It’s been another week of catching up with friends, so there’s been more talking over cups of tea in cafes than walking, but one of the catch-ups was in London. We met at Victoria station, and because we were both cold and hungry, we quickly went to Wetherspoons inside the station for lunch!
Having warmed up, we set off in the direction of Buckingham Palace and through Green Park. Once in St James Park we soon found our way to the big cafe there and indulged in hot drinks and cake. I’m not sure I walked off all the calories after the vegan donut, but I tried my best when I said goodbye to my friend at Charing Cross station and headed over the Thames towards Waterloo.
St James Park
Heron
The Super Sewer work is going on all along the Thames, so parts of the Thames Path are inaccessible. This is badly needed, but I’ll be glad when the work is done.
Then there was the trip to Richmond Park yesterday with my son and his puppy. It was a dull, grey day, and all the photos look the same…dull! But at least we were in fresh air and we saw a Jay and Woodpecker. There were lots of parakeets too. Enjoy the photos.
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!
This will be an occasional series of places I have visited that particularly stand out for me. They also fill in when I haven’t anything else to post (shush!). We start off at Barnes Wetland Centre in south west London. I’ve been here twice and still love it. I admit I can only recognise a handful of birds, but that doesn’t stop me enjoying it. There are otters and fish, frogs and all sorts of other creatures. For the kids there is pond dipping. Around the site there are hides with guides to birds where you can sit and look over the lakes. There is a cafe with outside seating and it is just a nice place to spend a day. I find it amazing that this is London!
Sir Peter Scott who set up the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust
For my next trip, we head into London itself to visit Charles Dickens Museum. This is a beautiful house and has a great cafe, also with outdoor seating in an enclosed garden (sadly the day I was there the weather wasn’t good enough to sit outside). The rooms in the house are interesting and beautifully decorated. Charles Dickens is a fascinating man. On the one hand, he stood up for the poor, bringing them to light through his stories, as well as campaigning with some of the well-known campaigners of his time to make things better for the poor. On the other hand, he was cruel to his wife, disowned her and tried to turn his children against her. A very complex character.
Charles Dickens Museum, 48-49 Doughty Street, WC1
Dining Room
Lastly, this week we visit Limehouse and a glimpse of one walk I took early one year when there was ice on the river and ducks were sliding around on it! I stayed in a retreat house, The Royal Foundation of St Katherine on a B&B basis to explore parts of Limehouse Cut and Regent’s Canal. Before the days when I had Google Maps and carrying just a poor physical map, I did get myself lost at one point. Thank goodness for walkers much better prepared than me!
If you are interested in walking in this area, here is a walk, part of which I walked, but I headed in a different direction. This walk is closer to mine. If you look at the map, you can see that I headed towards Three Mills Island and the Olympic Park along Limehouse Cut. I then headed towards Victoria Park and the Regent’s Canal, before heading back. A good circular walk for around six miles.
Limehouse Basin iced in!
West Ham Football Club, Olympic Park
Three Mills Island
Fish Island
And that wraps things up for this week. I hope you’ve enjoyed this whistle-stop journey through parts of London you may not know.
When my husband and I were invited to a wedding in Norwich (County of Norfolk), my first thought was a long weekend with time for sightseeing! And that’s the way it went.
We arrived on Friday in the early afternoon and stayed at a hotel overlooking the river, and a short walk into the city. I didn’t waste any time and was soon out exploring. I’d always wanted to see where the anchorite, Julian of Norwich had once lived. No, not at the cathedral, where you might think, but a tiny church near our hotel. There is a Julian Centre there (she has left a whole spiritual legacy). Although the cell where Julian live is no longer there, inside the church there is a shrine.
St Julian’s ChurchIn the community gardenLady Julian Bridge over the River Wensum
On Saturday morning, we headed into the city along by the river (the opposite direction to where I’d walked the previous afternoon). I have to say my favourite parts of Norwich were by the riverside. We were on the way to the Cathedral, and this was a much better route than walking through the busy city.
By the riverPull’s Ferry
Pull’s Ferry the former ferry house was once a 15th Century watergate where stone for the cathedral made its journey along the river and into the city.
Cow Tower was another unexpected find in the gardens around the Cathedral Quarter of the City.While you cannot go inside the tower, I could squeeze my camera through the gate!Swan Pit
Had a job getting the best photo of the Swan Pit as the sun was in my eyes. I managed to hide behind a bush! A swan pit was used to fatten up swans for human consumption. They were given to Kings, clerics and noblemen. This one stands in the grounds of the Great Hospital.
Jarrold Bridge
We then found ourselves at Norwich Historic Churches Trust where there was an art exhibition taking place. No longer used as a church, it hosts various events. I took the opportunity to take some photos of the stained glass windows.
The little garden is dedicated to people who have made a difference in Norwich.
The next post will take us into Norwich Cathedral which has a stunning beauty and stories of its own.
I gave my friend a list of art exhibitions on in London and asked her to choose. With the prospect of dodgy weather, being indoors sounded like a good option. As it turned out, the day wasn’t too bad at all weather-wise, and the exhibition she chose was excellent.
Winslow Homer (1836-1910) was an American Realist painter of landscapes and best known for his marine paintings. The exhibition at The National Gallery is called Forces of Nature. The paintings here include scenes from the American civil war and life after slavery for black people (not such a good life with all the restrictions about what they could and could not do). There was a lot in this exhibition that made us think that sadly, not a lot has changed in the world.
It is always helpful to know what is behind a particular artwork, but I got the feeling that Winslow Homer didn’t like explaining. So, do art critiques guess?! Homer used a lot of symbolism in his art, which is common with artists, and has been for hundreds of years. Homer worked in oil and watercolour, but it was his oil paintings that we were drawn to the most.
