I’ve recently developed a grand delusion that during our upcoming trip to the UK, I should read some seminal piece of English literature in the country it was written - and also listen to some quintessential British music.

The problem is that we’re only going to be in the UK for 13 days, so I don’t want my already unrealistic expectotations to reach the realm of the impossible.

I’m not looking so much for the ‘big names’, rather something that epitomises the English language, land and culture, although Dickens strikes me as an frontrunner on the book side. Maybe something light - like whoever Britain has doing the Nick Earls type of thing -would be good for travelling.

In terms of music, I’ve thoght of Madness, Billy Bragg and the Smiths as some of the few Brits whose music has made it to Australia without developing (or starting) a global sound a la Beatles/Stones/BritPop.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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