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The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
The Parallel Path by Jenn Ashworth review – a soul-searching walk across England
When Jenn Ashworth set out on Alfred Wainwright's 192-mile coast-to-coast walk, from St Bees in the west to Robin Hood's Bay in the east, she was stepping out of character. Her daily circular walks round Lancaster during lockdown were no real preparation, and a brief orienteering course was no guarantee that she wouldn't get lost. She wasn't walking for charity or running away from a marriage or, like the fell runner who'd done the route in 39 hours, trying to break any record. A homebody 'inclined to slowness', she was a 40-year-old novelist, professor and mother of two going off on her own for two-and-a-half weeks for reasons she couldn't quite articulate. Not that there weren't contributory factors. Lockdown had left her with post-Covid cabin fever, itchy to be elsewhere after the long months of caring for her family and students ('a one-woman battle against entropy'). She also knew that at every pub and guest house she'd booked en route supportive letters would be waiting from her terminally ill but brilliantly animated friend Clive. Most importantly, although her walking wouldn't be solitary, since she couldn't avoid bumping into other (potentially annoying) hikers, she'd be 'the sole owner of my own skin again'. As she flogs herself 'onwards towards impressiveness', her journey is marked out plainly. The chapters detail the distance and destinations of each day's walk. They also convey how brittle, sour and grumpy she can be, and how blistered and footsore she gets: she might be 'off on a jolly' but there's a price to pay, in pain and guilt. She doesn't go in for nature writing: when she evokes 'the damp green air and the heavy, alive smell of the still-wet branches and mulchy undergrowth', it's a plain-as-muck authentic response, not a 'soft' poeticism. Maybe that's down to her being grittily northern. She does reflect on what it means to come from the north, but her version of northern-ness isn't Alfred Wainwright's, whose 'gruff complaining' she engages with throughout – enjoyably and sometimes scathingly. He's not the only fellow traveller in her head. Nor is Clive, with his letters, nor Ben, her late first husband, whose 24 marathons in 24 months, completed after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer, were an amazing achievement. Mostly it's writers she carries with her – Henry David Thoreau, William Hazlitt, Werner Herzog (who walked from Munich to Paris to see his dying mentor) and Virginia Woolf – whose ideas inspire her own. (Had it come out sooner, David Nicholls's novel of last year covering the same route, You Are Here, might have featured too.) What's captivating about her book is all the thinking she does mid- or post-trek: on writing, friendship, welfare, illness, Charles Atlas, climate change, protest marches, knitting, and why it is that in popular mythology 'walking women' are either models on a catwalk or sex workers. As she wanders, her mind wanders. Solvitur ambulando: she's not sure what exactly it is she's trying to solve by walking, but the book's as much an invigorating mental workout as it is a hard physical trudge. Memories surface, too, from childhood and adolescence: of a girl called Alice she knew who died in a 'horrible accident' when Ashworth was 10 and whose photo she hid in a bottle; of her volunteering for the Samaritans as one of the women (Brendas, they were called) who'd listen on the phone to distressed or lonely callers, including men who'd masturbate as they talked; of how she returned to Preston from Cambridge University 34 weeks pregnant at the age of 21 and made it her home again. In her last nonfiction book, Notes Made While Falling, Ashworth devised a method that married narrative fragments with philosophising lyrical essays. Here the storyline is simpler – a walk, start to finish – but the method is much the same. Towards the end comes the threat of failure. She loses her balance and falls – no injury is sustained, but the dizziness feels ominous. Then a heatwave arrives, making the scheduled completion of the walk impossible. The complications gather to a major health crisis, closer to home than the one affecting Clive. Mercifully, there's an upbeat outcome, adding another layer to the motif of care. The walk that the author saw 'as a break from the labour of care turned out to be a path that led me deeper into understanding my own need for it'. 'Not until we have lost the world do we begin to find ourselves,' Thoreau wrote. Ashworth didn't walk 192 miles in order to find herself. But she's newly conscious afterwards not of her stamina and sure-footedness but of her frailty, of how 'my body is more fragmented and vulnerable than I wanted it to be'. Despite her guise as an 'armoured little being stomping her way across the entire country', she's forced to embrace a new kind of gentleness. And rather than exulting in independence, she's back among friends and freshly available to 'the traffic of love'. Chastened but buoyant, she's stimulating to be with, her book the best kind of walking companion. The Parallel Path: Love, Grit and Walking the North by Jenn Ashworth is published by Sceptre (£20). To support the Guardian order your copy at Delivery charges may apply.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Wainwright Way walk raises more than £1,000 for St Leonard's Hospice
