This Other London: Adventures in the Overlooked City

by John Rogers (Author/Narrator)

Join John Rogers as he ventures out into an uncharted London like a redbrick Indiana Jones in search of the lost meaning of our metropolitan existence. Nursing two reluctant knees and a can of Stella, he perambulates through the seasons seeking adventure in our city’s remote and forgotten reaches.

When John Rogers packed away his rucksack to start a family in London he didn’t stop travelling. But instead of canoeing up the Rejang River to find retired headhunters in Sarawak, he caught the ferry to Woolwich in search of the edge of the city at Crayford Marshes.

This Other London recounts that journey and many others – all on foot and epic in their own cartilage-crunching way. Clutching a samosa and a handful of out-of-date A-Zs, he heads out into the wilderness of isolated luxury apartment blocks in Brentford, the ruins of Lesnes Abbey near Thamesmead, and the ancient Lammas Lands in Leyton.

Denounced by his young sons as a ‘hippy wizard’, Rogers delves into some of the overlooked stories rumbling beneath the tarmac of the city suburbs. Holy wells in Lewisham; wassailing in Clapton; a heretical fresco in West Ham. He encounters the Highwaymen of Hounslow Heath, Viet Cong vets still fighting Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket in Beckton, Dutch sailors marooned at Erith pier; and cyclists – without Bradley Wiggins’ sideburns – at Herne Hill Velodrome. He heads out to Uxendon Hill to witness the end of the world, Horsenden Hill to learn its legend, and Tulse Hill to the observatory of the Victorian Brian Cox.

This Other London will take you into the hinterland of the city. The London that is lived in; the London where workaday dormitory suburbs sit atop a rich history that could rival Westminster and Tower Bridge. In an age when no corner of the globe has been left untrampled-upon by hordes of tourists, it is time to discover the wonders on our doorstep.

This Other London is your gateway through the underexplored nooks of London. As Pathfinder wrote in 1911, ‘Adventure begins at home’.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, London, History, Walking, British Literature

Audiobook

First published September 12, 2013

About the author

John first put pen to paper writing plays, sketches, and stand-up comedy which he performed in London fringe venues. He has worked on numerous projects with comedian Russell Brand and directed documentaries including The London Perambulator and Make Your Own Damn Art: the World of Bob and Roberta Smith. John also produced and co-presented Ventures and Adventures in Topography on Resonance 104.4fm with Nick Papadimitriou.
Most recently, he built a shed at the bottom of his garden that he painted red and green, which he is unusually proud of.

Reviews

[Kenneth McMahon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this. I discovered John Rogers' Youtube channel last year and absolutely adore his videos. They were perfect moments of calmness to watch during turbulent times and they'll often be the last thing I watch before bed to relax myself. The guy just seems like a lovely chap and I like spending time with him and enjoying his enthusiasm. However, the guy in this book is a slightly different version of him. Not any better or worse, just different. Whereas the videos feel somewhat ethereal with their use of Satie and others (even when it's in some industrial wasteland), the book is a more down to earth ramble accompanied by cans of Stella and samosas, which sounds great honestly but offers a different feel. And maybe it's just me much preferring the visual aspect over trying to imagine places I'm not familiar with. There's something really nice about watching the daylight fade towards the end of his walks too.

[Mike Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Psychogeography has, perhaps predictably, swept London in waves. After the playful esoterica of Iain Sinclair has retreated to the coast, and the more academically scornful world of Will Self has retreated, and while the wonderfully obscure Nick Papadimitriou lurks in some hidden Middlesex reed bed, John Rogers enters the fray. This meandering, highly personal account of walks around the fringes of the ever growing metropolis is a delight from start to finish. Obscure historical facts rub shoulders with personal reflections on knee surgery, newsagent snack availability and student life in the 1980s. Meanwhile, the territory is covered with gentle reverence - meaning that the stock jokes about Ilford town centre aren't deployed. This is funny but warm, informative but informal. If this book doesn't make you want to strike out for Perivale or Plaistow immediately, then I'd be terribly surprised. Or perhaps that was just me?

[Leon Cych · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Londoner for 61 years I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I came to it by way of John Roger's films on YouTube. As an inveterate walker of the capital's streets I absolutely loved it. I suspect you won't entirely comprehend this book unless you've done a fair bit of walking in urban environments yourself.

John peels back the veneer of the present day city revealing the past through reference to place names and vestiges of places; he burrows down through local history, anecdote and etymology. Everything is brought into high relief by the present day walks and the, often, less than salubrious realities when set against a more rural past.

