Britain From A to Z: P

People

While on our tour of Britain, we met a lot of people. Of course, the ones we got to be with the most were the other tourists on the bus, our tour guide, Tom, and our two bus drivers, Mark and Richard. While these latter three were all from Britain, most of the tourists traveling with us on the bus were not. Actually, there was one couple from Australia and the rest were from the United States. Places like New York, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Alabama (that’s us) and so on. For the last half of the trip, we were joined by a large group from Minnesota, many of whom had Welsh roots. There were many married couples, including one gay couple on their honeymoon. There was a grandmother-mother-daughter trio. Also, a married lady traveling alone. All nice folks. Oh, and a husband, wife, and son were on the tour bus also. That would be us!

People On Our Tour at a Scottish Banquet

Some Happy-Go-Luckies Leaving a Pub in Glasgow 

Police Officer in Glasgow

All of the native Brits we met were also nice. Of course, most of them were serving us in one way or another—on the tour bus, at hotels, at restaurants, at shops, etc.—so I’m not sure how much that can be used as a measure of the entire population. Lots of mean people can be nice if they are looking for repeat business in the future. However, there were the occasional encounters with native persons not looking for our business. They too were nice.

 Conversation on the Streets of London

Server and Entertainer at Welsh Banquet

It’s interesting how people of different cultures can be quite similar. Here in the US, we have rabid sports fans. Well, they have that in Britain too. The sports I hear about the most there are football and rugby. For the more gentile, there is bowls, which we saw being played on a field in Glasgow, Scotland. Of course, there is more foot-ball contact in British football than in American football. So, for obvious reasons, we call the game soccer. For some strange reason, our son (a professed Anglophile, primarily a Walesophile) prefers to call soccer “football” and football “handegg”. Go figure!

Playing Bowls in Glasgow

Well, football rivalries exist in Britain just as they do for handegg here in the US. One big one is Manchester United and Liverpool. So, you can imagine the fear I felt when my son announced that he was going to wear his Manchester United jersey as we walked the streets of Liverpool. I wondered if we’d make it back to our hotel alive. Not wanting to show my fear, I boldly walked onto the streets of Liverpool, my wife and son at my side, with great trepidation. Of course, I went prepared; my feet constantly at the ready to retreat should an attack take place. But I have heard that 58-year-old feet don’t move that fast, so I’m not sure how my defense tactics would have worked. Fortunately, I didn’t have to find out. Most people simply ignored my son’s jersey. The only incident was when a young man yelled something unintelligible from a car as it passed by us at a crosswalk. They didn’t turn around to chase us down, so all was fine.

One thing that seems to be quite different about the British is their humor. I just can’t quite put my finger on it. Much of their humor I do not like. But as with American humor, it varies. Some British humor I find very humorous. When I was a teenager, I discovered Monty Python. Their humor I liked. They had a BBC show, “Monty Python’s Flying Circus”, which aired on our local PBS affiliate in Louisville, KY. My friends and I laughed a lot watching that show. In addition, much to the delight of my hormone-infused teenage self, they occasionally had a topless woman on the show. Breasts on American TV were expressly forbidden unless they belonged to a man. Somehow, PBS must have been granted a special waiver. That was fine by me. When Monty Python began appearing at the movie theaters, my friends and I had to go. Our humor bones were tickled with such titles as “And Now for Something Completely Different”, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”, and “Monty Python’s Life of Brian”.

Another British comedian that I came to like was Marty Feldman. While most people probably know Feldman from his role as Igor (pronounced EYE-gor) in the movie “Young Frankenstein”, I first encountered him in his BBC show “Marty”. One of the things Marty excelled at was slapstick. I can still recall a skit he had on his show where he played a repairman trying to stop a leak on a fountain. Every time he stopped one leak, two more would form. It’s one of those comedy bits you have to see to appreciate. I can still recall my mom and me busting a gut watching that routine.

