Surfin’ USA
As a child growing up in a Yorkshire village, journalist Lynne Bateson rarely went to the city of Leeds just a few miles away, but she dreamed of living in the US. She made it. Here she recounts her adventures, taking a down-to-earth look at life Stateside.
Props and pinkoes: the US election
The other night we found our front garden sign endorsing Hillary Clinton for president face down on the grass.
Read the full story..Trigger Happy? The culture of gun ownership in the US
When my partner Bill encounters a bad driver I plead with him not to hoot. “Remember we’re in America,” I say. “They might have a gun.”
Read the full story..One Nation Under God? Religion in America
The restaurant was buzzing with a smart after-work crowd. The professional looking women on the next table settled their bills. Then they held hands, bowed their heads, and said a prayer before heading home.
Read the full story..Bicoastal Blues: A Tale of Two US Cities
I’m just back from the eyeball-hurting, freezing cold of New York where my senses were assaulted by screeching subway trains, honking cars, the pitiful sight of panhandlers on corners, and the smells of garbage and cheap pizza.
Read the full story..Mine’s a Margarita: the stigma of alcohol in the US
When Starbucks announced it would sell wine and craft beers during the evening at some US branches, you would have thought it was opening brothels, not bottles.
Read the full story..Aliens in America: A Northerner Writes
My friend Edgar saw a UFO while sipping wine and enjoying the cool night air on his porch in Bellflower, California, in 1968. He waved.
Read the full story..Lights, Camera, Action! When Hollywood pays a visit
Where there’s muck there’s money. A film shoot was going on in our street and the crew paid us to let them squeeze the lavatory trailer onto our drive.
Read the full story..Animal Crackers: skunks, skunk and scary critters
My friend Bob has a possum story.
Read the full story..Cold in a Warm Climate
Feeling cold indoors in a place where flowers bloom in January came as a shock to Northern Soul’s US correspondent Lynne Bateson.
Read the full story..It’s a class thing: Los Angeles and Leeds by bus
The suited man sitting opposite was embarrassed. Catching my eye, he announced, so others could hear, that his car was being repaired. It seemed beneath his dignity to be on the bus.
Read the full story..Editor's Picks
- “The need for us is still there.” Junior Akinola, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Manchester’s Contact Theatre
- Brute Strength: Why Our Northern Concrete is Worth Keeping
- Writing a novel in 2021? Tips and guidance from a successful 2020 debut author
- “We’re a resource for the whole of the North of England.” Kenn Taylor, Lead Cultural Producer North at The British Library North
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