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Monday 13 June 2016

Lexit

Having occasion to go to London, he marvelled, as he returned, thinking of naked, lurking savages on an island, how these had built up and created the great mass of Oxford Street or Piccadilly. How had helpless savages, running with their spears on the riverside, after fish, how had they come to rear up this great London, the ponderous, massive, ugly superstructure of a world of man upon a world of nature! It frightened and awed him. Man was terrible, awful in his works. The works of man were more terrible than man himself, almost monstrous.
D. H. Lawrence - The Rainbow (1915)

I sometimes wonder if we’re barking up the wrong tree with the EU referendum. Whatever happens on June 23rd, those of us living outside London are stuck with it as a vast vortex sucking in too much money and with far too much influence on the rest of the country, culturally, economically and politically.

Not that we are in a position to do anything about it, but it is conceivable that the EU could reduce the distorting effects London has on the rest of us. On the other hand, even if we break free from the EU we are still stuck with London.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

I was born and bred in London. I haven't been back there for many, many years; the last visit told me that this was not the city I had known so well and of which I felt a part. I suppose it's done now and there's nothing I nor anyone else can do about it. The current inhabitants knew no different and all of this is just another part of history.

Woodsy42 said...

Wot Henry Kaye said.

Demetrius said...

1915, but since then there has been a lot of archaeology etc. done and DHL's helpless savages were neither as helpless nor as savage as he and others all thought. It is arguable that in some respects our modern life may be more savage than theirs.

James Higham said...

Always best out.

A K Haart said...

Henry and Woodsy - my family comes from Derby and although I know it well, I have no affection for the place. It is only a city.

Demetrius - less crowded too.

James - I agree and that's how I'll vote, but there are two sides to the story in spite of Cameron's inept presentation of it.

Unknown said...

AK, I'm a little surprised at your lack of connection to your native city. I loved London as a young man. I knew it well and bonded well with most of the other inhabitants at that time. I knew all the landmarks and visited all the places of historic interest. I was proud of my capital city. Why has it all been taken away from me?