Getting a job in Britain Part ten: Finding an address

Just to make things complicated, Britain has a lot of words for streets. These include avenue, crescent, way, row, lane and of course road.
All the odd numbers go down one side and all the even numbers go down the other. This building is on two plots of land. That’s why the number jumps from ten to fourteen.
This is number twelve. You’re looking for twelve a (12a).
You’re looking for Southampton Row. This is Southampton Street.
Odd numbers are one, three, five, seven, nine and so on. Even numbers are the other half such as two, four, six, eight and so on. Sometimes more than one address shares the same number, which is why you might find something like five, five a, and five b so that the post office doesn’t have to change the numbers in the whole street.
The handwriting on the envelope is smudged. Where do you think this place is?
– Pismo ręczne na kopercie jest zamazane. Gdzie Pana zdaniem jest ten adres?
All these buildings look alike to me.
– Wszystkie te budynki wyglądają dla mnie podobnie.
Excuse me. Do you live round here? I’m a bit lost.
– Przepraszam. Czy mieszka Pan tutaj, ponieważ się zgubiłem?
I can’t find this street on the map.
– Nie mogę znaleźć tej ulicy
na mapie.
Do you know where I can buy an A-Z?
– Czy nie wiem Pan gdzie mogę kupić plan miasta?
There’s a newsagent across the road.
– Po drugiej stronie ulicy jest kiosk.

The A-Z is a map of every single road in London. Unlike most maps, the A-Z is printed in book format so it’s not only easy to carry but easy to read. You don’t have to unfold it and try to stop it blowing away in a storm! Get one as soon as possible when you arrive in London, if you haven’t got one already. If you’ve got a fairly old one (older than ten years), get a new one. The centre of London in particular changes a lot as new buildings go up and old ones are knocked down. There are also A-Z maps of most cities in Britain.

I have a letter for you. I need to deliver it in person.
– Mama dla Pana list, który muszę dostarczyć osobiście.
I don’t think the electronic lock is working properly. Could you come down and open it for me?
– Wydaje mi się, że elektryczne otwarcie bramy nie działa. Czy mógłby Pan zejść i ją otworzyć?
Can I leave this with you? It’s for the person in flat five.
– Czy mogę to u Pana zostawić? To jest dla osoby z pod piątki.

A lot of addresses in large cities will be in blocks of flats, also called tower blocks. You might find you have to have a few conversations via the intercom while you are working in Britain. You’ll get used to it, as it is similar to speaking on the phone in English, which is not as difficult as it looks.
If your boss asks you to run an errand (in other words go somewhere to buy something or deliver or pick up something), the address you are looking for might not be local. That means you will have two pieces of journey planning to do:
Which bus route is this street on?
– Na której linii autobusowej znajduje się ta ulica?
Where’s the nearest tube station to this street?
– Jaka jest najbliższa stacja metra do tej ulicy?
Is it worth getting a taxi or would it be better to use public transport and walk the rest?
– Czy opłaca się jechać tam taksówką czy lepiej skorzystać z transportu publicznego i resztę przejść na piechotę?

But if you still don’t know where you are, you could always ask a passer-by. Make sure you ask an adult, as British children are taught at school not to talk to strangers. Also don’t be surprised if the person you ask replies: Sorry, I don’t speak English. There are over three hundred languages spoken by London’s residents (as first languages!)

Am I going in the right direction for this address?
– Czy idę w dobrym kierunku, aby dotrzeć do tego adresu?
Am I anywhere near this road?
– Czy jestem w pobliżu tej ulicy?
Is it much further?
– Czy to jeszcze daleko stąd?

If you find that you are good at getting around London, you might want to make money out of it. Despatch riders need a good sense of direction and they are often looking for cyclists and motorcyclists. Don’t get carried away and try to become a taxi driver though. They have to know every single street in the city, which can’t be learnt in just a few months.