Simon Bill : ‘The Pointless Pilgrim: You’ll know when you find it’

St Marys Church, Cannon Street, Dover CT16 2BY, Sunday May 28th 2023 at 3pm
All were welcome, it was FREE entry with no advanced booking required.

DAD is delighted to have been asked, for the second year running, by the Reverend Catherine Tucker from St Mary’s Church Dover to present a talk as part of the  Kent Pilgrimage Festival.

It began to become clear that Simon Bill’s walks around Dover were walks of discovery which he set out on with no specific ‘point’ in mind but an openness  to a ‘point’ if and when one arose. Simon’s talk followed a similar form with these ‘points’ of presence or stillness arising as if those who were present, also came upon them with him, as he was led by multiple slides of previous walks inspiring the story he was telling us.

I must say I did enjoy that opportunity to talk at St Mary’s and it seemed that those who were there got something worthwhile out of it. For myself, I found I was talking about some things I hadn’t intended to, and that seem important, such as the almost religious nature of some of the feelings associated with the places and things I encounter as I walk around this town.  

I found it very engaging  – the talk & images was such an  exploration in itself – of  the difference between a walk and a pilgrimage and seemed to create ‘neo- ground’. It felt deeply personal,  subjective  as well as more objectively revealing an under-belly of  Dover – and kept us entwining  those perspectives so the images had impactful meaning. Each one was a find.  I thought everyone there was listening intently.