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This Other London: Adventures In The Overlooked CityStock informationGeneral Fields
Special Fields
DescriptionJoin John Rogers as he ventures out into an uncharted London like a redbrick Indiana Jones in search of the lost meaning of our metropolitan existence. Nursing two reluctant knees and a can of Stella, he perambulates through the seasons seeking adventure in our city's remote and forgotten reaches. When John Rogers packed away his rucksack to start a family in London he didn't stop travelling. But instead of canoeing up the Rejang River to find retired headhunters in Sarawak, he caught the ferry to Woolwich in search of the edge of the city at Crayford Marshes. This Other London recounts that journey and many others - all on foot and epic in their own cartilage-crunching way. Clutching a samosa and a handful of out-of-date A-Zs, he heads out into the wilderness of isolated luxury apartment blocks in Brentford, the ruins of Lesnes Abbey near Thamesmead, and the ancient Lammas Lands in Leyton. Denounced by his young sons as a 'hippy wizard', Rogers delves into some of the overlooked stories rumbling beneath the tarmac of the city suburbs. Holy wells in Lewisham; wassailing in Clapton; a heretical fresco in West Ham. Author descriptionWhen he first came to London, John Rogers moved into a terraced house in Forest Gate with the ambition of living like The Young Ones. He made sense of his new environment by walking everywhere he could, making notes in a Lion Brand notebook. He first put pen to paper writing plays, sketches, and stand-up which he performed in London fringe venues. He has worked on numerous projects with comedian Russell Brand and directed documentaries including The London Perambulator and Make Your Own Damn Art: the World of Bob and Roberta Smith. John also produced and co-presented Ventures and Adventures in Topography on Resonance 104.4fm with Nick Papadimitriou. Most recently, he built a shed at the bottom of his garden that he painted red and green, which he is unusually proud of. |