Tuesday 17 September 2019

London Perambulator.

You might and have been tempted by me talking about Scarp to try the book for yourself. And you should, you really should.There is also this great documentary, which I mentioned in my loose ensemble of verbal perambulations whilst talking about Scarp, on Youtube which would serve as a wonderful introduction to the world view and fluid philosophy of Nick Papadimitrio. He is a very interesting fellow with a great mind and a wonderful turn of phrase. his wordy descriptions bloom into vivid life in the fertile soil of the garden of the mind, er..so to speak. Some familiar voices and faces pop up in this documentary; Russell Brand and Will Self. one speaks like some saucy Victorian lady of the night and the other speaks like will Self. Both display obvious affection and respect for this long distance walker. I felt something similar. He reminded me of my favourite Time Lord. Made me consider what The Doctor's life might be like if he did not have the Tardis  to travel in. It would be all Shanks Mere and creaky knees.
           There is poetry to this man's perambulations, in the classic sense of the word. You can hear the echo of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and the ghostly speculations of Thomas De Quincey all mixed up with the home spun hard won wisdom of a Jack Hargreaves. He has walked down some very windy roads, has this man. It is quite moving in places and a constant reminder of the fragility of the human condition, how hard some lives are are and the lengthy paths one must forge along for self determination or even in the search of something bigger than ourselves to look up to and to long to be part off.
            In most cases, sadly, that is just the human family,as this old world of ours can make one feel disconnected and spinning wildly free. To be untethered in a world where almost everything else is anchored in conventionality is not for the faint hearted.
            But it is also where most of this world's magic is to be found.
            Have a look for this documentary on Youtube. It is directed by John Rogers, who also has a huge archive off his own. Self narrated travelogues of roads less taken. They are filmed as he walks and talks with subtle editting that allows those journeys to feel inclusive to the listener, to the viewer. It is just you and him walking past a tiny stream or into a wooded glen where if you are very quiet and very lucky you might see a hare at play as twilight falls.