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THE SIXTH BRILLIANT BRITS DINNER. British-owned businesses abound, the length and breadth of Florida and I deal with them all in various ways, as President of the Florida Association of British Business and Florida columnist for this newspaper. British professionals and entrepreneurs in all fields make a valuable contribution to the state’s economy. To celebrate this fact and bring some of them together, over the last five years I have organised an event dubbed The Brilliant Brits Dinner. The sixth one is this month so hope to see some of you there: The Sixth Brilliant Brits Dinner Saturday August 16, 2008 a roomful of brits is never dull. Guest of Honour Her Majesty’s British Consul-General for Florida Keith Allan and Mrs Allan. Also confirmed well-known British newsman Derek Hayward from WSVN Fox Channel 7. Presented by FABB, the Brilliant Brits dinners always sell out and attendees gain new British business contacts or friends and glowing memories. You connect with the local British professional community at a fun and productive function, oozing with British camaraderie. I have booked the entire 80-seat restaurant for exclusivity and intimacy. Location: An Indian restaurant in downtown Miami. Advance booking required. For an invitation with complete details, send an email to: miamibritish@yahoo.com

• UK-USA CULTURE CORNER 1. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons and its UK counterpart the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons have just released a study of preferred procedures amongst Brits and Americans. They polled member surgeons on both sides of the pond. The findings: Britons are embracing cosmetic surgery like never before. British women prefer smaller breasts and breast reductions are in the top five of operations. American women prefer breast augmentations. Eyelid surgery is the second most popular cosmetic surgery in the UK; liposuction is number three in UK and number four in the USA.

Sadly, facelifts in the UK experienced a major increase of 37 percent at number four, compared to number six in the USA. Previously, we Brits were never vain enough and unabashed, let our faces grow old and craggy. It was a delight to see favourite actors on British TV screens grow wrinkly before our eyes, yet keep working. In the UK, a well-ploughed face did not sideline you. Cosmetic surgery was only for “Superficial Americans”. No more. In Florida, many of my British friends (male and female) freely admit having “work” done. A close British buddy stunned us by getting himself a complete facelift at 56 and showing it off to us at a party, while we gathered around checking it out! I love my face as it is right now, so no scalpel for me.... YET.

Piers Morgan, British judge on America’s Got Talent told the USA’s McLatchy News Service: “Simon Cowell and I don’t put on act for television – we Brits are naturally blunt speaking, whereas Americans are nicer people. You’re nicer to each other and show more common civility. (I agree – PK). When you meet a stranger, your first thought is to be pleasant but in Britain our first thought is to be quite rude. I think as Britain gets ruder, America gets more polite. And I like that about you. People say Americans don’t get our humour because it’s ironic and sarcastic. It’s also very cynical. You’re not a cynical group of people. You’re positive thinking. When it comes to judging, I think American judges want to be nice when the evidence is to the contrary. With Brits like Simon and me, our position is to say, let’s keep it real here. You can’t just let somebody through to the finals or win a million dollars just because you feel sorry for them.” SAY I: It’s a fabulous facet of our character that British people are frank, forthright and non-superficial. Let’s never change.

• MIAMI TILL NOVEMBER 2, 2008. Direct from London’s Petrie Museum in University College. Excavating Egypt – Great Discoveries of Egyptian Archeology tells the story of British pioneer and archaeologist Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie and his exploration of ancient Egyptian civilization. It’s an exhibition of 221 Egyptian artifacts excavated by Petrie and also features photography images of the Nile Valley during an ancient era. Location: Lowe Museum in University of Miami, Coral Gables. $10 admission. Info www.lowemuseum.org or (305) 284-3535

• EXPATS BAILING OUT OF UK CORNER. Florida has been overtaken as the favourite. Dubai is now the fastest-growing UK expat population in the world. The number of expats in the United Arab Emirates doubled in 2007 to 120,000. Even my own niece, aged 26, has just informed me she’s “sick of England” and uprooting herself to Dubai.

