Saturday, September 15, 2007
Autumn falls
It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life. P.D. JamesI have had my twelve month anniversary in England, and Kym and the boys will clock over this milestone on the 8th of October. Last year the Autumn blogs seemed heavily focused on things - for instance houses, cars, transport, schools, etc.
I was thinking that this Autumn we should try to concentrate a bit more on people, seeing as how all those new "things" of 12 months ago are now more familiar (but not yet contemptuous!) For instance, rarely have we written about our unusual cousins the Brits - surely a race apart, and 12 months later still quite enigmatic and unavailable to us. To date we have travelled through 10 European countries, and to date we have found the English to be the most foreign to us! Their habits and their motives cause great amusement, and in some cases great consternation. How is it that our forefather's offspring could be so remote from our experience? One theory of mine is their dogged isolationism - they appear to cling to a picture of their country which no longer exists, and this must surely create angst, anger and confusion as they are confronted daily with a reality that does not match with the cherished image. The sad (and perhaps dark) side of this self-imposed alienation is a smaller than healthy gene pool in some of the country pockets I have encountered. When you see a school roll where most of the surnames are the same you have to wonder about the health and wellness of the individuals and groups which make up that community. When you are a witness to the bizarre behaviour of the citizens (adults and children) in such isolated hamlets (and I include, rather pointedly, the curious and poisonous yokels in the backwater of Hockley), it does seem a more than credible theory. It was reported to me that the town of Maldon has been surveyed in the past as having the smallest gene pool in Europe. Whether this is true or not, I can say that my experiences there certainly have done nothing to convince me otherwise. So where does that leave the future of these sad little communities? They are surely striding, rather proudly, towards their own demise - and what an irony that is, given that they seem mindlessly intent on destroying everything which they seek to preserve.
The photo attached is of the boys in the Long Room at Lords. No photos allowed of course, but cheeky Aussies seem to have a way of constantly irritating the English establishment!
# posted by Anthony @ 6:46 pm 
Comments:
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Hi Peckies,
Away a year already!And what a year it's been.The blog is a great record of adventure.
Just received a postcard from your travels in Europe,snailmail indeed.
Duncan and I have just returned from a holiday in north Queensland.Surprisingly house and children all intact on return.Last night we went for dinner at Maya Indian restaurant in Freo with Jackamans,Alarcons,Lynchs and Rosemary.When will you be joining us for a meal...2...3...4 years?
Can understand you staying but you are missed.
Our daughter is coming to enjoy Englands beautiful climate in a couple of weeks.She will be pulling beer in some pub called The Boot in Lapworth near poxy Birmingham.
xx,Macphails
Away a year already!And what a year it's been.The blog is a great record of adventure.
Just received a postcard from your travels in Europe,snailmail indeed.
Duncan and I have just returned from a holiday in north Queensland.Surprisingly house and children all intact on return.Last night we went for dinner at Maya Indian restaurant in Freo with Jackamans,Alarcons,Lynchs and Rosemary.When will you be joining us for a meal...2...3...4 years?
Can understand you staying but you are missed.
Our daughter is coming to enjoy Englands beautiful climate in a couple of weeks.She will be pulling beer in some pub called The Boot in Lapworth near poxy Birmingham.
xx,Macphails
# posted by 
: 4:56 am
: 4:56 am
Oh Dear
Isn't there anything positive to be said about the inhabitants of Hockley - not even up the other end well away from the school?!
Of course all the Brits with any get up and go in them have done just that!
If I ever go back to the UK it will be North (Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire or Durham), where folk are much more friendly towards each other and towards new arrivals. It would have to be the East coast, its too wet on t'other side.
But I'll have to be dragged there.
Debbie
Isn't there anything positive to be said about the inhabitants of Hockley - not even up the other end well away from the school?!
Of course all the Brits with any get up and go in them have done just that!
If I ever go back to the UK it will be North (Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire or Durham), where folk are much more friendly towards each other and towards new arrivals. It would have to be the East coast, its too wet on t'other side.
But I'll have to be dragged there.
Debbie
Hi Debbie! Did you enjoy your sojourn back to these parts? Of course there is much to be said in a positive light regarding the inhabitants of Hockley - there are mighty fine people living there, but from my perspective I sadly met too many of the nasty types for my liking. I suppose it's like the Eloi and the Morlocks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Time_Machine). Interestingly I have just returned from yet another delightful church service in nearby Rayleigh, and perhaps it is because here I am meeting older people, and under different circumstances, that I find them, to a man, woman and child, delightful!
# posted by : 1:59 pm
: 1:59 pm
Hi Anthony
Thanks for your reconsideration. I hope your forgive me - I felt I was duty bound to offer some comment! I admit that my own experiences of other parts of the British Isles have included Eloi and Morlocks, but happily some in-betweens too! Some really wonderful people with real community spirit and a twinkle in their eye too. But for me, life has never been better than here in WA now - its not perfect but I love it! I'm so grateful they let me in back in 1993. Come back soon!
Debbie
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Thanks for your reconsideration. I hope your forgive me - I felt I was duty bound to offer some comment! I admit that my own experiences of other parts of the British Isles have included Eloi and Morlocks, but happily some in-betweens too! Some really wonderful people with real community spirit and a twinkle in their eye too. But for me, life has never been better than here in WA now - its not perfect but I love it! I'm so grateful they let me in back in 1993. Come back soon!
Debbie
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