Bill Bryson

Britain's heritage at risk due to ' ill-educated internet critics', says travel writer Bill Bryson - Telegraph

Worth discussing? It's nothing less than tragic to see so many good pubs either close down or get converted to burger bars...there are some interesting points here, I think.....

Whenever you read a review on line you have to question the motives and competence of the reviewer. For some people, everything new (or everything they own) is brilliant, perhaps because their experience is rather limited. Others might be used to only the very finest, so everything else is rubbish in comparison. Some folks are overly positive, some overly negative. All that is before you get to the distinctly uneducated, attention seekers or those that are just plain old vindictive.

However, you've also got to accept that we don't all share the same tastes.
Whilst I wouldn't take to the net to rubbish my local pub, I don't care for it much, and wouldn't bat an eyelid if it shut down. I'm not particularly averse to pubs, but they don't loom large in my life. I'm quite sure that lots of people love it, but me not liking it doesn't make me wrong. It can still be a perfectly good pub, that many enjoy, despite me not liking it. Not that I would, but if I reviewed the best sushi restaurant in the world, I doubt it would be the greatest review ever, I simply don't like sushi.

Then you must consider that all else could be as equal as possible yet we might still have a different experience. At any single restaurant, on any single evening, two different people may experience different levels of service, even if the same people attend them. One goes away thinking the place was great, the other thinks it rubbish. Both may be right.

What an arrogant and rude man, this is just one part from his piece.

Well, here is a new rule: if you are too stupid to spell 'disappointed' even approximately correctly, you are not allowed to take part in public discourse at any level."

Who made him the spelling monitor i have no idea but if you extend that type of view perhaps anyone that cannot strip and rebuild an engine should not be allowed to drive a car?

Poor spelling is no indicator of intelligence and there are more than one reason that may cause people to spell words incorrectly, my grandson suffers from one of these conditions.

Unfortunately this type of attitude is also prevalent within angling where just because some anglers fish in a way that others don't agree with every chance that presents itself to put the other anglers down is seized upon, its just not on.

'I do despair. We live in a world that has practically no appreciation for quality, tradition or classiness'

"Classiness" obviously someone with great command of the English language. I think I prefer a misspelt comment to this egotist.

Probably not the only American that has his rose tinted glasses on when he talks about English Countryside and pubs etc.
Too many people think that social media is a reflection of what the majority of the population thinks. I wouldn't use Trip Advisor or Twitter or anything on the net as a definitive guide.Reading Trip Advisor report's and complaining about the spelling? might as well complain about the whole internet while your at it. People are not worthy to comment if their grammar and spelling isn't correct ? Maybe he would prefer people who cant spell properly to work in the fields and doff their hats to the land owning gentlemen ...maybe that's his idea of tradition ?
From my latest visit to the UK i would say that although a lot of pubs have closed for various reasons (oversupply being the main one) that in general the one's that have survived are far better than the pubs from the 80's and 90's that i used to frequent. Real Ale /multiple guest beers / pubs that can look after real ale and serve it properly /much better food options ...smoke free as well !! People DO respond to quality.
The idea that the countryside is suddenly going to revert to Bill Bryson's vision of an idylic 'green and pleasant land' which has only ever existed in the pages of Cider with Rosie is cr*p....i am pretty sure Mr Bryson would have to have a bex and lie down at the mere thought of a barn conversion.
By all means protect the countryside wherever possible but within reason and acknowledge the fact that people need to make a living and running post offices , pubs and local corner stores in these communities is marginal at best. The world changes , the countryside has been changing significantly since the industrial revolution.

I don't think he's trying to turn the clock back, more pointing out that once these things are gone, there is no going back. He's actually a really good writer and is passionate about British history and ideals - pretty sure he worked for the National Trust or English Heritage in the past.

INCIF and Crow- don't judge him on this - read some of his books, probably some of the funniest, most informative and interesting travel writing stuff you will read. Try "The lost Continent or Notes form a Small Island.

Hugh Bailey said:

I don't think he's trying to turn the clock back, more pointing out that once these things are gone, there is no going back. He's actually a really good writer and is passionate about British history and ideals - pretty sure he worked for the National Trust or English Heritage in the past.

INCIF and Crow- don't judge him on this - read some of his books, probably some of the funniest, most informative and interesting travel writing stuff you will read. Try "The lost Continent or Notes form a Small Island.

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No thank you, I would want nothing to do with such a rude arrogant man, I speak as I find.

My local, The Jesters, has now re-opened as a funeral home.

Is that an omen?