I love it when I find somewhere new and this was rather a lovely find. I had to go and pick up a book I ordered and decided to make more of the journey than just there and back, especially as I had to use the bus. So I looked at the map and found this park close to the main road.
This is a place to return to midweek when the children are in school! It was very busy with families making the most of a rare warm sunny day in November, and who could blame them? The park has a cafe (takeaway for the moment) and the all important toilets.
I wasn’t here long, just long enough to drink my takeaway hot chocolate and wander around taking photos, but I shall certain return.
Hogsmill River (from the bridge on the A3 between New Malden and Tolworth)
The Hogsmill flows from Ewell in Surrey to the River Thames at Kingston. I have in the past walked the length of it, splitting it into two walks, but yesterday I revisited just a small portion of it. This section runs from the A3 in New Malden to Green Lane Park (New Malden). One of my son’s suggested it, so we walked together on a cold but bright day. The sky offered us interesting cloud formations and in the lower parts fog was still lifting.
I do love an interesting sky
There are various bridges and paths, some take you out to nearby residential roads.
If you look there is still some colour to be foundI must learn my trees! They are beautiful in all seasonsThe mist still hung a little hereIt’s easy to think that everything is brown and dying at this time of year. But look closer and you see the beautyWe encountered Robins, Parakeets and this lone Heron
A day for the hat!
On the left is the river, to the right of the trees is Green Lane ParkTrains from London going westGreen Lane Park
The last day before lockdown I went into London to meet my writing buddy. London looked brilliant in the sunshine, but it was very cold.
Next door to The Globe Theatre is one of oldest houses (with the red door) in the shadow of Tate Modern
Not a great image, I’m afraid, but the house with the red door is where Sir Christopher Wren once lived, as well as Anne Bolyn
We met at Embankment tube station intending to go into Embankment Gardens and have an outdoor lunch together at the cafe, but the cafe was closed. We set off over Hungerford Bridge to the south bank side of the River Thames and walked up to Southwark where we bought a take-out lunch and then looked for somewhere to stop and eat. Eventually we ended up at Hay’s Galleria near London Bridge. This is an indoor mini shopping centre overlooking the river. Here we found seats. It was the ideal place to sit away from the wind to eat, chat and then write. We do what is called free writing, timed sessions with prompts. We start with a minute writing about one word. We did three of those with prompts inspired by our surroundings – machine, star, shackles. We moved onto a two five minutes sessions and an eight minute one. After that we were getting cold, so we called it day with the writing.
Hay’s Galleria
To get warm we walked all the way to Lambeth Bridge and over onto the north side, and back along the river bank to Embankment tube station. Here we went our separate ways trying to keep positive about the four week lockdown, and looking forward to a meet-up in December.
Westminster Bridge
As I walked back over Hungerford Bridge to the station I began to feel sad. This was the last day anyone would be able to eat out, go for a drink or mix with anyone outside their own household (apart from one other, but it has to be outside). Some places like Pret are staying open for take-aways, but all non essential shops were due to close. Apparently, Oxford Street was very busy with last minute shoppers, but generally London felt quiet where I was. It was like saying goodbye to an old friend – the strangest feeling.
Hungerford Bridge with Charing Cross station in the background
How do you like these cute babies? My son keeps pet rats, and these are the latest. They are named after characters in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! So we have the twins (white with emerging grey) Raff and Leo (don’t ask which is which, we don’t know that yet!), Donny (the brown and cream) and Mikey (the grey and white).
One of the twinsMikeyThe twins with MikeyDonnyDonny
The notes in my book said this walk would take two to three hours. I suppose I didn’t do too bad considering I lost my way twice and had to contend with extreme mud in places. That slowed things down a little. Even so, I completed the walk in just under three hours.
The walk begins and ends at Chessington South railway station. It being schools half term holidays last week, I got off the train with families on their way to Chessington World of Adventure. I quickly left them behind as I was cutting down a lane that would take me behind the zoo and adventure park.