Another area of difference in entertainment between America and Britain is science fiction. I don’t remember any British scifi TV or movies that I enjoyed. But I’ve not seen a lot. And you have to know that I was a HUGE scifi fan growing up. I read many books by Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, and Arthur C. Clarke. Okay, I’ll give you that last one. But when it comes to British scifi, the acid test has to be “Dr. Who”, which has been on TV for many years. I just don’t like this show. But I did enjoy watching the British-made “Fahrenheit 451”. However, the book was written by an American, Ray Bradbury. So, there you go!

Britain From A to Z: O

Organized

When we first decided that we were actually going to take a trip to Great Britain, our biggest decision was whether to plan it all on our own and use a rental car or find a bus tour that covered most of what we wanted to do. This was not an easy decision. The former would allow us to target just the specific places we wanted to visit, but would require a lot of planning and reserving ahead of time. Also, it would require us to drive a lot, and on the wrong—uh, left—side of the road, which none of us had ever done before. Well, not when sober, anyway. (Just joking!) For the latter, we would have to settle for visiting wherever the tour company chose and only be there for the length of time it allowed. However, we wouldn’t have to drive, thus freeing us to better view the countryside and even sleep if need be. Ultimately, we chose to use a tour company. For various reasons, we think it was for the best.

The only tour we could find that was close to matching the places we wanted to go and was the length we wanted to stay was with CIE Tours. The specific tour was The Icons of Britain. The only real issues we experienced during the tour pertained to heat. A couple of times the bus started blowing heat while the air conditioner was running. But they were able to pretty quickly solve this problem. Also, there were a couple of times where the hotel room we were in got too warm and we had to set up fans. You have to keep in mind that many of the hotels in northern Britain don’t have air conditioning because the weather usually doesn’t require it. Overall, however, we were very pleased with the comfort of the tour bus and the various hotels at which we stayed.

One unexpected treat was the historical stories told by our tour guide. Tom was a history major and knew a LOT about the history of all the locations we visited. Sometimes it was almost overwhelming how much information he passed on to us. On the ride from Glasgow airport to our first hotel, Tom seemed a bit aristocratic and pompous to me. But soon I realized it was just his accent and the dramatic way he spoke. He was actually quite a nice and personable guy, telling jokes as part of his storytelling. I ended up really appreciating him as a tour guide. Tom was with us for the entire 16 days of the tour. However, bus drivers were required by law to only work eight days in a row. Mark was our first driver and was quite a friendly ole chap. When we were wandering around Lake Windermere in Bowness, we ran into Mark and began talking to him. He was telling us all about where he lived and how much he enjoyed driving buses for various companies. Very personable, and an excellent bus driver to boot. On the second leg of our tour, Richard was our bus driver. He was a friendly chap also, but not quite the same as Mark. He, too, was a very good bus driver.

Our tour guide, Tom, talking to Kathy at our bus

Our first bus driver, Mark

Our second bus driver, Richard

The tour was extremely organized. We always knew where we were supposed to be and when. Our large luggage was always delivered to our room for us and picked up for loading in the mornings. Thus, we only had to concern ourselves with the smaller bags we carried onboard. Breakfast was provided every morning, and dinner was provided most evenings. Lunch was always on our own. Most of the time I felt like we had sufficient time at each stop we made, but there were a few occasions where I wished we had more time.

Early in the trip we stopped for lunch at Pitlochry, Scotland. We had lunch and then were on our own for a while. I separated from Kathy and Andrew to wander about taking photos. I got to the other end of town and decided to shift over a block and work my way back to the bus along a different street. After a bit, I found myself at a Scottish Ambulance Service at the end of the street. I looked at the time and realized I only had 10 minutes to get back to the bus and now I was having to backtrack. Fortunately, I found a crossover point and, with a bit of fast walking, made it back to the bus on time.

