I'M OK, YOU'RE UK: Uk Gals Dip into her Majesty's Secret Service

By LOUISE WITT

May 30, 2008 --

EVERY Hugh Grant-loving, "Masterpiece Theater"-watching, Jane Austen-rereading woman knows there's something about British men. And now, thanks to a weak dollar that's driving them here in, well, droves, American women are taking full advantage.

Liz Kramer, a 31-year-old paralegal, is fed up with homegrown men, saying they not only take women for granted, but they're also delusional.

"They make a couple of bucks and they think they look like Brad Pitt when they look more like Dr. Phil," says Kramer. "And they think they can go out with a brain surgeon supermodel."

This is one reason Kramer signed up two months ago with Premier Match, a New York-based dating service that formed an alliance a year ago with London's Berkeley International. Kramer paid about $6,000 for a year's membership and asked to be introduced to British men.

She appreciates their accents, dapper attire, impeccable manners - and, yes, even their good looks, dental issues notwithstanding.

"I don't know what they're putting in their water over there," she says, "but they're getting better looking. There's Jude Law and Jason Statham from 'Transformers.' And they have that new James Bond."

She's now seeing an Englishman who travels between London and New York. "The long distance is hard, but we talk on the phone a lot."

She's not alone. Christie Nightingale, Premier Match's owner, says her business has increased 25 percent in the last year. For basically half the price, Berkeley's London clients can sign up with her service.

"It's a fire sale," says Nightingale. "They're taking advantage of the weak dollar. It's kind of a British invasion, with more clients coming over here."

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