• BRITISH ACCENTS corner. AOL recently conducted a poll of one million subscribers asking them to vote on various shows they loved and loathed. American Idol was voted best reality show but in a separate category, British judge Simon Cowell was voted Best Villain. Commenting on this, a Miami Herald columnist wrote: “Biting comments come across so much more nasty in a British accent, don’t they? Remember the Weakest Link?”

• CURRY ADDICTS IN FLORIDA. If you cannot get to an Indian Restaurant you’ll be thrilled to know Whole Foods Markets around Florida now sell a line of Indian regional dishes for the self-service hot bars and freezer section. These are authentic Indian foods created by Bombay native Rashne Desai, especially for Whole Foods. Desai, who is the chain’s prepared-foods coordinator for Florida. He describes them as “upscale, restaurant-style Indian cuisine.” Since Americans have also become partial to Indian food over the last few years, this is a shrewd move by Whole Foods. Find stores on www.wholefoods.com. Note: Always find 20 percent off coupons for two great Indian restaurants Royal India and Little India in this paper.

• BRITISH CLUBS SPOTLIGHT: There are over a hundred in Florida, of various size, efficiency and focus. I’ll feature a couple here each month. (For the one nearest you, email me your name/city/phone).

Boca Raton British Women’s Club. An excellent, flourishing and well-run club, with many daytime and evening events in the Boca/Delray Beach areas. I’m a founding member. Contact Iris Van Kesteren (561) 279-4805 email: ivankest@bellsouth.net.

HERNANDO in NW Florida. British-American Club. Call Scottish President Vincent Wallace (352) 746-4157. Brevard British Club (Cocoa Beach area) Call Maureen Rupe (321) 639-6839.

SOUTH BEACH-MIAMI a new British-theme nightclub opened a few weeks ago called Heathrow. Deliberately named to reflect the appeal of British music and all things British, to young Americans and local British clubbers the place is decorated throughout with UK paraphernalia and the American owners import artists from the UK. They invited me to the Grand Opening but since that didn’t commence till 10pm, typical South Beach cranking-up time, I passed. Killing time till 10pm is too boring for me. However, by all accounts Heathrow Nightclub (305) 534-7614 is stunning and innovative, so if you are excited by nightclubbing, go and dance your feet off.

Miami Australian-Kiwi Club, wonderful “cousins” to the British family. Aussies, Kiwis and British guests meet on the last Friday from 7pm in Miami, just north of downtown. It’s run by resident Aussie Greg Maxwell inside the small cafe he owns. I go and it’s enormously enjoyable because genial Greg cooks to order for us fish and chips, sausage rolls and other expat craves. Fridays August 29 and September 26, 2008. Phone Greg for details (786) 201-9102.

• ST PETERSBURG AREA BRITS can get their UK goodies at A Corner of England Shop (727) 345-5353.

• ORLANDO: British-American Chamber of Commerce has various business and social events. Call Justine Assal, the BACC’s Vice-President for details (407) 908-4187.

• SUBMIT NEWS ITEMS FOR THIS COLUMN for publication. Must be about new British businesses, British events, British Clubs etc. Its space permitting, so publication not guaranteed. Submit by email only to britishflorida@aol.com sign with sender’s name/city/daytime phone number.

• ATTENTION FLORIDA’S BRITISH-OWNED BUSINESSES, SHOPS and PUBS: If you wish to get bulk copies of the Union Jack, (50 papers a month minimum), to offer your customers, phone our circulation department 1-800-262-7305. The paper is free, but a small delivery charge applies.

• NEWS OF THE BOOZE: The Blue Anchor (561) 272-7272 in Delray Beach is one of Florida’s best British pubs. I spent many happy evenings there before “immigrating” to Miami. Favourite memory is its 1996 Grand Opening, witnessing the townspeople of Delray literally lined up down the street, like a Hollywood premiere, banging on the doors for their first pub to open. The English owner, lovable Lee Harrison, a former Fleet Street man, is a major reason for its success. I am giving Lee’s place this blatant plug because British photographer Ian Ibbetson, one of their regulars raved to me about one particular menu item. Ian said this dish was so outstanding, he orders nothing else: Steak and Stilton Pie, a Blue Anchor signature feast. So if you’re lucky enough to be in sniffing distance of the pub, go hungry into nosh nirvana.