Greetings Everyone!
This is John here (my real name) and hopefully my avatar will be an indication of my rather twisted sense of humour, sense of self-deprecation and also my profound love of history. If only General Burgoyne had been a bit more clued up on his military strategy and less taken with his booty of silks and fine wines we may not be where we are now.
Apparently, this aside General John Burgoyne - the anti-hero of Saratoga - was a dedicated, conscientious and respected leader. There is a slightly serious point there though in that history only tends to recall the victor’s point of view. The reality is that history is very often more complex, nuanced and multi-faceted than we would like it to be.
What does really concern me are modern attempts to rewrite history in order to align with a particular political or social agenda. Sometimes historical truth is difficult, messy and unpalatable and it needs to be acknowledged as such. A debate for another time perhaps…
I am British, 51 years old and currently living in Devon. Apparently I can trace my Yorkshire lineage on both sides of my family to at least the seventeenth century, and yes I do take great pleasure in counting the pennies!
I have no other agenda on here than to be helpful and useful. I have quite an active and busy life and I may not get on here much but I will do what I can.
Put simply, whatever your journey may be, wherever you may have come from and wherever you may be going, I want all my American cousins to feel happy, welcomed and accepted in the UK. This is very important to me, and all the more so since so many of you are so far from home. I too have lived abroad for several years of my life and I know what it is like to be far from one’s home comforts and surroundings and maybe a little homesick too. If you have an obscure question or problem as an English person I may just be able to help where no one else can, or at least I will try. I know that we Brits can be a little pedantic sometimes and our bureaucracy overbearing.
Be safe, be happy, and I hope that your time in the UK fulfils all your hopes and dreams on every level!
Very Best Wishes
GJB
