Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Wednesday - Wander Britain with Bill Bryson (a book review)


 If you want a very humorous read and a nice escape, read The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson. An American from Iowa, he lives in England with his wife, and this is his second homage to a beloved country. He's very funny and has a way with words. Plenty of walks, a few train rides, and time in the car lead him from Bognor Regis in the south to Cape Wrath in the north. 

Gardens, museums, bars, and small towns - he wanders down plenty of paths many of us would miss. His droll observations are a hoot.  p. 119  "I have never assumed that anything is fun just because it looks like the English are enjoying themselves doing it."  (This was in reference to a bitterly cold day at a beach). 

p.222  He talks about the train game at Cambridge station. He calls it - does the train really terminate here? A train stops, but is it really done or will it go on to London? The signs are not giving a clue. "Eventually a few brave souls got on, and then there was a kind of rush like when they opened up the Oklahoma Territory to settlers, as nearly everyone hurried to get a seat. But we all had to remain poised to jump off again."

I chuckled my way through this book (it was published in 2015), and shall use it as a travel guide someday. Every place sounded delightful, and Bryson absolutely gushes over the English countryside. 

I'm ready for a long stroll and then a stop for some tea or a pint.  Cheers, mates on a Wednesday. 

12 comments:

  1. Lol, that's my experience travelling on trains too - you just never quite know where you'll end up. It's half the fun :-)

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    1. glad to hear from someone across the pond that Bill got it right. Always an adventure in travel.

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  2. That comment about something not being fun is funny.

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  3. Sounds like a nice, lighthearted piece that's a must-read prior to visiting London. Fun! Thank you, Joanne.

    Keep a smile and warm coffee or hot cocoa within reach.

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  4. lol sure sounds like a fun one. Even if something isn't fun.

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    1. nothing like trying to have fun when it's rather yucky out, but the Brits have fortitude. It's "bracing" weather.

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    1. hey - you're back! It would be fun. No doubt he strolled your seaside back a few years ago

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  6. Hi Joanne - I've never got to grips with him and his writing ... but tis the English in me. The trains now are daunting ... especially once away from the main stations - you get half trains, which are (a) on the sign board, and then the other half (b) which goes somewhere completely different. Where a train will go once we come out of lock down is another matter - a story to tell. Take care - Hilary

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    1. that's funny. I've always liked his writing and perspective and that's the American in me. I can laugh at his view. All good no matter what. But he made me want to wander your country - that's a good thing. And his English wife puts up with him and no doubt rolls her eyes!

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