Weird Walk: Number One: Beltane 2019

Weird Walk #1

by Weird Walk, Alex Hornsby (Editor), Owen Tromans (Editor)

40 page A5 zine
Printed on high quality recycled stock
Contains magick

What is Weird Walk? It started as friends walking and will no doubt continue as such. For us, walking is an active engagement with the British landscape and its lore.

Amongst other things, come with us to uncover some medieval graffiti, have a chat with writer/ recording artist Justin Hopper, take a trip around Avebury’s Neolithic wonderland, absorb some blackened dungeon synth, and meet a Tudor weird walking inspiration.

Weird Walk zine is your signpost... keep walking weird.

Genres: History, Folklore, Nonfiction, Poetry, Music

40 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2019

Reviews

[mila · Rating 5 out of 5]

got this at the tate modern gift shop. had a blast reading it. great vibes. love zines.

[Michael Ewins · Rating 4 out of 5]

S/O to the magnificent Magalleria, a boutique magazine shop in Bath that I stumbled across on my honeymoon last week. I doubt I would have discovered Weird Walk otherwise, but this A5, pocketable zine, founded by Alex Hornsby, James Nicholls, and Owen Tromans, is so up my street it was practically banging on my front door, so I purchased all four editions immediately (Weird Walk is published to no particular schedule, which only heightens the excitement of waiting for the next issue). I've just finished Issue One - Beltane 2019, with a cup of tea and biscuits, and it was simply a joy from cover to cover - especially the interview with Justin Hopper, whose Old Weird Albion, by coincidence, I had already selected for my next autumnal/Halloween read; the feature entitled "Being A Short Guide And Partial History of Flat Roofed Pubs," which focused on The Greenwood in Birmingham (my nearest city, meaning I'll be popping in for a pint soon); and the terrific ramble through Avebury, which prompted me to finally watch this beautiful short by Derek Jarman, which had been on my watchlist for years: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yalyD...

I can't wait to dig into Issue Two - Samhain!

[Ned Netherwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful to look at, easy to read and in such sympathy to my own tastes that's its hard to fault it.

[Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

On my folklore zine binge I recently bought the early issues of 'Weird Walk' as it really seemed to sync in with my vibe at the moment and the relationship I think I want to kindle with my natural environment. The zine is born out of a love of walking, and in particular 'weird' walking. Weird Walk isn't easily defined, but it's at the same time recognisable. The articles in here are about engaging with the environment, the landscape and a certain degree of what it means to live in the UK, both in the past and the present.

It's quite a short zine so it will only take half an hour to read. The cover has a big dolmen on it, and yes, there is a piece about dolmens in it and a suggested walk that takes in ancient stones and where to have a pint. What did throw me is that the first article is a guide to Dungeon Synth and where you could walk whilst listening to certain artists. Very weird. Dungeon Synth is one of those genres which I think I like the idea of more than the reality.

I enjoyed the piece about a flat roofed pub which only has three sides. I didn't realise that it was built into arches and is still there, and loved the bit about the cellar bar that had been closed since the early 1980's and when it was opened like a time capsule. The article ends with a really unsettling paragraph as a footnote. Again, very weird.

I really liked the article about a Shakespearean fool (who may, or may have not been dismissed from his troupe for adlibbing the bard) and how he responded to his firing by dancing from London to Norwich before dying destitute a few years later. It feels like a particular mid-life crisis I can somewhat identify with.

Looking forward to reading the rest of these.

[kayleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 🌟🌟🌟🌟

"my ghosts and your ghosts each take up zero space while coexisting in the same location; my myths and your myths have equal footing and in fact, combine to form new, better stronger myths" - justin hopper

the actual content here is wonderful, most of the topics I was familiar with but there was enough specificity to make each entry interesting, and I liked that each is a jumping off point with more to go and discover - walks, music, books etc. I would have given it 5 stars, except that they didn't appear to include any women or femmes as main contributors. will continue reading the series, as I can see later issues do include more diverse voices.

[Amanda Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This zine was obviously made, not just with love for the subject, but with style enough to ensure those who had never walked weirdly would grab a copy. Once inside, readers are treated to content that is brief enough to flit amongst but dense and erudite enough that their first exposé into weird walking feels complete and unpatronising to the beginner. As a migrant who has always felt most at home on English soil, I'm so glad to have further explorations on my itinerary.

[Brannigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always loved the idea of Zines but never found one that I loved enough to subscribe to and read each issue. I loved it. There’s a wonderful mix of history, mythology, culture and a suggested travel route.

[Kieran Telo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real education: I’d never heard of dungeon synth before, for example. The interview with Justin Hopper is another highlight, so too the article on church graffiti. It’s a shame the photos on the inner covers are not captioned. The Weird Walk around Avebury looks like a mere jaunt but knowing the area I can caution you that this is a long afternoons wander. And a good one.

[Andy Haddon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and richly rewarding zine, in the vanguard of the British acid-folk revival.

[Jack Howse · Rating 4 out of 5]

An introduction to forest synth, an article on medieval church graffiti and an interview on psychogeography. What's not to like?