In Search of Albion: From Cornwall to Cumbria: A Ride Through England’s Hidden Soul

Offering a warm, amusing and largely anecdotal commentary on modern England, Colin Irwin seeks out the traditional events, festivals and gigs that are becoming increasingly sidelined in our rapidly changing era of instant communication, multi-culturalism and Pop Idol. During his travels, Irwin drinks with eccentrics, sings with strangers and visits a succession of seriously bizarre events and rituals, such as a concert in Dartmoor Prison, sedan chair racing in Lancaster, people flying in Bognor and swimming in the Serpentine on Christmas Day. He discovers that while the world shrinks, there's an increasing tendency for communities to look inwardly at their own heritage. He finds that while the old ways may be in hiding they still thrive and - chatting along the way to iconic characters - that even English folk music is enjoying a resurgence.