 |
 |
Also see our
|
The lost column is just that. Lost. I'm sure I've already written a light-hearted, funny, yet pertinent column exploring the virtues of my new life in the nations capital. Regular readers will of course balk at the idea of me writing anything light-hearted, funny or pertinent, but I assure you it exists. No doubt my biographer (?) will uncover this and it will cause a brief, yet important stir in the small (I'm nothing if not modest), yet elite, academic circles devoted to the study of my life and times. However, for now you'll simply have to accept my assurance that it was very good.
Life in The Capital. Somewhat different from Life the Welsh capital. Public transport in London competes with the weather as the most complained about factor (in Somerset the weather competes with moans about mobile phone reception), and if you can pay less than £2.50 for a pint you're generally happy. Galleries everywhere. Multi-cultural. General feeling that you can do anything. However, strange lack of 24 hours-a-day syndrome. And Doughnuts.
Both perhaps American inventions, as opposed to city ones, but both, in London, are severely lacking. Whilst the local Tesco (grocery supermarket) is open around the clock, it still has to close on a Sunday. And many of the shops local to my office actually close on a Saturday. Not that I would be anywhere near my office on a Saturday (even though it is a very nice office), it would simply be reassuring to know that they'd be open if I was.
Any on the Donut side of things. Horror. You may not know, but I spent some three years in a small, but pleasant, city in Kent (the relevance of this will shortly become apparent). A search using the Yellow pages website revealed to me that (a) there was not a Dunkin Donuts in the WHOLE of London and (b) there was one in the aforementioned small city. Which opened after I left. There are other Donut retailers, and (watch this space) I'm sure they offer a high quality product. But damn it, I wanted Dunkin Donuts.
In any small US town you would be able to buy Donuts until the very small hours of the morning. Or perhaps even around the clock. This being said you can probably also buy a gun until the very small hours of the morning. So perhaps it's a trade off we can live with. The two don't go hand in hand do they? Is there a direct correlation between gun violence and Donuts..?
New York is the city that never sleeps. So what does that make London? Granted, there is no doubt something going on somewhere at all times, but I think to the average Londoner, the city does sleep. I know I certainly do. Perhaps London is the "City that caters for those who never sleep, whilst respecting the wishes of those who believe in a solid 8 hours a day". Hmm. Not really very catchy.
Still, for my money, London is fantastic, and now that I'm here (and this is the best part) I can join millions of other, also living in the capital, and completely ignore the rest of the country - like an average American*, but not on a world-wide scale. It's extremely easy. You can sleep peacefully in the knowledge that anything important or exciting will eventually end up in London. Northerners? Lovely bit of the country, but anything/one that becomes successful will probably end up in London (which isn't always a good thing. I have a list of people that we'd be happy to return). I've even heard rumours that Manchester United will move to the nearly abandoned Wembley site. It seem extremely unlikely, but there is a precedent set by the fact that any play, concert, protest march or individual that achieves anything bordering on fame seems to end up here … with the possible exception of the Angel of the North.
Capitals. One thing Europe really does well. And I feel fine.
*none of
my friends and family are average.
