Journey Up The Thames follows the course of the river to its source, the same journey taken by William Morris in News From Nowhere. John Payne explores both the villages and towns he passes through and the ambiguities of life in modern England. William Morris's ideas of democracy, of craft, of technology and the countryside form the backdrop of this journey, which ends 'by this sweet stream that knows not of the sea.'

The journey covers Walthamstow, Merton, Putney, Hammersmith, Hampton Court, Runnymede, Windsor, Eton, Slough, Cookham, Reading, Abingdon, Oxford and Kelmscott.

"John Payne might not have actually found utopia anywhere up the Thames from London to Kelmscott, but his appreciation of what he calls "Morris's tone" is keen, and the obvious enjoyment he had in writing this delightful book is yours to be shared when you read it." - Freedom

"What I valued about his upstream journey was the way he teases out a whole series of today's social issues, in particular the loss of traditional employment and the widening gulf between the poor and the affluent." - Town and Country Planning

"This is not a literary book, nor is it a book about Morris... It is a book about the plight of all people at the beginning of the 21st century... it's ideas are important and thought-provoking." - Journal of Utopian Studies

John Payne has written books on adult education. His book on the culture and history of Catalonia is forthcoming from Five Leaves.