By contrast, I know the grass, while in abundant evidence, won't be figuratively greener out in the Shires. I know the country won't be perfect, with a choice of only one village pub and no Thai, Turkish, Indian, Bangladeshi, Kurdish, Vietnamese, Kosher, Carribean, Cantonese, French, Italian, Tapas... deliveries within a 100 miles -- but it will be quieter, cleaner, cheaper and generally more amenable than Londinium.
However, every now and then wonderful things do happen in the stinking metropolis.
Just this morning, quite unannounced, a ceremonial troop of The Queen's Royal Hussars clopped down Lisson Grove from their Regent's Park barracks en route to some kind of offical engagement. In many ways, quite a bizarre thing -- 40 horseback soliders in ceremonial dress with swords and cannon parading through city traffic. But then again, in the nation's capital, it's almost as commonal-garden as a tube strike or mugging.
Odd..
NB: The title of this post, like many of mine, is the title of a song -- this, from Elvis Costello's 1993 album Brutal Youth. And Elvis, like us shortly, followed Roddy Frame's advice on his 1990's Stray album to "Get Out of London"..
2 comments:
Walking the 'avenue of dumb signs' eh?
Whilst Brum is free of circumstance and indeed pomp of any sort, I am enjoying my day or two per week in the Second City. Have a gander at 'St Phillips Pl, Birmingham B3' on Google Earth for my new office location - opened this week. A cathedral to look at and everything, all within a one minute walk from Snow Hill - itself straight through in half an hour from Parkway. Titter ye not, but the streets round there have a genuine 'City' feel - bespoke this and that everywhere, c/w badly parked AMs and high end German motahs. Just a little less...well, deadly and stern. They do talk 'foonay' though :-)
There are other cities in the UK that provide the restaurants you desire without the dead hoodies (for the most part). You'll make it out of there one day.
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