trees – 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.

Trees…mainly about trees!

Southbank, London

This week is a cobbled together post which highlights my week of walks, meeting friends and a sunset. A theme appeared which seems to revolve around trees!

I was up in London late last week. London always looks good at night with its vibrant assortment of lights, reflections in the river and lit up bridges. I cannot resist taking photos.

Hayward Gallery, Southbank. Not strtictly treees, but shaped a little like them?!

At the weekend my elder son and I took his puppy to Wimbledon Common. This was Rue’s second trip on a bus. We went upstairs and he sat with me by the window so he could see everything, but frankly he was more interested in people coming up the stairs or leaving!

We walked him up Wimbledon Hill, through a busy Wimbledon Village and onto the common. We took him for a curcuit of Cannizaro Park where he met a few dogs and enjoyed all the attention. Cannizaro park was alive with bird sounds, and we saw a parakeet mugging a squirrel until it found a hole to escape into.

Cannizaro Park

In Cannizaro Park

Spring is coming

Stream in Cannizaro Park

I love the colours of bamboo

The park looks good any time of year

Snowdrops

Back onto the common and away from roads we let Rue off the lead and he was a very happy dog.

Wimbledon Common

By Beverley Brook, near the end of our walk.

This is new since I was last here. I never knew this.

I finally charged the battery in my bridge camera yesterday. I’m so glad I did as we had a lovely sunset last night, so the following photos were taken from my back garden. See you next week!

An abandoned walk and Richmond Park

Last week when I left home for a walk, I had no idea where I might go. I only knew that I wanted to walk somewhere I’d not been before, or at least not for a long time. I ended up walking towards Beverley Meads, a place I’d not visited for about three or four years. It meant walking along a busy bypass to get there, and I was a little unsure of the way in.

However, the first part went well, as I followed the sign to Beverley Brook walk. But then came a part I didn’t remember. I was standing on a bridge off the busy bypass (where the photo above was taken). Google maps wasn’t helping much, so I used my instinct to get me there. It wasn’t long before I encountered a great deal of mud, and the path I needed was totally awash with it. I ended up back on the bypass trying to find another way in.

Not an inviting path! No way could I use this.

I came to Colliers Wood Football Club and wound my way round the side. Someone had laid plastic steps across the worst of the mud, and I made it into an area known as Fishponds Nature Reserve. As I crossed a bridge, I was faced with an astounding amount of mud! I tried to find some drier places, but my feet sank into it. Mud sucked at my walking shoes and went over the top of them. I found a boardwalk and followed it until the path ran out. Beyond was more mud. I knew when I was beat and I turned around and retraced my steps.

Back out on to the A3 bypass, and feeling defeated, I realised I was not yet ready to go home. If I kept walking, I would eventually come to the Robin Hood Gate entrance to Richmond Park. It was further than I thought, but there was not turning back.

Richmond Park, near the Robin Hood Gate entrance

Once I entered Richmond Park the noise of traffic was replaced by the sound of birds, especially the Parakeets. What are Parakeets doing here? Well, there are many stories of how these birds got here into this part of London, but possibly it is no more than a few escaped pets. However, they have spread to other parts of England, and if you want to know more about them, then click on this link.

Looking at the park map, I decided I would walk to the Kingston Gate. To walk around the whole of Richmond Park is about ten miles. Many years ago I did a charity walk around the park with my brother, but I’ve not done it since. Although the day was fast losing its brightness, it was lovely to walk surrounded by so many trees. Even in the park the recent rains had made parts of it muddy, but it was okay as long I kept to paths.

At the car park to the Isabella Plantation (a much visited place when I was younger) there was a cafe. This was new to me, but very welcome. I bought tea, but due to lockdown, the seating had been cordoned off. I considered walking to the Isabella Plantation, but I was conscious of the time. During winter I was sure the park closed around four-thirty, and it was already close to four o’clock. I was keen not to get myself locked in! So, I carried on walking towards Kingston Gate. Just before arriving there, drizzle began. Thankfully, I had an umbrella. I considered catching a bus home, but using public transport at present is not encouraged unless it is essential during lockdown.

My legs felt tired, and this was a longer walk than I’d set out to do, but as long as I didn’t stop, I was sure I could walk all the way home. And that is what I did. I am not sure how many miles I walked in all, but it must have been at least seven, maybe more. I’d walked non-stop for just over three hours. I felt much better in myself from being outdoors, despite the aching legs. To see a map of Richmond Park, click on this link.

On the walk home I saw these lovely flowers in a garden

The Royal Oak pub. It’s been many years since I’ve been in here.

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.