Purpose of this Blog/Website

This blog has been provided to enable people to contribute with their own experiences of walking through towns and cities in the style of a dérive. Please see just below to find out what this means. If you wish to be able to contribute to this blog (not just comment) then please email your request to derivewithme@yahoo.co.uk

What is Dérive

From Wikipedia, “In philosophy, a Dérive is a French concept meaning an aimless walk, probably through city streets, that follows the whim of the moment.”

The idea is that we normally spend all of our time going from ‘A to B’ and forget to notice our surroundings and details that would otherwise interest, amuse and stimulate us.

Again from Wikipedia, “French philosopher and situationist Guy Debord used this idea to try and convince [his] readers to revisit the way they looked at urban spaces. Rather than being prisoners to their daily route and routine, living in a complex city but treading the same path every day, he urged people to follow their emotions and to look at urban situations in a radical new way.”

To make/create/follow your own dérive is simple. You just need to open your eyes, ears and nose, then walk. When you come to a junction or you need to make a decision about your direction, don’t make this decision on practical terms but rather just do what ever attracts you about a certain route. For example, you may see a person or animal, you may hear a noise or you may have some preconceptions about a route and you want to check them out.

You can record your experience and the different way you looked at your surroundings here.

The process can take 5 minutes, it can take all day. There are no rules, you can stop in a pub if you want, you can sit in the park, it is up to you.

Recipe For Contribution

If you would like to contribute to this log, you can make a record of where you have been on a map (you can use Google maps), make some notes of what you have seen and where, and you can take some photographs. To allow you to submit, you will need to gain permission by emailing derivewithme@yahoo.co.uk

Thursday, 14 August 2008

Reading Fun Fair






I was driving home from work and wracking my brain for a good location to take some pictures. I am trying to get into a routine of taking at least one new photo a day. Its not easy.


As I drove back from Wallingford to Reading, I came off my usual router along the A4074 and almost at random started taking side roads through villages, heading roughly back towards home. But nothing took my fancy. I couldn't see any potential photos and as I neared Reading town I decided to head to the River as their might be something interesting to take related to the build up for the festival or just some shots of the river.



But as I pulled in to the carpark by Reading Rowing Club I saw there was a fun fair in town! A perfect chance to get some captures! I hope that the horrible weather comes through in these photos! But the kids still seemed to be enjoying themselves.

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