Late in the trip we stopped at Llangollen, Wales. Once again I wandered off on my own down a street. And once again I took a side street over to another street to work my way back to the bus along a different route. (I guess I never learn.) After a bit I realized that I didn’t seem to be making any headway working my way back to the street I was originally on and had no clue where I was. Suddenly, I heard Kathy say something to me. Boy, was I relieved. I assumed she knew where she was and could lead me back to the bus. As it turned out, we were on the street I originally had wandered down. Talk about being turned around. I had no idea how I ended up back on that street. It seemed that all the side streets were leading only further away from it. It was only after looking at the layout of the town on Google Maps and seeing how twisty the streets were that I understood how I got into that situation.

There were a number of interesting places we visited that we probably never would have thought to go to had we planned the trip on our own. Things like a Scottish Banquet in Edinburgh, a Welsh Banquet in Cardiff, a slate mine in Wales, and so forth. There were many interesting things we saw and did that were the result of the tour company planning them for us.

Even though the tour schedule was quite rigid, Tom was not averse to fitting in something extra if he could. For instance, as I mentioned in an earlier post, we were supposed to pass through Grasmere, England, the home of William Wordsworth, but not stop. Two English teachers on the tour asked if we could stop. Tom had us leave the hotel earlier that morning and thus made it happen. When we were in northern Wales, Andrew asked if we could go to the Isle of Anglesey to visit the town of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Tom made that happen also. However, Andrew’s request to visit Manchester United’s stadium as we were skirting Manchester couldn’t be granted because the distance and traffic would have thrown us too far off schedule.

Our trip to Great Britain was wonderful. I guess they don’t call it Great for no reason. But as with any expensive trip, you will always wonder if it was worth the money spent. I guess that all depends on how much money you have and how much you like to travel. I definitely do not recommend that anyone go into debt on such a trip. There are way too many interesting places right here in the states that won’t bust your budget. 

Muse Comes to Nashville

A few years ago my son, Andrew, started listening to and enjoying the rock band Muse. He had me listen to some of their music, but I couldn't get into it. So, when he asked me to attend a Muse concert with him in Atlanta back in 2010, I was hesitant. But I decided to go anyway. Well, lo and behold, just a few songs into the concert, I converted to a fan. Now I love the group. So, when I heard that Muse was coming to Nashville on September 6, 2013, I immediately asked Andrew if he wanted to attend. Unsurprisingly, he did. Well, that concert took place last night and it was a dilly-whopper.

The concert was opened by a group named Cage the Elephant. They are a somewhat local band since they are originally from Bowling Green, KY, a mere 65 miles away. The musicians and the lead singer were quite good. However, I did not care for their style of music or the lead singer's spastic movements on stage. But most of the audience seemed to love them. I even heard one girl say they were awesome.

For unknown reasons, there was almost an hour intermission before Muse began, but when they did, they didn't disappoint. Raw power emanated from the stage from the beginning and never let up. The crowd stood up when the music began and never sat down until they got to their cars after leaving the arena. With lead singer Matthew Bellamy on lead guitar and piano, Christopher Wolstenholme on bass and harmonica, Dominic Howard on percussion, and unofficial fourth member, Morgan Nicholls, on various instruments, the band brought showmanship and excitement to an arena full of eager fans.

This concert was a part of The 2nd Law tour. The 2nd Law is the band's sixth studio album in their almost 20 years of existence. The music on this album is tremendous. Muse's music is like a bottle of wine that only gets better with time. Of course, they also played a few songs from earlier albums. Luckily, they were some of my favorites.

I have been to a lot of concerts where the band simply performs their songs without actually putting on a show. For softer music or more intimate settings, this can work, as it did at a Dan Fogelberg concert I attended many years ago. However, for a power band like Muse, I don't think it would. Muse apparently understands this, so spares no expense with the lights, lasers, projected live and recorded video, and all the props needed to implement them. Hey, they even had people manning some of the equipment from seats hanging from the ceiling. Not only do all these things add visual excitement to an already exciting show, it helps make the audience at a distance feel more included in the event. When you are far enough away that the band members look like Munchkins, it is sometimes hard to feel a part of the show. Muse makes it easier by filling the stage and the area above it with visuals; synchronized to the music, of course.

