ENGLAND AT THIS REMOVE.

Beachy HeadAt this distance from the UK, steeped in the clear air of separation from all the received notions and behaviours of one’s homeland that you put on like an old coat as soon as you return, I can’t help feeling that the secret to living in England has to lie in not succumbing to the pessimistic viewpoint propagated by the media and the people who believe the media. You have to find a bit of clear space and look after it and not worry about the rest. Of course, I know now that I always feel this way whenever I’ve been out of the UK for a spell. The only difference from the way I was when I came back from India aged 19 full of unshakeable conviction is that now I know I will lose this certainty just like all the others.