Gunpowder Park

Iain Sinclairs book 'London Orbital' (2002) documents his attempt to walk anti-clockwise around the M25. He sets off from Waltham Abbey on the Eve of the Millenium and stands on Sewardstone bridge, above the infamous road, a mere stones throw from the old Gunpowder Mills. In 2002, the visitor centre at Gunpowder Park was just a concept in the making. Now they are giving me money to develop ideas for art work.
On my first visit to Gunpowder Park I attempted to walk from the train station thinking that it would be a great learning opportunity, field research. This turned into an ill-fated journey across desolate landscape populated by distribution centres, retail parks and new housing. Featureless land designed for the car, hard on the foot and on the eye. After navigating more roundabouts than I care to mention, and seeing my interview time drawing closer, I eventually threw in the towel, called in at the local Travelodge where I pleaded the receptionist to phone for a cab. The driver didn't speak fluent English so I showed him the postcode of the park which he duly pumped into his 'sat-nav'. Although our conversation didn't exactly flow, I did understand that he loved his sat-nav, a device he said he could not do without. This enthusiasm was soon put into question when the taxi eventually drew up outside a petrol station connected to an infamous supermarket chain. He swore that according to his sat-nav the place I wanted was right here in the forecourt. We eventually headed back into Waltham Abbey, and quite near to the train station got directions from a pedestrian. (Most people hadn't heard of Gunpowder Park)
Anyway, yesterday I read an article in the papers entitled 'pensioners who have lived in travelodge for 22 years'. David and Jean Davidson pulled up in 1985 and have been very happily looked after ever since. To recognise their loyalty Travelodge have decided to rename their room 'The Davidson Suite'. They get well looked after, the staff are apparently 'like family', and they say that it's cheaper than an old peoples home.
As Paul Virilio put it: ' We are no longer citizens, we are passengers in transit'.