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Beaton/D/2/3/15
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6p paper
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Scope and content
Typescript essay, in which Beaton discusses a typical English weekend. The weekend, he suggests, is now, more than ever, a national institution. As town-dwellers increasingly seek the rest and relaxation of the countryside, English weekends have come to involve pastimes such as fishing or gardening or an exchange of gossip alongside games of bridge or canasta. Sometimes, a large weekend party is held at "the big house", in honour of a famous guest, a coming-of-age ball, or a cricket match on home ground. The weekend is likely to provide some additional surprise or entertainment as well - a music concert or poetry reading or other minor diversion. With these pleasures still in mind, one returns to the city feeling fresh and invigorated, fortified against the difficulties of the upcoming working week.