Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
 
London to Loweswater: A Journey Through England at the End of the Twentieth Century
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

London to Loweswater: A Journey Through England at the End of the Twentieth Century (Hardcover)

by Hunter Davies (Author)
No customer reviews yet. Be the first.

Available from these sellers.


18 used from £0.01

Product details

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

New Labour, New England? Practically an institution in himself, author and journalist Davies' latest work is part travelogue, part autobiography, part snapshot of the state of England on the brink of the new millennium. Blending themes from two of his previous works,The Good Guide To The Lakes and Living On The Lottery, Davies draws on his personal travels, interviews with a range of interesting people from a graduate, a Duchess, a British Waterways workman and one of "Blair's babes" MPs. He examines National Lottery projects in order to elucidate his personal view of English life and its institutions.

His inspiration is J B Priestley's classic 1934 book "English Journey" in which Priestley identified his different Englands: Tourist England, 19th-century England and New England. Davies looks at Heritage and Lottery England. He writes from an equally privileged, establishment perspective and cheerfully admits his connections. Indeed the names he drops throughout the book read as a who's who of the London elite. Yet what breathes life into his voyage are the interviews with people he meets on his travels--the seemingly ordinary souls who prove to be much more fascinating and revealing than the guests at Tony Blair's party which he attends at the start of his journey. He is adept at finding quirky originality in the homogenous high streets of England.

Davies's style is almost that of stream of consciousness, interjecting his opinions and anecdotes as he travels on his journey. He passes through the old towns of Britain--Derby and Tring--and more recent outcrops of Englishness--Milton Keynes (where every new house is connected to cable TV) and the regenerated Salford Docks. His reminiscences of the Beatles when visiting Liverpool are particularly interesting.

What his journey reveals is the clash between urban and city life, embodied in Davies himself (he divides his time between London and rural Loweswater in the Lake District). Whilst never the twain shall meet, in Davies' rosy and entertaining portrayal of England, both communities are moving towards the future with optimism. --Anna Hornsey.



Product Description

Following in the footsteps of J.B. Priestley, whose book "English Journey" told the tale of his 1934 voyage, Hunter Davies embarks upon an epic journey at the end of the century. He spends a year travelling from London to the Lake District, observing the people and places of England today and noting the mood of the English nation at the end of the millennium. It is also a journey into his own life, as he recalls incidents and people from his past. Davies is impressed by a sense of light and optimism encouraged by the many Lottery projects nearing completion, such as the Lowry Centre in Salford and the 2500 miles of public pathways being created by Sustrans. He visits two stately homes - Chatsworth and Althorp, as well as Paul McCartney's former more modern and humble council house in Liverpool. His journey takes him from a private party with Tony Blair in London to the Loweswater Show in the far north-western corner of Cumbria. This is where he and his wife spend half of each year, the clash between urban and rural life forming the heart of the book.

Tag this product

 (What's this?)
Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.
Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

Customer Reviews


There are no customer reviews yet.
Video reviews
Video reviews
Amazon now allows customers to upload product video reviews. Use a webcam or video camera to record and upload reviews to Amazon.


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 

   

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject













i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Ad

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.