ClareQualmannFootworkthroughThingsPublished online at https://footworkwalk.wordpress.com/2013/07/23/clare-qualmann-footwork-through-things/23/07/13

‘Thethingistherealthatwebothfindandmake.Thethinghasahistory:itisnotsimplyapassiveinertiaagainstwhichwemeasureourownactivity.Ithasa“life”ofitsown,characteristicsofitsown,whichwemustincorporateintoouractivities…’TheThing,ElizabethGrosz,inANYthing,MITpress2001,p240

Thefirstthoughtthatstrikesmeonthewalkisthatthereareveryfewthings–thatisobjects-tofind.Havingdecidedtolookforthingsthismakesmealittleworried.Idon’twanttosearchforthings,orgooutofmywaytogetthings,Iwantthemtopresentthemselvestome–Iwantthemtobeinmyway-onthepath–unavoidable.ThisisthewayIhaveexperiencedthefindingofobjectsinthepast.I’muncomfortablewithmakingadecisiontodosomethingdifferent.Afteralittlewhile(contemplatingpickingsomeflowers,rocket,grasses–thenrejectingtheidea)Iforgettoworryaboutitandjustwalk.Soit’squiteawayin–perhapsanhourandahalf–whenthefirstobjectappears.WeareinWoolwichtowncentre,we’vejustcomeoutofSainsbury’s.Thebrightbrightsunshinemakesitlooklovely–nothowIrememberWoolwichfrompastvisits–nothowitmanifestsinmyimagination.It’saburstballoon,red,onthepavementneartheroad.Itlooksasthoughithasburstspectacularly–it’snotshrivelledatall,buthastorninthelineoftheexplosion.Ibetitmadeabang.PickingituprevealsittobeaMcDonald’sballoon–thedistortediconofRonaldprintedonitfrontandback.Iimagineachild,inapushchair,holdingitonastringoroneofthosesticks,andcryingwhenitburst.IindulgeinalittlejudgmentalprejudiceoftheimaginaryparentofthechildinthepushchairforfeedingthemMcDonald’sfood.

Forsure,WoolwichisoneofLondon'smostethnicallydiverseareas.Theboroughishometonumerousfaiths-Sikhs,Hindus,MuslimsandChristians.Andtoakaleidoscopeofdifferentnationalities:Nigerians,Congolese,Nepalese,Gujaratis,Tamils,Vietnamese,easternEuropeans,andmanyothers.Tensionsarerising.Hoursafterthemurder,supportersoftheEnglishDefenceLeaguepeltedthepolicewithbottlesandchantedanti-Muslimslogans,aresponsebothominousandpredictable.Woolwichkilling:residentsreflectonmurderofLeeRigby,LukeHarding,Guardian,23rdMay2013

Thesecondobjectisaleaflet,areligiousleaflethandedtomeontheriverpath.ActuallyIhavetosortofmakeclearwithmybodylanguagethatI’mgoingtotakealeaflet–eventhoughthewomanisholdingthemoutsheseemsslightlytentative–likeshewouldeasilyallowmetonothaveoneifIjustwalkedby.Thisveryfamiliarinteractionfeelsstrangeandoutofcontexthere.Thisisanear-desertedriverpath,notabusyhighstreet.Apartfromourgrouponlytheoddcyclisthasgonepast.Theleaflet’scovershowsaverypoorlyphotoshoppedpixilatedimageoftheearthseenfromspace,heldinahandwithraysoflightemergingfromit.Thethumbofthehandisforeshortenedand

discolouredsothatitlooksmorelikeacinnamonstickthanathumb.Ittookafewgoesformetoseethatitwasdefinitelymeanttobeahand.Belowthisimageredandwhiteletteringannounces‘TheTimeisNOW’NOWisincapitalletters.Belowtheletteringisanotherimageoftheearth,withpixilatedclockfacediscsfiringoutfromit,andthestrapline‘Tomorrowmaybetoolate’.Theinsideoftheleafletcontainsacall,aninvitationtorepentandtofindJesus,alongwithseveralbiblicalquotes.Thereverseoftheleafletincludesasuggestedprayerforthereadertosay,whichends‘IrejecteveryworksofthedevilandIsaybyebyetosatanandtheiragents,IconfessI’msavedinJesusname’multiplesic.

