Walking across England: From Wakefield to Hull
From post-industrial decay, to post-industrial decay tinged with history
Jerry, I think that’s his name, his accent was so thick it might have been something else entirely, drinks at the local Wetherspoon every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon. It’s a deal he cut with his wife, who’s been on him about his drinking for over forty years. She’s lovely though. But he does like to drink. Especially now that he’s retired. Over thirty years in the Merchant Marines. Seen the world. Favorite place? Buenos Aires. Doesn’t care what anyone else here says about them Argies. Lovely city, lovely people.
He didn’t want to be rude, would stay and buy me a drink, but he has to go soon. Needs to be home by five you see. But he’s happy. Still has a beer to go, and it was Sunday so he could drink again tomorrow, and he’s well-oiled. Wasn’t pissed though.
No he didn’t grow up here in Pontefract. Few miles over in Featherstone. You know it? You walked from there? Can’t do that what with me leg and cane.
He let me take his picture, but he wanted to make sure I knew he wasn’t a racist. The pins he had on his lapels. Old cartoon they now say are racist. He doesn’t care. He still likes the cartoon. Its a thing from when he was younger. When nobody saw it that way.
At 4:55 he chugged the last of his beers, pulled out his flip phone, and called a cab. Sorry. Gotta go. Misses will worry if I’m late.
The English drink a lot1. A real lot. And they often do it in a Wetherspoons. The big pub chain owned by a guy everyone in the press hates.
By this Sunday, over 150 miles into my walk across, I was also drinking a lot in them. Walk fifteen to twenty miles a day, then collapse in a Wetherspoons.
I didn’t want this trip to become a Wetherspoons tour, partly because I’m a big fan of buying local, to the degree you can, and with English pubs you can. But I was using them for the same reasons everyone else uses them. They’re always open, inexpensive, and filled with a lot of people who like to talk, but also know when to leave you alone.