Central heating, toilets and accents among biggest culture shocks for people moving to the UK

Users of online message board Reddit report their confusion around British transport and food

'Either the sky is completely overcast, or the sky is blue with one single cloud and that cloud is raining' (Getty Images)

Confusing accents and odd public transport habits have been listed among the biggest culture shocks for people moving to the UK.

Users of online message board Reddit were asked “What is biggest culture shock' you've ever received either after moving or while vacationing to a new place?” by user thechosenone16 - and responded with a number of humourous observations about life in Britain.

“There are no closets in the UK,” posted user SurfeitOfPenguins in one entry.

“Livable space of houses is maybe a one-foot radius around each radiator. Either the sky is completely overcast, or the sky is blue with one single cloud and that cloud is raining.

"Accents are a big deal. A native Brit can pinpoint a person's place of birth, annual salary, and parentage going back three generations within moments of hearing another Brit speak.”

Redditor Dondo666 also pointed out the difference between the British accents as depicted onscreen, and how they are in real life.

“English is my 3rd language but I'd say I'm fluent," they said.

"I have no problem understanding what Americans say 99% of the time. But Brits are a whole other thing entirely. Most of the time I could make out 1/5 words. After a while I stopped asking people to repeat themselves and just smiled and nodded.

"Brits in British movies I understand. In real life, not so much."

ListenDry, an Indian user from UAE, reported on Britons' obsession with manners, having visited London in 2012.

“Sorry, please, thank you and welcome were the words to gain respect," he said.

An international student, the Redditor also summed up other British idiosyncrasies.

"Taxes were high," he wrote.

"Liquor was cheap (even though I don't drink). Heating was central and was timed which was thick. No closets to hide in despair and the rooms were tiny. Accents are vast, from all over the globe.

"Racism does exist but is not visible. It's just that people will ignore instead of verbally or physically assaulting or replying.”

For French Redditor pompompompompom, it was British toilets that made for a source of cultural confusion.

“Some older toilets have a sort of door handle flush which I can never get the hang of, if you're too slow it won't work, too fast won't work either, it's an art," they said.

Coming from further afield, a Tawainese redditor made observations about British dining habits on public transport.

They wrote: "[I was intrigued by] how Brits are allowed to eat and drink on the London underground but still keep the carriages relatively clean. (Taipei’s metro banned all eating and drinking).”

You can view the full Reddit thread here.