Geoff Nicholson talking walking

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Geoff Nicholson talks to Andrew Stuck about how he came to writing about the Lost Art of Walking – listen to this intriguing interview in which Geoff talks about some of the eccentrics from the world of walking. The interview was recorded over the Internet in March 2010 and is published to coincide with the UK publication of the Lost Art of Walking. 19’04” 8.9MB

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STOP PRESS – July 2023

Walking on Thin Air – Geoff Nicholson 

Geoff Nicholson was one of the first authors with whom we recorded an over-the-Internet Talking Walking interview, at the time he had just written his second non-fiction book on walking. Geoff now has another walking title coming this summer from Saqi Books.

Walking On Thin Air consists of 99 vignettes: previously unpublished pieces, sometimes linked directly, sometimes connected by free association. Topics include John Cage’s woodland walks to collect mushrooms, a consideration of walking stick users – Winston Churchill, Tom Waits, Virginia Woolf, Jean Genet’s love for an ill-fated tightrope walker, a walk undertaken  in Chiswick, London, to the site where the first V-2 rocket bomb landed, a walk in Los Angeles with Mary Woronov (the Warhol Superstar), another walk (very short indeed) with Werner Herzog.

The book addresses, often in a sceptical or subversive way, topics such as walking for physical and mental health, what it means to walk in or out of nature, walking and creativity, walking and spirituality. And, for reasons that will become clear, walking and extinction.

In October, 2013 Geoff made a 5 year walking forecast – listen here

What has Geoff Nicholson done since our interview?

“I see that I was researching ‘Walking in Ruins‘ at the time of the interview – now published – Read a review here.

Last year I published ‘The Miranda’ – a novel about walking and torture – about a man who tries to walk around the world without leaving his own back yard.” Read a review here. A year or so back I did a BBC Radio 4 programme with Claire Balding – for Ramblings – listen here.”

Dawn Vernon talking walking

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An interview with Dawn Vernon, who played an instrumental part in the development of the Walking for Health project. WfHlogoThe interview was recorded on a walk across the Wiltshire Downs near Salisbury in April, 2010. 20′ 53″ 9.8MB

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What Dawn has done since our interview

“I retired in 2010 having spent 12 years working with the Countryside Agency to develop and support the ‘Walking for Health Initiative’ throughout the UK. It is heartening to see that this work continues  (through Macmillan and the Ramblers) and that there are over 1800 weekly walks. In addition, the work that was started in 1997,  in the shape of ‘Doorstep Walks’ (in Salisbury) continues across the county of Wiltshire as ‘Get Wiltshire Walking’. I walk regularly and in 2017 completed a challenge for Cystic Fibrosis by walking 1000 miles and climbing 3 Welsh Peaks; we raised £1500 for this very worthwhile charity (our 2 year old grand-daughter has the condition).”

Brunel Mile talking walking

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RichardHoldenRichard Holden, a planner with Bristol City Council and George Ferguson GeorgeFergusonCBE, an architect in the Bristol practice of Ferguson MannArchitects (before he was Mayor of Bristol), join Andrew Stuck for a walk along the Brunel Mile in Bristol. Recorded on a blustery September day in 2008. 19’05” 8.9 MB

There are notes of items mentioned in this episode that you can download – simply click here: Brunel Mile

STOP PRESS: In 2013 we adapted this interview as an audio walk “Walk with the Mayor” (as part of a series of Walks in your Pocket devised by Bristol Parlour Rooms) – you can download it here: https://soundcloud.com/theparlourshowrooms/andrew-stuck-walk-with-the

Laura Kate Jennings talking walking

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Laura Jennings, a singer and performer talks about how she has incorporated walking into her practice through the development of audio walks, in which she creates characters that prompt interaction from participants with the environment through which they walk. Her walking art practice began when studying at London’s Central School of Speech and Drama. 20’11” 9.5MB

