U.K./Ireland Travel

» franfolsom - Meeting Bill Bryson

In response to Bill Bryson posted by mgerrard:

From the way he has described Katz, I'll take a pass. Nice to know he is back in the UK, he loves it there. Bill is the most British American I have ever met.

-- posted by franfolsom

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» Keith64 - Meeting Bill Bryson

In response to Bill Bryson posted by mgerrard:

There's a local rumour he was seen looking around houses in Cathedral Close, Salisbury (Leslie Thomas used to live there)

I know, in 'Small Island', he was enthusiastic about the Salisbury Museum, at King's House, in the Close ... and never mentioned that Salisbury House, in his home town of Des Moines, was based on, and is a near replica of it! I wonder why?

(My information about Salisbury House came from someone who worked there ... whose wife used to work with Bryson's sister! Talk about shaking the hand that shook the hand! )

-- posted by Keith64

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» Mike Gerrard - Meeting Bill Bryson

In response to Bill Bryson posted by Keith64:

Was this recent? Just out of interest. I believe he moved to Norfolk when he came back from the USA but that might not have been permanent. All of the interviews with him recently have concentred on the new book, and his Iowa childhood, not on what he's up to at the moment. I've never been to Salisbury but would love to go. i like that part of England very much. It's very... English! Maybe that's why Bill Bryson likes it.

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» Keith64 - Meeting Bill Bryson

In response to Bill Bryson posted by mgerrard:

Was this recent?

About a couple of years back ... I believe the 'plot' was to move back to England when the youngest child graduated ????

I did like his observation that Salisbury (like many other English towns) is best observed from the top deck of a double-decker bus, as the ground floor has usually been spoilt. And, I agree with his sentiment that a building society or bank hasn't got a tangible product to display in a gigantic picture window. But, they still have them!

-- posted by Keith64

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» Keith64 - Meeting Bill Bryson

In response to Bill Bryson posted by franfolsom:

(British American I have ever met.)

Did you notice, in 'Small Island' how he used the British spelling 'moustache', and, two pages later, the American 'neighbor'?

(It may have been the other way around ... I suppose it's about time I read it again)

-- posted by Keith64

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» Mike Gerrard - Meeting Bill Bryson

In response to Meeting Bill Bryson posted by Keith64:

I did re-read Neither here Nor There, and found it just as enjoyable the second time round. In fact when I used to teach travel writing courses, I used extracts from that book as examples of good writing - the detailed observation that makes for a good joke is simply very good writing. It happens to be funny as well.

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» tan1975 - Meeting Bill Bryson

In response to Meeting Bill Bryson posted by franfolsom:
He lives near Wymondham in Norfolk.

-- posted by tan1975

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» Mike Gerrard - Meeting Bill Bryson

In response to Meeting Bill Bryson posted by tan1975:

Thanks for that information - nice area to live in.

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» Keith64 - Meeting Bill Bryson

In response to Meeting Bill Bryson posted by mgerrard:

When I lived there in the 60s, there were a lot of USAF bases in the area, and every third person you met was American. And, one of the main local amusements was trying to teach them the correct way to pronounce 'Wymondham'!

-- posted by Keith64

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» Mike Gerrard - Meeting Bill Bryson

In response to Meeting Bill Bryson posted by Keith64:

You mean it isn't pronounced Wymondham?

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