Cool Brittania - not anymore it isn't

Everyone's going to Brexit! 

Everywhere I go since Brexit I hear people discussing their desire to leave Britain. this is particularly evident among young people. I was in my favourite coffee shop and as always earwigging conversation. The young and interested who would have or voted remain are discussing Brexit. Not in the way you might imagine. Far from the infighting, xenophobia of politics.  They are discussing the exciting opportunities and sense of cool offered by big European cities. 

The primary target of this discussion is Berlin, itself the target of unrest lately due to gentrification. The young and the interested are rebelling. Cool Britannia, a tardy phrase coined by Blair and his cronies. When they'd finally, all too late woken up to the value of our creative industries, is dead in the water. Despite the best efforts of our film, music and creative arts industries worth £10 million an hour to the UK.  Britain is about to leech it's best creative minds. Selfish class ridden UK will become a desert wasteland of disaffected youth. Because those with the skills and abilities will realise that Shoreditch isn't it. Just take a tour of any major European city and you will sense the confidence of youth. Not for them the hang ups of class barriers for start ups. Not for them the labels of immigrant if you attempt to put yourself forward. Its a badge of honour to be well read, well dressed and entrepreneurial in the most happening cities in Europe. 

Check out wired magazine's hottest 100 startups and you will see the diversity of ideas and experience. It may be the baby boomers that built stuff, but it is generation Z who are using the tools to greatest effect. 

 It will be generation K who will be the test of Britain's ability to retain a skilled   society. Able to compete as independent individuals against the best in Europe. Douglas McWilliams 'Flat White Economy' describes how skilled immigrants saved London from going under in the last recession. Now Brexit has done it's worst, who will save London and the UK in the next one? The talented immigrants will leave, chased out by xenophobia and hatred. The skilled and independent generation K's from the UK will flee in their droves. I for one will mourn the loss of both. The creative youth that make our society so special. And the brilliant migrants I've met who've enriched my life and the life of our cities so much. Cool is elsewhere, just take a look at football, clothing, bikes, music, clubs, film, science, design and art if you don't agree! 

Bring out your flaneurs

Yes it's true, the Flaneur is back! 

Well, theoretically at least they've never been away. That aside let's go back a couple of hundred years and explore the notion of flanerie. According to Wikipedia the original translation from the French is stroller or lounger. But drawing on the work of  the great critic Walter Benjamin it becomes much much more. The urban explorer, adventurer and documenter of the city.

Hiding in plain sight

So What?
In the past few weeks of part time working I've discovered many friends who are in one way or another flaneurs. What I've learned is that they, far from lounging and sauntering have a huge amount to offer the city. Because they document and photograph things that the average person just doesn't see. They are also passionate about living histories of streets and locations and people. This is amusingly echoed by the creation of an Exeter monopoly game. I can reassure my flanerie that their discoveries in this city will almost certainly not appear on the famous game board. They are far too interesting and unusual.

Why not you say?
The reason for this is it requires time and local inquisitive enquiry to discover the hidden stories of a city. No amount of scant location picking for a game can possibly uncover the treasures they reveal. As ever the sadness is the people rushing by in their relentless hamster wheel existence do not value the city. They certainly  would not appreciate the importance of flaneurs.

Ah the things you see!

What can we do about this?
I believe the key thing is to provide outlets to enable the products of flanerie to come to the attention of people who want to see and know. Yes that's right the inquisitive ones. The Phoenix in Exeter is sadly lacking as an arts centre (insufficient art taking place in my opinion). But does occasionally have local photographic exhibitions. Trouble is they tend to be by people who are 'just' photographers. Not that I'm dismissing the wonderful photographers of the South West, far from it. But they are not flaneurs, they do not all document the minutiae and miscellany that make a place special and significant.

Who are they?
If you want an example, local author, song writer and flaneur extraordinaire,  Steve Harris's Facebook images and blog articles are a great place to look.

Make me happy!
I't would delight me if you can identify others and share them with me here.
A recent financial times article cites Exeter as a draw for entrepreneurs looking for work-life balance. It is a brilliant city, but to my mind they don't know the half of it! Do you?