flowers – My London+

A bit of a random post

Walking into Richmond along the River Thames

I’m dying to get out on the Thames Path again, but the weather has prevented this. As it happens the sections close to the source of the Thames have been flooded after all the rain we’ve had. And it’s the sections further away from London I’m yet to walk. I’m hoping to do some proper planning soon and get back there in June, July and August. It includes overnight stays once we get beyond Goring (Berkshire).

However, last week a friend and I walked a short length of a London section which we’d done before, but separately. My friend has had a hairline fracture of her foot and this was the first walk she’d done. So we took it slowly and had a sit down once. We met at Teddington for a pub lunch close to the river and then walked to Richmond, about 2.7 miles.

Lunch

The day was warm but overcast and we ended with tea and cake overlooking the river at Richmond.

Tea and cake by the river

Yesterday morning I woke to realise I’d pledged to myself to go jogging. I had an inward groan as I slid from bed and wondered whether to bother. I’d not been jogging since the first Covid lockdown and I’d kept it up for around six months. But on Saturday I was trying something on in a shop fitting room and suddenly seeing myself in multiple mirrors my reaction was, how did it come to this? There and then I pledged to get fit. Since I had to stop playing short tennis in December last year (due to tennis elbow), walking was my only exercise. I re-started back at short tennis two weeks ago and now it was time to look at my diet and exercise.

Beverley Park

I was out of the house at 6.35am yesterday. Immediately I got that buzz of being out so early when it’s quiet with hardly anyone else about. Nature seems closer. You can hear the birds sing, the air is sharp, but not cold, and yesterday the sky was blue and the scent of flowers drifted in the morning haze. I headed to my local park and hoped the wet end wouldn’t be too bad. The park looked lovely in the early sunshine and I was the only one there at first. Later a man and his dog overtook me (they were on the third lap when I left after one lap of jogging and walking!)

Dandelion – a favourite of mine

In the wooden area where the mud is particularly bad

I’ve captured my local park in photos so many times over the seasons. I remembered how the first time I jogged there I watched spring turn into summer and then the early stages of autumn. The trees in particular change from stark branches to blossom and then green. The park was muddy in places, but I was determined to walk through my favourite bit down by the wooded part. I had to divert off the path a couple of times to avoid the most muddy parts, but someone had kindly put a few stepping stones down in one section.

Bluebell

Thanks to the kind person for putting down some steping stones

The flowers were looking colourful in the beds near the railings as I came along my finishing path. I saw the post I call my finishing line and sprinted towards it as I always used to. Somehow there is always a small reserve for the big sprint, which I love doing. I then collapsed on the low garden bed wall to recover! I even managed a jog down my road coming home.

I’ve watched these tree stumps rotting over the years

I thought I’d be suffering after that, but this morning I’m not too bad. Legs ache a little, but nothing major. I’m aiming to jog every other day. I need to be mindful of my knees and not overdo it. The diet is a low carb, no dairy, no meat diet, and as I don’t do the last one and only eat diary sometimes, it’s just the carbs I’m going to miss. It’s a sort of detox diet which I did years ago. It’s a 28 day diet. All that chocolate I have is going to have to sit there for a good long time!

Seat, anyone?

My sprint post/finishing line when jogging from the far side (taken from my collapsing point!)

How long can I keep up the jogging? It’s not my favourite way to keep fit. Very far from it. It’s a slog, but during lockdown it kept me fit. I prefer playing badminton or short tennis, but during lockdown all that closed down. Walking was my life saver during lockdown and jogging helped to keep me fit while I couldn’t have a racquet in my hand. Let’s see how things stand in month. Meanwhile, I shall still be out there walking and taking photos. Have a good week everyone.

A touch of spring

Yesterday, I took a stroll along one of my old ‘lockdown’ walking routes to admire the spring flowers. First was a local park where I used to jog (I jog no more!), and then via back roads and over a railway bridge to what is now known as Beeline Way, a path that runs along the railway line. Here the Friends of Beeline Way have planted spring bulbs. I’d heard that it looked pretty, so I decided to take a look for myself.

At the end of the path there is a playing field where boys were well into a game of football. It’s been many years since I spent Saturday mornings in a cold, wind-blown park watching my boys play in Little League. And it was always cold or wet. In winter I would lose the feeling in my toes. Even on sunny days, the wind would sweep across the field. While I hated the standing around, I loved watching them play.

Jay. I didn’t have much time to capture this, and only had my mobile with me.

And then these final two photos were taken in my back garden.

See you next week.

It’s all about the nature

It has been a while since I wandered over to The Wetlands at The Hamptons, so one morning last week I took a stroll over and was lucky to find a Heron as well as a Canada Goose and two Egyptian Geese. The swans seem to have flown, but maybe they will come back later in the year.

The rats must have been around but were being allusive, except I did see one swimming in the pond. My son tells me that rats are good swimmers. His pet ones don’t particularly enjoy water, but wild ones have no problem with it.

How regal do I look in my coat of crowns?

The field belonging to the Lower Morden Equestrian Centre had occupants and they all seemed to have brand new coats. Work is still going on at the Centre but they are still functioning. The field (I call the horse field) is one my favourite parts of the walk.

I took a walk through the cemetery on my way back home where trees were in blossom. Along the path that runs alongside the cemetery, flowers and trees were bursting into life, but with the lack of rain, the little stream that runs long there was dry.

I’ve also been taking photos of birds and squirrels in my back garden. I find them amusing, and there is one pigeon who seems very bold and comes up quite close to me now. They have learned that this is the garden where food is put out. The Magpie and the Starlings love the pond. It needs a good clean out, but it doesn’t seem to stop them from bathing in it. Often there are four Starlings in it together. We have various containers of water in the garden, so there is no shortage of bathing pools.

