[URBAN NOTE] "Why Did Busloads Of Asian Tourists Suddenly Arrive In This English Village?"

[rfmcdonald]

Writing for NPR's Parallels, Lauren Frayer reports on the apparently mysterious mass visit of Asian tourists to the English village of Kidlington. Perhaps they just wanted to see an English village?

Fran Beesley was still in her bathrobe early one morning in June when she emerged from her home to find a Japanese family taking photos of her flowerbeds.

She lives in a 1970s-style one-story bungalow in the rural village of Kidlington, about a 90-minute drive northwest of London. It's a quiet place. Doesn't get many visitors. Beesley is retired and cares for her invalid husband. They're both in their 70s.

It was what Brits call "wheelie bin day" — garbage collection day. Beesley walked down her driveway to retrieve her empty trash cans.

"And I saw this gentleman putting his camera away. Well, as you can see, it's just my vegetables and geraniums!" she says, taking NPR on a tour of the flower beds. She says the Asian tourists politely put away their cameras. Their tour bus idled out front.

Beesley tried to offer tea to her unexpected guests, but they didn't speak English. She managed a few words with their Polish bus driver, but he didn't say much.