ContactdetailsfortheMountainofFireandMiraclesMinistriesInternationalgivetheaddressasUnit1,CrownIndustrialEstate,Thamesmead,notfarfromwherewearewalking.Iwonderhowmanyleafletsthewomanwillbeabletogetridoftoday,hereontheemptypath.Perhapssheisjustonherwaysomewhereelseandhaschanceduponourgroup–aluckyfind.

The first family moved into Thamesmead in June 1968, a few more moved in by the end of that year, and by 1971- about a year later than planned – 1000 families were in residence. About 20,000 people now live there instead if the 40,000 forecast at this stage. Compare to the general population, less than half of the people are over 65 and there are nearly twice as many children under 15; 6% compared to 22% in the general population are of professional or managerial status. Few private developers have so far been attracted. The town centre has not yet been built, and a shortage of jobs locally compels many residents to travel to work in inner London. Building continues, though slowly because of economic reasons, and proposals for a river crossing at the eastern end of Thamesmead may hasten development of the centre. The Greater London Council’s policies on the rate of development , on rents, on services, and on the balance between public and private housing varied with the four-yearly changes in political control of the GLC. Community spirit is good however, fostered by a lively local newspaper Insight and by radio Thamesmead. Thamesmead: Dream to reality, P M Higgins, BMJ, Vol. 285, 27 Nov 1982 p1565

AswewalkoutofEriththepathleavestheriverforthefirsttime.Wewalkthroughanindustrialestate,beforeturningdownalanethatseemsitwilltakeusbacktotheriverside.ThehedgerowononesideisbrightpinkandwhitewithHawthornblossom,Elderjuststartingtoflower.Ontheothersideverbalabuseishurledthroughtheopendoorofanindustrialbuilding–atus?Noitseemsnot–wearejumpyafterpassingcarsshoutedobscenitiesatusearlier.Herewecomeacrosspagesfromacookerybook,foldedin4andalittlewornfrombeingintheroad.Pages69and70,75and76of‘thenewfreezercookbook’.Recipestofreeze,orrecipesusingfrozeningredientsIwonder?Tobefrozenitseems.FishLasagne,SmokedHaddockCobbler,KipperMousse(itseemswehavethefishandseafoodsection)Halibutintomatosauce,PrawnQuiche.Afullcolourphotographannouncesthatwehavereachedthepoultryandgamesection:aplatterofchickeninabrownsauce,wholebuttonmushroomsandshallots,smalldiscsoffriedbread?Sprinkledwithathinlineofcurlyparsley.Wedon'tseemtohavetherecipethatgoeswiththisimage:ChickenPompadour,FarmhouseChickenandChickencroquettesdonotmatchup.Hasthissmallextractescapedfromanearbyrecyclingyard?Ormunicipaldump?Oradomesticrubbishbin?Isitafragmentofalargercollectionoffly-tippedrubbish?Orthetreasuredfavouritepagesofafamilycookbook?

TheElderisaclassicexampleofashrubideallyadaptedtothedisturbedanduncertainconditionsintheseplaces(aswitnessedbyitsabilitytothriveinthescratched-upgroundaroundbadgersetsandrabbitwarrens).Itisaphenomenallyfastgrower,outstrippingallcomparablerivalsprovidedithasamodicumoflight,waterandnutrients.Itisabletoachievethisprecociousself-inflationby,asonebotanistputit,‘cheating’.Theunexceptionalwoodyexteriorofanelderbranchisjustafront;cutintooneandyouwillfinditpaddedoutwithaspongypithaboutassubstantialasacelluloseslimmingbiscuit.TheUnofficialCountryside,RichardMabey,LittleTollerBooks,1973,p.42

