Mark Steel's In Town, By Mark Steel

 

Christopher Hirst
Friday 02 December 2011 01:00 GMT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Many books are compared to Priestley's English Journey but Steel is as perceptive as JB and far funnier.

This circumnavigation is perfect for our own seedy time. "Keighley is a sink of evil," insists a woman from Skipton. Steel shows righteous anger about modern Britain.

Noting that the Digger community in Surrey is now a gated estate, Steel remarks: "If Gerard Winstanley wanted to grow parsnips... he'd need a division of fucking great tanks."

Occasionally Steel's ear lets him down (Boycott would not say that a Pietersen shot "was a pile of shit" but "were a pile...") but never his comic antennae.

A Twitter exchange about Luddism near Huddersfield drew the comment: "Go on, Mark, slag off Luddites...it's not like they'll be following you here."

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in