The Starlings love the suet we put in the feeder and get very narky when we put seed in! They give a disgruntled squark and fly off.

I have spent a long time trying to get the garden going this year. Lockdown finally tried to make a gardener of me last year! I am nowhere near being the gardener my mum and grandparents were, but I like to think they would be amusingly proud of me. The bulbs I put in early April have surprised me are seem to be coming up. I have Lily of the Valley poking up their stems and I can’t wait to see them in flower again. I will probably lose some of the plants I have grown from seed, but I hope there will be enough for a fair show. My tomatoes are still small, but if they all make it, I shall have some to give away. My peas are doing grand. If you grow no other vegetable, grow peas. They are so easy and come up every time. By now it should be okay to plant seed directly into the ground. I grew mine in pots as I wanted to start some off early, and I planted them out in March.

I am keeping an eye on the weather for a good day to walk. At the moment it looks like Friday. Here in the UK we have a Bank Holiday today. Over this weekend I have been painting the kitchen and today it is time to put the shelving back. How many cookery books does one need? Now is the time to have a look through and make a few decisions.

In Search of Spring – A Walk to Raynes Park

Spring is bursting out all over in Holland Gardens

Torn between two walks, I decided to head towards Raynes Park and to Holland Gardens. I’d not been there since sometime last year. I went in search of pretty flowers; signs that spring is on the way!

I set off using the ‘pretty route’, via my local park and the railway cut. After that it is all uphill! Holland Gardens, which I have posted about before, is coming into flower, with sprays of yellow in the bank by the tennis courts, and in the flower beds. From the top of the gardens, there is a lovely view across the whole park. I sat for a short while contemplating what to do next. Consulting Google Maps I saw there was another park nearby. I headed in that direction.

Cottenham Park has a large playing field, tennis courts, and a children’s playground. There is also a nursery on site. There is not much in the way of flower beds, just sprinkles of spring bulbs. I much prefer Holland Gardens! So, I did not linger, and I came home the quick way (along the busy main roads). I’d had the best of the day, as an hour later the rain came!

My week in pictures (5) plus something from the archive.

Going through my some old files on a memory stick I came across a day trip we did as family back in 2003 to Bekonscot Model Village in Beckonsfield in the county of Buckinghamshire. I’ve always had a thing about model villages, and I’ve been to this one twice. Its high time to make a third visit when lockdown is over and we can travel again.

Bekonscot Model Village first opened in 1929 and was the brain child of Roland Callingham, a London accountant. The model railway was initially indoors, but Mrs Callingham said either it goes or she does! The model railway moved outside and the rest is history. In the past the model village was kept up to date with modern cars etc., but in the ’90’s it reverted to the the 1930’s and has remained so.

There is no social distancing here as crowds gather to watch the local football team play, hay is gathered in and railway engines chunters along over bridges and into tunnels, while a wedding takes place in the church, Morris dancers entertain and boats bob on the water. This is a brilliant place to take children and it’s nostalgic for adults. At present it is closed (like everything else) but the website gives instructions for getting there and Beconsfield Station is a short walk away. There is also a photo gallery on the site and lots more information.

This last week seemed much like any other week with a lot of time spent outside reading in the sunshine. I went for a walk with one of my sons and we came back via the shops only to find Tesco Express was closed due to electrical problems. All the other shops had long queues so we used our local Off Licence just to buy the essentials like bread, milk and eggs and some orange juice. Thankfully the small Tesco store opened again yesterday and we managed to buy some fruit and veg.

Jogging is going well. I’ve increased the time I run to when I walk, but I still find time to take photos. There is a small garden just inside the gate I use at the park and I’m watching that change as the daffs and tulips are finishing and new flowers are taking their place. I also baked a Marmalade and Ginger cake which is so moist and light and tasty that it is hard to stick to one slice. That and the left over chocolate from Easter is one of the reasons I run!

Beverley Brook runs along the bottom on the park

My Week in Pictures (2)

Every day seems the same right now. It’s hard to keep track of them, a bit like when it’s Christmas and you can’t remember if it’s Tuesday or Sunday. Routines have gone out the window, yet I find I am rather enjoying slow time. Having had such good weather has helped. I have been gardening again – weeding, sowing more seeds. Reading has also been high on the agenda too and I washed the patio furniture (attempting fate) so I have more sitting options!

I go out about every three days to shop but avoid the big supermarkets as I hate queuing. I’ve noticed that I have more washing up to do but less clothes washing (there are four adults in my house), I am up to date with most of the housework and I think we are actually eating better. I’ve certainly cooked more scratch meals. The meat eaters of the family (two of them) have eaten more veggie and vegan (they usually cook their own meat), and we have settled into this weird way of life. I take each day as it comes and try not to dwell on how long this might last.

There is less traffic and pollution (much better for the planet) and I am more aware of birds singing and bees buzzing. I love watching wildlife from my window, though in this urban area wildlife is usually birds and a visiting cat. Nevertheless, I find it all calming and it’s an opportunity to take photos, which is good news for the blog! So, here is a selection of photos that make up this last week.

Flowers, trees, green spaces and night skies – My week in photos

I’ve been out only to shop and exercise this week (as we have been told to do). I do my exercise and shop together on the whole as I have two parks near to me. One is a cut through to the high street, the other makes a nice round trip. We’ve been lucky weather-wise this week and gardening has been high on the agenda. Digging over beds, planting seeds, potting up, cutting the grass has all been done. I’ve got my pea plants in and hope they can take the winds that have come in the last two days, along with a severe drop in temperature.

So, here is a snapshot of my week in pictures. Hope these cheer you up in these worrying times.