Purse Strings must be tightened, but can you have the American holiday experience within the confines of the British Isles? ‘No, of course you can’t’ is a short answer that could stand to be shorter. The longer answer is still an emphatic ‘no’ and you’ll find it below
The first item on our itinerary of not especially fair holiday comparisons: New York holidays. New York isn’t the capital of America: but it’s practically capital of the world. The United Nations building almost seems placed there to ratify that fact, and is itself just one of countless internationally significant landmarks. Frankly, the sights of New York include many of the wonders of the modern world, including the New Colossus itself, the Statue of Liberty.
Consider by way of comparison, York. A city most notable for being ‘the major wool trading centre’ of the English Middle Ages. To be fair to ‘Old’ York, we’re comparing apples and oranges and the town is a reasonably charming Medieval town, but it’s difficult to get too enthusiastic about a town where the economy is based on ‘service industry’ when considered next to the cultural centre of North America. Proceed!
Florida Holidays. Florida has an awful lot going on and it’s hard to find a similar site in the UK. If you want the sun, you may as well head to Brighton, though the beach isn’t up to much. And is it me, or does this south coastal town just look like it’s loitering with intent? Its wacky and uneven architecture speaks of a town that just ‘accumulated’.. Cornwall is equivalent to Florida as a protruding bit of land. It also has sheep and nothing else. The closest thing the UK has to Universal Studios? Alton Towers, the only reason a person could possibly ever find for visiting Staffordshire. The closest thing it has to NASA is a geriatric Xylophone player.
What about Las Vegas Holidays? The closest answer the UK has is Blackpool, punchline of depressing comparisons for centuries. Ther are Casinos. You’ll find (seasonal) illuminations. But to compare either with the opulence of sin city is frankly laughable. And I haven’t actually been to Las Vegas to check, but I’m pretty sure they aren’t so proud of their bingo halls.