The woods at Winney Hill
The view from the top of the hill
The viweing point
The pond, Winney Hill
The first part of the walk led me off that path and up a hill known as Winney Hill, quite apt actually as the field beyond the woods I walked through contained grazing horses. The book was a little vague about direction here. It said walk acros the field, but which way? Using my instinct (a vague and sometimes unbelieved sense of direction) I worked out that straight on meant left. I could hear the screams of the riders on the rollercoaster from the adventure park and knew I needed to go along that way. I did find the viewing point and the small lake on my way, so I knew then that I was right. Following the fence of the adventure park was the easy bit. Eventually, on my right, I came across the car park for the park, and an entrance, which a steward tried to guide towards before I told her I wasn’t going in, just passing.
The pond on Winney Hill
Er….how?
Back of Chessington World of Adventure
At the bottom I crossed the main road and headed along a grass track to another road, which I also crossed. I was doing quite well until I came across an arable field. The books said walk straight across it. I found a grass swathe alongside the field which I took. I was walking towards the farm buildings. I felt quite explosed here, wondering…should I be walking along here? The book told me to look for a gap in the hedge on the other side. Huh? I guess I was expecting some tiny shove-through hedge job, but actually there was a wide gap which took me up through another field towards Ashtead Common.
The arable field
Here I was back on a main path. There was a temptation to explore the common, but I was conscious of time and getting lost, so I stuck with my plan. Something I have come to realise is that the signposts for footpaths don’t always correspond with the ones in books! I came to a fork in the path with several options. I wasn’t sure which way, but I went right. I wasn’t convinced, so I asked a walker coming from the direction I was going. He confirmed my fears, but at least I hadn’t walked far. I retraced my steps back to the original path and carried on to Stew Pond, the next main point on my walk. There I picked up the Chessington Countryside Trail and headed towards Horton Country Park.
Across the fence from Ashtead Common
Stew Pond
It was near Horton Country Park that I veered off track somehow. Again I stopped a walker. She was so helpful that she actually led me back to where I needed to be. We chatted about walks, direction, getting lost! We found some noticeboards near a car park and some toilets, and this is where we parted. The toilets were open so I made use of them. Then I was off again. Somehow, more luck than judgment I think, I managed to keep to the right paths, trunderling along the side of a field and then up through a path that went by the back gardens of houses. I was nearly there.
Anyone know what these animals are? They were in a field, privately owned (Horton Country Park)
The last part brought me out to a road I vaguely knew, but I overshot the signpost. I’d seen it, but convinced myself it was the wrong way! Silly me. I double backed and hauled my aching legs up the steps into the last part of the walk. This sections was Huntingate Walk and had lovely views back over the countryside. At the end of the path I came back out on Garrison Lane and the station was a welcome sight over the road.
Jimmy C street art at Blackfriars Bridge, London. Jimmy C is an Australian artist inspired by coloured dots used in Aborginal art (thanks to Look Up London for these extra facts)
NaBloPoMo stands for National Blog Post Month. The aim is to write daily blog posts. I have taken part in this before with other blogs I write. This year I’m taking the challenge on here.
After the news last night, that England is going back into lockdown on Thursday 5th November until 2nd December, we all need positive images in our lives. It will still be possible to meet one other person not in your household outside, but with cafes, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities closed there is little to do except walk. Luckily, that is something I enjoy doing.
My usual posts will appear here, but in between I shall be posting other things – maybe just a photo or two. Who knows?
So here is the first one. It was full moon last night, the second one in the month, called a Blue Moon.
There aren’t many places one can go without booking in advance these days, but Southwark Cathedral is one of them. I went along mainly to see the small exhibition called Treasures of the Thames that is situated in the corridor between the catheral and the shop (closed) and the Refectory (open). There are only three cases showing finds from the Thames shoreline, but all the objects are interesting.
I was alone the cathedral for much of the time. That’s never happened before. It’s usually buzzing with activity. A small service was taking place in the Harvard Chapel (socially distanced and closed to the public). In some ways it was nice to wander in such a place alone, yet a shame to see all the seating removed and this magnificent building so little used at the moment.
