Why do I have these thoughts in the dim light of morning? Am I eccentric or just plain weird? Today whilst driving in though the country roads between Bicester and Oxford, past villages like Merton and Ottmoor and Islip, the thought of headlights came to mind…
…this quickly led on the early days of headlights and the introduction of lamps to horse drawn carriages. For some reason this made me wonder: if the internal combustion engine had never been invented and we had continued to use horse and carts and open and closed carriages, and that the use of these had escalated (and here, you understand I was placing this in the context of all other developments in our country and culture as the same – something which is, I know, utterly rediculous) – would the increased volume of *traffic* on lanes and thoroughfares have demanded *lane-widening* schemes?
What would the country look like with multi-lane cart trracks scarring up the landscape so that you can big, strong, powerful carthorses plodding along in the slow lane whilst nifty mailcoaches storm ahead overtaken only by young rich gentleman in sports charriots?
An intriguing vision of the world? …still a weird thought though!
I feel a scifi short story coming on…
Maybe I should try and turn it into a post?
If you want to use it as a basis for a story yourself – feel free – well, just so long as you credit me at the appropriate point. I don’t know, something like: from an original conception by… kind of thing… 🙂
Re: Thanks…
I was doing a spot of idle friends searching on location and interests, and yours came up under one of them (more than one actually) – I forget which it was that drew me in but I thought seems interesting – I’ll have a look.
I wasn’t meaning to say something in a comment, but it seems you’ve beaten me to it.
As for Iceland – yes, go, you must – as for getting there, there’s Iceland Express that do cheap flights but also if you register on the Icelandair website they send you emails with (sometimes) even better deals! Let me know if you do go and I’ll help you plan your itinerary … there’s so much to see…
Re: Thanks…
Been there? If you want to read about my adventures, try this
Beers about a fiver a pint. Then there’s Black Death…
completely unrelated to this post
Just wondering if you’ve read any Rupert Thomson and, if so, what is your opinion on his writing?
Re: completely unrelated to this post
No, so therefore no opinion I’m afraid.
Why do you ask? Have you just read something by him? What kind of book does he write?
Re: completely unrelated to this post
When I went to London this Christmas, UK Matthew gave me a copy of Soft by Rupert Thomson because he liked it very much and wanted me to read it. He read a book and a half in the 8 days I was there so it seems he reads quite a bit. I had never heard of Thomson or his books which is not surprising since I am not that well acquainted in the literary sense since all my brain cells gravitate naturally toward the cinema. I also considered maybe because he writes about British life, he must be British and maybe that is another reason why I may not have been familiar and perhaps you would be since you reside in England. I am on page 36 and it’s been excruciating getting there. I cannot get into his writing style and I’m wondering if it gets better. I am not a big fan of fiction in the first place so it’s doubly difficult for me. I was hoping to find someone who had read his work so I could know what their opinion was and ask if he just has rough beginnings and the rest of the novel is more palatable. I encountered the same problem when I tried to read the sequel to Trainspotting [I can’t remember the title or the author but I loved the film Trainspotting and wanted to find out what happens next.] One of my goals for 2004 is to read more.
Have you read “Pavane” by Keith Roberts?
I haven’t no. Please, tell me more…?
Well, I must admit that I didn’t get very far…it starts with Elizabeth I being assassinated – fast forward to the power of steam – Fred Dibnah would be in his element..then I got bored and took it back to the library. Sorry 🙁