Bits and pieces:

• Apparently everything is closed on Christmas day, which I suppose is obvious to you unless you live in a predominantly Jewish or Islamic country in which Christmas isn't really celebrated.
• Spamalot is brilliant.
• Manchester is a really cool city with terrific pubs and shopping districts.
• The dominant ethnic group in London is not, in fact, cockney brits, but rather Indians (i.e. immigrants from India).
• I'll post some pictures as soon as I upload them to Flickr.

Bottom line: As promised. Would buy again.