Retired Cumbrian teacher’s pilgrimages inspired book
Added: (Tue Mar 19 2024)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
Following in the footsteps of Saints proved to be the perfect pandemic pick-me-up for retired teacher David Bamford.
The 80-year-old from Brampton, in Cumbria, completed three epic pilgrimages once the lockdowns were lifted.
And he’s now published his reflections of those physical and psychological journeys with the release of Stones on the Pathway.
David, whose favourite authors include André Gide, Emile Zola and Marcel Pagnol, said: “Stones on the Pathway is a collection of reflections, in poetry and in prose, of observations and experiences lived mainly during the Covid pandemic.
“These were born of confinement when my world shrank to my immediate surroundings.
“Although, at the same time and in the subsequent short term, pilgrimages were undertaken.”
The contrast of confinement with the long and winding pilgrimage routes is beautifully expressed within Stones on the Pathway.
As the stay-at-home rules were relaxed David undertook the Whithorn Way, in south-west Scotland, and also the Two Saints Way across Staffordshire and Cheshire.
And eventually, in 2022, he crossed into Europe to trek through the Pyrenees and complete the Camino de Santiago.
While the long-distance trails and their religious origins provide the backbone of Stones of Pathway, David’s most recent publication is also a deeply personal view of a changing and troubled world.
The adventurous grandfather, who once crossed the Andes on horseback, added: “Stones on the Pathway is a collection of writings, in prose and poetry, mainly related to walking - something of which I do quite a lot.
“As I walk, I think.
“The thoughts transfer themselves into words which, in turn transform themselves into sentences, paragraphs and lines of poetry.
“Thus, my books take shape.”
David has been composing poetry since being advised to by fellow students at university in the late 1960s.
His natural ability for figurative language and thought-provoking stanzas, though, may be traced back to at least two ancestors he’s recently discovered were also published poets.
As well as a distinguished career as a teacher, David also spent time as an educational consultant and a translator.
David, who has been married to Gillian for over 50 years, has no plans, as yet, for further pilgrimages, although he does plan to continue writing poetry.
For more information visit Amazon and search for David Bamford, where the Kindle and paperback versions of Stones on the Pathway are available.
Notes to the Editor
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