Download notes of items mentioned in this episode: Laura K Jennings

Nick Cowen talking walking

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Andrew Stuck accompanies Nick Cowen, a Senior Rights of Way officer on a walk to inspect a bridleway in south Wiltshire that has been recently cleared by a contractor. FlintNick is an accomplished photographer and musician and has recently turned his hand to writing about his work as seen through the eyes of an early nineteenth century pedestrian tourist. The interview was recorded in September 2009. 19′ 40″ 9.2MB

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Since we recorded this interview, Nick has turned his hand to contemporary fiction with “Trust Harrison” – it may be fiction but you won’t find a truer insight into the trials of a Rights of Way warden.

STOP PRESS on the 15 August 2019 Nick Cowen retired after 30 years as a Rights of Way officer.

John Davies talking walking

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John Davies a Church of England vicar in Norris Green, Liverpool talks about his walk beside the M62 from east to west which he undertook in 2007. M62coversmRecorded over the Internet in February 2009 and published in February 2010. 21’30” 10.1 MB

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William Bird talking walking

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Dr William Bird MBE, the creator of health walks, joins Andrew Stuck on a walk around St James’ Park London on a bright January day. In this interview William tells us about how he prescribing health walks to his patients in a diabetic clinic has evolved into a national campaign to get us all outdoors. IntelligentHealthlogoStill practising as a GP, Dr Bird has set up Intelligent Health, a consultancy advising on the delivery of physical activity to organisations including schools. 22’05″10.4MB

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What has happened to Dr William Bird since our interview

Dr William Bird MBE set up Intelligent Health in February 2010 with the vision of making a lasting difference to people’s health and wellbeing by supporting them to become more active.

With more than three decades of experience in practising medicine and first-hand knowledge of the need to develop preventative measures to stop people developing diabetes and COPD, William is one of the UK’s leading experts on physical activity and building active communities.

William has helped transform the health of millions of people across the UK through innovative initiatives he has developed such as Health Walks, Green Gyms and Beat the Street. He has worked for the World Health Organisation to develop a physical activity strategy for the Middle East which is now being implemented in many of the countries there and also worked on an innovative project for the Met Office, developing Health Forecasting and still works as a family GP.

Veronica Reynolds talking walking

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Andrew Stuck joins Veronica Reynolds, from Walk England, on her local walking route accompanied by Beans & Sparky her two Jack Russell terriers. The valley through which we walk is dissected by the main Great Western rail line, and the ambience is interrupted by trains, boats on the Thames and the occasional aircraft. Recorded on a clear day in August 2009. 23’23” 11MB

Download notes of items mentioned in this episode: Veronica Reynolds.

Martin Kohler talking walking

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Martin Kohler, a professor in urban planning at Hafen City University in Hamburg talks about the Harbour Safari – part guided walk, part exploration of a lost quarter of the city, part art intervention. This interview was recorded over the Internet in December 2008. 17’45” 8.4MB

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Tony Armstrong talking walking

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Tony Armstrong of Living Streets, LSlogoBritain’s leading campaigners on behalf of the pedestrian talks about how they are lobbying the government for better streets. This interview was recorded in December 2008. 19’24” 9.1 MB

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STOP PRESS: In July 2014, Tony Armstrong left Living Streets to become the CEO of Locality

Des de Moor talking walking

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An interview with Des de Moor on his walk to work at RamblerslogoThe Ramblers, where Des is Senior Everyday Walking officer. It was recorded early in the morning on a bright day in December 2008. 23’42” 11.1MB

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Robert Huxford talking walking

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Robert Huxford is Director of Britain’s UDGlogoUrban Design Group based in Clerkenwell, London. In this interview, recorded on a wet weekday morning while walking around Clerkenwell, with an almost constant background noise from motor traffic, Robert shares with us his enthusiasms for travel by foot.  14’43” 6.9 MB

Download notes of items mentioned in this episode: Robert Huxford