All lovers of travel writing will be mourning the death last Friday of Paddy, "The Greatest Living Englishman", and considered the finest travel writer in the English Language. He was, indeed, an inspiration to a host of writers, adventurers and Hellenists, and especially to me. His "A Time Of Gifts" published in 1977 described his journey on foot from the Hook of Holland to Constantinople, by way of the Rhine and Danube, and mittel-Europe during the mid 30s, struck such a chord with me that I gave up my job with a London publishing house in 1979 to pursue my own dream, to walk across France-The Alps into Italy, to Greece...
The experience sparked my interest in maps and travel guides....and the idea of Goldeneye was born.
I have often been asked to write about my walk, but such has been my respect, nay awe, of Paddy's travel writing that "Just to try would be foolish....I could not hope to match such erudition and brilliance," for I have always considered great travel writing to be the most difficult of prose styles to achieve....Laurie Lee managed it, but he was a poet, as did Lawrence Durrell, another inspiration, and friend to Paddy.
Paddy lived in the Southern Pelepponese, but whilst in England at Dumbleton, Worcestershire. I know it well having played cricket there many times...I never knew this was his home, and I wonder if I would have made a fool of myself if I had dropped by?
No comments:
Post a Comment