13 - The Road to Little Dribbling

When it comes to patriotism, I've always had mixed feelings. On the one hand, I find it somewhat pointless to take pride in something so arbitrary as the patch of land on which you happened to be birthed. And yet I also think it is very much justified to praise the achievements of your forefathers and the culture and environment that have helped shape you as a person. Convert that to the form of sporting success - something that is becoming increasingly common for the UK, in fact - and I feel ready to tattoo a bulldog onto my chest while singing Rule Britannia and saluting a picture of the Queen.

So it was with these mixed emotions that I read Bill Bryson's latest collection of writing, The Road to Little Dribbling. Essentially a sequel to his original analysis of the UK, Notes from a Small Island, the author travels the country from bottom to top, revealing the history of the places he sees as compared to the present day; and all with his trademark accessible writing style and wit.

There is a lot in this book that paints my country in a less than positive light. Whether revisiting places from Notes from a Small Island or exploring (in a lot of cases relatively unknown) new locations, there is a clear common theme. As an American who has lived for a large portion of his life in England, Bryson is able to offer a different perspective, one that is unhindered by any misguided loyalty an English writer might have when trying to be objective about the state of their own country.

In short, Bryson is not happy with what he sees. The book portrays a country in neglect and disrepair, of slowing dying towns and unloved rural areas. It must be said that nearly all of this can be traced back to some truly awful decision-making at the level of public administration, and Bryson is merciless in tearing down the officials and bureaucrats who have allowed this to happen. Thanks to profit-first governments huge portions of our nation's heritage have been lost or wasted, and living conditions in a lot of places have become a lot worse than you might expect.

This makes for a surprisingly powerful book, because this is clearly a country that Bryson is very fond of. He sees the state of affairs as a true shame, and to his credit appears to be very active in campaigning for the stopping or reversal of the problems he describes. So while he does lament the mistakes that have been made, his outlook is ultimately optimistic.

And it's not all bad, either. In some cases - the occasional museum or park, mostly - things have been done very well, and the writer's enjoyment is clear to see. His conclusion, too, on how despite all its faults the UK still has a lot going for it - arguably the best education system in the world, more heritage than it would ever be possible to see in a lifetime and a unique culture - is enough stir up the kind of feelings I described above.

I absolutely devoured this book: we're talking a single-figure number of sittings. Bryson's sense of humour has become slightly gentler with age, but his writing is as light as ever and there are more than a few passages that are very, very funny. It's not quite up there with his "classic" works, but this still serves as a solid analysis of modern Britain and all of its quirks, problems and triumphs.

4/5

It could only really be this: