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Feb 6, 2025 | 
l8r.it | Elise Downing |Simon Parker |Bill Bryson |Simon Armitage
Walk Britain Synopsis Walk Britain by Elise Downing is an inspirational collection of 90 walking routes accessible by public transport which can enable you to see the best of Great Britain in an environmentally friendly way. The book is organised into easily accessible base locations throughout England, Scotland and Wales – simply choose where you want to stay or day-trip to and then pick your adventure.
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Jan 8, 2025 | 
newstatesman.com | Simon Armitage
Does doing something twice in two years count as a tradition? If so, we have a family tradition of going for a Boxing Day walk. It’s pre-meal, to work up an appetite, and weather-dependent, though the second stipulation hasn’t really been put to the test yet. This year we were at my sister’s house in Golcar: imagine a West Yorkshire version of a Nepalese mountain village and you’re not far wrong.
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Nov 13, 2024 | 
newstatesman.com | Simon Armitage
I don’t really feel like I’ve travelled anywhere unless I’ve seen some animals, be that a grey seal sticking its nose out of leaden seas on a day trip to Bridlington, or a polar bear prowling along the coast of Spitsbergen. Watching reruns of David Attenborough documentaries on in-flight entertainment systems doesn’t count, by the way. Animals are the true residents of most places on this planet, having established habitats long before we emerged.
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Oct 16, 2024 | 
newstatesman.com | Simon Armitage
People have got me pegged as a walker, and they’re not wrong. In 2010 I walked the Pennine Way. It goes right past the house where I grew up, so in some ways was always beckoning. Or goading. I wrote a book about it called Walking Home. Reviewing it, one critic described me as the Eeyore of hiking – not unfairly, given that I moaned about the whole thing from start to finish. The fog, the rain, the mud, the cold, more rain.
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Sep 18, 2024 | 
newstatesman.com | Simon Armitage
“Sumer is icumem in,/Lhude sing cuccu” – or “Summer is here,/Loudly sing, cuckoo” – are the opening lines of a much-anthologised medieval poem-song. Well, summer is just about done now and we’ve had far too little sunshine as far as I’m concerned, and very few cuckoos either. The two things are not unconnected.
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Aug 21, 2024 | 
newstatesman.com | Simon Armitage
At the Q&A session after a poetry reading a few weeks ago, somebody wanted to know what kind of tree I’d be (“If you were a tree…”). I played for time, trying to think of a poetic answer, and that’s what I’ll do again for a moment – please bear with me. Contrary to popular insistence, the role of poet laureate carries no obligations.
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Jul 10, 2024 | 
newstatesman.com | Simon Armitage
I’m watching the sunflowers. They seem infinite in number, occupying thousands of acres of sand-coloured soil on the rolling hills around Grottazzolina. The plants lay siege to the house of some friends in the Marche region of Italy – I know, I know, but I’m taking a break from looking after the poetic needs of 66.97 million people.
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Jun 19, 2024 | 
newstatesman.com | Simon Armitage
The first time I heard someone use the term “fly-tipping” I genuinely had no idea what they were describing. From goofball American movies I knew about cow-tipping, but even if it were possible to catch a fly and hold it steady, where is the fun in pushing it on to its side, and why would doing such a thing be considered anti-social? Or maybe fly-tipping was the unauthorised giving of gratuities, though again, in what circumstances or establishments could it constitute a criminal offence?
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Jun 4, 2024 | 
nature.com | Meaghan Mackie |Abigail Ramsøe |Simon Armitage |Enrico Cappellini |Anne Apalnes Ørnhøi |Tone Marie Olstad | +2 more
Two distemper paint samples taken from decorative boards in Uvdal stave church, Norway, were analysed using palaeoproteomics, with an aim of identifying their binder and possible contaminants. The results point at the use of calfskin to produce hide glue as the original paint binder, and are consistent with the instructions of binder production and resource allocation in the historical records of Norway. Although we did not observe any evidence of prior restoration treatments using protein-based materials, we found abundant traces of human saliva proteins, as well as a few oats and barley peptides, likely deposited together on the boards during their discovery in the 1970s. This work illustrates the need to fully consider contamination sources in palaeoproteomics and to inform those working with such objects about the potential for their contamination.
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Apr 7, 2024 | 
waterstones.com | Simon Armitage |Angela Harding
SHOPS Spring is finally here and along with it arrives a wealth of fresh reading for adults and children alike. Now is the perfect time to get out and about and enjoy the new season with friends and family, and we have put together an exciting selection of inspiring reads. Whether you are looking for fun outdoor activities, walking guides, gardening books, glorious nature writing, maps and travel guides or a new favourite novel, we have something for everyone.
