I knew Dick in a childhood sort of way one does when the person appears in one’s life to crew (and work) aboard your Thames spritsail barge home.
Dick disappeared from my life and he next turned up as a ‘yotty’ working for Yachting Monthly. Dick later graduated to News Editor and had his own column, which he still has several years after his retirement.
Dick’s sweet gaff cutter Betty II is moored adjacent to Whimbrel at the same yacht club. We’ve ‘slaved’ together many hours on club work parties so I think I have got to know this author, sailor, raconteur and bloody good bloke fairly well…
I received a copy of Dick’s latest work, Turnip Road, for my birthday in June 2021. I read it during a long summer spent afloat on Whimbrel.
The book tells the tale of a young man who after working on the last working spritsail barge, the Cambria, had a wanderlust that needed to be satiated.
Dick travels across Europe, meeting people travelling in the same direction. He hitched, took buses and actually walked a little of it too…
Some of his fellow travellers became confederates in the same cause: friends on the trail, until one or the other peeled off in their own direction.
What was his direction. Well, along the ‘hippie trail’ in the main at first, but from there it wasn’t clear. He just kept on going.
The scents, smells and filth of the conditions found on the journey convey much colour. One wonders if many of the places have changed? Well, of course they will have, but what I mean is for the betterment of the people?
Dick finally made it to Sidney! The city isn’t one normally associated with such travelling but modern backpackers hike around Oz stopping at the countries cities. Dick had a sister living there, so why not…
I found the book enthralling. His power of description is something else and could possibly be termed ‘purple’ (a phrase chucked my way by someone who clearly hadn’t properly read one of my books!) but all of Dick’s books are so written.
It was a spanking good read.
Only one gripe: a few pictures would have been great and perhaps a route map…
Thank you Dick for filling in much in the way of gaps. I would like an ask! When are you going to progress that brilliant duo, Dippy and her DI?
Turnip Road by Dick Durham.
ISBN: 9798590450107
Published by Amazon. See: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Turnip-Road-Beyond-Hippie-Southend-ebook/dp/B08RZC2FNT
Paperback: £9.00
Kindle: £6.00