It's just about how expats live in Brno. Better than anywhere else I can imagine right now!!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Visit to London
We just got back from London. Unexpected trip it was. I don’t really want to get sympathy from anyone, but my old Gran died. She was 86.Most people think that Grans are nicer than Mums. Not in my case, Gran always thought I was undisciplined and spoilt, every visit as a child was always a lecture about modern living and of course the usual favourite for old Londoners, Yes, you’ve guessed it …. THE BLITZ!!!!!!!!!!
I think everyone in Great Britain knows about how London fared during the Blitz. Same old clichés. Plucky firemen, Winston Churchill visiting ruined houses and fighting with Germans on the beaches, the Queen Mother singing songs to locals in her big fur coat, my gran making pots of tea for old ladies in the Tube stations, kids wearing big labels waiting to be evacuated and going to live with mysterious writers in big rambling country houses with ghosts. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don’t want to be cycnical or anything , but there’s a kind of romance about it all now.
This side of London is all but gone now, but things have always moved on.
For example , Gran was a bit too young too remember highwaymen getting a public hanging outside Newgate Prison or the hunt for Jack the Ripper, but what will be remembered about us?
I think it’s strange that no-one has ever disguised the fact that London has always been a tough place to live, for example Charles Dickiens wrote books about the poverty and inequality of living in London. And what do we do, we romanticise it, don’t we. All those nice costume drama’s and interesting characters.
So when future generation learn about a tough and unfair life in London during the early part of the 21st century, all the characters will be cute and funny and there’ll be lots of romantic snow lying all around.
Makes me glad to be in Brno again, and the snow’s along way off.
One last comment, about Nutter of the Week. One of Grans friends brought Grans budgie to the funeral, the cage even had a black ribbon round it. It chirped through the Vicar’s sermon and now we don’t know where it is.
I'm sure you meant it when you said you weren't looking for sympathy but sorry to hear about your Gran anyway.
I liked reading what you had to say about London. Did you find yourself forgetting that it was a tough place to live when you were actually there and noticing it more when you go back? That was my experience.
This side of 
One last comment, about Nutter of the Week. One of Grans friends brought Grans budgie to the funeral, the cage even had a black ribbon round it. It chirped through the Vicar’s sermon and now we don’t know where it is. 
Hi Terry,
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you meant it when you said you weren't looking for sympathy but sorry to hear about your Gran anyway.
I liked reading what you had to say about London. Did you find yourself forgetting that it was a tough place to live when you were actually there and noticing it more when you go back? That was my experience.
GIC