I am back. Five weeks in England, followed by a couple of days in Lexington before I flew to California for a wedding. But now I am unpacked and getting back into the groove of Kentucky life.
Rather than try to capture everything that happened during my trip across the Pond, I am, instead, sharing a few observations.
A sigh of relief. How wonderfully refreshing it was to spend five weeks away from the political nightmare that is the US. Enough said.
Vets, food, and quiz shows on TV. I rarely, if ever, watch American network TV, preferring to find a few shows on cable that I can binge. But when I revisit England, I’m always amazed by what dominates regular evening viewing. There are the food shows (MasterChef and GBBO), quiz shows (The Chase and dozens more), quite a few travel shows highlighting routes around the British Isles, and animal shows. The latter include animal adoption programmes (be prepared for tears) and vet programmes (where eye surgery on sheep and replacing parts of a cow that are displaced after giving birth are standard evening fare with a cup of tea and a HobNob. Best of all - they are so good-natured. Contestants cheer each other on and abandoned pets find their happy-ever-after. Wonderful stuff.
On the subject of British TV, a series of Midsomer Murders Choose Your Own Adventure books is now available! Women and bees. We spent a few days visiting friends in Somerset. Emma Mawston is a hugely talented designer who spent a large chunk of her career at Liberty. She is now one of the visionaries at Women & Bees, a collective of artists and environmentalists dedicated to helping save our buzzing little creatures and their habitat. Check out her incredible fabric designs here.
Books, glorious books. I bought so many books! Luckily Nic was able to bring most of them back and I now have an enticing pile of new history books to read. I could have bought some of them over here, but there is nothing like being able to walk into a shop and spend ages browsing through rows and rows of British history books. And I happened upon a wonderful Mrs Beeton at the local friends of the park sale.
Some - but not all - of my newest buys. An apology to Essex. Essex has always meant bad reality TV to me and little more. A few days away made me rethink. We stayed in a charming farmhouse in a nature sanctuary and close to the coast. Read about it here.
Ramsgate, the ignored sibling. And while we’re on the subject of misunderstood places… my hometown of Ramsgate is the only Royal Harbour in the country. The town, part of the Isle of Thanet, once was a holiday spot for Jane Austen, and counts Vincent Van Gogh and Karl Marx among its many former residents. It was a key spot in the Dunkirk evacuations and the annual Operation Dynamo commemorations see the little ships gather at Ramsgate before reenacting their historic voyage across the Channel. So it annoys me greatly when it is ignored. Christopher Nolan, I am looking at you for your failure to give us so much as a mention. And the same to you, Michael Portillo, for your recent TV escapades around the coast of Kent which featured so many neighbouring towns while skipping past us. Ramsgate deserves more.
Trains. My grandfather worked for British Rail, which may explain my love of train travel. Or perhaps it’s just that it is an easy and convenient way to travel. Sadly, years of fiddling with the system mean there are now multiple railway companies. And the idiosyncrasies of buying a ticket would confuse even Einstein. Nevertheless, if you can figure out your Anytime Return from an Open Day Return, hop aboard and enjoy the ride.
Nationalism. Remember how I said it was refreshing to be away from US politics? I fear that the UK risks going down the same nationalistic route. Flags are now displayed everywhere, supposedly as a sign of patriotism. However, one can’t help but see the St. George Cross (which represents England) and not feel uncomfortable to a certain degree. Anti-immigrant marches were met with counter protests during my stay, and Elon Musk was broadcast on video screens urging Brits to “take their country back.” In a stunning display of ignorance, some were actually displaying the flags of Denmark or Georgia instead. Meanwhile, I’ve spent the last couple of decades here hearing the same claims about legal vs illegal immigration by those who don’t understand the asylum or citizenship processes, and who use the colour of one’s skin as a marker of “legality”.
And of course - Secret Lexington! Finishing on a high note, my book is now out! I did a quick local TV slot just this morning. Find out details of book signings here. I hope to see you soon!
