by Peter Cox, CoolTan workshop participant

Five of us met outside the Maudsley Hospital in Denmark Hill from 12 noon. Ari, our guide for part of the walk, told us about the history behind the hospital which opened in 1923 and was founded by Henry Maudsley ( 1835-1918 ), a distinguished and wealthy psychiatrist. A nearby road, De Crespigny Park, is named after an 18^th century family home which was visited by Boswell, biographer of Dr. Johnson.

Ari told us of the origin of the word Camberwell- a place with a well for poor or broken people. But Camberwell Hall, where parquet flooring was made, held regular dancing events attended by people who were well-off.

Later we passed St. Peter’s Church in Liverpool Grove off Walworth Road and near Faraday Park. Victorian church tenants had to abstain from alcohol, keep clean and attend church. After lunch at a café in East Street, which was busy with market activity, we passed through the Heygate Estate, which is due to be redeveloped. I saw a lot of empty accommodation, and a melancholy, indeed eerie walkway above us with a row of long disused shops.

Trinity Street was however brighter and more elegant, and in Redcross Street, we saw the almshouses built by housing reformer Octavia Hill ( 1838-1912) who received money from John Ruskin.

The 6 mile walk finished at the Tate Modern, where we had coffees before parting company, and where I then saw a free Surrealist art exhibition before seeing the play “Moll Flanders” at the Southwark Playhouse.

Peter Cox ( 59 ) was made redundant after 22 years of employment as an accounts clerk in May 2007, then experienced considerable depression and anxiety. He was also diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. He has been taking part in Cooltan Arts activities from February 14 2008, and has had a “Mental Health Collage on exhibition there. He also took part in the sponsored Largactyl walk on October 11 08. For World Mental Health Day the day before, he recited 5 of his poems at an event in Morden. This is one of them-

I used to think “I’m normal, but I simply don’t succeed”,

I now think “Though disabled, I do very well indeed.”

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