Transport Update

 

Both Images: Bracebridge Heath, Lincolnshire, July 2023

Summer continues to dribble by in a somewhat underwhelming manner, and the supposedly productive school holiday interlude is already halfway done. Creatively speaking, work continues - but we're definitely in another of those 'not-too-much-to-show-right-now' phases. As was ever the case, too many projects vie for my attention simultaneously - but that is, of course, so much better than having no ideas or inspiration at all. 

That might also explain why my social media communications have definitely thinned-out a bit of late. Perhaps I'm just experimenting with the idea of not chattering away so much, unless there's actually something interesting to report (you know - like how we used to behave in previous, more analogue times). It may put me slightly at odds with twenty-first century habits, but it does at least free-up a little more time to prioritise more important stuff.

I'm not sure if this update on my personal transport options counts as exactly 'interesting', but it does at least have a bearing on my artistic endeavours in a fairly obvious logistical sense. Pretty much everything I make has its origins in the urban (or sub-urban) landscapes. That necessitates either putting myself into specific locations, and/or deliberately losing myself within a variety of cities, on a regular basis. Realistically, public transport and my slightly dodgy knees can only facilitate so much. Cars and bicycles therefore remain the most efficient means of accessing those moments of urban revelation on which I depend. This is the year I decided to update my existing options in both respects.

Like any un-garaged fourteen year-old vehicle, my previous car was starting to show its age a bit. Overall it had given excellent, economical (and mostly reliable) service, for what was once at the very bottom of Skoda's product range. Nevertheless, it was inevitably starting to cost more to keep on the road than the meagre resale value could really justify. Hence, bye-bye, old red Skoda Fabia - hello, much newer red (and black) Skoda Fabia. Ultimately, I'm not interested enough in the complexities of modern motoring to shop around different makes and models -  'stick with what you know', is my motto. The fact this is my third red Skoda hatchback in a row is purely coincidental, but it might suggest something was meant to be (if I was superstitious). Mostly, I'm just hoping this new one proves as dependable as the previous two.

Much as a car is valuable for covering the big miles, I maintain that a bike is really the most involving way to experience the urban landscape, once one is actually immersed within it. My existing mountain bike has proved a much-valued tool in that respect, and will even (at a squeeze) fit into the back of a Fabia. Nevertheless, a certain amount of scuffing (of both vehicles) as well as repetitive seat-folding, is inevitable in the process. What better excuse for a new  folding bike, to preserve the new car's interior? It's a bit of an indulgence, I'll admit - but I've coveted one of these funky little Bromptons for quite a while, and this one will just fold-up and fit on the back seat (or in the boot) far more easily. Theoretically, that should encourage me to drive to one city or another, then explore it more immersively on two wheels, on an even more regular and spontaneous basis than I can now. The resulting health/fitness benefits can only be a bonus too.

In reality, the mountain bike will always remain the preferable (and more comfortable) option over longer distances or uneven terrain, but these 'Brommies' are had to beat when it comes to compact portability. Either way, I'm choosing to regard it as an essential artistic tool, and thus -  far more than just an urban hipster's plaything. The fact that I am seemingly now also the bloke who only rides white bikes is also purely coincidental. It's the cheapest one they do - and they only come in white this year.

Finally, if you're wondering about the incongruously leafy venue for this photo-shoot (after all this talk of accessing urban terrain) - one terminal of Lincoln's Eastern Bypass is literally just round the corner. The Brompton had just carried me on another little expedition to document its upper reaches, before being folded back up and whisked-off home to Leicester.