Walking Class Hero: The Life of Riley

Welcome to Walking Class Hero a regular blog about walking and the walking environment. Whether you like walking on your own, with friends or in an organised group this blog will cover it. It’ll embrace walking in cities and towns and villages. Walking in the countryside and along the coast and up hills and down dales. Walking through parks and by rivers and across heath and down and moor. It’ll comment on public rights of way, access to open country, permissive paths, public urban space and countryside protection. Basically if you can walk there it’ll be in this blog.

The Life of Riley (Wednesday 10 February)

While the Ramblers are celebrating their 75th birthday this year – Labour Exchanges are 100. Back in the depression laden days (sound familiar) of 1910 the forerunners of today’s JobCentre Plus network opened their doors. Winston Churchill, president of the board of trade in good old ‘Squiffy’ Asquith’s Liberal government visited 1 of these 62 new institutions – the one in Hackney on the 1st February – on its first day of business. I’m guessing he wasn’t looking for work, although there were a couple of vacancies for picture frame gilders listed, and he was very impressed with the green walls: “The colour of hope”, he hopefully reported.

Back then there were separate rooms for men, women, employers and children (good old child labour huh) all with their green walls. Today there 750 JobCentres that employ 78,000 staff offering (and I quote) “an integrated service incorporating benefits and employment search”. Not a green wall in sight these days. I still sign on every other Wednesday (although these days I only get my National Insurance contributions paid and really only do it so the official statistics are more accurate) and I still walk down along the bank of the Thames to get there. Today after signing on I head right across London for Chigwell. I’m leading a Capital Walkers walk to Hainault Forest on Saturday and I wanted to check how muddy some parts are. Well it was pretty muddy out there people. And not wanting to go on about the weather again it was one of those funny days when the sky was a deep blue but it was snowing. How does that work? Other than quite a few dog walkers didn’t really see many other people. (Don’t dog owners have jobs either?)

This no job thing is wearing a bit thin these days but there’s certainly some advantages to not working. There’s not only all the walking I can do but there’s also so much to listen to on BBC iplayer. I’m working my way through the 460+ programmes from ‘In Our Time’ at the moment. The history episodes are great but I don’t really understand the science ones. And I mustn’t forget Spotify. I’m just loving the new Massive Attack album (should I still describe it like that?) – Heligoland. Last week I played (virtually) One Life Stand by Hot Chip to death. Gives me something to do while completing online job application forms. Why are they all subtly different? Makes the whole cutting and pasting a right palaver. And, finally, although not directly connected to being out of work I went along to one of those free preview screenings of an upcoming blockbuster the other week. Went to see Russell Crowe in Robin Hood. Oh dear oh dear – Gladiator meets Carry on Crusading would be the kindest way to describe it. Anyway as one of my friends said to me recently: “Sounds like the life of Riley to me”.

Anyway back to Labour Exchanges. I bet if you haven’t visited a JobCentre lately if I asked for the first image that comes into your head about them you’d say The Full Monty and the out of work Sheffield steel workers dancing to Donna Summer’s “Hot Stuff” while waiting in line. Well we don’t stand up anymore and they don’t have a radio playing where I go but in all honesty they’ve been about as helpful to me as they were to Robert Carlyle et al. Frankly Pulp’s advice: “Cut your hair and get a job” might be more use so I’ve done the first bit and now I’m just wait for those job offers to roll in.

More information
OS Map used – Explorer 174 Epping Forest & Lee Valley
Pay less when you order this map here: http://www.ramblers.org.uk/fundraising/shop/anquet-map.htm

Ramblers Business Plan 2009/10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PWPm8-aLKw&feature=player_embedded

Useful links:
o The Ramblers     http://www.ramblers.org.uk/
o Ramblers 75th anniversary  http://www.ramblers75.org.uk/
o Capital Walkers   http://capitalwalker.blogspot.com/
o Labour Exchange Centenary  http://www.dwp.gov.uk/labour-exchange-centenary/
o Lord Asquith    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._H._Asquith
o Winston Churchill   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_Churchill
o Hainault Forest    http://www.hainaultforest.co.uk/
o In Our Time    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qykl
o The Life of Riley   http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/the-life-of-riley.html
o Robin Hood    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/8097083.stm

Listen to:

Lightning Seeds – The Life Of Riley
Paul Weller – Wild Wood
Massive Attack – Heligoland
Hot Chip – One Life Stand
Donna Summer – Hot Stuff
Pulp – Common People – Full Length Version / Album Version

Watch this:

The Full Monty – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZuCqT2qbFk&feature=fvw
Robin Hood – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rB1G88cGv0