Good times

摘要

On top of the Malverns: people, selfies and a kestrel hovering. England rolls out on one side, Wales is in the near distance on the other. I never thought of this view as important when growing up, just hills, green for miles and great (often bottled) water. Whether it's because everyone is desperate to get away or squeezing in anything before any future lockdowns, the August sense of urgency felt intoxicating. London appeared to empty and social media filled with chat of staycation this, Suffolk that, or 'yassssss made it to Portugal'. I headed for the West Midlands dormitory town I grew up in. This isn't just about the view, the bucolic rolling hills of Worcestershire, or the de-industrialised Black Country drift of my youth. It's about revisiting these views, with my adult, current global view: a zoo, a shopping centre, a ring-road and a chocolate factory. A tourist in the familiar.