Wilf

Bill Bryson may have been born in the USA, but he is an Englishman at heart. Makes good reading for those who can't wait to get out of the UK and might pause for thought. The UK (including England) is the greatest.

The last paragraph says it all to me. He is absolutely right.


(Apologies for the pasting of an article again - last one this week)



Lyrical Bryson given guard of UK heritage

Maev Kennedy , arts and heritage correspondent
Thursday September 11, 2003
The Guardian

The laureate of the Blackpool landlady, the slightly damp mattress, and the ominous stain on the bedroom ceiling was yesterday appointed watchman over all such treasures - along with Hadrian's Wall, Stonehenge, and the site of the battle of Hastings.
"I feel very seriously humble and overawed," the travel writer, Bill Bryson, said last night after his first meeting as a newly appointed English Heritage commissioner.

Bryson, 51, came to England from the US and married an English nurse. He returned to America in 1995, after writing his most famous book, Notes From a Small Island, which shot to the top of the bestseller lists. Earlier this year readers voted its miasma of rain, wet overcoats and chip fat as being the book that best evoked the spirit of contemporary Britain.

Unlike another American chronicler, Paul Theroux, who had earlier taken a similar route and became ever more bileful and bitter, Bryson ended his pilgrimage at John O'Groats as helplessly affectionate as when he began it at Land's End.

He subsequently spent eight years in the States, pining - he said yesterday - for Radio 4, the English sense of humour, and Branston pickle, before returning three months ago with his family, to live in Norfolk. He is the second American to be appointed to the board of the heritage quango, after Loyd Grossman, television chef and passionate advocate of museums.

His was among half a dozen appointments announced yesterday by the culture secretary, Tessa Jowell, including environmentalist Maria Adebowale, planner Joyce Bridges, and the Marquess of Douro.

Bryson said: "I'm not the only person who loves England, but I'm one of the few prepared to be vocal about it. Millions of other people feel the same, but they just stand around in an embarrassed silence, in that very English way."

Megalania

Lognormal distribution:

Wilf

Dreaming quotient?

Number of Oz brochures read per year?

Amount of time available to spend unemployed?

Megalania

Lovers of slightly damp mattresses.

Kath

This last paragraph says it all. Good one Wilf.

Feeling badly homesick.

Wilf

I prefer Blackpool mattresses and ominously stained landladies. UK has the finest collection in the world.

Wilf

Glad you liked it Kath. It is always nice to see our great nation loved these days isn't it?

Your gut feeling is that you will be staying here Kath? It is getting easier or harder?

bondipom

Wilf, do you see yourself going back to England or are you stuck in Oz?

Kath

Been in Perth for 15 months. I've done alot of travelling, came to Australia on holiday a few times (East & West coast) BUT as soon as I got here I realised things weren't right. I went along with the 'flow', bought the house, cars and said to myself I'm feeling emotional because I've left family, friends, I need to give myself time.

Things haven't improved, I've been VERY up and down over the past 15 months - my poor husband has been through alot!

So why haven't we gone home? We're hoping to return at the end of next year. We've been renovating our house, the increase in the value of this home will hopefully cover the cost of our move over here, minimising the damage done. Looking back, I think it would have been better for us to take 6-12 months out of the UK, rent out the house and travel around the world. But it's easy to look back - what if...???, we haven't made too many mistakes, it's just not for us long term.

AndrewR

Nicely posted Wilf. Somehow that embarrasing silence we specialise in just makes me even more vocal about loving my country.

Wilf

If I won the lotto you would not see my arse for dust and so that partly answers it. We have 2 kids over there and they are offering to help us out so we probably will try to, yes. For a while it looked like we were stuck, but now we have somewhere to live over there and we have always been good savers (when the wages allowed) and so it is more a question of shutting our eyes and jumping. Luckily for me, my wife is just as keen to go and she is one hell of a rower so there is no trouble with the transport. The short answer is yes, mate, I should think so, and hopefully sooner rather than later.

Wilf

Thanks for your response Kath. I was just wondering how you are feeling about it all these days.

Glad to hear you will cover the costs should you return to hell (UK). That is something very difficult if it does not all "work out" (whatever that means).

I know it is none of my business, but I would like to say that I hope you do not rush yourself to decide and I also hope that yu do not hold yourself to ransom with any "decision" you make today. If you still feel the same as the date of return comes up, I would say go. If you get a feeling of "No, I might stay", then I hope you will stay. I suppose what I am saying is forget what anyone else thinks and what "expectations" to family, etc. you may have given by what you have said in the past. As you say, it is a rollercoaster ride of feeling when you emigrate and if you start to feel differently, I hope you will stay here and make it home. On the other hand, the more people like your good self in the UK, the more I will like it.

All the best, Wilf

Wilf

I know exactly what you mean mate.

Kath

Thanks Wilf. Got to go, school run! You might be able to help me with our dilemma, can I send you a PM?

karawara88

To buy the book or preview go to Bill Bryson Or for the whole range of Bryson Books and more goto www.pondemonium.co.uk/files/books.php and use links or the search box. Not just books but vids, maps, etc etc.