From the Choir stallsThe chapels
Me and Will Shakespeare in the Cathedral gardens
I did venture into the Refectory (again, just three people sitting together at a table). I bought a hot drink and sat inside this normally bustling cafe. Afterwards I walked back to the station along the south bank. The weather had been sunny when I’d ventured out that morning, but clouds were gathering. It was only a matter of time before rain would start. However, I took the opportunity to go down to the shoreline myself. There is a gate not far from Gabriel’s Wharf that is often open. It is here you usually find a sand scuplturer and kids playing on this sandy section. It’s very beach-like.
An empty Gabriel’s WharfLow tide
I began searching, prodding with my foot, looking for something to take home. One is supposed to have a Licence to Mudlark (as it is called), but I didn’t think I would find anything anyway. What I did bring home were pieces of coloured glass, bits of pottery a bone (everyone has had a laugh about that one, telling me it’s a chicken bone – it probably is) and some pieces that could be pipe stems. Once you get your eye in, you can find all sorts of things. Some of it is modern, like the bottle cap I found, but you never know what might be there.
By the time I left rain was spitting. I’d had the best of the day, and one day, I promised myself, I would book a session with the expert Mudlarkers and get some knowledge!
My treasures! Possible pipe stems (?) left, near the top, very brown!
This was a visit where two people (friends) who were going to the exhibition together, had to enter apart to get in! With local restrictions (Covid 19) two households are not allowed to mix indoors, and this also means not visiting galleries together. The RA had not connacted me about this (I’d bought the tickets before these restrictions were in place). It was my friend who told me as she had seen it on their website. However, it’s not blazen across their website – I had to go looking for it. So, we worked out a stratergy. Luckily, the tickets (printable) were on separate sheets, so when we met I gave my friend her ticket. We bought lunch at the station and ate in Trafalgar Square.
The Fourth Plinth, Trafalgar Square
On arrival at the RA I went in first and my friend followed a few minutes later. We went round the exhibition separately and met up in the last room before going around the shop together. Outside we had a cuppa and sat by the statue of Joshua Reynolds for a chat.
Bringing the Past to New Horizons – Anthena Anastasiou
I understand the policy of the RA, but everyone has to wear a mask, the numbers of people kept are low (the RA does really well, and I applaude them for that. I always feel safe there). But we were just two people, not a group. My friend was convinced we would get stopped. I was pretty certain we would be okay. Obvioulsy now, I would not book tickets for us while the restrictions are in place, but we did do it safely.
Vier Plus Eins – Anselm Kiefer
And so to the exhibition. There was a good mix of painting, sculpture and models. I always love the model room where mock-up buildings stand showing new buildings for industry, people and the idea of new worlds. Planners always have interesting ideas, and there is something very ‘dolls house’ about them that make me want to play with them!
Here the famous rub shoulders with other artists. Anyone can enter for a fee of £35. This year my sister-in-law entered a piece of sculpture. She got through the first round and was asked to take her work in for the second round, but unfortunately she was not picked. However, to get through the first stage is an achievement in itself.
There is work here by two of my favourite artists – Anselm Kiefer and Grayson Perry. I took photos of things I liked or struck me as interesting. I also get ideas from these sorts of exhibitions. I am a dabbler in art. After years of not drawing or painting I have graduated back to ‘having a go’. Fired up by Grayson Perry’s Art Club on TV during the worst of lockdown, I produced something for each week, and I am currently taking part in a Twitter’s Inktober, producing ink drawings and ink wash in response to daily prompts. I still haven’t found my medium, but I do love working with ink. However, I want to try other things (I’m a hopeless watercolourist). I only share a few of my ink drawings on Twitter. Basically, everyone is so good, I was embarassed! I do share them on Facebook. Oh, my poor friends!
Ghost Towers (after Piranes) – Emily Allchurch
However, art is for everyone, and I find it relaxing. It’s been something to hang on to in these times, however bad my art is, and sometimes it is really bad. But back to exhibition. I think there is something here for everyone, whatever your taste – traditional and experimental. Hopefully, next year the exhibition will be back to its summer slot. But who knows where we will be in 2021.
My London+ 