on goggle maps? that might help.

otherwise, try a babel-fish.

Babel-fish? Is there English-English translation? Noooo

Just take a look at the map of Chipping Camden--Back Ends is a street/lane. So drive past the first left, which is Back Ends, keep going on the main road, which is Aston and turn right before Grevel Lane, which will be on your left.

The google map shows 2 B&B's right there if you zoom in enough so it should give you a good visual picture of where you are going.

Thanks, everyone. I've got it now.

Babel-fish - a very useful but sadly still fictional beast that once inserted in the ear, acts as a universal translator. invented by the now dead genius Douglas Adams who wrote "A Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy".

if you would like to understand British humour, you could do a lot worse than start there.

Where was C_W when he was needed? Probably at a chippie.

This isn;t British English - this is someone who doesn;t know how to give directions.

Hmmm - I think I've stayed at that B & B. If it's Bramley House, you will be well rewarded for following the confusing directions.

Yes, Azzure, it is Bramley House.

You've got most of the meaning but just a bit more >>indicate to the right as you approach Grevel Lane on your left.<<

This means flip on your right turn signal (the indicator) when you see Grevel road on the left. My guess this is because it is a quick right turn and they want you giving plenty of warning to those behind you so you don't get a car up your tail pipe.

Helps to be bilingual

annhig, babelfish isn't fictional:

http://uk.babelfish.yahoo.com/

Far from perfect, but it gives an idea. I've used it to decipher foreign text and when sending emails abroad, probably giving the recipient a good laugh as well.

Babelfish has it's uses, but I wou;dn't use it to write in a foreign language unless you already have some knowledge of that language....it quite often comes out with complete gibberish (which is another language entirely!)

I personally didn't have any problem understanding it, fairly common direction instructions if you were asking someone in England, surprised there wasn't a "turn right at the Red Lion, left at the church, then right again at the corner shop" type instructions in there as well. It's a bit different than "take a left, go 3 blocks, turn right at the intersection, go 4 blocks and take a right".

I remember receiving drivng instructions once that contained things like "you'll see a butcher shop on the right at the traffic signal -- don't pay attention, keep going."

1. Stfc, here is a translation from Annhig's British English to American English:

"The computer application named Babel Fish that translates text is not fictional. The translator that consists of an actual fish in the ear in Hitchhiker's Guide is."

This is a humorous remark about the nature of British humor.


2. New England directions:

Pass the store that used to be Watsons, then turn left where the old station used to be.

It's an old, but standard, comedy device to have British city-dwellers completely flummoxed by British rural directions. As in "If I wanted to go there, I wouldn't start from here".