When you get to my age you carry around a lot of the pre-redeveloped post WWII metropolis in your head - a ghost city, now only existing in memory. The real territory of these books is in the mind. I'm not one for the the Situationists' psychogeography but I believe there are such things as Genius Loci, Lares Compitalicii and their pagan equivalents. You can feel it if you spend any time at all walking in the capital and take the time to be sensitive to and curious about your surroundings.

The comprehensive bibliography at the back points to further reading and is ample evidence of all the reading and research he has done for this wonderful book. I also love the pointing to waymarkers of 2nd hand bookshops and other small businesses hanging on forming a network of social spore under and away from today's ubiquitous surveillance cameras and digital noise. A subconscious chthonic vision of our times; an antidote to the encroaching Alphaville of global developers.

I see he is still walking and filming the city and perhaps we're all in for a treat with a second volume? Great stuff.

[Alex Rendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have long enjoyed watching John Rogers' YouTube videos of his walks around the edge lands of Greater London. He is a champion of the overlooked and underloved parts of the conurbation. During the most recent lockdown I watched his videos as a form of escape and dreamed of walking through Epping Forest. This Other London is an account of several walks that Rogers made, mostly on his own but sometimes with his family, where he sets off to meander from one place to another. Rogers likes to uncover the history of the locales he traverses but also likes to maintain some spontaneity, so his journeys often end up taking longer than expected. Nonetheless the stories he tells are fascinating, and they bring these seemingly unremarkable places to life. His ability to find wonders everywhere he goes is truly captivating. A great alternative history of London.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this kind of book. A good wander, a little history, people, neighborhoods and a very interesting bibliography. Because the places the author walks in this book aren’t exactly on the radar, I was happy for him to do the walking. It was surprising that so many near suburbs of London have largish wild natural areas. Interesting.

[Mark Ames · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally got this done. Kept getting distracted and I do so like his videos on youtube. Anyway, mix of travel log and history and his personal life. Some of the history hit hard but otherwise a gently told wander around one man's life and geography.

[dantelk]

Not my style, even for the chapters that I was more curious about, I found them to be too much filled with irrelevant information. I like the author and the way he explores the city, but probably this book is for someone else; someone who is a native English speaker, and lives in London and already a devoted city-walker themselves. I am not any of those.

[Duncan Washbrook · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gentle ramble around the city

I would imagine it’s quite a feat to be able to translate a series of walkabouts around London into words that entertain the reader. John Rogers appears to have found the knack though. In fact his easy going prose style matches his gentle derives and actually you do get the feeling you are coming along as a fellow walking companion. I was born in London, I work in London, and I live in a London borough. This other London is a reminder to me not to get complacent. Whenever you think you are getting a handle on this crazy city many of us call home, I would recommend reading this book to realise just how little we really know.

[Robert Giambo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rated this book only as ok. The author describes a series of walks through areas of London that are off the beaten track. While the writing is good, there is nothing of substance in these walks to hold the readers interest. I travel to London frequently - and none of these walks were ones that I would want to follow.

[Rob Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came to this book via the YouTube Videos and I must say I wasn't disappointed. I enjoyed the descriptions of the walks even though I am not a Londoner. I have however recommended the videos to my dad, whose father was bought up in London in various East End pubs that were run/landorded by his dad. So there is a London connection there.

[Mairi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was interesting but I felt that there was too much information on each page which made it drag a bit. Some chapters were better than others, enjoyed the Tooting and South Park chapters the most.

[Tobias · Rating 5 out of 5]

First came across John Roger's You Tube videos about three years ago and I think he is the best of the London psychogeographers at the moment. He is incredibly knowledgeable about the lesser known parts of London through which he walks, (Hounslow Heath, Beckton, Lesnes Abbey Woods, Hanwell, Horsenden Hill, the Lea Valley, Clerkenwell, Brockley, Tooting Bec and Wanstead Flats) and has access to a extensive London libary curated over many years.

He is sensitive to the sense of place as well as being open to whimsy. But he doesn't lay it on too thickly and take it all too seriously. He is humourous and modest. He is also a prolific walker and walking and making walking videos comes across as a genuine enthusiasm.

