lassoed in by a tight as hell six—piece band led by a blonde haired. blue eyed boy that my travelling partner can only define as ‘jailbait’. Bands don’t play for a fixed fee here. but a bucket is passed round part way through the night. and the bands deserve every cent of the heaving crowd‘s generosity.
The following morning. after a seriously hefty breakfast of bacon. pancakes and grits (no. I still don't know what's in it). we snaffle around in search of the city‘s daytime delights. The Grand Ole ()pry is now part of an out of town retail park called ()pry Mills. ()ur tight schedule won‘t permit a trip so we take a quick jaunt round the Museum of Country and Western. which hardly does it justice: days could be whiled away taking in the stories and memorabilia. Our central shopping options are limited to old school cowboy outfitters and brilliantly dusty record emporiums. Hats. boots. Wranglers and classic 70s vinyl prevail and the only shirt near to fitting my relatively compact European frame is from the ladies' department. I resist: this is cowboy country after all. and I don‘t want to look like a girl.
The neon signs depicting giant cowboy boots. guitars or Stetsons are momentarily broken up by the regal red and whites of Hatch Show Print. The vivid concert posters in the window allude to activity inside: this is a printers where for decades. posters or ‘boxing cards' as they were originally known — as so many were used to advertise boxing or wrestling bouts — were hand printed. The generic prints of the early century soon developed way beyond 106 THE LIST 7—21 Oct 2004
black. block letters and the store is a vivid illustration of the an of design. It also doubles as a space to buy old reprints and an active press for new posters advertising live music in the state today. from Hank Williams to David Byrne and the Thrills. they are all lovingly rendered here in lustrous. viscous inks.
lf Nashville is America‘s South attempting to embrace the 2lst
century. Lynchburg. a tiny town of
jtist 3(il people 7() miles south-east of the state capital. is the
I FIND OUT I AM FROM A 'FARN COUNTRY' BUT THAT EVERYONE IS HAPPY TO HAVE ‘MA KUMPNY'
embodiment of the successful sustaining of old-fashioned living. Lynchburg is home to the one and only Jack Daniel‘s Distillery. livery drop of the sour mash whiskey drunk in the world anywhere is produced here. If that itself isn‘t a boggling enough proposition then consider the fact that Lynchburg is
in a dry county. The laws of
prohibition were never repealed here so they manufacture the liquor but can‘t buy it. which. I am assured. is not as inconvenient as it sounds. The distillery itself is part museum and Dusty. our guide. turns out to be the great great great grandnephew of Jack Daniel
Booze, posters, sunshine and record shops: what more could a man possibly require?
himself. A fascinating combination of old techniques to retain an authentic taste while attempting to keep in line with modern market demands. the distillery is the perfect synergy of old and new. Not unlike our host. who is a school teacher on the weekdays and tour guide on weekends. Only when talking to the distillery fire chief/security guard do I realise this is the norm. Maybe it’s because of the the population but everyone seems to have two jobs here.
Later that evening. over a plate of
barbecued chicken. biscuits and com casserole. Dusty gives me a crash course in ‘redneck ebonics‘. The term ‘redneck‘ has been reclaimed by the younger generations in the South. and like African American ebonics. redneck ebonics takes the local manner of speaking and breaks it down into new linguistic lumps. I find out I am from a ‘farn country‘ but that everyone is happy to have ‘ma kumpny'. Silly as all this sounds. it feels like I am being welcomed into the fold. while it is also a subtle way of deconstructing prejudices.
Sure. I see more signs outside houses for Bush than for Kerry but as someone wisely points out. the politics with a small ‘p’ need to be tackled first. I am charmed. Maybe it is the belly full of fine barbecue food. the sun setting across the hills orjust the cocktails taking effect. but I think I have found my moment of Southem hospitality. Even if I don‘t manage to find a shirt that fits.
dearth of
;
Reggae vibes and R'n 'R
I Those kindly folks at WsitScotland just never stop giving. For proof look no further than their Go for Gold Autumn coverage. The new brochure offers a host of activities for those looking to escape it all for some R’n'R in the run up to Christmas. From living it up in Rufflets Country House in St Andrews to revelling in cliff- top views in the Fernhill Hotel in Portpatrick, it's all covered. To order a copy of the brochure, complete with hundreds of special autumn deals, call 0845 22 55 121. Alternatively log on to www.visitscotland.com.
I Pick of the fortnight goes to the Westin Turnberry Resort. Housed on the rugged Ayrshire coast. this haven has all the bases covered. from a range of in-house sporting activities to its extensive spa offerings. With 800 acres of possibility. this is an ideal locale for a slightly longer break. Check out www.westin.com/turnberry.
I Those caring, sharing campers at STA have launched a Travel Safe booklet, which covers a range of hints and tips to help with all aspects of the travel game - from staying healthy while you’re away to what to do if you lose your ticket. Pop into your local branch and pick one up or get one online at www.statravel.co.uk.
I Finally the Rough Guide posse prepare to funk it up this month as they launch their Rough Guide to Reggae (£15.99). Jam-packed with info. this sprightly little number maps out Jamaica’s music heritage from the 19505 right through to computerised ragga. taking in Jamaican R88. ska, roots and dub along the way. With hundreds of reviews and featuring extensive illustrations by top photographers Adrian Boot and David Corio, this is a great find for those wanting to combine a love of music and travel.