It’s the annual 10th DH Lawrence festival, a set of events in and around DH Lawrence’s birthplace of Eastwood to celebrate the sights and sounds of the local area. This is also the 100th year anniversary of the publication of Sons and Lovers, his third and semi-autobiographical novel. Surprisingly to some, I am semi cultured and I’ve actually read this, often considered to be on the top 100 books of all time. So with this in mind, we visit the Steam Heritage Day at Bestwood Winding Engine House. Looks like I’ve finally turned into my dad, I’m pretty sure nobody under 40 would consider attending such an event.
I’m trying to enjoy local heritage, I really am, but Christ it can be bloody grim, well Bestwood is anyway. Complete with a brass band blowing hot air. It’s as if that brass band only exists to intensify the experience of the grimness. Dour lot these Victorians, marvelling in their mechanical masterpiece, engines spewing out steam and smoke everywhere. Miniature steam engines trundling along piggybacking people around the place like medieval mobility scooters. The day finishes with a community choir at Colliers Wood, formerly Moorgreen Colliery and renamed as Minton Pit in DH Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers. More to follow after our holiday. In-between time, I’m busy perfecting my regional accent in-between time to fit in wi’ locals (see what I did there?).
