This week’s walk will be in conjuction with the Manchester based Loiterer’s Resistance Movement, which gathers on the First Sunday of every month to ‘walk creatively together, make connections, engage with our environment and ask some difficult questions about public space.’ 

Here’s how to walk with us:

At 2pm BST Sunday 5th April Morag Rose will be at home in Manchester and will begin a walk guided by the score from her home in Manchester, while I do the same in Northampton. We invite you to join us wherever you are. 

There will be a WhatsApp group for the walk, please e-mail mlrose@thelrm.org your number in advance (by noon on Sunday please) if you would like to be included in the WhatsApp group.

A few very important points written by Morag:

Please remember to keep safe and follow the latest reliable health information re Covid-19. Local circumstances may differ so please check your latest advice, In the UK at the moment guidance states as long as you are well it is perfectly fine to go for a walk (irebranded as your daily permissible exercise) but you must maintain social distancing rules. This means going alone – we are all quasi-flaneurs now – apart from members of your household. You must maintain 2 metres / 6 foot distance from anyone else so please be extra considerate and alert to other people and the need to share space. Wash your hands thoroughly, carefully, properly afterwards and be very mindful of touching surfaces when out and about. You may wish to wear a mask and gloves.

If you, or any of your household, are shielding, self isolating, in quarantine or have any symptoms of COVID-19 DO NOT leave your sanctuary. This derive can be conducted indoors, in dreamspace or online; whichever is safest, most appropriate and appealing to you. We welcome anyone, anywhere who is respectful of others, but this is not the time to take risks. (We fully appreciate the need to mindful of emerging civil liberty issues and will doubtless focus on these at a future date but that challenge is not for The LRM right now.)

We are loiterers and this has always implied a critique of speed, ruthless efficiency and the seemingly endless urge to be productive despite the background hum of anxiety. If you don’t fancy wandering on Sunday be assured, this invitation is an open one for whenever you feel able. We applaud rest and self-care. Concerns about the demise and relevance of psychogeography have been confounded once again by the pandemic. Much attention is being given to hyper-local, super attentive walking, powerlines are being uncovered, disrupted, public space is being reconfigured, the everyday is transformed and the world is turned upside down. I should probably be rush writing a crass academic hot take on this but I can’t, won’t, whilst my heart aches

The LRM still firmly believe that “The Streets Belong to Everyone” although we can’t share them physically right now. Our withdrawal is an act of care and communality so please do not be an arse on Sunday or any day. We send love and strength to everybody who is working outside caring, caretaking, providing for us and doing other essential work, I know this includes many excellent loiterers. Thank you. Those of us able to do so fully recognise our privilege in being able to make a tactical retreat inside.

I hope to see you on the streets again sometime soon, and in the meantime please feel free to get in touch with questions, comments or if you just fancy a blether. If you have any suggestions for next months First Sunday also please do holler, you can find me by any of the methods above and in the meanting I’ll be sharing various psychogeographical resources so please do keep in touch.