The Observant Walker: Wild Food, Nature and Hidden Treasures on the Pathways of Britain

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The media is heavily represented in May. As well as the Dimblebys, Jon Snow, Susie Dent and Dan Walker, International Editor for the BBC Jeremy Bowen will talk about his new book The Making of the Modern Middle East – A Personal History. If you're coming to Coles by car, why not take advantage of the 2 hours free parking at Sainsbury's Pioneer Square - just follow the signs for Pioneer Square as you drive into Bicester and park in the multi-storey car park above the supermarket. Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you. You don't need to shop in Sainsbury's to get the free parking! Where to Find Us John Wright has been leading forays around Britain for decades. As an expert forager, he shows people how to identify the edible species that abound – but he also reveals the natural history, stories and science behind our surroundings. Here, he takes us with him on eight walks: from verdant forests to wild coastlines, via city pavements, fields and rolling hills, he illuminates what can be found on a walk across any British terrain, and how you might observe and truly understand them, for yourself.

The bestselling author of 'The Forager's Calendar' and 'A Spotter's Guide to the Countryside', John Wright, is coming to Gloucester Road to talk about his new book, 'The Observant Walker'; a guide to the food, nature and history to be found all around us when we walk.Join us for an evening with forager and author John Wright as he talks about his new book The Observant Walker. They just disappeared. The passengers and crew of a near-new airliner, gone, despite its reassuring redundancies and advanced design. All searches were futile. But the year is not 2014, and the flight is not MH 370. It’s 1931 and the flight is not even numbered because commercial aviation is so new. Instead the disaster has come to be known by the name of the aircraft involved: Southern Cloud. The first airliner to disappear on a scheduled flight, it remained missing for 27 years seven months and five days. It worries me greatly that today’s children can recognise 100 corporate logos and fewer than 10 plants. – Robin Wall Kimmerer

Our museum is still receiving fragments of the Southern Cloud more than 60 years after the discovery. Meaning and remembrance This year’s Festival Service is being held at St Peter’s church where the Festival’s Honorary Chairman Terry Waite CBE will be preaching on the theme of freedom. Tells the endlessly fascinating tale of Britain's natural history in a way that makes every delicate detail sparkle with life' Charlie Corbett, author of 12 Birds to Save Your Life Rob explains that some of the above activities reveal new insights when conducted with others, such as nature walks where you observe together, or when you walk together silently and only later share observations. “Walk and talk” meetings with colleagues or during conferences can open up new kinds of energy and conversations.

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Blissfully funny, staggeringly informative, a joyful companion' Caroline Quentin'Tells the endlessly fascinating tale of Britain's natural history in a way that makes every delicate detail sparkle with life' Charlie Corbett, author of 12 Birds to Save Your LifeWhen we go for a walk, whether in the countryside or city, we pass through landscapes full of natural beauty and curiosities both visible and invisible - but though we might admire the view, or wonder idly about the name of a flower, we rarely have the knowledge to fully engage with what we see.

Activities with regard to hearing include monitoring your own “sonic profile,” make an inventory or map of sounds you hear, listening to sound components (for example, an instrument or description), connecting sounds to the feelings induced, recording audio snapshots and discussing them, and deep listening. It is also important to connect to the natural world, something that seems lost in urban life. For ages, humans were keenly aware of the moon, but many people today don’t know what phase the moon is in today. Walking with a neighbourhood expert or a companion can bring out new objects, significances and connections along the way, Rob advises. Walking or drifting through unfamiliar parts of town, randomising your movements, and seeing how tourists view your own town are other revealing activities. Meeting faraway friends at geographic midpoints can open up new places to explore. John Wright will be talking about his book The Observant Walker – Wild Food, Nature and Treasure on the Pathways of Britain. What if, instead of just admiring the view when we take a walk, we slowed right down and looked closely at every living thing – every plant, fungus, lichen, hoverfly or spider?

Laura Kennington is a British adventure athlete, author and speaker with a passion for the endurance capability of the human body talks about her adventures. Her book Kairos includes her adventures in Guernsey and features its wonderful open water swimming community. Festival Director Claire Allen is ‘delighted with the writers and speakers we’ve been able to attract. Local audiences will be able to listen to and question well-known names on a wide spectrum of subjects based on the speakers’ books.

When we go for a walk, whether in the countryside or city, we pass through landscapes full of natural beauty and curiosities both visible and invisible - but though we might admire the view, or wonder idly about the name of a flower, we rarely have the knowledge to fully engage with what we see. When we do, our sense of place is expanded, our understanding deepened and we can discover richness in even the most everyday stroll. John Wright has been leading forays around Britain for decades. The Guernsey Literary Festival is a not-for-profit organisation planned, organised and run by a team of volunteers.

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Putting on different hats and functions can lead to interesting observations, for example, finding a plot connecting objects, viewing scenes like a historian or a futurist (or even a child or an improv performer). When we go for a walk, whether in the countryside or city, we pass through landscapes full of natural beauty and curiosities both visible and invisible – but though we might admire the view, or wonder idly about the name of a flower, we rarely have the knowledge to fully engage with what we see. When we do, our sense of place is expanded, our understanding deepened and we can discover richness in even the most everyday stroll.John Wright has been leading forays around Britain for decades. As an expert forager, he shows people how to identify the edible species that abound – but he also reveals the natural history, stories and science behind our surroundings. Here, he takes us with him on eight walks: from verdant forests to wild coastlines, via city pavements, fields and rolling hills, he illuminates what can be found on a walk across any British terrain, and how you might observe and truly understand them, for yourself.Warm, wise and endlessly informative, with helpful illustrations and suggested routes, this book will help you to see the world around you with new eyes: no walk will be the same again. The Observant Walker: Wild Food, Nature and Hidden Treasures on the Pathways of Britain by John Wright – eBook Details John Wright is the country’s foremost expert in foraging and brings decades of experience, including as forager at the River Cottage. He is the author of the River Cottage Handbooks Mushrooms, Edible Seashore and Hedgerow. His most recent books include The Forager’s Calendar, and The Spotter’s Guide to the Countryside. We look forward to welcoming him to Oswestry! A 1963 book postulated Southern Cloud had flown as far as the flatlands of central Victoria before being blown east when, for unexplained reasons, it climbed again. The watch, and Shortridge’s written warning against flying towards rising ground strongly contradict this. The Outreach and Community Programme will see events in Les Nicolles Prison, Maison de Beauvoir Care Home, Russel’s Day Care Centre, Le Grand Courtil, Guernsey Cheshire Home and the Guernsey Alzheimer’s Carers’ Group.