Bland’ town gets a roasting
A writer and newspaper columnist has verbally abused Letchworth GC, concluding in his new book that the town is bland. Scottish Londonite AA Gill is a food critic, travel writer, features writer for The Sunday Times and author of The Angry Island – Huntin
A writer and newspaper columnist has verbally abused Letchworth GC, concluding in his new book that the town is bland.
Scottish Londonite AA Gill is a food critic, travel writer, features writer for The Sunday Times and author of The Angry Island - Hunting the English, in which he explores the ways of our nation and finds many instances to insult us.
While researching his book, he takes a trip back to Letchworth Garden Town (as he calls it) where he was once at school, at St Christopher, and says:
"...I'd better write something about how Fascistically angry the English
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garden is..."
He continues: "I was once again struck by the aesthetic blandness of Letchworth. It's not even energetic enough to be ugly."
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If it helps, it isn't very personal, Mr Gill is rude about the rest of England too, and is extremely rude about some places, such as Stow-on-the-Wold of which Mr Gill says: "Stow-on-the-Wold is the worst place in the world, and I say that without exaggeration as someone who has visited Darfur."
A name in books and a name in Letchworth is co-owner of David's Bookshop, William Armitage.
He said: "Letchworth does have more of a uniformity than old towns but if you compare it to other new towns I think it's done very well.
"It's only 100 years old and I think it's more peaceful, has more open spaces and has been a great success.
"It doesn't have its run down parts so perhaps he can't get a handle on this and that's why he thinks it's bland.
"I think it's best to see his book as good entertainment and shouldn't be taken as more than that.
