Http://www.gravensteengent.be/en/discover

My musings from the Cutty Sark to Greenwich North on the Memoryscape 'Dockers' Audio Trail

Today I tried out the ‘Dockers’ Memoryscape Audio Trail. Here are my journey notes:

Easy starting point – you can’t miss the Cutty Sark.

Usual warnings about safety – which I always listen to, especially because I am not sure how deserted this route will be. I have never walked it before.

Toby Butler who narrates tells you not do it at home but to be on there and walk

I am told that we will not be looking at London landmarks but rather the hidden histories...

I’ve been here before. I remember taking my bike through it. The tunnel is smelly and cold and cramped and claustrophobic and its hard to hear the recording with the loud voices in the tunnel and the lift is out of service... I didn't know though that dockers used that tunnel – and it is certainly a place where you feel there is history there though!

 I notice again that it is hard to analyse and experience at same time. It is always the same when you are studying something.

The narration reassures you that you can play things back again if you need to and that sometimes we will be simply stopping and looking.

It feels like I am in tourist territory - completely the opposite of Dockers time? Or not?

It’s a high tide – the tide is lapping loudly and the bells of naval college are heard and the somewhat unexpected smell of the sea strikes me. I am already much more aware of my senses.

As on previous trails I have tried out, again I notice that I am not listening to everything they are saying - it's key words that I pick up – and now the smell of blossom.

There is also the smell of new building ... New buildings are going up.

I think about what a strong and important word community is to me – and is something that I have always valued and been lucky to experience.

I think about my definition of community, of which I mean individuals and groups, bound together by a connection with the local park in my case – even as a visitor to the park.

I see it as a trail made with the voices of or in consultation with the local community

I always forget what side of the river I am on, or more don’t realise.

I have walked too far at this point – it is hard to follow some of the instructions and I am not sure which pier I am near, but may have been that I didn’t listen well.

I find it a mostly deserted route, but in some places a wildlife paradise with butterflies and bees and I am sure much more; but mostly a deserted string of old wharfs.

At first, I couldn't see how to get into the areas he spoke of and didn't notice all of the places, but that doesn’t matter. I am out of sync but don't want to go back! I can't go onto jetties?

The trees by the water at this point of the Thames are a surprise to me too. The sound of the water and the sun beating down. I wouldn't want to be here alone later in the day. But I'm discovering a new part of my city!

Distances are hard to judge as I have not found the public jetty that is mentioned.

I have found the jetty and the info plaque is rubbed away in places and hard to read. I do find myself looking for visual signs of industry past anyway - noticing things not necessarily mentioned on the recording.

There are mostly lone travellers and some couples. Cyclists too.

Toby is narrating the trail on the whole, with the Dockers’ voices edited in.

Something is still making a noise and looks very industrial and as I turn the corner I see lots of different sands/materials and people busy working - Victoria tunnel it says....

I notice the lichen on the wood railing... this is because I have had a small interest in lichens since a nature day a few years back.

Suddenly a new part of the walk – it is newly paved in set colours- because I am nearer the o2? The Thames path is closed off and I must follow a new smelling still tarmac path – a new part of the adventure? I hear a seagull as well as the industry building sounds - no more lapping of the waves.

It took me about an hour but had to cut it short due to the closed road, but it was enough – I might listen to the rest at home. Toby keeps repeating to stay near the river but I can't anymore in North Greenwich...

I like the juxtaposition of old and new.... Even if it is hearing old and seeing the new... I enjoy comparing and contrasting. I realise yet again that I have more listened to the flavour of what they were saying rather than what they are saying. I did feel and came away with a feeling of nostalgia and privileged to have seen the remnants of the docks still. As Toby commentates, who knows how long they will be there.

Me in the World

October 2016

Hello there :)

Testing out writing a bit more regularly about what I do in my tutoring, music and storytelling sessions. I would be interested to hear if any of it is useful to anyone reading this.

So the first activity that I am going to talk about is a one I found through a search of Montessori blogs. It is called a 'Me on the Map' or 'Me in the world' activity. It is an activity I didn't come across when I was Montessori teaching a few years back. However, when searching for activities about the world I really liked the idea of this. An important part of Montessori philosophy for me is the area of cultural education. Montessori was very much dedicated to peace and the activities in this area really develop this through helping children to understand more about the world, their place in it and how everything is connected.

I tried this activity out with two brothers I tutor. The idea is that you have coloured circles of ascending sizes. You start by asking the child to draw a picture of themselves and then their house and gradually progress to their continent and the world.

The youngest started accordng to the plan. He wasn't too keen on drawing his houseso drew the entry gate to his house. We only did about three last week and completed this week because the activity did not captivate him as much as others. The eldest decided that he would do it in his own way and started with a mean looking character who ended up living on the moon. He gave areas of the moon different number codes that got more complex as they went along and really got into it. I had intended that he did it about himself, however, I loved his creativity. Below are the results. And here is a link to the page I found the best for describing this activity and variations:  Here

Bye for now....

‘Tickle Monster’ ... make your own monster and something it transforms into... as in the story... or colour a monster... this book and the laminated shapes were kindly borrowed from a friend of mine here :) Native Speaker Teacher in a Vienna Primary School...

Bit of learning.... we’re going on a bear hunt... found the ‘worksheets’ online.... kids colour their own map for the bear hunt then make little figures to move around the map as in the story :) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXbOuAKs6bx/?utm_medium=tumblr

Waiting for the bus to open its doors when the roads were shut off in Brixton the other night too...

A few years old but very interesting article about the time when there were four cinemas in Crystal Palace. At the moment the long ongoing campaign to bring back just one cinema continues with a dedicated team - Found on Twitter as: @picturepalace … They also posted this article on Facebook as ('Picture Palace Campaign') … Another worthy heritage cause that would have a present and future impact!

Pretty big meteor! #museumhack

Last week looking at perspective to tie in with the kids learning about castles with their class teacher… love it when I get to do an art lesson as part of being an English native speaker teacher :) (3rd year primary) lesson plan from @accessart.org.uk #inspiredby https://www.instagram.com/p/CaF4lPYMWWU/?utm_medium=tumblr

‘Rosie’s Walk’ encouraging the kids to copy and create doodles to create a similar style to the book :) Native Speaker Teacher in a Vienna Primary School...

tascam tried out outside...

So yesterday I had the help of a friend to try out my new tascam audio recorder! Epping Forest - well a side road was the destination and all seemed to go ok! I just need to be brave and go out and practice myself now. We tried out my lovely rycote windjammer and tried out different recording levels and a couple of microphone positions. I'll maybe upload an excerpt at some point! If anyone wants to know any more technicalities then I can let them know.

I've also been thinking a bit more about interview questions for people contributing. I already have a list, but as I get nearer that point and talk with people, it becomes a bit clearer I think. In the past day or so I have decided that it would be a good idea to concentrate on a first few initial locations for the purpose of my course project. If there are more stories to be told, then I can continue with them in my own time. I feel like it takes the pressure off a bit to have a complete tour and it written about before the end of August! I shall see! I am thinking of concentrating on the top of the park, because the bottom already has the dinosaur audio tour. I'll keep you updated!