Amy Goodchild - Blog

I went for a random drive today. I like driving these days. However, I apparently have chosen to reside in the one area of England that wasn't bathed in glorious sunshine today :/. I've spoken to people in three completely different parts of england and they've all told me that it was sunny where they were; but Northumberland today was cloudy with occasional rain.

I'm loathe to talk about the weather, and I apologise for doing so, except to explain why I took almost no photographs of the Northumbrian countryside. It wasn't my fault, it was the light.

Anyway I set myself a challenge of seeing how far away from civilisation I could get. Now you'd think, driving around the Pennines on a monday afternoon it wouldn't be that hard to find yourself alone. Or at least, that's what I thought. But i was wrong, almost all day I went no longer than about 5 minutes between seeing other cars, and that's at the very least. Maybe it was busier because of the bank holiday, but seriously; the middle of nowhere is packed with people.

Oh, here's something weird... while driving around some place called... something beginning with W, i forget what... I stopped in a carpark to quickly look at a map and work out vaguely where i was. As i drove into the carpark there was a guy sitting in a kind of crappy car. With his face smushed up against the steering wheel. I mean, the side of his face was against the steering wheel, and he had a totally vacant look in his eyes. Anyway I can only assume he was wasted. He'd sat up by the time I left.

So i'd seen this sort of building on the top of a hill on the horizon and I thought it looked pretty cool. It was kind of the shape of one of those columned buildings in, say, Ancient Rome or Greece. So I figured I'd head for that. Well, I'll tell you now that didn't find it. But I was driving along and saw a sign for "something (i forget what) hall" and i thought that might be it so I turned off and ended up on the narrowest road in England just passing through farm after farm, never entirely sure if I was on private property or not. Anyway I didn't feel very alone the whole time, but rather uncomfortably watched by farmers and a bit lost. Heh. At one point I crossed a cattle grid with a sign that said "PRIVATE CATTLEGRID" which I kind of thought might mean I was supposed to get out and open the gate, but that seemed stupid, and something i had no intention of doing. And I never even found the signposted hall place, which probably wasn't the column thing, since in restrospect i was probably miles from there.

So I failed in my mission to plunge myself into the barren depths of Northumberland this afternoon. I guess my real failing was my unwillingness to leave my car. And if there's a road, there's going to be other people. But perhaps I will venture futher another time when the weather is better as the landscapes I went through are freaking amazing, just very unphotogenic in overcast drizzle.

However, I did manage to take a photo that is just, very very English. There's no other word to describe it, imo. I called the file "how fucking british", but on second thought, it's just very very English. There's wind blown trees, everso wholesome green rolling hills, grey sky, and a stone wall covered in moss. England england england.

England

Comments

That is the England I wanna see someday.
(...well, that and the inside of ARR's bedroom)
arsifoofoo | 04.16.04 - 1:25 am | #

are you sure? You will have to travel more than 5 minutes out of london to see countryside
like that you know, something that apparently sends waves of fear through many americans. :D

Infact, that picture was taken about 6 hours north of london, and about 5 minutes south of
scotland : )
jaym | 04.16.04 - 10:08 am | #

Waves of fear?

What could there possibly be to fear over there?

I WILL see that someday. It's beautiful.
Anonymous | 04.16.04 - 12:50 pm | #

I wrote the above and submitted before I entered my name.

me=duh
arsifoofoo | 04.16.04 - 12:51 pm | #

it'd look beautifuller if it wasn't raining ¬_¬
jaymee | 04.16.04 - 6:08 pm | #