BY DAVID CAMPBELL I hail from Western Pennsylvania, that fertile crescent of gridiron greatness known to Wikipedia as the Cradle of Quarterbacks. Johnny Unitas, Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Joe Namath—the list runs to three dozen and more. There are probably more professional American football players from those few counties than from anywhere else on earth. I grew up in the era of the Pittsburgh Steelers … Continue reading An American Who Became a Football Fan
BY DAVID CAMPBELL The quote has been attributed to any number of wits, but it rings true enough: “The English and Americans are one people separated by a common language.” I have found this to be the case on my travels throughout England, and I daresay I have the collection of puzzled looks and red-faced corrections to prove it. Like most Americans, I arrived with … Continue reading An American Learns to Speak English
BY DAVID CAMPBELL My wife Janet and I found ourselves in London during a crisp November in the mid-nineties, when an invitation from our friend Peter Farmer promised a weekend escape to the coastal town of Littlehampton. Upon our arrival, Peter announced the occasion: his annual Bonfire Night dinner. “I hope you’re familiar with the Gunpowder Plot?” he asked. I assured him that even across … Continue reading An American Attends Bonfire Night
BY DAVID CAMPBELL I was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania, a region that isn’t just a footnote in American football history—it is the history. Known as the “Cradle of Quarterbacks,” it’s the hallowed ground that produced legends like Johnny Unitas, Joe Montana, and Joe Namath. To this day, I believe it has gifted the NFL more players than any other corner of the country. My childhood … Continue reading An American who is a Football Fan
BY DAVID CAMPBELL It’s a sentiment often repeated, and for good reason: “England and America are two nations divided by a common language.” As an American who has spent considerable time on your scepter’d isle, I can confirm this is not just a witticism, but a daily reality. Like many Yanks, my initial lexicon was gleaned from British television imports and the Harry Potter films. … Continue reading An American Learns English
BY DAVID CAMPBELL The reputation of English food is, unfortunately, one of blandness—a calumny I believe stems from the soldiers who tasted it during the rationing of World War II and carried that impression back to their home countries. My own experience has been quite the opposite; I’ve found English food to be excellent and deeply satisfying. It all begins with breakfast. A full English … Continue reading An American’s Defence of English Food
BY DAVID CAMPBELL During my university years, I pulled pints in an era of glorious excess—women with backcombed hair sipping Piña Coladas, men clad in gold chains and polyester, shirts unbuttoned to mid-chest, swigging lager straight from the bottle. The air thrummed with disco, the dance floor a whirl of strobe lights and glittering mirrorballs. Later, I drank in proper working-men’s boozers—dim, fag-hazed rooms that … Continue reading An American Goes to the Pub
BY DAVID CAMPBELL Growing up in Western Pennsylvania, Friday nights meant a humble trinity: a greasy fried fish sandwich, McDonald’s-style French fries, and coleslaw drowning in vinegary mayo. It was sustenance, not cuisine – a far cry from the revelation that awaited me years later on the windswept pier of Littlehampton. There, I encountered proper Fish and Chips for the first time—a glorious, golden slab … Continue reading An American Enjoys Fish and Chips
BY DAVID CAMPBELL My first encounter with the hallowed tradition of afternoon tea was in 1992, in the quaint seaside town of Littlehampton, West Sussex. Janet and I, then wide-eyed Americans in London for work, had been graciously summoned by our dear friend Peter Farmer—the illustrious set and costume designer—for a weekend steeped in English refinement. Peter, ever the arbiter of propriety, informed us we … Continue reading An American Goes to Tea
