A new beginning.....

I've been so remiss in not writing a jot this time, and the guilt has now reached a point where I can no longer ignore it, and, after 5 months here in the UK, I've finally found something to say. So, I will resume this blog by mangling a ploughed-field-full of metaphors, strangle some sumptuous similes, commit awful alliterations, and otherwise create despair in the hearts of readers of our so wondrous English language!

There has only ever been one radio journalist, or for that matter, any kind of journalist, who inspired me, and that was Alistair Cooke. As a boy, I listened in rapt wonder to his weekly "Letter from America". How ironic that many years later, it would become my second home. And so, in a pale remembrance of that great writer, I will attempt to return the favour, in writing regularly from the deliciously rural setting of England's Cotswolds.


This has been home since just before Christmas:

We'd always wanted a stately, long, winding drive, so we thought this would do - it's about a half-a-mile long, leads past a herd of deer, 2 ever-present black swans

 countless pheasants, until you arrive,........

here:

Our posh neighbours!

5 Juliana's Court

Or, more exactly, here:


Before we left Pelham, I had joined a splendid society of men, called "The Retired Men's Club of Pelham" - most of us were not yet in our dotage, just recently retired, for the most part. Well, within days of arriving at Northwick Park, I had been invited to join a similar group here, called Probus  - an offshoot of Rotary. It stands for Professional Business men's society. We all live within a few miles of its locus, Chipping Campden, and the club's program of speakers and events is truly awesome - a speaker every 2 weeks, for 10 months of the year, and a summer outing - this year it's to Bletchley Park, home of Alan Turing's legendary Enigma code breakers. The talks reflect the world's view of English eccentricity - so far this year, we've had talks on: George Formby (English comedian, singer and ukulele player) - the talk was punctuated with frequent renderings of Forby's most famous songs, including "When I'm cleaning windows"; Global Warming!,  the origins of musical wind instruments (with musical samplings from over 40 wind instruments, and the history of Punch & Judy! But by far, the most endearing aspect of Probus is its members. In contrast to the Pelham group, my fellow members are.....ancient! I am embarrassingly sprightly by comparison; most wear hearing aids, look in grave danger of falling over as they struggle to their seats, and some, one fears, may expire before the talks are over! The conversation, as we sip our coffees and teas before the meetings proper begin, is priceless. Imagine a bunch of aging, patrician Republicans,  discussing their last holiday in the south of France, or the little cruise to the Outer Hebrides, in the same ship, 'don't you know, that the Queen uses'!, or last week's Six Nations (Rugby) international. I wish you all really understood English sport, because this last chat was so memorable, recounting a TV interview (had to have been 40 years ago!) between 2 legendary stars of international Rugby, one Welsh, one Irish, discussing training sessions, where the 'chaps' wore Wellington boots; contrasting the 'posh' conditions at English clubs ("They even had doors on the changing room stalls"), and where the Irish 'lads' ''at least smelt fit, reeking, as they did, of Guinness as they trotted on to the pitch!" The talks are fun, often highly informative and entertaining, but the members' conversations leave me speechless!

Probus talk on Punch & Judy

And now, it's time to sign off. I will return with countless tales of rural England!