England

Ah, jolly old England. Having met untold thousands of Brits backpacking during my little world jaunt I decided to take up their offers of hospitality and see the country. I’d only ever been to London, and it was unique to see all the cities that we exports to the United States named our hometowns after. My entire local area was named after places in the U.K., Chelmsford, Boston, Carlisle, Warrington, Chelsea, Lexington. I did a double-take on every exit off London’s A4.

Stories

Favorite Photographs

The Norfolk Broads

Camping for the first time since Nepal, my friend Rachel introduced me to the traditional English delight of Caravan Parks. A cross between summer camp and a trailer park it was, by no doubt, an experience in local culture. We lasted only one night in a tent, hit some local tourist attractions, and fled to Oxford the next evening. Between the pub and cabaret with the failed comedian reminiscing about his night with Dean Martin, it was truly memorable. Impossible to recreate in words, but indelible.

Visits

Oxford University

Roaming around this bastion of higher learning and history teaches you why they play Pomp and Circumstance at graduations. Great architecture, tremendous history, and just a mile away down the river and through the cow pastures, my introduction to the quintesential English country pub.

London Tube

I took a little side route on my photography. My digital camera is pretty good at low-light situations, so I brought it down into the tube for an afternoon. Because there is a little video screen on the camera you don’t necessarily have to bring it up to your eye to make a photograph. you can shoot from your hip and still see what your image will look like. I started making portraits of subway riders without their knowledge. I think this could be a very interesting series with some work.

London around town

Just too damn expensive for a backpacker. I ended up staying at two hostels during my stay and they were nothing spectacular, and about thirty dollars a night. Add the cost of frequent pints, daily tube passes, and entrance fees to museums, movies, clubs. Forget it, there is no way to survive low cost. But, given I was a tourist, I did tourist things.

Warrington goes disco

Karen Priestly, who I met in Australia, returned home and turned thirty years old. When this woman throws a party she goes all the way. The theme was the 1970’s and the guests took it seriously as well.

Wales

Who knew that just a few short hours from Central London, and within the same country boundries, England contained another distinctly different world: Wales. Most of these are abstracts from an hour at a pier amusement park.

Manchester

Home of the cotton mills and the industrial revlolution in England, I was interested in manchester because it was the town Lowell massachusetts was modeled after. I found the familiar brick mill buildings, most empty and abandoned, just like Lowel, the town next to my hometown. Also, I went to the well regarded Manchester Science Museum, which focuses on the technologies that made manchester famous. There is a great collection of airplanes, steam engines and locomotives, and a terrific interactive childrens science wing which, to little surprise, held my attention for hours.