Explorers and exploration were a major interest to me as a young child and even today, aged 52, you may find me reckless enough to switch off the SatNav in the car and just chance it on the highways and byways of East and North Yorkshire.
Early school text books in, I suppose, what could be called the subject of geography and world history depicted the adventures of the great explorers of their time such as Egyptian maritime merchants, Polynesian islanders in balsa wood boats, Scandinavian Vikings more intent on pillage than diplomacy and those discovering the great overland trade routes to China and the Far East.
I still recall, from junior school education the colourful work sheets about Marco Polo, Captain James Cook, Christopher Columbus and Cortez but for the wrong reasons, mainly the violence, havoc, plundering and shameful exploitation jointly or severally meted out on cultures and civilisations in the name of Empire and religion.
The unknowns in terms of navigation, climate, disease and diet were a significant challenge to those setting off on voyages and journeys of discovery.
Contemporaries of Columbus were afraid that he would simply sail off the edge of the world, what with it being completely flat. His quest to find a passage to India was an illustration of what little was known about the physical form of the planet notwithstanding scant information in mapping form. He would, with hindsight, of course have arrived at some point in the Americas on his transatlantic route.
Captain Cook, a Yorkshireman, navigated far into the Pacific covering many thousands of previously uncharted territory and leaving a great wealth of maps and charts that would open up the vast region for trade, colonisation and military benefit.
These, amongst many others, were the pioneers helping successive generations to understand and appreciate the natural beauty of Earth.
Today, we are pretty well mapped out as a planet and in casual moments many of us will use, for example, Google Earth, to undertake a virtual exploration of our home territory and farther afield. There is very little left to discover although this does not inhibit brave individuals or expeditions from attempting to cross the Poles, circumnavigate the world, set new records for endurance in extreme climates or do mad things such as cycle, walk or even pogo-stick their way from point to point often jeopardising life, limb, small digits and reputation.
I feel that I have some of this restless spirit in my veins and nearly everyday I put this to the stern test on my hazardous trip to the local Tesco Express supermarket.
I live in a public park, yes, I know the jokes- third bench on the left by the drinking fountain and dog-toilet.
To clarify, the front of the house overlooks a beautiful greenspace laid out in 1860 by a Benefactor (later bankrupted after his ships, on hire purchase, carrying weapons for the Confederate States were seized and confiscated by the Union). There are two roads in. There are also three main footpath cut throughs which go under alternative terms of ginnel, snicket and three foot amongst others. These will no doubt have been established during the expansion of residential areas fringing the park which, at the time of its founding, will have formed the very northern extremity of the city to allow citizens to access the open space.
I regularly use the narrow open passage, the nearest to my house, to get to and from the park to the aforementioned shop.
Sandwiched between the gable ends of substantial Victorian Villas, with longstanding sub-division into flats, it is, on the sunniest of mornings still dark and menacing. It is just wide enough to allow two adults to pass but involving the difficult decision of both parties whether to do so chest to chest, back to back or an embarassing mix and match of the two main options. All of course, done in silence or at best with a grunt of acceptance.
The western, Park end is shrouded by mature horse chestnuts. The opposite end into a cul de sac of old houses receives little natural light. There is no street lighting and so on a quest for provisions in the winter months the prospect of using the walkway is even more daunting.
These characteristics make the corridor ideally suited to the impulsive dumping of litter mainly within a few moments of purchase from Tesco and more determined discarding of bulkier rubbish for those who cannot be bothered to place items in their wheely bin.
The situation has been bad. On some days I have had to 1) clamber over exploded black bin bags being careful not to get my feet stuck in an empty carton or worse, 2) tip toe through empty beer cans and spirit bottles, 3) dodge dog dirt and 4) even and with some admitted skill, take a swift kick at a compacted baby's nappy in order to clear a path.
My daughter, who against Parents' best advice, uses the route from the bus stop after work reported a particularly bad waste deposit to the CounciL. It took a week for the stinking obstruction to be removed. The delay? Apparently forensic investigation, of sorts, has to find out who did the dumping so that an approach to the offenders can be made and a possible prosecution can be taken. Ironically, this probably involves considerably more cost than just sending a man with a shovel and an old fashioned wheeled dust cart.
Sad as it may seem I took an inventory of the contents of the passage on this very morning, going east to west.
Tesco plastic bag, drawstring carrier bag from well known sports retail outlet (bulging), tin can end, empty wrapper from six crumpets, capless bottle of Vodka, coca cola bottle, Cadbury's Buttons multipack, three tinned fruits, lager can, utility bills, scratchcard, pre-paid gas token, Red Bull can, another knotted to carrier bag (no signs of life), orange peel, can of cider (strong), crisp packets ( various flavours), ladies underwear (I think!), damaged downpipe from adjacent property, diet coke, lucozade, other end of tin can, European beer, bottle of Pinot (half full although may be urine), Toblerone wrapper, miscellaneous litter fragments, cigarette stubs, foil outer of condom, baby's dummy, bicycle inner tube, pile of cous-cous (possibly previously digested), torn pages from book, 2p coin (left in situ)
It may seem a bit depressing and sordid but in the true spirit of those adventurers, pioneer and explorers who have gone before, I may have discovered the 21st Century!
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