Plaque at the beginning of the Fish Trail, Queen Victoria Square, Hull.
In my home town there is an activity called the Fish Trail. You pick up a map from the city hall and follow the carvings of various fish around the city. “Although we may come to know one area of the city in detail, the rest we will only know as isolated locations strung together by journeys.” (Pearson, 97) the fish trail aims to get people exploring areas they may never have been to and letting them see hidden bits of beauty or history.
Shark carving, Whitefriargate.
I was researching Ports of Call, a project that “has created a series of walking trails, artwork and historical interpretation with members of the communities surrounding the Royal Docks in London.” (Ports of Call website) and it reminded me of the Fish Trail and how you can live somewhere all your life but never really explore and get to know the area.
Small fish carvings, Queen Victoria Square
How much do we really know about the place/s we call home? We live in areas surrounded by these hidden gems that unless they are purposefully sought out, remain unnoticed. I think that needs to change, how can we live somewhere without actually knowing where we live?
Pearson, Mike. (2010). Site Specific Performance. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.