Seeking warmth in a good book

Pav’s Patch:

ONE of the effects the Arctic winter has had on me is to get me to curl up in front of the fire with a book. At the turn of the year I reread a few of my Bill Bryson titles and have to admit that I enjoyed them even more than the first time round.

For the uninitiated, Bryson is an American who, on and off, has lived in Britain for nearly 40 years. He’s written all kinds of books but is perhaps best known for his travel titles such as “Notes From a Small Island” in which he goes the length and breadth of Britain by public transport (not an easy task).

Bryson’s wit appeals to me. He loves Britain, but sees things through American eyes and often struggles to understand the British people.

For example, he cannot comprehend why we get so excited at the prospect of hot drinks. But we do.

When I was married, my heart would leap when the wife offered to brew up — something that happened less and less as time went on. And when I started work at the Chronicle in 1999 I used to look forward to the arrival of the tea trolley each morning and afternoon. It took me about three years to realise the tea was actually weak and tasteless. But it was wet and warm.

I also love the way Bryson looks at British place names. Did you know there’s a street in Cambridge called Christ’s Pieces?

He dismisses Hooton, a community near Liverpool, with one stroke of his acid-dripping pen: “In Port Sunlight I waited an hour and a quarter in driving rain for a bus onward to Hooton, which is even less fun than it sounds. Hooton offers the world not only a mildly ridiculous name, but the dumpiest railway station I ever hope to sneeze in.”

It’s a pity Bryson never made it to Oldham because he loves to comment on architecture and I shudder to think what he would make of the civic centre which has got to rank as one of the ugliest structures ever thrown up. It’s the sort of thing a blindfolded kid would make from Lego. It’s ironic that the derelict Victorian town hall is crumbling within its shadow.

Bryson, a former Times sub-editor, also recalls the days when the National Graphical Association ruled newspapers. Get the book and read what he says about Vince from the wire room.

But it seems subs didn’t have it too badly either, doing a 25-hour week for a large wage and very generous expenses.

How times change.