>>>>> On Fri, 23 Oct 1992 16:26:14 CDT, "Andrew C. Green"
><acg@hermes.dlogics.com> said:
Andrew> It can be hard for Americans to grasp how really
Andrew> (deep breath...) oooooold some pubs, and buildings in general,
Andrew> are in England.
"In America, a hundred years is a long time. In England, a hundred
miles is a long way"
This is true. Many of the "oldest" buildings around where I live are
less than a hundred years old.
The truth of the English part was brought home to me one day. I had
been to a conference at the University of Surrey, in Guildford (the
original home of my Bentley (Note: ObBritCar content)) and a colleague
had kindly offered to drive me to London where I was due to give
another talk at City University the next day.
"Gee," I said, "can we go by Stonehenge on the way? We're not too far
from it, are we?"
Oh, no, that's way out of our way, no time, can't do it, so sorry.
"Well, can we just take a peek at the map? Just to satisfy my
curiosity?"
Well, OK. Um. Rustle rustle. Hmmm. uh huh. mmmmm. See! We're 40
miles from Stonehenge, it's 2 and you need to be in London at 7:30.
"But it will only take about 3/4 hour to drive to Salisbury plain, an
hour to gape at the rocks, another 3/4 hour to get back this far, an
hour up the M4 to the city, what's the problem? We can even stop for
tea; I'll buy..."
Gosh, you're right!
So we toodled off in his Vauxhall Princess (more ObBritCar content!),
had a wonderful afternoon and both learned something... (and we had
time to swing by Windsor Castle as well)
--berry
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