BBC Correspondent’s Thoughts on Leaving America
August 2, 2009 by jonathan
Filed under Anglophilia, BBC, England
This comes via the BBC show called From Our Own Correspondent. BBC Reporter Justin Webb has been living in the USA for the last 8 years as the BBC North America correspondent.
He’s now moving back to Blighty and has some interesting thoughts on leaving America and the prospect of living in the UK again.
From the article:
The woman who is to sell our house is a prime specimen. She is perky. Nothing gets her down, not even the fact that we are selling in the midst of the biggest depression since the Great Flood. In this area it is different.
“You have a lovely home!”
But she thinks we have too many books. She does not say so but she talks of creating spaces on the shelves – for snow-globes, perhaps, or silver photo frames with perfect children showing off perfect teeth.
This is a cultural thing. When selling a home in America, you have to pretend that you do not live there.No, you have to pretend that no-one lives there. Or ever has.
Previously owned homes are of course the norm for us Europeans. We understand that previous generations have made their mark. This means – as we English know, having grown up with rattling windows and mouldy grouting – that a home will be imperfect.
They do not make such allowances in America.
Read the rest of the illuminating article here.
Author Info - Jonathan is a consummate Anglophile with an obsession for Britain that borders on psychosis. He keeps Anglotopia running in his spare time, always dreaming of his next trip to England, wishing he lived there - specifically Dorset - and is always trying to figure out a way to move to England. It will happen one day. Keep up with him on Twitter here. Read more from this author