Comingawayfromtheriveragain,forcedbythemeanderoftheriverDarent,ourgroupdivides–Iamwiththeonesthatcangonofurtheronfoot.Wewaitinandoutsideofapubonthebusyroadfortaxiswhiletheothersdisappearoverthehorizon,walkingalongthedualcarriageway,keepingthegoalofthebridgeintheirsights.Butthereismoreofthewalkyet.AftercoolingoffalittleIdecidetowalkfromthehoteltothepubwherewearemeetingfordinner.Itisastrangelandscape–intheshadowoftheQueenElizabeth2ndbridge,abusinesspark,notanindustrialestateliketheoneswehavewalkedthroughearlier.Positionedfortheexcellentroadconnections,transportpossibilities,internationalraillinks.allofthemainbudgethotelchainsseemtoberepresented,aC.PHartbathroomproductdistributioncentresitsnexttoasemi-manicuredsmalllake,largecarparks,blankfeaturelesslow-risefacades.Thisisnotapedestrianenvironment.Ontheedgeoftheroad,lyingonthegrassvergeisasmallredflag.It’sattachedtoalongmetalspike,theflagitselfissquareandmadefromavinyl-plastickymaterial.Lateron,walkingbacktothehotelafterdinnerIseemoreofthem–stuckintotheground,andworrythattheymarkoutsomesortofpoison–anareatreatedwithpesticidesperhaps,ormaybethatIhaveinadvertentlyremovedanimportantmarker.

Initsnewincarnationthediffuse,sprawling,andendlesslymobileworldmetropolisisfundamentallydifferentfromthecityaswehaveknownit….Thisnewcityisnotanaccretionofstreetsandsquaresthatcanbecomprehendedbythepedestrian,butinsteadmanifestsitsshapefromtheair,thecar,orthemasstransitrailway.Landmarksarereducedtoflashesofslow-movingtraffic,glimpsedfromaboveonelevatedhighwaysamidaglitteringriverofredbrakelights…TheRhetoricofUrbanSpace,DeyanSudjic,citedbyWilson,E,NewLeftReview,1/209,1995,p.154

MyfoundobjectenvyisawakenedbyDee,whowalkedthefinalleg,themotorwayleg,andwasrewardedwiththemostappropriatefindimaginable.Pagesfromabookforchildrensuggestingperformanceexercisesthatengagewithnature–makeyourbodyintotheshapeofanoaktree,say‘Iamatree,anoaktree,anoaktree’.Sheperformsexcerptsfromitbeautifully.Butwehaddecidedfromthebeginningthatthefindingofobjectsonthiswalkwasnotmeanttobeabouthavingthem,keepingthem,makingthemintotreasures.Itwasmeanttobeaprocessbywhichtohaveaconversation–witheachother,withthelandscape,withtheplace.SoIdon'tneedtohaveDee’spagestohavethemasoneoftheobjectsfromthewalk(Itellmyselfinavainattempttominimizemycovetousness).

ButifI’mclaimingDee’spagesasafind,canIhaveotherstuffthatIsawbutdidn’torcouldn’tpickup?CanIhavetheskeletalrustedstructureofthefloral‘Grandad’tributewashedupbytheriverandthendisplayedonajetty?CanIhaveoneoftheperfectcake-likepiecesofconcrete?Orabaleofplasticwaste?Whataboutabuildingoraboat,ajettyorafloodgate?Myhandfulofobjects,afewpiecesofpaper,seemlikeslimpickings–butfunnilyenoughtheydoseemtotellthestory,orratherastoryofthisplace,ortheseplacesthatwehaveskatedover.

Thepostpostscripttothewalkcomesthefollowingmorning–MarkandIwalktoAsdatobuybreakfastandlunchsupplies.Alongthe4lanesoftraffic,aroundroundaboutsandthroughthecarparkwewalk–wherewefindashoppinglist:

Dishwashertabs,Washinggel,Fabconditioner,tomatoes,peppers,onions,Tuna,PastaBake,Mince,Sweetpotatos,Banana,juice,saladcream,cerealcontainer,airfresheners.

Leavingthesupermarketwewalkbackonthesamesideoftheroad,butofcoursetheviewisdifferent.Wesuddenlynoticeachurchtower,roofsofhousesbehindalineoftrees.ThisisStone,avillagethathasblurredintothebusinesspark.OhIexclaim.Ihadnotrealizedthatthiswasarealplace.