Wednesday 22 October 2014

'Civilisation'

Today, friend W and I have been to a metropolis.  Well, maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration, but coming - as we do- from a tiny village in the Yorkshire Dales, it certainly felt like it.

We went the forty or so miles to the large 'out of town' Shopping Park.   There we wandered round the large store we had gone to see.   There were mothers wandering round bottle feeding babies as they went; there were old ladies (who made us feel quite young) in bath chairs being pushed round; and there were even one or two extremely tiny babies - maybe two or three weeks old - being pushed around in prams with a thin blanket covering the whole pram - maybe to keep off germs or to help baby to sleep, I don't know.  I felt a bit like a country bumpkin.   And to think I used to live permanently in this kind of environment.

I began life in the deep country (first twenty-eight years) and I shall definitely end my life in the deep country.   The bit in between was spent in cities and although I was happy (and very fulfilled) while I was there, I am a country woman at heart.

Are you a townie or do you prefer the country? 

Incidentally - in nine days time - on October 31st (Hallowe'en) I shall be eighty-two years old.   I shall miss out one or two blog posts between now and then so that on that day I can publish my
2000th blog post.

20 comments:

Rachel Phillips said...

I don't know what I am. I love cities as much as I love the country. Born in the country, live in the country now, have lived in lots of cities and could live in a city again.

Cloudia said...

I love being perched at the edge of the action; and of course on this island, country is quite near. . . as the mountains I ever see. . . . . and the sea [with it's muttering threats and promises]

yes, Johnny Carson of US TV fame used to have very old persons on his show from time to time to show his comparative youth and hipness :-)

Most folks seem younger, or peers now. What will it be like when there ARE no older folk?!




ALOHA from Honolulu
ComfortSpiral
=^..^= . <3

ALOHA from Honolulu
ComfortSpiral
=^..^= . <3

angryparsnip said...

I like going toe the city but I love living in the country. Although my country is quite different from yours.

cheers, parsnip

Joanne Noragon said...

Two thousandth blog post! I am impressed. I'll wait to wish you a happy birthday.

jinxxxygirl said...

OMGosh a Halloween baby! How wonderful is that?!!! Happy happy early birthday!!

I'am definitely a country person that finds herself in the city at the moment and scrambling to get back to the country as soon as possible.......Hugs! deb

donna baker said...

After 30 years in the country, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to live with neighbors next door. I mean, I don't think you can garden nude in the city. Have a wonderful birthday. What a gift to have a long life and still have your health.

thousandflower said...

Definitely a country gal but I did live in San Francisco for 2 years and loved it. But I have no desire to go back, just enjoy the memories. Been there, done that.

Cro Magnon said...

Like you I was country born, and live in the country now, but in between time I lived in London for a few years and LOVED IT. If I had the money to buy a small mews house in South Ken, I would do it today. But I'd still spend at least 9 months of the year here.

Cro Magnon said...

p.s. Oh I forgot, I do have 2 homes in Brighton, but I never go.

Gwil W said...

Phew, 2000 posts. How they mount up. You will now have all your readers checking their own statistics!

I didn't know there were still bath chairs. Whenever I've been to such places, which I confess is not often, I've had to dodge the elderly and infirm whizzing around on electric scooters looking grim as the queen in her Range Rover. I don't begrudge them them the joy and convenience of racing around on their scooters, but I wish they'd peep the horn now and then.

Gwil W said...

I forgot to say like Rachel and Cro I don't really know what I am either. I was born on the coast between the sea and the mountains and grew up there in idyllic surroundings before being uprooted and taken to an industrial town on Merseyside because my father's job. Now I live in the Austrian capital.

MorningAJ said...

Country all the way. I enjoy an occasional city visit (and we're off to a city today!) but it's good to come back to trees and fields and clean air.

Frugal in Derbyshire said...

Country every time Weave. I only go into Derby or Nottingham if D. or I have an appointment there and never to shop. However, when I was younger I didn't mind going at all and we lived close to Derby town centre until 33years ago.
I shall await your 2,000th (!!) post too.
Gill

Heather said...

2,000 posts! That is quite an achievement. You are way ahead of me on blog posts but only slightly ahead on birthdays.
I am definitely a countrywoman at heart. I have mostly lived in the country or at least on the edge of it, and that is as near as I want to get to town or city life.

Barbara said...

It's most impressive that you're coming up on 2,000 posts! What an accomplishment for your birthday.
I will be looking forward to it and wish you many happy returns then.
As for country or townie...I am country all the way. Around here, we would call it "a hick from the sticks". I feel SO out of place in the city!

Elizabeth said...

I do pretty well in either environment.
As in the old adage "Bloom where you're planted".
Both have their advantages. I think American suburbia is probably brain numbing.

Most impressed at the number of your blog posts - particularly since the content is interesting too!

As regards Prague. I think you would love it. Utterly fascinating. Robert has had a bad back so we cheated and took a taxi up to the Castle which dominates the town and wandered down - twice.
Very safe, clean, historical - and compared to France/Italy/UK etc amazingly affordable. Claudia and boyfriend joined us from the UK via Easyjet - an easy hour and half flight.
I seem to have joined the Czech tourist board....they should pay me!

The Broad said...

I have lived in the country and in the town and in the city (if you call Washington, DC a city!). I am most comfortable and happiest in the 'town'. But three or four months in the countryside of France where the starlight explodes and the air is clean keeps me sane.

Mac n' Janet said...

Rural, but not deep country. We're on an acre in a subdivision where everyone is on an acre or so. We are 8 miles from town and it's a quite small town. We're about 15 miles from Savannah which is our nearest big city and where we have to go to do any real shopping, where most of my doctors are.
I could not live in a big city, our visit to London this last August about did me in.
An early Happy Birthday!!

Doc said...

An early congratulations on both events and I do hope the Farmer has plans to spoil you terribly. I suppose if given the choice I would have to say country but as long as long as I have my wife it could be a cardboard shack in the slums and that would be home.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Seems we are mostly countryside lovers - with a bit of town thrown in. But I suppose that as my blog is always about countrymatters it is only to be expected. Thanks for passing an opinion.