In the past I think he has tended to have been slightly overshadowed by more prominent walkers such as Iain Sinclair, Russel Brand, Will Self and Nick Papadimitrou but I think he is really blossoming at the moment. He is part of a massive underground walking scene in London as was brought home to me recently by the crowds attenting the launch of the Hackney Walking map. My family still follow his walks online almost every week and we are inspired to go out and explore the territories he walks through although sometimes its seems as though we coincidentally seem to have walked the area a few walks before he releases a new video.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book straight after Ian Sinclair’s London Orbital was not a good idea.
Especially at the start, John Roger’s book felt like Sinclair for Dummies. The writing, more accessible than Sinclair’s, was sometimes patronising - simple jokes were explained and definitions were given, without me asking. Despite the recent London Orbital slog, this change was more irritating than welcome.
The account of the walks dragged in places and I found myself impatiently skipping past Roger’s personal anecdotes and youth nostalgia. I also resented references to Sinclair and repetitions of themes I had already encountered, sometimes at nauseam, in London Orbital.
Eventually, the book grew on me, mostly thanks to the choice of destinations. Some chapters turned out to be more enjoyable than others, with interesting historical and topographical facts.
I was inspired to do a couple of walks from the book and I’m planning a few more. The chapter on Beckton stood out, mostly due to the Stanley Kubrick connection. This prompted an extended walk the nearby Thamesmead estate and would earn the book further 1/2 star, if only this rating option was available

[Christopher Dove · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Rogers is a film-maker and urban rambler who has his own YouTube channel. His short films allow us to share his passion for walking. This book describes ten walks that he took around London. However, he does not follow the well known tourist trails, rather he takes us on trips around the edge of London - Ilford, Hornsey, Tooting Bec. This is not a guide book for walkers. There are no instructions like 'Turn left out of Maryland station and proceed down Water Lane.' Rather, John Rogers lets us accompany him on his walks as he describes the rich history and mythology of the places he passes through. So we are told stories of the highwaymen of Hounslow and the monks of Plaistow. I am writing this review in 'The Time of Lockdown' so it will be a few months before I get a chance to follow in John's footsteps and find some of these seemingly ordinary places with fascinating stories for myself. The fact that I am now looking forward to exploring these places - some of which are on my own doorstep - is in itself a ringing endorsement for this book.

[Jo Coleman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm very fond of John Rogers' Youtube videos where he goes for a walk, usually somewhere in London, and is very enthusiastic and cheerful about the whole venture. This book precedes the videos but has the same kind of appeal, as he treks out in different directions around zones 2-3 of London, musing about what he sees and adding bits of history and folklore about the areas. It didn't work quite as well for me as his videos - too many larky asides and occasional sniffiness about popular culture, which he seems to have moved on from these days. Reading a travelogue about parts of London I know very well (Battersea! Hackney! Wanstead Flats!) is quite charming, but I preferred it when he strayed into central London where he really knows his stuff about the mad arcane history around every corner. I think my favourite bit was where he went for a walk with Nick Papadimitriou and seemed very insecure about their friendship. Don't worry, John Rogers, you're definitely the nicest man in psychogeography!

[Lou Skelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to read this after finding John's YouTube channel earlier this year - if you are at all unsure if this book is for you, I suggest heading over there and watching a few of his films (which are excellently made). This book is the perfect companion to them, just as John is the perfect companion to an amble around the less celebrated parts of London. I thought it was a joy from start to finish - it really captures the feeling of going for a walk with someone interestingly knowledgeable at your side.

(And a note to writers who are working on a book set in contemporary London but who do not live there - this is the kind of book you need to be reading. Take it from a writer who does.)

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow videos of John Rogers appeared on my YouTube feed. I enjoy his videos and decided to buy his book. The book it's OK, I like his writing and his jokes. Personally, I wished the book contained more history and archeology (for which John excels) and less of personal anecdotes and stories. However, this is my personal opinion and it's a good read.

[Neil Moody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully entertaining

I've been following John Rogers on YouTube and have wanted to read this. He is an engaging and amusing writer and his research, conducted with the aid of a couple of pints and a packet of crisps, provides us with much detail.

[Stewart Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how he finds such unique ways of exploring London and his love of finding something or a new way of looking at something. Can get a bit preachy at certain parts but for the most part a great read. He does good YouTube videos as well.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any book that mentions monstrous modern highrises frottaging the sky is five stars for me. Fantastic crisp and stella fuelled Ballardian musings.

[Alan Fricker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable explorations of parts of London near and far from home. Slightly concerning how lost I felt even in places I know fairly well

[Jennie]

I actually think this is probably a fine book, but so much was going over my head because of all the things I don't know about London. I might go back and try again at a later date, after I've explored more of the city first. In any case, don't take my "did not finish" as a dis-recommendation. This isn't one of those.

[Kevan Davis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Big fan of his Resonance FM walking series with Nick Papadimitriou where they're perfect foils to each other, but alone he seems a bit lopsided,

[Alexandra Needham]

A charming ramble through London's more recent history. Made me want to pull on my walking boots and hit the streets