From what I can work out this book originated from a dare – or at least a misinterpretation of Gimpos obsession with the M25. It describes a series of walks around the capital, staying within the acoustic footprint of the motorway.
They start walking up the Lea Valley toward South Mimms, where else would you start? Then around anticlockwise past Heathrow, through Surrey, up through Kent, Essex and back to the end of the Lea Valley.
This orbit follows the line of lunatic asylums and secret arms works circling London, placed distant enough that they no longer bother the upstanding citizens of the city, but close enough that those whose unfortunate relatives need their care could visit sensibly for the day.
I know the road – my hometown is just outside the Kentish stretch, I worked in both South Mimms and Egham, my family have lived at various points around this circle (no relation to the asylums, as far as I am aware), I have spent much time around Ruislip. Everything in the book is familiar, but seen differently, if you’re not peering over the barriers, catching glimpses between avoiding the beamers.
The rambling is punctuated with detours into historically significant estates, places where they are rewriting the histories to suit the market, places where they don’t want to admit what went on before. They meet a number of characters during the walk, explaining some of the background.
Sinclairs writing captures all the things I want to say about what is wrong with society, with a cynical, but resigned, attitude. If only I could combine this kind of inspiration with this style of writing.
Read this book! Even if you don’t know the territory, it just might mean you can understand where I come from that much more.
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