Is India running America?
To be continued...
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
What makes a place 'Bohemian'?
What makes a place 'Bohemian'?
Lets start with the ever reliable, good old Wikipedia: 'The term "Bohemian" as related to Bohemianism – i.e. describing the untraditional lifestyles of marginalized and impoverished artists, writers, musicians, and actors in major European cities – has little or nothing to do with the above (description of Bohemian as the term used to describe people of Czechoslovakia), though, often leading to confusion.' Confusion indeed. This question came about when one Restaurant's website described Didsbury, South Manchester as 'Bohemian'. As a resident of Didsbury, I immediately rebelled, reading it out to my office because they were really very interested. It turns out that me following this up with, 'Didsbury is full of chain pubs, there are no independent places at all, it's hardly bohemian!' was a step too far for one Didsbury bubble dweller. I did exaggerate, I'll admit, but if driving through Didsbury village you will see Costa, Slug & Lettuce, Fellucini's, Varsity, Cafe Rouge, O'Neills and Pizza Express so the main thoroughfare proves my point. However, venture down the side roads and it proves Mr Bubbles' point, that there are lots of independent places. He's right. Which begged the question, why does Didsbury seem so utterly lacking in the bohemian lifestyle? Quite simply, the clientele is trying too hard. Trying too hard to be seen in the independent bars and restaurants away from the riff-raff of the chain pub. What is clear in Didsbury is that the punters in Chain or Independent are exactly the same, except one is drinking 'chain' lager, the other is drinking bubbling goblin cider. So, it's the people that make it bohemian and the Didsbury population at large is far from impoverished, marginalized, bohemian. Lets try elsewhere.
Lets start with the ever reliable, good old Wikipedia: 'The term "Bohemian" as related to Bohemianism – i.e. describing the untraditional lifestyles of marginalized and impoverished artists, writers, musicians, and actors in major European cities – has little or nothing to do with the above (description of Bohemian as the term used to describe people of Czechoslovakia), though, often leading to confusion.' Confusion indeed. This question came about when one Restaurant's website described Didsbury, South Manchester as 'Bohemian'. As a resident of Didsbury, I immediately rebelled, reading it out to my office because they were really very interested. It turns out that me following this up with, 'Didsbury is full of chain pubs, there are no independent places at all, it's hardly bohemian!' was a step too far for one Didsbury bubble dweller. I did exaggerate, I'll admit, but if driving through Didsbury village you will see Costa, Slug & Lettuce, Fellucini's, Varsity, Cafe Rouge, O'Neills and Pizza Express so the main thoroughfare proves my point. However, venture down the side roads and it proves Mr Bubbles' point, that there are lots of independent places. He's right. Which begged the question, why does Didsbury seem so utterly lacking in the bohemian lifestyle? Quite simply, the clientele is trying too hard. Trying too hard to be seen in the independent bars and restaurants away from the riff-raff of the chain pub. What is clear in Didsbury is that the punters in Chain or Independent are exactly the same, except one is drinking 'chain' lager, the other is drinking bubbling goblin cider. So, it's the people that make it bohemian and the Didsbury population at large is far from impoverished, marginalized, bohemian. Lets try elsewhere.
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