As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning

The definition of style over substance - but what great style it is.

As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning is the sequel to Laurie Lee's first autobiography, Cider with Rosie. Lee takes off on a walking trip from his home in Gloucestershire to London in 1934, and off he goes on a series of adventures.

Slow passenger train ride...enjoyable.

A few spoilers below if you are sensitive to those in biographies.

Lee's second autobiography picks up after his first, in 1934, when as a wide eyed 19 year old, he packs up his violin and a tent and with a big breakfast under his belt heads off for London. Having never seen the sea, he decides that via Southampton is the way to go.

Busking his way he makes various discoveries about life and the world on this exposure beyond his Gloucestershire village, and in London establishes himself in a job and a hostel. Some months after this he gets itchy feet, packs up and head for Spain.

For the next few months, being in Spain without any Spanish language is more challenging, but he adapts to being referred to as a Frenchman (nobody considers an Englishman would travel as he does, destitute (almost) and alone), and picks up tidbits of Spanish. He also perfects the local requirements for busking - checking if he needs a permit, making sure the coins don't pile too high in his hat, playing the right tunes.

Over the course of a year he makes his way steadily east, with plenty of diversions. Lee meets up with various people who he finds something in common with, settling for a week or two, or moving on within days. He stays as long as he takes joy from being in a place, or with certain people, but happily moves on once that is over. He shares a lot of his year, but remains fairly discrete about his love life, happily sharing the details of other people though! The Spain that Lee describes is a poor, almost destitute country at this time, politically ripe for resolution as the rich and well separated from the poor.

Towards the end of the book, near the end of 1935, Lee finds himself in Castillo, on the Mediterranean coast and becomes aware of a split in the people, and trouble brewing. While not expecting a civil war, there are definite indicators of problems, and there are violent clashes in the adjacent town of Altofaro, and regular visits from naval ships.

It is here, with an evacuation of British citizens by a British warship the narrative ends. An Epilogue describes Lee's return to England, then his immediate departure, returning to Spain, set to join the war.

Lee is of course a poet, and his writing is very good. He weaves detail into his writing without bogging down the story, and keeps momentum and interest in every page. This was equally as enjoyable as Cider with Rosie

4 stars

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Others in the three part Autobiography
Cider With Rosie