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May 14, 2006

Because life is full of contrasts

Spent a pleasant and peaceful day yesterday at Knole House and Park in Kent. I chatted to some Sika and Fallow Deer and some very knowledgeable National Trust staff. I wandered in and out of the rooms admiring the Gainsboroughs, Van Dycks, Reynolds and the 17th Century tapestries on the walls. I shared a rather civilised coffee in the tea rooms and best of all, saw the manuscript copy of Orlando a gift from Virginia Woolf to Vita Sackville-West.... I now fully understand how such grandeur could inspire such works as Orlando and The Edwardians and how Vita Sackville West was so despondent that the estate should pass out of her hands (of course she could not inherit it, she was a woman.)

I spent the evening with some friends in a bar in Stevenage Leisure Park. The company was great but the music pounded in my head and the aroma of Red Bull and too-strong perfume/ aftershave nauseated me, not to mention the Stella fuelled men who took a group of females without male escort to be an invitation .... Oh and the toilets were heaving (ha!) with women (many of them old enough to know better) either vomiting in the cubicles, touching up the tenth layer of make up or crying over some bloke who wouldn’t sleep with them. Nobody seemed to be doing what you are actually supposed to be doing in toilets...
When the music stopped at 2am a group of Coppers stood looking bored, ready and waiting for the fights that were no doubt about to kick off...

I don’t particularly like being a snob but some days leave me no choice. I end up thinking of John Betjeman and wondering if he wouldn’t mind sending those bombs over towards Stevenage when they’ve finished with Slough.

‘Come friendly bombs, and fall on Slough It isn’t fit for humans now There isn’t grass to graze a cow Swarm over death.’

and,

‘And get that man with double chin Who’ll always cheat and always win, Who washes his repulsive skin In women’s tears.

And smash his desk of polished oak
And smash his hands so used to stroke
And stop his boring dirty joke
And make him yell.’

Posted by purple elephant at May 14, 2006 06:29 PM