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Middletown

Middletown

Ian Sansom on the most 'average' place in the UK and what is 'Middle England'.

The Essay · BBC Radio 3

October 2, 201514m 16s

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Show Notes

Novelist and critic Ian Sansom believes that the idea of the average is one of the key terms and principles of the modern age, encompassing human productivity, relationships, politics and art. So, how did average become a byword for mediocrity?

In the final essay of the series, he attempts to locate the most average place in the UK, the heart of Middle England, the spiritual home of Joe and Josephine Public.

Producer: Stan Ferguson.