Boy, you really are going to see the highlights of our country, aren't you!
Have you been to these places before? It sounds like you have (even if you were 11). Think proud surviors of our fine industrial past, rather than quaint chocolate box towns. It's not that they're great places, just that they're not the Britain people from other countries might have come across before.
I had a friend who lived in Nottingham for 4 years until very recently, and although she moaned a bit about it, I didn't ever get the impression that it was that bad. I think just be a bit careful in the town centre late at night if you're not too keen on drunken revelry (although that goes for most places, and especially Blackpool)
We often went to a great pub that did great food in Nottingham, it's not in the town centre, so you might need transport to get there, but the food was great, even if you're a vegi:
Victoria Hotel, Beeston (Lots of greats I know, but it really is great)
It's a tourist trap, but it's also worth going to the Trip to Jeruselum in the town centre (another pub - supposedly the oldest one in the UK)
Oh, and the caves under the mall (we say shopping centre) in the town centre are really cool.
I don't know much about Bolton or Liverpool...
Have you been to Blackpool before? It's a completely different side to life in the UK!!! I had one of my more, umm, memorable nights out there when I ended up in a transvestite cabaret bar...! Seaside towns are where you get the best fish and chips. Eat them walking along the prom. It's a tradition.
I'm not sure where the best place to get a proper kilt would be, since you're not going to Scotland. My guess is Liverpool because it's the biggest city. If you can't find a kilt shop (there might be one), try somewhere that sells evening/formal wear or even a wedding shop, but if you're a girl they might only stock men's ones. I've never bought a kilt in England, so I don't really know what is the best way to find one. (A cheat's way might be to find a Edinburgh Woollen Mill shop
Edinburgh Woollen Mill - but they tend to cater for the tourist market...)
Do you mean an ex-army military style coat, if so try an army surpless store, most towns have at least one. If you want the fashion equivalent, it's a look that's sort of in fashion, so trawl the high street chain stores.
To find shops selling the particular things, try
http://www.yell.com Helga
(Wearing Marks and Sparks undies as she types
)
