LIFE LESSONS FROM A RETIRED MEDIOCRE BUREAUCRAT

Today, an episode where I walk with my guest along the paths of Greenham Common in Berkshire, England. We explore how photography, adventure, and purpose can align to become one path. Photographer Tom Warburton retired early and, rather than settle into a slower pace, decided to walk the length of the River Ganges, over 1,100 kilometres from the glacier source in the Himalayas to its confluence with the Yamuna near Prayagraj. It was a journey fuelled by curiosity, a love of walking, a desire to see life away from the main roads, and to photograph people and culture with care and respect.

Tom had long held an interest in photography, but like many, life’s other responsibilities often came first. So with time finally on his side, he went in search of something deeper, not just images, but understanding. The result? A slow, human journey through rural villages, pilgrimage sites, nature reserves, and towns where he was often the only outsider for miles.

In today’s episode, we walk and talk about what it means to truly travel with intention, to go off the beaten path, to connect with strangers, and to find portraits in moments where trust is built, not taken. This is a story of walking for photography, walking for perspective, and walking, quite simply, for the love of the road. As the walk draws to a close, Tom arrives in Prayagraj just as the Maha Kumbh Mela begins, a once-in-144-years gathering of extraordinary scale and spirit. On the biggest days, over 40 million people converge: sadhus, pilgrims, Naga ascetics, all drawn to the sacred waters where the Ganges and Yamuna meet. And there’s Tom, camera in hand, somehow slipping through the crowds and into the press areas, ready to capture it all.

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MORE ABOUT names, words, THE MUSIC and places FROM TODAY’S SHOW

Learn more about the extraordinary Maha Kumbh Mela, one of the largest spiritual gatherings on Earth.

Ankit Mahato, Tom’s Indian trail guide mentioned within the show today. Also see Manoj Yadav.

Tom took a small Fujifilm printer to make prints for those he photographed. This page shows the current range.

James Ravilious was a British documentary photographer best known for his quietly powerful black-and-white images capturing the rhythms of rural life in North Devon, creating one of the most intimate visual records of the English countryside ever made.

Mik Critchlow was a British social documentary and portrait photographer who made work about North East England, in particular about his home town of Ashington.

Chris Killip was a British photographer renowned for his stark, empathetic images of working-class life in the industrial north of England, documenting communities with an honesty and depth that gave voice to lives often overlooked.

Side is a cultural hub located on Newcastle's historic Quayside, home to the internationally recognised Side Gallery, Side Cinema, and the AmberSide collection - a UNESCO-registered photographic collection and archive documenting working-class life in the North East of England and beyond.

Tish Murtha was a British documentary photographer whose powerful black-and-white images captured the struggles, spirit, and defiance of working-class communities in 1970s and '80s Britain.

Josef Koudelka is a Czech photographer known for his haunting, wide-angle black-and-white images that document exile, displacement, and the human condition — from his iconic coverage of the 1968 Soviet invasion of Prague to his epic Gypsies and Exiles series.

Tom Warburton’s Covid in Newcastle book, a proportion of the book’s sales revenue goes to Newcastle Hospitals Charity and West End Food Bank.

The day the Space Shuttle ‘landed’ in the UK.

The MAD Foundation (Make A Difference) is a UK-based charity that supports grassroots projects around the world, helping communities through sustainable development, education, and volunteer-driven initiatives that aim to create long-term, meaningful change.

Dennison Berwick was a British traveller and writer who, in 1984, walked the length of the River Ganges from its Himalayan source to the Bay of Bengal, documenting a journey rich in spirituality, culture, and quiet human connection along one of the world’s most sacred rivers.

Kelvin Brown’s flickr Photowalk inspired group - join by invite by clicking on to THIS LINK.

MUSIC LINKS: Ziv Moran sang and wrote today's playout song High Time. Music on the show is sourced primarily from Artlist and also features in Michael Brennan’s Spotify playlist GoFoto. For Apple Music users, follow this playlist.