Tower and Town, August 2017

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Editorial: Walking

Walking on two legs is an almost uniquely human activity (Wikipedia tells me that gibbons and large birds are the only other animals which also walk by raising one foot at a time). However, as most of us do it every day, it is unremarkable and therefore perhaps a surprising, not to say unpromising, choice of theme for this month’s issue of Tower and Town. Yet, when you look into it, a wide variety of experience emerges.

Bruce Hayllar’s journey to Ladakh in Northern India and Trevor and Karen Dobie’s guided tour round the island of Lundy (with its, to me, surprising Marlborough connexion) take us to otherwise inaccessible places. Closer to home, Laura Mynott describes the joys of bird-watching while Ella Holmes reveals walking the dog to be a far-from-mundane activity. You may even be inspired by Ashley Sandy (as I was) to take up Nordic walking.

Not everyone enjoys walking; my son, James, tells of the torture of walks with the family. Others would love to go out rambling but cannot; Gill Morgan writes with honesty and humour about losing the ability to walk. By way of contrast, you may enjoy the first of a series of interviews with ex-St John’s students. Where better to start than with Pete Baldrey who has never really left?

My thanks to everyone who contributed so willingly and entertainingly. I hope you enjoy walking alongside them for a while.

Sarah Bumphrey