If anyone has any suggestions (other than lodging and airfare) for any of the following areas in England (mid-May) I would GREATLY appreciate it:
London (1 day only)
Essex
Norfolk (primarily Great Yarmouth)
Birmingham
1st trip to England for a 20 something Yank!

Whatever you do - dont bother with Birmingham !! Yarmouth is a bit boring as well ! what about the Lake District ? Cornwall ? Snowdonia in Wales ? Peak District ? 1 day in London wont be enough either.

Hello. London is such a great city, too bad you have only one day there. Hopefully, it is not the day you arrive there, you will be tired!!!
Go to Piccadilly Circus, it's great for people watching & you'll find fun stores, Covent Gardens is close by as well, lots of people & street performers. You could take a hop on - hop off bus tour, it lasts about 90 min. or you can get on & off at any of the 35 stops all day long, It takes you by all the must see sights. It's a great way to get around w/o having to use the tube, taxi's, or the public bus system.Have a Great Time!!!!!!!1

Lorie: Consider a Thames Riverbus tour of the city - too bad you only have one day in London as there is far too many wonderful things to miss on a weeks stay let alone one day. I second the suggestion of possibly the Lake District (Keswick in the northern section of the area is far less touristy than Windermere or Grasmere yet very beautiful. You may want to consider the Isle of Wight (a personal favorite) with a mild climate - also Cornwall all tho that is a bit longer to get to. Also please consider the Cotswolds area as it is everything we envision when we think of Britain. Have a great time!

Thanks for all the advice. Unfortunately family obligations take me to Great Yarmouth and Essex (Essex for a SHORT time). I will not got to Birmingham now, though!
Fortunately my day in London is not the day I arrive so hopefully I will not be too tired (any tips on jet lag; I hear the latest craze is Melatonin)?

I do have a small amount a free time (maybe a day) so maybe we'll hit one of the other must sees (i.e., Lake district, etc.)

Still, any advice on Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, or Essex?

THANKS!!!!!

Depending on how much time you have in Essex, try to hit Clacton-on-Sea, a great little semi-vacation town on the sea - neat beaches and parks along the walk. I was there in 1994, and it was gorgeous. If the flowers are in bloom, it is very impressive. Hopefully will be going back this fall (studying in London fall semester) - let me know what you thought!

You MUST go to the Lake District. Beautiful! Also in London, St. Paul's Cathedral is gorgeous, and the Tower is fun. Skip the changing of the guard - too crowded.