The Contemporary Art Of Walking - with artist Alison Lloyd

A 9 mile walk with artist Alison Lloyd

Hutton le Hole walk with artist Alison Lloyd on August 5th 2012

Five members of the Ryedale Walking Group (Phil, Judy, Jennie, Gary and Julie) and other members of the public joined artist Alison Lloyd on an art walk over the North York Moors. We had a brief enforced silence (we were not accustomed to that when we walk in a group!) and we had poetry and we had prose readings, one which I had submitted myself. 

Artist Alison Lloyd

We also had Gerry Orchard on our Art Walk. He is the Secretary of the Lyke Wake Walk Club. Gerry  gave us a rousing rendition of the Lyke Wake Walk Dirge during our generously timed lunch break (the weather was fine) and we found out a great deal of information from him about the history of this epic 40 mile walk across the moors from Osmotherley to Ravenscar which dates back to 1955.

Some of the group on Spaunton Knowl - after circling the contour in a line...twice

We circled the contour at the highest point of Spaunton Knowl twice - I'm not sure why, but it felt like "contemporary art" to me, and it was fun.  I never take walking with a group too seriously unless I am the walk leader, which I wasn't today, for me its a sociable activity and a chance to chat, we all should look out for one another, and not let the leader have all the responsibility, after all he or she is only a volunteer. So that is what we did, we all looked out for one another on this day, we all felt well and we all enjoyed it, age range around 14 to 70 (that's a total guess!) and we were all together with our anoraks, our maps, our compasses, our cameras,our GPS gadgets and our flasks and butties!

Slow Worm - on the roadside above Rosedale Chimney Bank Top 

When we returned to Ryedale Folk Museum at 4.00pm we all went away having spoken to people we had never met before, and would in most cases likely never meet again, but we all enjoyed the companionship in the outdoors and that is what walking in a group is all about. 

What would the people who live busting lives in city's who never do this kind of thing think of us?

We also ended up wiser about the Lyke Wake Walk and the dozens of other things you get to talk about when you are walking with others who you haven't met before, but most of what we talked about is now a blur. We talked so much about so many things, I can't remember who said what. That is what it is like walking with a group when you are middle aged.   It was fun though, it always is, and three of us retired to The Lion Inn at Blakey Ridge afterwards for a drink and something to eat.