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For bohemians everywhere

A Bohemian in Bohemia – Local resident and author Brian Hick on his trip to

St Nicholas church from the Town Hall tower - and the lift was not working!

St Nicholas church from the Town Hall tower - and the lift was not working!

Maybe it is this sense of the need to stand up for what we believe in that leads me to one of the most impressive things about Prague – the sense of intellectual freedom and the strength of its cultural life. And this is not just a matter of playing to the tourists. Concerts and opera attract large numbers of local people alongside the visitors. The regular organ recitals and small venue concerts could not exist simply on the basis of passing tourists.
Not that I would want you to think that everything is perfect. While the concerts and recitals we attended were superb, on our last night we witnessed a Turandot (known to most because of Pavarotti and Nessun Dorma!) which came uncomfortably close to the Marx Brothers. The lead tenor was of the cant bellow school of singing with more emphasis on the can’t as everything above the stave was cracked or missing. Add to this a Turandot who out-did Widow Twanky and a chorus who were trained in the art of coarse acting, and it all added up to a memorable evening. Thankfully the orchestra were fine and the conductor, Richard Hein, showed exemplary tact in holding it all together.
Temperatures of -11C made walking around the city interesting and thankfully we were properly equipped. I suspect some ethical hackles would rise at the amount of real fur being worn, but in such temperatures it seemed understandable if not quite pc.
Not that we could complain about the ability of the city to make life as easy as possible. Where in England we seem to go to pieces at the slightest sign of snow because we don’t see it very often, life in Prague goes on as if nothing is happening. The gritters and grinders are out from first light scraping and spraying, and continue until well after dark [picture, bottom left]. There are even snow ploughs and motor sweepers for the pavements. Street cleaners are also well in evidence so that even with the snow there is no litter about and no sign of communal bins!
So where does this leave us? Was this any more than just a few days’ cultural holiday? Here in Bohemia we value our freedom and our ability to run our own lives. We may be a tiny part of Hastings/St Leonards but being part of Bohemia gives us an identity and perhaps a certain independence of mind. Jan Hus said "Love one another and always speak the truth."  I think we do that but maybe there is a place for a closer recognition that the greater Bohemia is not so far removed from us after all. I can’t see Prague accepting communal bins on the streets! Maybe we need closer ties to our ‘bigger brother’? Do I feel an exploratory visit coming on?

Gritters and grinders to keep us all safe at -11C

Gritters and grinders to keep us all safe at -11C


Brian Hick in Prague

Brian Hick in Prague

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