I just returned from 3 weeks in England also, used the Oyster card the first week in London, then rented a stick shift for the last 2 weeks. We enjoyed riding the double decker buses the most, the tube was the least favorite.
Agree with your assessment on parking and blocked lanes, I was most worried about clipping parked cars since my left eye was not trained for judging that side of the car. I didnt have a problem with the backward shifter. I did hit the curb several times...
Speed limits were posted on the motorways, but with all the construction they were slower than the A roads, the M1 was 50 in the area I was in with cameras everywhere. The A roads were 60 and lots of people were going 80. My cousin later told me the cameras were not working on the A roads due to the contract expired, only on the motorway and if the police van was parked next to the roadway. I rarely saw any police cars.
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