More than £1,000 has been raised for a hospice through the walking of the Wainwright Way. Anne Rylatt, of Heworth, completed the western half of the coast-to-coast way, a 96-mile walk from St Bees to Keld, in support of St Leonard's Hospice. She undertook the challenge alongside her husband, Matt. The pair completed the challenge after six days of walking - having climbed a total of 16,500 feet. (Image: Supplied) Day three of the six was Anne's 71st birthday. Ms Rylatt said: "I was worried that the walk would be too hard for me - that's why I decided to ask family and friends for sponsorship, to give me added motivation and accountability. "People have been wonderful, supporting me both financially and non-financially. "They became invested in what I was doing and, at the end of each day, I was able to offload the demands of the day to them on social media. "I would like to give particular mention to my pals at the Yorkshire Voices choir, my fellow gym members at Better gym, and my local estate agents, Redmove. "I set a challenging target of £960 to know that every mile was worth £10 to the hospice, and that has been exceeded; so a massive thank you from me, and the hospice, to everyone who has contributed. (Image: Supplied) "I knew the walk would be very hard, with distances up to 22 miles per day; very long, steep gradients carrying a full rucksack; and the vagaries of the weather. "The one issue that I'd missed was the state of the ground underfoot. "The day before we set off from St Bees, rain lashed down all day, which meant that when we got to the mountains on day two, torrents of water were bouncing down the hillsides. "Some of the time our path had also become a stream and, when we had to cross actual streams, the usual crossing stones were underwater, so we had to jump across, which wasn't easy carrying a rucksack. "At other times throughout the walk the ground was simply a whole lot of rocks or boulders, scree, or swamp, all of which are very difficult to traverse. "I found deciding where to put each footstep extremely tiring, and on four of the days we were out walking from 9am to 6-7pm. "I wouldn't easily recommend doing the walk, but I would recommend getting sponsorship for a charity for any challenge you have." Donations can still be made to Ms Rylatt's cause at
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Here's what to expect at upcoming Cumbrian food festival
A Cumbrian food festival has revealed what to expect in west Cumbria as the event aims to raise money for the local infrastructure. Eat Street is set to take place in St Bees at the beachfront green on July 12 and 13. The festival is in collaboration with BeeUnique, who are running a larger family fun day with bouncy castles, activities and a colour run. The festival is raising funds for the St Bees public toilets. Some of the activities people can expect (Image: Aaron Groggins) Aaron Groggins, the founder of the event has revealed what people can expect to see at the festival. He said: "A handpicked mix of incredible vendors can be found, bringing tastes from around the world made by local people and local produce: The Wasdale Mill – Wood-fired pizza & panuozzi Holly Bank Farm – Farm-reared meats & comfort food classics The Cumbrian Boerewors – Authentic South African BBQ Fell Bar – High-energy Cumbrian flapjacks Dirty dogs Fave Kravez Dosa Chaska Spot on catering chippy van R street food Candy Cabs "There is also a bar that will be pouring Ennerdale Brewery beers, local ciders, wines and soft drinks." Other activities on the day include artisan stalls, where attendees can browse "beautiful, handcrafted pieces from our amazing local creatives": Coastal crafts, Fell Bars Cumbria and Laverock Hampers. Aaron added: "We're hosting six talented local musicians across both days bringing acoustic vibes and laid-back sets to the seafront. "The Everyone Here Bus will also be stopping by with creative arts activities for all ages. "The BeeUnique Fun Park will have a massive inflatable zone, kids activities, and a colour run plus the BeeUnique football tournament – fun for all the family" Families can also chill, sauna, and swim as the RX4 sauna experience will be parked at Seacote Hotel car park. There's plenty of parking across all three car parks – the beachfront and football pitch will be open. Organisers are urging attendees to avoid parking on Beach Road – signs will guide you.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cumbrian railway station ranked amongst worst for delays over past 12 weeks
NEW data has revealed that a west Cumbrian train station is amongst the worst for delays and cancellations across the country over the past 12 weeks. According to On Time Trains, just 14 per cent of trains arrived on time at St Bees station, with 8 per cent delayed by more than 10 minutes and 5 per cent of services cancelled. St Bees was ranked as the 2,614th 'best' station in the country out of 2,639, making it the 25th worst performing station in England, Scotland and Wales. Other stations on the Cumbria coast trainline were also among the worst performing stations including Workington and Whitehaven, according to On Time Trains. There is a stretch of single track near St Bees station which can cause congestion which leads to delays. Matt Rice, Northern's chief operating officer, said: 'We have been working hard to stabilise performance and cut cancellations in recent months. 'There are green shoots of progress, but we know more work needs to be done before we can deliver lasting improvements for our customers. 'That includes securing a new agreement, so we are no longer reliant on conductors volunteering to work Sundays. 'We are also working to reduce sickness levels by helping staff return to work, introducing state-of-the-art simulators to accelerate our training programme and planning to make the largest ever investment in our fleet by introducing up to 450 new trains.' Cumbrian MPs have called for a 'major upgrade' of the Cumbrian coast railway line to help boost economic growth. Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised to 'upgrade' the energy coast line linking Carlisle, Workington and Barrow after cancelling the leg of HS2 from Birmingham to Manchester. The upgrade would see more space for freight and passenger trains and improve the reliability of the line more broadly – both seen as essential to support inward investment and to meet the needs of businesses and communities along the length of the line and the wider rail network. Labour MP for Whitehaven and Workington, Josh MacAlister, raised the issue in parliament and said investment in the line is 'much needed'. READ NEXT: Plans unveiled for new bar at Carlisle Citadel station | News and Star 'A major upgrade of the Energy Coast Rail Line is critical to our success in West Cumbria and delivering it is a top priority for me,' said Mr MacAlister. 'I'm now working with Cumbria's other MPs, the leaders of both councils and our civil and defence nuclear leaders to secure £5million from the government to get it to FBC - Final Business Case - which is the next and final stage before we can then get a funding decision from government on the upgrade.'
