The Road To Little Dribbling

[mikey4444]

I got this Bill Bryson book out of the Library last week, and I promised Cloverjo I would report back !

Yes, he was a little grumpy, but not more than usual. Sometimes it takes a stranger to see us for what we really are.

He wasn't very complimentary about Blackpool but who is ? I had to endure a long weekend in Blackpool a few years ago, while attending a Conference. I thought the Trams were wonderful but I struggle to find anything else that is remotely nice about the place. It was full of very drunk people, mostly being sick.

He described Barrow-in-Furnace as like walking around a Prison Yard ! Having visited there in 2011, I can't help but agree with him.

He was nice about a lot more places that he was rude about, so I rather enjoyed the book. I don't think he will ever write another book as good as
"The Lost Continent" and I thought his popular science book, "A Short History of Nearly Everything"

He is now a British citizen and I think he well on the way to being a National Treasure !

[Tilly2]

I have all of Bill Bryson's publications. I have made a point of buying them all since reading 'Notes from a Small Island'.

If I had to choose a favourite it would be 'At Home'. That was so well researched and presented.

[mikey4444]

Tilly....I, too, have bought and read most of them as soon as they are published.

But I thought "One Summer: America, 1927" a bit hard going to be honest. Fine if you were a baseball fan, but it didn't have go on a bit !

[Tilly2]

I thought exactly the same about that one, Mikey. I still have that one to finish. I pick it up and get a bit tired of it and put it down again.

[Cloverjo]

I'm glad you enjoyed it, Mikey. I also enjoyed it, and thought it was funny that he kept mentioning his wife gently leading him away by the elbow when he got huffy in shops or restaurants. He's a great writer and hope he continues to bring out more books.
I think he was rude about my local town of Weston-Super-Mare in one of his early books, but I got the impression he was a bit more grumpy this time. I still love him though. :))

[Cloverjo]

I found his Shakespeare book a bit hard going. I don't think I managed to finish that one.

[Tilly2]

I liked that one, Cloverjo. :-)

[mikey4444]

Jo....I rather like WSM !

I used to go there a lot, a few years ago, with my friend from Portishead, when her two boys were young. I enjoyed the Pier, and just playing cricket with them on the beach. I seem to recall they still had donkey rides there !

I also went to two Conferences in WSM over the last 30 years, which were held at the Winter Gardens. A nice place !

[Cloverjo]

I think they still have donkey rides - or maybe ponies now- in WSM. The Winter Gardens used to be a great venue for music. My mum used to talk about going to see Joe Brown there. That must have been in the 60s.
I had a drink there a few years ago. It was very pretty, but I'm not sure it's still going now.

[agchristie]

Mikey,I read it in January.Can you remind me about the test he sat about citizenship? I can't recall what it was but I thought it was quite amusing

[Tilly2]

Here's a bit, AG.

You need to know, for instance, who Sake Dean Mahomet was.(He was the man who introduced shampoo to Britain. Honestly.) You need to know by what other name the 1944 Education Act is known. (The Butler Act) You need to know when life peerages were created(1958) and in what year the maximum length of a working day for women and children was reduced to ten hours. (1847).......

.............You even have to know a few things that aren't, in fact, true. If, for instance you are asked, 'What are the two most distant points on the British Mainland? you have to say, 'Land's End and John o'Groats' even though they are not. This is one tough test.

[mikey4444]

Sake Dean Mahomet ?....Never heard of him and I'm not surprised that I haven't ! I can't think of a single reason why anybody should be expected to know.

The the questions were reasonable I suppose. But it would have been easy-peasy for someone like Bryson, I am sure.

[Tilly2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sake_Dean_Mahomed


There you go, Mikey.

[agchristie]

Thanks Tilly!!