Hi my name is Simon Pitts, and I come from Grimsby. I am writing this diary from Santa Monica, California...

Santa Monica is a city of around 100,000 people sandwiched between Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean.

I have been here since 1994, I live about 1-½ miles from the beach, and wish I could spend more time there, it’s just like Cleethorpes, but with a little more sun.

Santa Monica is a strange town in that it is the focus of the ex-pat community in Southern California.

There are three British Pubs, two English grocery stores and a TeaShop, I was actually at one of the British Pubs this week, I had a hankering for "English Food".

I ended up having a mixed grill, finishing up with treacle pudding and Bird’s custard. The one thing I will say is that I REALLY miss my Fish and Chips, no one here has yet done justice to Grimsby’s greatest.

The moment I get home the first place I demand to go is Leon’s at the Riverhead or the Pea-bung on Freeman Street. Fish and Chips here is dire, chips are frozen and the fish is not much better, they use COD! And they serve it with a lemon wedge and Tartar Sauce.

Well I’m going to sign off, hope to bring you more of my California Adventures in the coming months.


Are you an ex-pat living abroad? Would you like to write a short ex-pat diary on a regular basis? If so, we would love to hear from you. Email us today at:

lincolnshire@bbc.co.uk