Solo exercise from outside The Swan Grendon Underwood HP18 0SW

Listen to the skylarks even if they are not around

Solo exercise, inspired by hash running and walking, so called sash ! The sash idea came about with the corona pandemic, to allow for local exercise, solo or with your bubble, etc. Though with UK rule relaxation, undertake according the present guidelines. Ground rules, accordingly relaxed: 1) No set date or time. 2) Undertake in groups up to the maximum allowed by guidelines. 3) Keep 2 metres apart from those outside your bubble. 4) Keep 2 metres apart from others if you encounter. 5) Ideally pick sashes that are local to you. 6) Walk bits where you can't clearly see the way ahead, so that 2 metre separation from others can be maintained. 7) In the pub, wear mask according the venue guidelines, or if none, your preference. 8) Mask not recommended while drinking or eating. 9) Do the sash at your own risk. How it works: Visible on your Apple/Android smartphone or GPS-equipped tablet, referred to here as device, are the following: A start/end square, and four circles showing the initial direction. Your device audibly 'echoes' blobs, checks, etc, when in the vicinity. You can just keep your device in your pocket or backpack, and follow the blob echoes. Or for a check echo, discover which way the blob trail continues. Three blobs in succession, or another check, and you've found the onward trail. A false echo means it's not that way. An echo saying 'on left', or 'on right', means go that way. Echoes can announce a fair few paces prior to the spot. And echoes repeat every minute if you linger. The runners true trail is 5.4 miles, the walkers 2.3 miles. Part-way along the trail, your device echoes that the runners and walkers trails diverge. They rejoin later. The runners trail has one 'fish hook' echo, at which you should return to the last check, then rerun that section. Toward the end, your device echoes 'beer near', then 'beer stop'. For the latter you may like to take some refreshment in your backpack. Nearer the end, your device echoes 'inn no', and leads you back to the start/end point. If you get stuck, a help map is available: Zoom in on the start/end square, then tap the triangle beside, then tap SEE MORE. The blue square is the start/end, the arrows show the trail direction, and the walkers-only part is dotted. On your device, open the Apple App Store or Android Play Store, and type ‘echoes’ in the store search box. The ECHOES app icon looks a bit like a fingerprint. Install, then open, and sign up. The trail should list under 'near you'. Tap MORE NEAR YOU if not. Possible too, is a tap on the magnifying glass, then type the trail postcode with space, or 'sash' for all. Tap a trail, then tap STREAM WALK to use online copy. Or tap DOWNLOAD or down-arrow symbol for offline copy, then tap START. Swipe down screen to refresh downloaded copy, in case changed online. Sometimes app exit then app restart are needed to fully refresh downloaded copy. Download might get stuck before reaching 100%. In which case, exit app then restart, and tap STREAM WALK instead. Tips: Like most location apps, ECHOES uses the battery a fair bit. A fully-charged device should be enough for the trail. But you might like to take a powerbank, or spare battery. Plus a paper map as backup. This info is viewable in a browser at https://explore.echoes.xyz/collections/gNWhwuxZSC5I71bW Trail last updated 30 July 2021 21:36

Inspired by Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, "Thin Space" is an immersive audio experience that explores the mysterious boundaries between parallel worlds within Oxford's Botanic Gardens. This innovative musical project transforms the physical garden space into a sonic landscape where reality and fantasy interweave. As listeners walk through specially mapped routes in the gardens, they encounter carefully crafted soundscapes that blur the line between the tangible world around them and the magical universe of Lyra Belacqua. The composition draws from both the garden's natural ambience and created musical elements, reflecting the novel's concept of multiple worlds existing in the same space. Each pathway offers a unique auditory journey, allowing visitors to experience the gardens both as their physical selves and through the lens of Pullman's rich narrative. Field recordings, original music, and ambient sounds combine to create moments where, like the characters in His Dark Materials, listeners might sense the presence of other worlds just beyond their reach. This installation celebrates the special significance of the Oxford Botanic Gardens in Pullman's work, particularly as the setting for pivotal scenes in the trilogy. Through sound, "Thin Space" invites audiences to explore the delicate membrane between reality and imagination, creating an experience that is both deeply personal and universally accessible.

Sound-walk poetry, made to be listened outdoors. Avoid using noise-cancelling headphones.

Come on a sonic journey through the forest with students from Mars class, Slated Row School, Milton Keynes. Featuring three fantastic original compositions, you can journey to Kents Hill Park near Slated Row to do the trail, or listen from the comfort of your own home! You will need to download the Echoes app to listen to the music. Enjoy! Created by students and staff in Mars class, Slated Row, Milton Keynes, in collaboration with Drake Music, The Stables, IF: Milton Keynes International Festival and Milton Keynes Music Hub. . For more information on the project head to www.plantedsymphony.com

An audio anthology of poems and stories inspired by the theme of "Walking Home" produced by walk · listen · create in association with the Milton Keynes Literary Festival and the Parks Trust. Earlier in 2022, Walk Listen Create ran a writing competition inviting people to submit poetry and stories of up to 250 words on the theme of “Walking Home”. They published a printed chapbook of the anthology and invited the authors to record themselves reading their work. Since then, they have reached out to MK Lit Fest to establish a collaborative project. The resulting audio anthology, available as a SoundWalk called Walking Home – Milton Keynes, draws on these existing audio recordings and incorporates: recordings of selected poems and short stories from MK Lit Fest’s MinK #1 and #2 printed anthologies recordings of poems from the winners of The Parks Trust’s 2022 Poetry Competition.

A futuristic sound scape of rehashed and remixed recordings of High Wycombe places