Sunday 21 September 2008

Guardian Angle: Binge Britain

I'm in the Guardian again today, a Comment piece that had been pinging around in my head while I was living in England. The premise: The Brits don't have a problem with binge drinking. Well, they do, but that's just because they have a problem with binge everythinging.

So, welcome to any Guardian readers who have washed up here at my blog. I'm afraid it's a little stale, given that my day job has reaffirmed its primacy in my life. And that job is as a columnist at The Washington Post. Most of what you'll find here in Voxford are impressions of the 10 months I spent living in Oxford. I hope my affection for your scepter'd isle comes through (even if the Daily Mail did infuriate me).

I'll actually be in Oxford this weekend, where I hope to do a little bingeing of my own. Pint of Old Hooky, please, barman. Oh, make it two....

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi John! I liked the piece in the Grauniad and applaud your use of the term "gelid." Hope you have a good trip over this weekend!

stoi689 said...

Good comment piece John. Binge drinking is indeed a British national institution.

Who was it that once commented; "The English are the only nation I know that drink on the way to go drinking!" ???

Sarah Laurence said...

John, I accuse YOU of binge blogging. Has this Washington Post blog taken wing yet?

Candadai Tirumalai said...

Your thesis about the "unbridled enthusiasm" of the British almost convinced me. In other areas of life the British are about as phlegmatic (or unexcitable) as they come.

Anonymous said...

What fun! After your comment in your column that you had been in the UK over a weekend, I thought I'd just see if by any chance the blogger was blogging.... Bit can't complain because we have your WP columns to fill in the gaps.

Candadai Tirumalai said...

John: My comment is less about this blog, more about what you said in the Post yesterday. Many American visitors to Washington react with a chuckle or amused indulgence to Foggy Bottom (the name, not the area). I imagine their reaction to Scratchy Bottom, one of the London stations you named, would be either a discreet silence or outright laughter.

AEZ said...

Hola John! I'm so jelous that you were there in Oxford again!! Anyway, please send me (or write here) something about what happened, how was it...

Cheers!