Articles by the American Professor Walter Wentz who swapped Los Angeles for Broadway in the Cotswolds. Walter has lead an interesting life including the American Navy, Los Angeles Police Officer, writing 5 books and show business promotions.
History suggests that there are few things that the English enjoy more than a good fight, especially one fought on the other guy's turf. Lucky for them, they are very good at it. They are also very good at getting the Americans to join in. Of course none of this is lucky for the French, Germans, and Spaniards.
The British have succeeded it doing battle on someone else's soil .........
God, Mother Nature, Global Warming, or an evil conspiracy involving the CIA, Wall Street bankers, and whomever (You pick your favorite villain) dumped on Broadway last week. In fact, it dumped all over England forcing over 10,000 people out of their homes. You would not believe the mess. Here is one example, a part of Broadway, in a photo taken by 'Andrew' for the BBC........
NEVER GO BACK.......I believe that is a quote from Santayana. Whomever said it, got it right. My return to California confirmed it.
Southern California, where I was brought up, has turned into a Spanish speaking shit hole. The place is dirty, the air is filthy (smog), and the black and Mexican gangs rule many of the streets. English is no longer the first language.
Had you been in Montana and Wyoming with me this July you would wonder why anybody in their right mind lived anywhere else in the world. On the 15th of January you would know why. In midwinter the temperature drops to around 20 degrees below freezing and stays there for several months. Winter in Big-Sky Country is not for sissies.........
I drive a car which is on the cutting edge of 1936 technology. It is a Morgan and is the only British car still in production. [Jaguar, although in England, is an American company.] The Morgan comes out of a factory in Malvern Link........
A friend asked me what it was like living in a 300 year-old house in a Cotswold village. I cannot answer that. I live in a 400-year-old Cotswold house. A 400-year-old Cotswold house has a number of special qualities you will not find in a 30-year-old house in Southern California which is where I come from. First of all, unlike the California house.......
The honest answer is 'not much'. Broadway is a quiet little village of about 2,500 souls with an old church and about forty shops all designed to relieve the tourist of his or her money. So why bother? If you are into retail therapy you will do better in Dallas, New York, Hong Kong, Sidney, or my favourite, Singapore. In the better stores in those cities they will even pour you a free drink. Here you will only get a bill........
Most Americans, being rebellious by nature, would have liked Guy Fawkes. Americans like to make statements. So did Mr. Fawkes. Americans like to demonstrate. So did Mr. Fawkes. Americans like a nice cosy fire. So did Mr. Fawkes.........
I have few living heroes, for they seem to be in short supply. I do have one in Broadway, however, and his name in Ernie Folkes. Ernie is a small and quiet man. I first met him on a rainy day selling poppies........
Until 1992 I lived in what my friends call 'War Zone West'. You know it as Los Angeles. Hence I find Broadway rather dull. Since I arrived there have been no drive-by shootings, no gang fights, and nobody has tried to burn down the village. Don't ask me what the English do for entertainment.........
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