| A12 PhD Research 14:32 - Jul 18 with 1325 views | bluethomas |
Hi all,
Not football related but hoping to hear some stories!
I’m a PhD student in Creative Writing at Brunel University London - and Town fan of course! I’m currently in the process of walking the complete length of the A12 — from Blackwall to Lowestoft — as part of my research and studies. This might sound unusual and you’re probably thinking “why?”. Well it follows in the footsteps of earlier studies of routes, such as author Iain Sinclair’s M25 book — “London Orbital” and is entangled with the idea of psychogeography.
Psychogeography was defined in 1955 by French Situationist Guy Debord as "the study of the precise laws and specific effects of the geographical environment, consciously organized or not, on the emotions and behavior of individuals." For me, it is about accessing what turns a space into a place. And for the A12 it is about understanding its history and importance throughout a non-fictional piece. My work also has a focus on people who have moved out of London into East Anglia and why they have chosen to do this. It has also newly, somewhat “forced-hand” focus on how walking has been changed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The result of the walk will be a 100-thousand-word creative non-fiction thesis on the road and my discoveries along it — with a view to this hopefully being published as a book afterwards. I’m looking for people’s opinions and anecdotes on the road — whether you’ve lived near to it, commuted along it for years or have a business situated on it. Negative or positive I would love to hear any stories — they may influence where I walk, what I write or what I research.
My email for any correspondence is benjaminjames.thomas@brunel.ac.uk. Feel free to send over any questions if you wish to know more about my research and walk.
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| A12 PhD Research on 14:43 - Jul 18 with 1276 views | footers |
Really good to hear you're specialising in this! A bit of a pet love of mine. Taking it you've also read Sinclair's Lights Out for the Territory? Fantastic book.
I'll send over some thoughts at some point soon. Good luck with it! |  |
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| A12 PhD Research on 14:43 - Jul 18 with 1270 views | Herbivore |
Sounds like an interesting project, mate. If I can think of anything interesting I'll ping you an email. |  |
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| A12 PhD Research on 14:52 - Jul 18 with 1258 views | bluethomas |
| A12 PhD Research on 14:43 - Jul 18 by footers |
Really good to hear you're specialising in this! A bit of a pet love of mine. Taking it you've also read Sinclair's Lights Out for the Territory? Fantastic book.
I'll send over some thoughts at some point soon. Good luck with it! |
Indeed! Lights Out is a fabulous read! I definitely recommend delving into more Sinclair if you haven’t already. He along with figures such as WG Sebald, Robert MacFarlane and Will Self (coincidently my PhD supervisor) have all had an influence and impact on the proceedings so far! | | | |
| A12 PhD Research on 14:54 - Jul 18 with 1252 views | bluethomas |
| A12 PhD Research on 14:43 - Jul 18 by Herbivore |
Sounds like an interesting project, mate. If I can think of anything interesting I'll ping you an email. |
Cheers! Glad to hear it sounds interesting - always a worry when explaining my research topic that I’ll get some strange eyebrow-raised reactions! | | | |
| A12 PhD Research on 14:55 - Jul 18 with 1259 views | gtsb1966 |
As you go past Witham you'll see a petrol station and next to that is a shop where you can buy some "interesting" reading material if you're bored. |  | | |
| A12 PhD Research on 15:00 - Jul 18 with 1238 views | Herbivore |
| A12 PhD Research on 14:52 - Jul 18 by bluethomas |
Indeed! Lights Out is a fabulous read! I definitely recommend delving into more Sinclair if you haven’t already. He along with figures such as WG Sebald, Robert MacFarlane and Will Self (coincidently my PhD supervisor) have all had an influence and impact on the proceedings so far! |
Love a bit of Sebald. | |
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| A12 PhD Research on 16:51 - Jul 18 with 1149 views | bluethomas |
| A12 PhD Research on 14:55 - Jul 18 by gtsb1966 |
As you go past Witham you'll see a petrol station and next to that is a shop where you can buy some "interesting" reading material if you're bored. |
Ahh yes, I have passed it many a time! I did consider contacting the owner to get their opinion on the road, not sure if they’d get back to me or not though! | | | |
| A12 PhD Research on 17:16 - Jul 18 with 1110 views | Nthsuffolkblue |
Will send you an e-mail when I have collected some thoughts. I presume in your research you will have come across A12 to heaven by Phil Stoddart. |  |
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| A12 PhD Research on 17:28 - Jul 18 with 1102 views | bluethomas |
| A12 PhD Research on 17:16 - Jul 18 by Nthsuffolkblue |
Will send you an e-mail when I have collected some thoughts. I presume in your research you will have come across A12 to heaven by Phil Stoddart. |
Haven't come across that before, I've had a quick Google search and ordered a copy to look into. Sounds like a tragic story. | | | |
| A12 PhD Research on 17:28 - Jul 18 with 1100 views | bluethomas |
| A12 PhD Research on 15:00 - Jul 18 by Herbivore |
Love a bit of Sebald. |
I'll be cutting across to Orford at one point to revisit his Rings of Saturn wanderings! | | | |
| A12 PhD Research on 20:46 - Jul 18 with 1011 views | bournemouthblue |
What do you do about the missing piece around Ipswich?
You just skip up the A14 until it becomes the A12 again? |  |
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| A12 PhD Research on 20:50 - Jul 18 with 1006 views | Nthsuffolkblue |
| A12 PhD Research on 20:46 - Jul 18 by bournemouthblue |
What do you do about the missing piece around Ipswich?
You just skip up the A14 until it becomes the A12 again? |
I believe the northern end used to go to Gt Yarmouth and has now changed to the A47 too so his journey will end in Lowestoft instead of Gt Yarmouth. | |
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| A12 PhD Research on 20:59 - Jul 18 with 991 views | bournemouthblue |
| A12 PhD Research on 20:50 - Jul 18 by Nthsuffolkblue |
I believe the northern end used to go to Gt Yarmouth and has now changed to the A47 too so his journey will end in Lowestoft instead of Gt Yarmouth. |
Yes, that's a strange rebranding that one
I assume it's attached to some funding for works on the A47 perhaps | |
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| A12 PhD Research on 21:09 - Jul 18 with 981 views | bluethomas |
| A12 PhD Research on 20:50 - Jul 18 by Nthsuffolkblue |
I believe the northern end used to go to Gt Yarmouth and has now changed to the A47 too so his journey will end in Lowestoft instead of Gt Yarmouth. |
Yes, somewhat luckily for me the walking has been shortened slightly by the rebranding - and it also means I don't have to step foot on Norfolk soil! Originally when I was planning I still assumed the A12 remained up to Yarmouth but then noticed the change, I'll have to look further into why it occurred.
As for the missing bit around Ipswich, odd one that too. I took advantage of the disappearance and diverted down London Road into the town centre and through to Kesgrave and back out that way via Playford Road etc. | | | |
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