Date: 29.12.2020
Distance: 5 miles
Steps: 10,812
Start: 13:34
Ground covered: Residential to industrial area to dockside, return via town centre side-streets and residential areas

As the end of the year looms I felt it was appropriate to head out into Tier 4 territory for one last dérive of 2020. Fearing a Tier 5 being implemented, given the dramatic increase in Covid-19 cases in Ipswich, this may also be my last chance for a while.
While I didn’t set out to end up at the quay again, my feet took me there anyway. And as familiar as this territory is after my last drift only 19 days ago, I took a wider berth there and back this time. Doing so has opened up to me an area of Ipswich I haven’t explored for many years and I have made a mental note to steer myself in that direction next time I head out, whenever that may be.

Side streets lead to a main road out of Ipswich with a parallel access-road for the semi-detacheds that run alongside it. Handsomely tree-lined, with a generous grass-verge, it exemplifies one of the things I love about Ipswich, its green spaces. This road gives access to a park I have only been through once before, on one of The Rough Band’s psychogeographical silent walks, Strand, performed as part of Spill Festival in 2016.
Continue reading “Graphic commons: End of year dérive”