Folkestone American cousin’s greatest regret

ByEd

Sep 30, 2022

Peter_Jurzinski

In his latest Letter from America, septuagenarian Peter Jurzynski delves into the British influence in America and reveals his greatest regret.

“Many Brits follow American culture, politics and news events although many are unaware of how much America follows British personalities and British events.

“Americans may not know the names of the President of Mexico or the Prime Minister of Canada, in fact I have made just one visit to Canada one visit to Mexico.

“From my home town of Naugatuck in Connecticut, to Montreal, Canada, it is roughly 300 miles yet I have visited Canada just once to visit Expo 67 in Montreal. I was 16 and had never travelled to Canada.

“In 1978 while visiting San Diego California, I also crossed the border to Mexico – my one and only visit.

“Yet I have travelled thousands of miles to visit and stay in the UK dozens of times, most of which has been spent in Folkestone in the county of Kent.

“I doubt many of my fellow countrymen have visited the UK so many times yet I bet most Americans dream of an English holiday.

“Americans know of the Monarch King Charles III, and most are fond of your personalities.

“Prime Ministers with lively personalities like Boris Johnson and Tony Blair are well known but quieter politicians like Gordon Brown or Theresa May are not.

“The British invasion is what many Americans called the 1962 Beatles visit to the USA although many thoughts, ideas, and intellectuals have invaded America in a very positive manner before and after the Beatles.

“Half the cities and towns in Massachusetts and Connecticut have British names. Take Boston, Dover, Hyde Park Massachusetts or Canterbury, Ashford ,New London, New Britain in Connecticut.

“When I first visited Folkestone and Hawkinge in 1985, I fell in love with the place.