In The Powder Room

Jan 23

Rurbanites

Comments (10) by Clare Macnaughton January 23, 2012 - 7:02 AM

• Tweet

The British countryside is a character-full place and my little village in the Shire is no exception. I feel like a sober (errrr, Detoxland - 11 days without a single drop of Satan's nectar!) female version of Dylan Thomas living in Under Milk Wood (check me out with my literature references).

I live in the shadow of Stonehenge and my romantic self wallows in the mysteries and magic of Pagan Britain. As each day passes inside my soul I get a little wilder and unkempt, which is truly liberating after the tightly managed command and control world of the rigid, conservativism of the draconian British military. It's vice grip stifled and incarcerated me so much I felt like a caged bird.

Rural Britain, this side of the Henge is an odd place full of groups of types within which I don't really fit. There is a lot of tweed wearing. Tweed is a made-up, rough, unfinished woollen fabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture. It is mainly green in either plain or twill weave and may have a check or herringbone pattern. It is the informal outerwear of the posh country dweller, being moisture-resistant and durable. It is worn for outdoor activities such as shooting and hunting. I am a bit anti-tweed, partly due my judgmental perceptions of those who adorn it. My agent, who was forced into tweed at school and I decided that the collective noun for large parties of tweed wearers could be a ‘twat of tweeds'.

My feminist sister and fellow village dweller, Hannah with the bandana decided that we were rural with urban sensibilities, and so, the word ‘Rurban' was born. We are the Rurbanites. I think it means we embrace the rural life but we are addicted to the Internet and we are tweed free. Well I am. She likes it in a 1950's land girl style context, which I can forgive.  

by Clare Macnaughton January 23, 2012 - 7:02 AM

• Tweet

• • 
    An apology to my non-Catholic neighbors

    by The Bearded Iris January 10, 2012 - 7:01 AM
  • 
    Misbehaving in church

    by Liz Dawes December 23, 2011 - 7:02 AM
• • 
    Lost in translation

    by The Bearded Iris November 29, 2011 - 7:01 AM
  • 
    What's new pussycat?

    by Liz Dawes November 18, 2011 - 7:02 AM

Comments (10)

Name:

Email:

Website URL:

Your Comment:

Enter the word as it appears in the box.

Submit Comment Cancel

Posted at Submit  |  Back to Editing Report Abuse

• 
  Report Mon Jan 23, 2012 - 8:36 pm

  by  Lerner

  I think your friend and I sound like soul mates. I'm a country girl at heart, always have been (small town Oklahoma girl) and yet I hate the bumpkin sensibilities that tend to grow there. Sigh. Can't have it all I guess :)

  Reply Delete
• 4 replies, Last reply by Clare Macnaughton on Mon Jan 23, 2012 at 9:08 pm
• 
  Report Mon Jan 23, 2012 - 8:40 pm

  by  Clare Macnaughton

  @Lerner: Lerner - we can have it all!! As long as they don't turn off the Internet!! Can you imagine? A world without Internet!!! Me, I made up Rurba - I am your soul mate...tsk Hannah always steals the show!

  Reply Delete
• 
  Report Mon Jan 23, 2012 - 8:40 pm

  by  Clare Macnaughton

  @Clare Macnaughton: RurbaN - not Rurba....sounds like a new aerobic dance class!

  Reply Delete
• 
  Report Mon Jan 23, 2012 - 8:45 pm

  by  Lerner

  @Clare Macnaughton: it's the tweed... I heart her tweed :). Liking you is a given, that goes without saying. Plus, her name is the same thing spelled backwards and forwards, so much easier to get right when drunk.

  Reply Delete
• 
  Report Mon Jan 23, 2012 - 9:08 pm

  by  Clare Macnaughton

  @Lerner: Tweed is itchy and scratchy and wrong! Give me goretex and colour anyday. Yes, you can heart Hannah cos she is ace - I hadn't noticed her name was a palindrome and I am often drunk with her I shall note the handiness of her name. The Shire is just like Oklahoma but wet, green, lumpy, full of wet poo and mud and Howard Keel has never been here! (that I know of!)

  Reply Delete
• 
  Report Mon Jan 23, 2012 - 3:00 pm

  by  Janie Emaus

  I like your way of thinking.

  Reply Delete
• 1 reply, Last reply by Clare Macnaughton on Mon Jan 23, 2012 at 3:19 pm
• 
  Report Mon Jan 23, 2012 - 3:19 pm

  by  Clare Macnaughton

  @Janie Emaus: Thanks Pet!!

  Reply Delete
• 
  Report Mon Jan 23, 2012 - 11:27 am

  by  Mya

  May I join in your rurbanism? You have totally nailed my life...

  Reply Delete
• 1 reply, Last reply by Clare Macnaughton on Mon Jan 23, 2012 at 11:31 am
• 
  Report Mon Jan 23, 2012 - 11:31 am

  by  Clare Macnaughton

  @Mya: Yes - definitely!!!! Everyone is welcome..

  Reply Delete
• 
  Report Mon Jan 23, 2012 - 11:12 am

  by  Clare Macnaughton

  Tricky to comment on this one. Bottom line is this - rural living is about being disconnected and heavy waterproof wool but I want to be connected and not follow the indigenous fashion trends. Gotta love mixing it up!

  Reply Delete