Many in the UK seek comfort in the past, whether the Celtic twilight of Camelot, or pride in the innovations of the Victorian era. But peel away the fantasies and we’re left with little – just overcooked roast beef and roundabouts. This is a rant about our obsession with the past – and obsessions in general, whether these are my own, or those of the nostalgic British public.
Tag Archives: Arthur Machen
The M4
Travel the M4 from Swansea in the west, to London in the east and you travel through time: a Viking settlement to a Roman city via a prehistoric landscape.
Amersham
Rambling through a churchyard in Amersham to see the grave of Arthur Machen I discover the resting place of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be executed in the UK. A small amount of digging reveals the prosecution was led by a Buddhist, the same barrister who represented the Crown in the trials of Derek Bentley and also of Timothy Evans, both hanged, and both later declared innocent and whose unfortunate lives were told in major films: ‘Let Him Have It’ and ’10, Rillington Place’.
Acton, London W3
Acton, London W3, where I discovered Welsh writer Arthur Machen in the library, slightly dishevelled, jacket all ripped.