Tranquility in England

Renowned author and Anglophile, Bill Bryson, recently addressed the Society of American Travel Writers in Manchester, England, regaling us with jokes and tall tales. He said, "I have made a career out of being a terrible traveler." When asked what he likes about England, he said, "Just look around."
    Originally from Iowa, now a resident of Norfolk, England, Bryson is Chancellor of Durham University, and the recipient of an honorary OBE for services to literature. Beyond just looking around his beloved English countryside, he is president of the Council to Protect Rural England (CPRE). Among accomplishments over the last few years, CPRE has helped to prevent A303 becoming a dual carriageway road through the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Somerset.
    The organization launched "tranquillity maps" to show the range of tranquillity across England, and facilitated new legislation to save starry nights by making light pollution a Statutory Nuisance. CPRE Oxfordshire created the Oxford Green Belt Way, a 50-mile circular walk around Oxford, a route created using existing footpaths and bridleways. CPRE believes that a beautiful, tranquil, diverse and productive countryside is fundamental to people's quality of life(cpre.org.uk).