In Search of Time Wasted: Peregrinations from Seil IslandThe lure of India pervades this book, as do the charms of Seil Island and Scotland's Western Seaboard. There are tales of modest adventure and mild disipation, but the author also makes an attempt to examine the evolution of those seemingly incomparable regions during the eventful half century he has known them. The amazing renaissance of India is compared with efforts in both India and Britain to address development,poverty and exclusion. The upper middle-class war babies of Britain are described as ultimate legatees of the most fortunate empire in the modern world. Preceding generations enjoyed imperial prosperity, but most fortunate were those born to inherit the wealth of empire while avoiding the hardships of war; to enjoy or squander that inheritance as the world struggled to achieve a more equitable distribution of good things. Sadly, and perhaps inevitably, destrying some of those good things in the process. Just as imperial wealth survived the empire for a generation, so elements of graciuous pre-war tourism briefly survived the calamity of the second world war: this phenomenon too is examined in accounts of travels in Europe before the rise of travel by large numbers. The Highlands and Islands of Scotland have hardly faced the problems of the Mediterranean coast, but they too have shared the dilemmas of prosperity versus conservation. An essentially frivolous observer reports some of his experiences, and examines the serious issues of development, globalization, and national aspirations. The citizen of a very small country gives some account of how these momentous matters have been observed from a tiny island. |
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Africa Argyll Argyll and Bute army arrived Aviemore beautiful became beer Bikaner boat boys brewery British building bungalow Catherine Chakrata Charlie and Usha Charlie’s charming coloured course Dehra Dun Delhi dinner Doon School Easdale Edinburgh English enjoyed entertained exciting expedition farm father fishing Flims friends garden Gordonstoun guests Gulmarg Highland hills Hindu holidays huge hundred India interesting Jock Stein Jodhpur John Martyn join journey Kashmir Kenya Kilbrandon Lallie later living lovely magnificent Maharaja manager morning mountains Mussoorie neighbours never night Oban Orchha oyster palace party Rajasthan restaurant river road route Scotland Scottish Seil Island servants Shomie Das shooting Singh snow Srinagar staff summer Tamara Teresa things took Torquil tour tourist town train trip village visitors Welham Boys wonderful young