Posted 5:09 PM by Paul
Living on the Fault Line

The news is just in that a strong earthquake has hit California. So far the news bulletins are reporting that only 2 people have died. This is remarkable given that it was 6.5 on the Richter Scale. Perhaps the building regulations brought in during the 70s have worked to some extent. Free marketeers take note. Government red tape saves lives.

I don't have many contacts on the West Coast. Most of my American friends are from the East Coast or the Deep South. Many more are Peripheral Americans living in Spain, Mexico and France. The only West Coaster I know is Dierdre Carney, daughter of my old friend the late Matt Carney. I will drop her a line to see how she is. She lives in San Francisco which she reached via New York, Paris and the West of Ireland.

The earthquake in California is a timely reminder, as I settle down to a pre-Christmas mince pie, wedge of stilton and a cup of tea, just how benign the British landscape is. The last earthquake that killed anyone was over hundred years ago, no tornados and we have only one vaguely poisonous snake, the Adder. About 13 of them hang out in the far north of Scotland. The subject of as many PhD thesises.

We are lucky to inhabit such a boring land. I love to travel but coming back to this stable, infuriating and at times complacent land is the best part.