Wayfaring Journals First Walks

As part of the Wayfaring Journals I have completed two walks thus far. As a child my parents aways took my siblings and I on walking holidays, walking weekends and day walks. These were my best daydreaming ventures and eureka moments. They have impressively completed many different paths including the Cleveland Way, Hadrian’s Wall, Pennine Way, Ridgeway, Thames Path and most of the South West Coast Path to name a few. I remember walking parts of Hadrian’s Wall with them but I never completed the whole 84 miles. So for my first walk, on 22nd April, I donned trainers and walked from Byker to Tynemouth (around 14 miles) which travels along the Hadrian’s wall path until Wallsend. I stopped at various points to draw scenes or objects that caught my attention. Passing an old man sat sleeping on a bench looking out over the river, crowds of hopeful fishermen, confetti blossom trees, rusty red paintings, daffodil orchestras and surfing ants. 

My second walk, on 11th May, followed truer to the Hadrian’s Wall path as I walked from Byker to Heddon-on-the-Wall (around 12 miles). I passed bridges soaring to 161 metres tall, relaxation stations dappled in sun streams, Opas on benches, nestled sculptures, proud thistles, green denes, bakers, blossoms, woebegone wooden steelworks, fields of golden carpets, ancient churches and the illusive wall. 

These walks have, thus far, given me space and time to ponder my art practice and where I fit into the world of art and further afield. They have tired out my body so that I have had to spend a few days at a slower pace. They have fed my skin well needed Vitamin D and my lungs sweet fresh air. They have allowed my eyes to feast on the natural stimuli that lays along the paths. And they have made my heart light as I start to lay down routes in this new city of mine. This wondering wayfarer welcomes the wonder of walking.