Sunday tramping – Commodity Fetishism

The Man with the Box

I wrote something that I considered I ought to write. An exercise for an imagined writing class. Or in response to one of those books, ‘How to be a Writer’. It’s not really ‘writing’ that’s the issue. There’s plenty of that. A large mass of it is incoherent, introspective and of no interest. I didn’tContinue reading “The Man with the Box”

Tractors, Marx and Sowing Seeds

A woman in a trim blue padded coat stopped and asked if she could help. Blond hair blew in whisps across her face. She was all smiles and sparkly eyes. I was standing at a road junction near the railway station at Shepherdswell studying an Ordnance Survey map. I looked at her over the topContinue reading “Tractors, Marx and Sowing Seeds”

Pimlico, Sunday morning

I made the journey again. It’s early Sunday morning and raining. The sea can hardly be seen but it lies there on the horizon under a grey brown squall. At the railway station the woman who sells the tickets is reading a book. She’s been up since 5am. ‘It’s ok’, she answers and makes aContinue reading “Pimlico, Sunday morning”

Sunday Morning, E15

The vote count for the 1892 General Election for the West Ham South constituency was held here (now the Old Town Hall, Stratford). When it was announced that Keir Hardie was the winner he went on to the balcony and addressed a crowd of between 15 – 20,000 people. “On taking his seat on 3Continue reading “Sunday Morning, E15”

IDA – Bulk Carrier

The bulk carrier IDA on its way from Gdansk, Poland to Tarragona in Spain. It was a wet day but the wind has dropped since yesterday at least on the actual coast. Out to sea the clouds were moving quickly, forming and changing shape. Sheets of rain appeared and disappeared. But I’ve got writer’s blockContinue reading “IDA – Bulk Carrier”

Nature & Humans

Rock scrambling is good fun. But always check the tides! Apparently it’s possible to walk from the base of Shakespeare’s cliff to Samphire Hoe. And from there to Folkestone, and then Westward Ho! Why, one might end up at the Cornish coast if time allows. I did recently meet someone who had set off fromContinue reading “Nature & Humans”

Lock-down

After three months, we are slowly emerging from lock-down. The best advice is generally one’s own as it is difficult to understand what the government is talking about. Posters in support of key workers in windows and on walls, hand written protests, letters pointing out the difference between the average pay of a nurse andContinue reading “Lock-down”