The thing about Boston is that it thinks itself to be a major city. But it really sn’t that big, and has the feel of a somwhat lack lustre English country town by the seaside out of season; say Southampton or Plymouth.

They make a big fuss about the Georgian parts and they’re ok, really, they are. They even have pseudo gas-lighting.

It has an italian quarter,w hich is quite nice, a financial district, which looks very much as a finacial district ought to be, unfriendly people and a good art collection.

But there’s something contrived about it all, and it’s just not a fun place to hang out in. The weather is dreadful and you can’t help witshing that along with the architecture they had imported the English sense of humour and deference.

But perhaos that went into the water along with the tea.