Winslow Homer’s depiction of light is well done. His use of white against dark backgrounds really brings his work to life. His sea paintings are stunning. He loves stormy seas and has a knack with the brush of creating the waves and splash against rocks. We both enjoyed this exhibition and learning about this artist who neither of us had really come across before.
In Trafalgar Square we got to see the new art work on the fourth plinth. It rather fitted in with the exhibition we had just seen. Entitled Antelope, the work is by Samson Kabalu, and you can read about it here.
One cannot write a blog without a photo of the River Thames! Always a delight whatever time and season.
A short walk in the October sunshine
My local park
Yesterday morning dawned with blue sky that said ‘come and walk under me’! So I did. Just a local walk in places I know well and frequented many times during Covid lockdown.
I love to photograph leaves against sunlight and the changing seasons. Autumn is a great time for photographers with so many wonderful colours. Even the road where I live is alive with vibrant tones of gold, yellow and red.
A tree in the road where I liveIn the parkDoesn’t this make you think of Christmas?Long shadows in the parkA walk known as the BeelineLike by dog walkers, joggers and there is a cycle lane (right)Sunday football on the fieldThis is actually a footpath leading to the busy A3 bypass but it could be in the countryside.Dandelion head
It was the least cold day of the week! Not sunny, but I was determined to do some walking last week. As it happened, I did two walks. The second one was on a bitterly cold day. I’ll come to that in a moment.
Little stream
The first walk was in Richmond Park. I managed to drag my son along and we entered by Robin Hood Gate. My idea was to walk a different part than last time, and the aim was to exit at Richmond Gate. We walked to Roehampton Gate where we stopped for lunch in the cafe. Something hot before we ventured out again. From there we edged along the side of the park, finding all sorts of pedestrian gates I knew nothing about (I know mainly the main gates where cars and pedestrians have access). There was a trundle up a hill (I’m not good on hills!) for a nice view back towards Roehampton before the last push towards Richmond.
In the cafeBeverley BrookbridgepigeonsLooking back towards Roehampton
The first thing you see when you exit Richmond Gate is The Royal Star & Garter Home. Now dedicated at World Heritage Site, the home is accommodation and nursing for up to 180 ex-servicemen. Nearby is the RSPCA memorial.
SquirrelThe Royal Star & Garter HomeRSPC memorial
Walking down Richmond Hill, you come to some magnificent views across the River Thames and towards London. We then caught a bus outside the Poppy Factory to go home.
View across The Thames from Richmond HillViewing platformThe Thames from Kingston Hill
On the second walk, I retraced the steps of my old ‘lockdown’ route towards The Hamptons Wetlands and across the ‘horse field’. I left early, and the day was all blue sky and freezing! I wanted to photograph birds and, of course, horses. There were not as many birds at the wetlands that day. The heron and the Egyptian Geese weren’t there, but I did manage to photograph a Robin, Swan and gulls.
Cold looking lakegullswanRobin – rather poor lighting and it wouldn’t keep still!Not sure if this is heavy frost or light dusting of snowgull
Coming across the horse field, I was fascinated by a horse and foal. I spent rather too long taking photos and my poor fingers froze. But it was worth it.
The horses from the Equestrian CentreMother and foalBreakfast!
On the way home I spotted a little Christmas tree (Conifer) outside a newsagents. I’d been looking for one for my writing/hobby room, so I bought it.
My wee Christmas tree. I’ve named her Mavis, and she is getting to know Basil!
Over the years, I’ve taken hundreds of photos in London and been to many places. Today I’d like to share with you just a few photos randomly picked out of my photo folders. I hope you enjoy them.
Cinema Museum, Kennington.
The Cinema Museum is a private collection of memorabilia. It is housed in the former workhouse where Charlie Chaplin lived as a child. They offer talks and show films. There is a small shop and refreshments are offered.
Elizabeth Line train, Liverpool Street
One day my husband and I took the train from Liverpool Street station out to Harold Wood. This is as far as we could go using our 60+ Oyster card (this card gives us free travel on buses, trains and tubes in the London area – a perk of being over 60 years olds!) The Elizabeth Line is the new kid on the block. Formerly called CrossRail, when completed (it is years overdue and way over budget), the line will run from Reading in Berkshire through London to Shenfield in Essex, with branches to Abbey Wood and London Heathrow Airport.
This was our first experience of travelling in one of the new trains and it was quite exciting. I’d become obsessed with the line after watching several documentaries about the tunnelling, and what was found in the various soil layers (I’ve attended several exhibitions too!), and took a course on it! Bits of the line are now open, but I am still waiting for the whole line to be completed.
Harold Wood – part of the London Loop walksThe staircase, Sigmund Freud’s house, HampsteadPart of the old Roman Wall, BarbicanOsterley Park and house in Isleworth dates back to the 1570’s and is owned by The National TrustRotherhithe
Living Wall and Pocket Garden near Tower Hill station
Some unusual seating at the Brunel Museum, Rotherhithe
The poet John Keats came to live at this house in 1818. The house was originally two dwellings and Keats lived in the smaller half with Charles Brown. Keats stayed for seventeen months before travelling to Italy where he died.
When I have Fears That I May Cease to Be
When I have fears that I may cease to be Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain, Before high-pilèd books, in charactery, Hold like rich garners the full ripened grain; When I behold, upon the night’s starred face, Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance, And think that I may never live to trace Their shadows with the magic hand of chance; And when I feel, fair creature of an hour, That I shall never look upon thee more, Never have relish in the faery power Of unreflecting love—then on the shore Of the wide world I stand alone, and think Till love and fame to nothingness do sink.
My London+ 