Baltimore, USA

Never visit this area during the 'high summer', temperatures are often into the 30's (Celsius) and the humidity is often above 75%. In fact, the heat index for today is 43 celsius but a humidity of only 54%.

Of course, the American's are celebrating the War of independence this year (1812).

I am often asked by acquaintences if we have July 4th in Britain, to which I invariably reply, "Yes. It comes the day after July 3rd." The other question I am frequently asked is whether we celebrate 'Thanksgiving', to which I usually reply, "Yes, it's when we finally got rid of the kids!"

I see you don't work for the Baltimore Visitor Center (sic) then Brumlad?
Sounds like my kind of weather as it happens, a bit on the cool side maybe but rather pleasant all the same.

I have been in the states a few times at Thanksgiving, it's our usual holiday time, on one visit to a Florida apartment we did the whole turkey dinner thing.
As for the fourth, I just don't see the need. Or Haloween come to that.

I don't see why we would celebrate the 4th of July in the UK we would hardly celebrate being kicked out of America, I'm afraid if I were asked that question I would have to reply does the US celebrate the day the got kicked out of Viet Nam. I know its not quite the same thing, but it must stir up the same sort of feelings.

Now you put it like that Phil I can see a good reason for celebrating the 4th.
If we had retained control it would probably have ended up costing us a fortune over the following couple of hundred years and then we would have just given it up anyway.
I think we got off light.

Pity we didn't keep somewhere as a kind of Gibraltar or Hong Kong though. New York for instance.

We did. It is called Canada, and the US sometimes thinks the same about Canada as the Chinese used to about Hong Kong