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Talented musician and school's former director of music dies aged 74
A TALENTED musician and former teacher who inspired the community in music-making has passed away aged 74. Hugh Turpin, of Oak Crescent, Whitehaven, formerly of St Bees, was director of music at St Bees School and had a life-long passion for running choirs. Born in Doncaster in 1950, he showed an aptitude for music at an early age so his parents sent him for piano lessons. He then joined the local church choir and soon became head chorister. As a child Hugh devoured music scores and would go to the library two or three times a week to hire classical music. Hugh Turpin had a life-long love of music (Image: Family handout) However, his interest covered many genres which led to him forming his first band while a young teenager at school. After hearing the band rehearse a couple of teachers were so impressed they asked if they could join and Hugh was happy to recruit them. As a young boy Hugh held various positions as church organist and would cycle many miles to get from one church to another. The fruits of his labour meant he was earning a man's wage while still a schoolboy. Then aged 14 he was asked to take over as Choirmaster of St James' church choir in Doncaster which began his life-long passion of running choirs. He was accepted by Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester at the age of 16 and began his degree course there when he had just turned 17. He again began earning good money in his spare time playing jazz piano in hotels in Manchester. Hugh Turpin was director of music at St Bees School until he retired in 2013 (Image: Family handout) After graduating he took up his first teaching position in Liverpool. He then moved to Whitehaven and taught at Richmond school for 10 years where he enrolled both staff and pupils in many concerts and shows including full scale productions, notably Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance. This job saw him take on an additional role helping out other schools across Copeland and Allerdale. Time spent with staff at Wyndham School led to him forming The Wyndham Singers which later became The Priory Singers when the school closed but the choir members wanted to continue. In 1983 Hugh was given his dream job at the prestigious St Bees Public School and remained there as director of music until his retirement in 2013. His 30 years there was to yield many close friendships and a plethora of music. Hugh Turpin, director of music at St Bees School, gives pupil Sarah Berwick some advice (Image: The Whitehaven News archive) Productions included Ruddigore, Tartuffe, Oliver, The Beggar's Opera, The Sound of Music, The Threepenny Opera, Pantomimes, Sweeney Todd, with Hugh triumphing in the title role. He accompanied students to Russia and China and took school choirs on tour to Germany. There were weekly Chapel services filled with music, Proms on the Crease and Nine Lessons and Carols at Christmas. A musical venture with some colleagues resulted in the forming of a successful quartet, Deo Gratias, which saw the four members of staff performing spots on Radio 3 and receiving rave reviews in the national press. One of Hugh's other collaborations was with fellow musician Anthea Bremner. In 1997 they joined forces to form Lakeland Opera and many productions followed. St Bees Village Orchestra was another inspiration to involve members of the community in music-making. Hugh Turpin pictured in 2006 (Image: The Whitehaven News archive) Away from music one of Hugh's other passions was sailing. Always wanting to excel in any endeavour he studied for, and achieved, his Yacht Master and Navigation qualification. He became musical director of West Cumberland Choral Society in 2009 where romance was to blossom. Hugh and Vanessa had each lost their partners and friends and relatives were delighted when they went on to marry in 2013. Hugh's stroke in 2014 meant he could no longer play the piano but, never one to be idle, he spent many hours composing and arranging music. Having built his first computer in the eighties he went on to develop a keen interest in flight simulators and was awarded the rank of Captain after completing the requisite number of flying hours. Hugh Turpin pictured on his wedding day (Image: Family handout) Hugh leaves behind his wife Vanessa, son John, grandchildren Rebecca and Luke and brother and sister Philip and Cathie. Vanessa said the messages they have received from people saying how he inspired them and was influential in their career path has been 'overwhelming'. His legacy of music lives on in the many recordings made of him playing virtuoso pieces on the piano. Some of these were used at his funeral service in St. Bees Priory.
