Now you've shown why you need to keep going with that Bircumshaw poetic
narrative of a young Brum!
A propos concussion, I was nearly body-squished between shifting-off pole
and tiller, and later rather forcibly thrown into the cabin door as we
crashed against a brick wall----and I'd thought narrowboating a gentle
hobby!  'Twas, on balance, a lunch of tranquil beauty interfed with the hard
work of cranking locks.  I'd next hire a narrowboat one-third the size [this
one was 82' x 7'], giving up length and luxury for the ability to do a
3-point turn anywhere along the canal.  A nother joy was mooring in front of
pubs and restaurants that were super-aged and looked that way, as well!
 [Your Brummies who turn Truly Old into Oddly Fake are a clever crew, Dave!]
 <g>

My newest find, as you've no doubt noted, is loving Leicester for its
gorgeous old buildings [a great canalboat destination, as well] and its
highest concentration of Asians [Indians] of any city in the UK---as well as
theatre and other cultural venues, not the least your Leicester Poetry
Society.  East Midlands has a deserved reputation for culture power and
scope.  I wonder about Darlington and other northern cities, as well.  And
over on the ocean's east edge, Wells in Norfolk's got some lively, talented
theatre going on!  Londoners have a run for their money now, their accepted
grip on representing UK slipping.  The *Grauniad* online's a wonderful, wide
culture-reporting.  Puts NYT to shame.

And now again reminded by David Starkey [his *Monarchy* series DVDs and
books] about the history of GB re DNA of 90% of Brits being Angle-Saxon-Jute
of those [coming up from what's now Germany] slaughtering and/or driving
north the resident Celts and intermarrying with Celt women, I'm fascinated
with the Germanic physiognomies and cultures of Brits.

Also, any of Starkey's presentations and books brilliantly link historical
facts.  He deserves his excellent reputation.  *The Six Wives of Henry VIII*
and *Elizabeth*, for example, shove long-held assumptions underground,
exposing a new crop of analyses for continued research.  The DVDs,
powerfully presented by Starkey, connect with actors' vignettes as well as
Starkey's showing us relevant documents in the British Library or Spanish
'foreign' archives [such as H8's love letters to Anne Boleyn].  All told,
it's an impressive blend of arts [docu-drama] revealing a magnificent store
of research and focused analyses.

Best,

Judy


2009/7/19 David Bircumshaw <[log in to unmask]>

> To ask her the 'skinny', love it. The only problem I have with
> narrowsboating is called concussion. It's a kinda standing joke.I went
> around Brummagem with a seasoned inhabitant the other day and was quite
> shocked at some things:  one area had lost almost all facilities: every
> pub,
> every shop gone, just a doctor's and a police station left, the area I grew
> up in one the other hand is almost completely Islamicized: the primary
> school I went to is now a mosque with madrassa, the local library is now
> the
> Islamic Community Centre, the parish church demolished (after spending a
> period as a warehouse, it was only a Grade II listed building). They now
> call the whole East of the City 'Heartlands' and plan to knock down most of
> several districts to make them an extension to the city centre called
> 'Eastside'.
> I still like the place though: it was a psychological relief to hear
> everyone speaking normal :). Perhaps it can be best summed up in this
> anecdote: we walking down Solihull High Street. In the 60s this would have
> been hell on ears as Solihull was populated almost exclusively by people
> who'd attempted to take elocution lessons and sounded like Margaret
> Thatcher
> being strangled as a result. Now though they speak like the Brummies they
> insist they're not. We were looking for a tea stop and I noticed what I
> thought was a mock tudor tacky pub that advertised teas. We went for that.
> The rub was that it really was an old building (dated 1495) and was an arts
> and crafts centre with a tea room. It is the genius of Brummagem to (for
> once) preserve such a place but make it look like a fake.
>
>
> 2009/7/19 Judy Prince <[log in to unmask]>
>
> > ;-)  Not in the Domesday Book, then, Dave?  Ah well, as a Scot might say,
> > "I'm sure yoo're a parfectly good parson nivvertheless."
> > Narrowboating [yes!] a coupla days ago, I met a woman who'd previously
> > taught English at a posh B'Ham girls' grammar school.  Soooo tempted to
> ask
> > her the skinny about such an environment, but I behaved Britishly and
> > forebore.
> >
> > All best,
> >
> > Judy
> >
> > 2009/7/18 David Bircumshaw <[log in to unmask]>
> >
> > > Why thank you Judy. It has a very vivid cover.
> > >
> > > Also to my delight was to discover that the Council flats I grew up in
> > > inner-city Birmingham were noticed and listed (a wee paragraph in fact)
> > by
> > > Pevsner in The Buildings of England. (Warwickshire volume, as in 1966
> > > Birmingham was still officially warwicks.)
> > >
> > > I'm sure you're well enough aware of the English (british) class system
> > to
> > > realise the mischief that plays with it: 'well I grew up in in
> > > Warwickshire,
> > > you know, yes, the old pile's in Pevsner, don't you know'
> > >
> > > 2009/7/17 Judy Prince <[log in to unmask]>
> > >
> > > > All congratulations, David and Sheila!
> > > > Best,
> > > >
> > > > Judy
> > > >
> > > > 2009/7/16 David Bircumshaw <[log in to unmask]>
> > > >
> > > > > Troubles Swapped for Something fresh
> > > > >
> > > > > http://www.saltpublishing.com/books/anth/9781844714711.htm
> > > > > <http://www.saltpublishing.com/books/anth/9781844714711.htm>now
> out
> > > from
> > > > > Salt, edited by Rupert Loydell, an anthology of 'Manifestos and
> > > > > Unmanifestos', including the likes of Peter Finch, Jackson MacLow,
> > > Sheila
> > > > E
> > > > > Murphy, Scott Thurston, Nick Piombino, Alan Halsey, Gavin Selerie,
> > > Mario
> > > > > Petrucci and even me. Plus my late friend Brian Fewster who died
> > > without
> > > > > knowing of his inclusion.
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > David Bircumshaw
> > > > > "A window./Big enough to hold screams/
> > > > > You say are poems" - DMeltzer
> > > > > Website and A Chide's Alphabet
> > > > > http://www.staplednapkin.org.uk
> > > > > The Animal Subsides
> > http://www.arrowheadpress.co.uk/books/animal.html
> > > > > Leicester Poetry Society: http://www.poetryleicester.co.uk
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > David Bircumshaw
> > > "A window./Big enough to hold screams/
> > > You say are poems" - DMeltzer
> > > Website and A Chide's Alphabet
> > > http://www.staplednapkin.org.uk
> > > The Animal Subsides http://www.arrowheadpress.co.uk/books/animal.html
> > > Leicester Poetry Society: http://www.poetryleicester.co.uk
> > >
> >
>
>
>
> --
> David Bircumshaw
> "A window./Big enough to hold screams/
> You say are poems" - DMeltzer
> Website and A Chide's Alphabet
> http://www.staplednapkin.org.uk
> The Animal Subsides http://www.arrowheadpress.co.uk/books/animal.html
> Leicester Poetry Society: http://www.poetryleicester.co.uk
>