Walking Home: A Poet's Journey

I hoped downloading a poet's journal of walking would give me a different viewpoint to my previous walking-related listens and reads. So I was pleased with Simon Armitage's recounting of his Pennine Way expedition as it does just that. He has a fantastic turn of phrase when describing the landscapes through which he passes. I particularly appreciated the "garrulous river" and "sticky toffee pudding track" amongst others. His approach to the Walk was refreshingly different too - he has actually prepared and researched so there is none of the forced humour of things that are bound to fail which I found a bit irritating in other books (Clare Balding take note!). Hearing Armitage read his own words is a bonus as, although he is not the most polished narrator, his remembrance of each day shines through the audio. The included autobiographical snippets are interesting and the interspersion of the serene and not-so-serene poetry readings adds a real contrast.

I liked that Armitage comes across as a real person rather than a manufactured celebrity. He is not always happy and smiley to 'his public', and his occasional discomfort at lodging in other people's homes, and therefore having to put on a good face after an exhausting day, is easy to empathise with. He often walks with genuinely interesting company, instead of the TV staple of entertaining eccentrics, so I also learned a lot about the geography and history of the Way.

We are booked at a caravan site near Kinder Scout in May so I will definitely be visiting a short stretch of the Pennine Way and plan to relisten to Armitage's account of the relevant bit beforehand. I liked how each chapter was a day's walk and began with details of the start and finish, distance, and map pages. I have been almost completely discouraged from making my own attempt on the whole route. It sounds a wonderfully romantic venture, but the realities I listened to dampened my enthusiasm as fast as the rain soaked his clothing!