EP59 - STORYTELLER AND ADVENTURER - James Lawrence

AKA Man About Country! Our first walking podcast along the banks of the River Chelmer through Chelmsford City Centre to Essex Records Office. James aka Man About Country. Born in Chelmsford, raised in Kelvedon. He loves telling stories about Britain, the land, the people, the folklore - pushing it beyond a grey boring concrete place you wouldn’t want to explore. Getting out is great for physical and mental health. Growing up in Essex gave James an appreciation of the countryside. During COVID he was living in Cornwall, and he started to venture out and feel the benefits of outdoor space. It gave James space for self-discovery. Exploring your local area can unlock discoveries and wonder. We find a new bit of street art by Candy Joyce and Scott Brave on a pumping station wall - Knobby the troll. Street art trails like Chelmsford’s Concrete Canvas are so good for exploring within cities. He started making walks with points of interest for his friends, his friends were encouraging and it expanded organically. Finding a job you are passionate about makes you excited to get going on a Monday morning. 2025 was all about focusing on exploring Essex. James will now expand to the whole country. James trained on Dartmoor about outdoor education and nature connection so he could communicate better and with more knowledge. Energy and enthusiasm for a subject is infectious. Discovering Mesopotamia Island in Chelmsford and hearing about the 19th century mock elections and river dunkings. Culture Essex sponsored James to create the Essex Ways project as part of a round of arts funding. Gathering stories from all over Essex travelling 400km by foot. Reclaiming the image of Essex women from the reductive portrayal in TOWIE. His history degree helps with research, his acting experience helps with storytelling. Stories are alive, they adapt and grow with every telling, and over thousands of years parts of these tales can become more important for relevant thought and times. Learning from old stories can serve as cautionary tales today - look at the spreading of disinformation about witches in the Essex witch trials. Essex arguably has the longest coastline of any county in England. Clacton has the best banter and stories in Essex. James has worn his stick down from shoulder height to a short cane. James has recorded a special mini podcast story trail for Chelmsford as part of Essex Podcast Festival. People can explore the town and activate his stories in the place that they were recorded. Like the story of Caesaromagus - which was in Chelmsford in Roman times - basically a market stop off on the way between London and Chelmsford - like a Roman Greggs! Man About Country websiteMan About Country InstagramMan About Country TikTokEssex Podcast FestivalAre You Creative? video recorded by Adam from Lawker Media, out and about in Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support