Letter Not from London: the English Countryside

Sign on a pub in the Wye Valley. Photo: Jeffrey St. Clair.

It’s always dramatic when you leave London for a spell in the English countryside.

In the English countryside, people still say hello. Trees are tall and knowing. The old as well as young work the shops. A pothole becomes a talking point. History, especially Druid or Roman, never seems far away.

In the English countryside, people are less concerned about US politics. The skies are crammed with stars. Wood pigeons coo from working chimney tops.