Regional Rides is an audio podcast series documenting a 36 day, solo, motorcycle road trip around the British Isles, undertaken in the autumn of 2017. Like William Cobbett whose Rural Rides was published in the 1820s, I had saddled up, in part, with a political purpose in mind. This production documents my progress through the twelve regions of the UK and reaction to the events of each day, and airs conversations about the state of nature and society in the UK and wider world, recorded with a variety of people along the way, including academics, union and party officials, and others.

Released in 2019 on SoundCloud and Apple Podcasts, without fanfare, it remains little known.

The series has twelve episodes, each of which is dedicated to a region and has the same structure : voice memos recorded on the day, often at the roadside, followed by the speakers from the region, repeated for each day, and with an introduction explaining the itinerary for the three days, and end credits. The theme is original.

The road trip was, in part, a response to circumstances : I was homeless, having left my long term relationship, home, and (PT) employment, and did not wish to continue staying with family or friends at the time (I had bought a motorcycle earlier in the year). Regional Rides was produced using a smartphone, digital handy recorder, and laptop computer. It was post-produced using Audacity in private rental accommodation secured the following year with the help of the local authority. The project was self-funded with a contribution from my family and the support in-kind of hosts and strangers.

The series can be found here or here. Just 3 episodes are accessible at present until I renew an unlimited subscription.

Accompanying collections of artwork and photographs can be viewed in the Gallery.

© JONATHAN OATES 2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED