More From Outer Surburbia

The second of my incursions into outer surburbia last Saturday was to Walton on the Hill, part of the Surrey pony belt around the southern fringes of London. Like Pratt’s Bottom its a  area with a village settlement pattern set in green belt aspic, now populated by SUV man and of woman) a curiously rural commuter enclave between M25 and the rows of houses of suburbia proper.

© 2009 Peter Marshall.

Of course I’m sure its a very pleasant place to live, where cricket, warm beer and the Festival of Britain atmosphere still thrive, but it does gives me a strong feeling of déjà vu, or perhaps more appropriately déjà vécu. Outer suburbia isn’t outer space or even Outer Mongolia, but that drive around the M25 does seem somehow to slip into a parallel universe where at least in some respects time has just not passed as it has elsewhere.

© 2009 Peter Marshall.

The name of the event, a May Pageant, certainly has a ‘New Elizabethan‘ resonance, although perhaps surprisingly the event dates from the late 60s rather than the mid 50s.  But truly I don’t mean to knock it. The event shows a real spirit of community that has been largely lost in our cities, and an emphasis on the local that is perhaps something that will be needed if we are to have a sustainable future.

This year I photographed the procession to the fairground and then retired to the rather pleasant pub from where it starts,  but in May 2007 I made a rather more inclusive record, from the start:

© 2007 Peter Marshall

through the whole of the May Queen crowning there

© 2007 Peter Marshall

and the whole of the fun of the fair, including maypole and belly dancing, pig and balloon races, fights between choirboys and sumo wrestlers,  Wild West Shoot-outs, Red Riding Hood and the wolves.

© 2007 Peter Marshall

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.