Photo: (c) Justin Ennis, (cc): Some Rights Reserved (modified by Tricky) [flickr]
In 135 days the world’s attention will be focusing on London (and by association the UK).
But is London really representative of this great country?
Don’t we have a lot more to offer to the rest of the World than red telephone boxes, the Queen and a few shiny new sporting venues most of us are unlikely to ever visit?
One person who’s determined to show that there is, is Andrew Denton, who created the tantalizingly titled new Blog Anywhere But London – we asked him a couple of questions:
So, “Anywhere but London” – what’s it all about?
It’s a fun, ‘anti-capitalist’ travel blog counting down to the day the World’s global media will focus on London. We all know there’s more to England than the capital, so I created Anywhere But London. Its collective aim is to mark the last 150 days before the Olympics by recommending places people could visit instead, and trying to do them justice in just 32 words (20+12).
Originally it was going to be a Yorkshire-based blog but once I discussed the idea with friends they wanted to get involved too so we now cover the whole country. I write the Yorkshire sections and between us we will post a new place every day until the Games begin, so we’ve got just over four months to go.
Where did the idea come from?
Having an insomniac 18-month old does strange things! The idea came to me at about 3 in the morning while I was waiting for her to go back to sleep but I wanted it to be a bit different to normal travel blogs, hence our Olympic word limit of just 32, which is harder to stick to than you think.
How has it been received? has there been any interesting feedback so far?
It started as a private passion to promote Yorkshire, but it’s gone a bit bonkers. I’ve had thanks and recommendations from ex-pats in Australia, America and Canada, national travel journalists have contacted me praising the site and Stephen Fry tweeted a recommendation from New Zealand, sealed with a kiss. Since then the blog has really taken off and even gained its own official twitter account, managed, ironically, by a mate in London.
Where do you see the site / idea going? Any plans for after the games?
I’d like more celebrities get involved to see where they would recommend and I’d also like the site to get some attention in China so they know that London doesn’t equal the sum total of what England has to offer.
After the Games? If there is the appetite, enough willing writers and friendly photographers, who knows where it will go? Brazil is next stop on the Olympic timeline…Anywhere But Rio?
Is there anything you’d like our readers to get involved with?
I’d love people to follow the site, tell their mates, make it a topic of conversation down the pub, spread the word and get in touch. Together we might just pinch a bit of that global spotlight before it settles on London.
Tell us a bit about you?
A former national sports and travel journalist relocated to Yorkshire because the girls up here are the best. Now a husband and a dad attempting to educate the world about the wonders of Yorkshire and editing Anywhere But London when my lively 18 month old gives me an hour off.
You can find the Anywhere But London blog here : http://anywherebutlondon.com/ (and today is the turn of Spurn Point in Yorkshire)
And follow it on twitter @anywherebutlond
Ideas can be suggested at anywherebutlondon@gmail.com