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Ramsgate to Victoria

This is the first of a few entries that were written on my recent trip to London and Southeast England. I had hoped to be able to post a few blogs while there but decided to write my observations and post them upon my return.

Monday May 29, 2006. Southeast England.

Our train rambles all but silently westward across Southeast England. The blue sky overhead spreads south where it melts into white clouds over the channel. By the look of the horizon, one could imagine rain over the Pas de Calais. North of us, dark skys threaten us for the third time today. God alone knows what weather awaits us in London.

The names of the stops that dot our trek from Ramsgate to Victoria Station seem too English to be true: Chesterfield and Swaylecliff (one name), Birchinton-on-Sea, Bromley, while the fields and hills that spread out beside us are as green as any I have ever laid my eyes upon. It is difficult to label the intermittent towns along the way as beautiful or pretty. They are refreshing in a way that they are exactly what one would expect of Britain. The closer the train gets to London, the less appealing the scenery becomes. This is epitomized by our pass through Brixton which cannot but bring Clash lyrics to mind and force one to sympathize with Britain’s working class. On our trip out this morning, I felt myself as a time traveler moving through south and east London in the late seventies or early eighties. It was as though I had slipped back to an era of failed socialist policies, a time when people had little hope for the future. I don’t know what group of people lives here now. I only wish them better luck than the angry white youth of thirty years ago, a group that found its voice in England’s most famous punk bands.

This is my second trip to London and my first trip outside of the capital. I was surprised (disappointed) to see a trailer park along our route. I had hoped that was a purely American phenomenon. More pleasantly though, sheep dot the countryside. Each group of which is marked by certain colors and/or numbers. At least have of those visible are new born. One can not help but wonder at the fate of these animals: sweater or dinner.

Posted by The Webtoad at 11:56 AM | Comments (0)

Football for the Rest of the World

Imagine the Superbowl played out over an entire month. Every news show would lead with footbal news. Every store front would be decorated in the colors of the favorite team. Now imagine this played out in most every country of the world simultaneously. That is the World Cup.

At the end of May, my girlfriend and I were in England for a week where we caught World Cup fever (and I caught a cold that is just now subsiding). London and the Southeast of England is beautiful. Even more so when everything is donned with the English Flag (white background with red cross). While there I picked up a copy of The Spectator's special edition on the World Cup. In it I found an hilarious article entitled "How to Cope With The Hope". Apparently, England has a shot this year and that is much more difficult to deal with than knowing your team is doomed not to get out of group play.

Here in the USA, we have a team worthy of cheering for. Amazingly, they are ranked number four in world cup standings. A ranking that seems to have boggled any soccer minded individual that I have spoken with. Nonetheless, this years national team may make a good show of it. I am personally hedging my bets; I bought an official England away jersey.

This past weekend I went out in search of a good spot to watch the World Cup ( I should mention that the matches begin this Friday 6/9/06 and will conclude a month later). My first stop was as far as I needed to go. The Coat of Arms in Portsmouth will be showing about 60% of the games. In talking with the bartender, I was told that they expect a good turnout. I will be there Saturday morning just before 9am for England's opener against Paraguay.

Official World Cup Site

Posted by The Webtoad at 11:31 AM | Comments (0)