Muse has some interesting song lyrics. Being a libertarian-minded person, I particularly like the lyrics about standing strong against the oppression of others. One example comes from one of my favorite songs, Uprising, which in on The Resistance album.

Paranoia is in bloom,

The PR transmissions will resume.

They'll try to push drugs that keep us all dumbed down

And hope that we will never see the truth around.

(So come on)

 

Another promise, another seed.

Another packaged lie to keep us trapped in greed.

And all the green belts wrapped around our minds,

And endless red tape to keep the truth confined

(So come on)

 

They will not force us.

They will stop degrading us.

They will not control us.

We will be victorious.

So come on.

 

Interchanging mind control,

Come let the revolution take its toll.

If you could flick the switch and open your third eye,

You'd see that we should never be afraid to die.

(So come on)

 

Rise up and take the power back.

It's time the fat cats had a heart attack.

You know that their time's coming to an end.

We have to unify and watch our flag ascend.

(So come on)

Check out some of their other lyrics at http://www.azlyrics.com/m/muse.html .

Andrew and I had seats about two-thirds of the way back from the stage. This was a bit too far to get good photos with the camera I had with me. However, I did get a few decent shots of the overall show. You can see them here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rcfinch/sets/72157635429762828/

If you have never listened to Muse or have only heard them occasionally, I would highly recommend you check them out. I would personally recommend The Resistance, their fifth studio album, released in 2009. I fell in love with all the music on this record and still consider it a favorite. Andrew recommends his favorite song, Follow Me, from The 2^nd Law album. Also, don't miss them in concert if you have a chance. Matt Bellamy has a wide vocal range and does a pretty intense falsetto. Hopefully he will be able to maintain his vocals for many more years, but many people with that kind of range start losing it in their later years. You need to hear him while he's at the top of his game. If you’d like to hear some radical falsetto singing, check out Micro Cuts on the album Origin of Symmetry. The entire song is sung in falsetto.

In closing, I wanted to mention that, at the concert, Matt Bellamy performed a version of our national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, on his guitar. It was very reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix’s version at Woodstock in 1969. I wasn’t at Woodstock since I was only 14 at the time, but I did see the movie. Concerning Matt Bellamy’s version, I’m sure he would make John Stafford Smith and Francis Scott Key very proud. Well, once they got used to electronic music.

Britain from A to Z : A

During the latter half of July 2013, my wife, son, and I took a trip to Great Britain. Specifically, we visited Scotland, England, and Wales. This trip was primarily intended to be our son's college graduation gift. Andrew is a huge fan of Wales and has been studying its geography, history, and language. We debated whether to do the trip on our own or as part of a tour. Ultimately we decided on the latter and booked Icons of Britain from CIE Tours. It lasted 15 days, starting in Glasgow, Scotland, and ending in Windsor, England. Our days were jam packed with travelling and activities. While there we observed a number of interesting similarities and differences with the USA. I decided to write a series of posts discussing these, using topics that began with the letters A through Z. So, without further adieu...

Accent

In Britain, essentially everyone speaks English. Some Scottish people also speak Gaelic while some in Wales speak Welsh. For all the English speakers, there is a wide variety of accents. This is just like the USA where the people in various regions speak English with different accents. In reality you could say that the whole of the English speaking world speaks with different accents. The Scottish accent is different from the English accent which is different from the Welsh accent which is different from the American accent. There was a couple on our tour from Australia. They had yet another accent. And within these individual countries, there are regional accents. It is very interesting how different accents can be, yet still be understandable. However, there were those few cases where we met someone with such a thick accent, we could barely understand them. Our tour guide, Tom, liked to say to our tour group, which was mostly Americans, "You people are the ones with the accent." Yet I dare say that there are citizens right there in Britain whose accent would stump other lifelong citizens of the UK.