Writers writing about your life
“I never understand why Londoners fail to see that they live in the most wonderful city in the world.” Bill Bryson
I am sorting my bookshelves, and I realised I have a lot of travel books - I do love great travel writing. Many of my travel books are about far-away countries, but some are about the UK, where I live. Bill Bryson is an excellent writer, and as I was flipping through his book Notes From A Small Island: Journey Through Britain, I realised two things, apart from remembering that it is a jolly good book.
The first realisation was that in his book Bryson was describing my world when I was a young adult. The second was that that world has changed. When writing stories about our lives, we need to add context. This will anchor your memories, and ensure future readers (including yourself) will remember and appreciate the world surrounding your recollections. Travel books (and sometimes novels) about the places where you grew up, lived in, or travelled to can give that context.
In Notes from a Small Island, Bill Bryson wrote about the UK and London as he saw them when he visited in 1973. I did not arrive in London until 1979, but the city he writes about is the city I first encountered, and grew to love. Bryson wrote “I never understand why Londoners fail to see that they live in the most wonderful city in the world.” I agree. Though Bill did have some complaints at the time.
“While we're at it we might also stop the staff at the British Museum from cluttering the forecourt with their cars and instead make it into a kind of garden.”
British museum staff cars were banished from the forecourt and the inner courtyard, and in 2000 a ‘great court’1 was built. It is largest covered public square in Europe, and it is a wonderful space. Because the British Library building was so small (it sat in the middle of the inner courtyard), readers tickets were very limited. The library building was turned into a lovely exhibition space, and the books were moved to a purpose built building on Euston Road2. And I finally got a library ticket!
“Also get rid of those horrible crush barriers outside Buckingham Palace because they look so straggly and cheap - not at all in keeping with the dignity of her poor besieged Majesty within.”
Crush barriers are now anti-terrorist barriers, and to be fair they now try to make them fit into their surroundings. However, his Majesty lives at Clarence House next door, and only uses the Palace for official business, so he rarely sees the barriers.
“Put the Natural History Museum back to the way it was before they started dicking around with it (in particular they must restore the display case showing insects infesting household products from the 1950s).”
I love the Natural History museum, both the exhibits and the magnificent building and carvings. But it was a musty, dusty place in the 1970s; it is much better now. Though the 1950s insect display has long gone, the Natural History Museum3 still has an amazing number of strange and wonderful exhibits. Of course, their website was non-existent in the 1970s. Whilst not having the same attraction as a display case from the 1950s, the website has a lot of information about common insect pests in UK homes.
“Remove the entrance charges from all museums at once.”
Mr Bryson I agree with you, and as I am sure you know, the main London museums are now free. As a nurse on a small salary in London, there were very few free entry museums, though one of them was the British Museum, which is probably why I grew to love it so much. Museums are wonderful, educational spaces, and they should be available to everyone. Nowadays you only pay for special exhibitions, but as they are expensive to arrange that seems fair.
However, it is not all good news.
“Make Lord Palumbo put the Mappin and Webb building back.”
The building was demolished, and like Humpty Dumpty4, there is no putting it back together again. The shape of London has changed a lot since I first arrived. But I personally think more has been cleaned, preserved and improved, than lost.
Thank you Mr Bryson, for reminding me about the London of my youth.
Context
Prompts to help you tell your story.
Is there a book that accurately describes a place or a time in your life?
If you are writing about an ancestor, look for books about the time they lived in, to help you understand the context of their lives, and what their perspective would have been.
I include these journal prompts so that, if you are so inclined, you can write your own story. Writing short notes is any easy way to start your memoir, or to contribute to your family history. Write in a notebook, or type your story in phone notes, or as a comment. Sharing stories is delightful, and other people’s comments often help recall more memories. You can then cut & paste your own comment into an electronic document or notes, for later use.
The British Library is a legal deposit library, so it receives copies of all the books produced in the United Kingdom and Ireland. They have over 170 million items!
Humpty Dumpty is an English nursery rhyme.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again.
There are possibly only two places in the world where, if you wait long enough, everyone in the world passes by; London and Las Vegas. That alone makes them great cities. London is the one that's not insufferably hot.
I visited London at age 14, in 1975. I thought it was possibly the most magical place I had ever seen. The food...not so much. (I had been to France a month before...the food...I digress.) It was just that, the remembering of living in the place of my coming of age years, that compelled me to write my memoir (coming out this Dec.!) May your London of yore, always bring back a fondness in your heart.