Tales From London: Walks with London

It's been a long time since I introduced a new blog as I have been trying to write a collection of short stories as well as being involved with an inatavive and wonderful idea set up by the library's of Barking and Dagenham called Pen to Print. It is to encourage new authors of all ages to write and help produce their writings. Along with the guidance of established authors, the main lead in this is Ian Ayris but we have numerous writers who support the idea and give talks and advice amongst these are Martina Cole who is the patron. May I also add Dagenham Library won Library of The Year 2016.

But first some more walk a-bouts in this new blog 'Walks within and without London.'
I was so chuffed to get this photo of my long awaited view of a Kingfisher.

this is taken at RSPB Rye Meads

Sorry not my best photos but my new compact camera is limited

but my joy in seeing and capturing its image was enough.

the above sculptures are to be found at Hanningfield reservior Visitor centre part of the Essex Wild Life Trust. No doubt you recognise them as characters from one of my favourite books 'Wind in the Willows'

Ratty, Mole, Badger and the infamous Toad, 'oh' and this delightful robin

I will always have a book about my person, whenever out walking, to read in those moments of traveling on public transport or grabbing a coffee and sandwich in cafes or sometimes sat on forest floor, this never detracts me from studding my fellow humans or nature that is in its abundance all around, along with the surroundings that I'm in, but a book is a good companion for those odd moments of escapism, boredom or just added enjoyment.

Bluebells and Wood anemone or poss wild garlic, not sure which, in early spring 2016.

My walks are various and of different durations some alone other with my delightful and lovely partner Anne who shares my passion for the natural environment, for buildings, cities, villages and towns, along with folk who live and share our world. It is every persons duty to encourage respect for each other and the natural world, to try and cause the least damage possible to our planet while having a quality of life the benefits all and not the few wealthy.

swans landing along the River Lee

also along side the canals and rivers of the Lee Valley Park you will find this man-made white water park used in the 2012 Olympics and now a well attended recreational recourse.

The River Lee is a meandering river of approximately 68km long, falling from west to south-east with its source beginning in the Chiltern Hills, eventually flows down to East London and onto the Thames via Bow Creek where these photos above were taken. In the bottom photo you an just make out the Olympic Park, in top left corner, now the home of West Ham Football club.

The building of homes and workplaces at Stratford continues, in the foreground the artwork and viewing gallery is the Orbit, now fitted with worlds longest, fastest tunnel slide which travels from top to bottom of structure.

Next a visit to Thurrock Thameside Nature Park.

In the spring the skies were rich with Skylark warbles and mating songs, later in the summer I took photos of these artworks created by school children of the area, mainly made of wast-products that normally pollute our land and oceans.

This Essex Wildlife enterprise overlooks the Thames with glorious views. Here starlings are flocking possibly the start of a murmuration.

Amazing the distance visiting birds have to fly to bread and feed here in the UK.

One glorious autumn day we visited Kew Gardens, a must on any tick list of places to visit. Autumn is a spectacular time to see these grand trees. In spring and summer loverly flower plantings fill the grounds, alongside the hot houses, and tree at top level walks, so anytime is to is a good time to visit.

The changing colours from green to golds, reds and orange are like an artist palate off dabbing and mixing. Also at the moment they have a beautiful art structure called the Hive, a structure linked to demonstrating the health of bees and how we as humans are killing them inadvertidly with pesticides. It is by an artist called Wolfgang Buttress made of aluminium and LED lights that glow to the dance of bees from a connected beehive.

Emotions, we exist because of emotions we form relationships that are based on feelings and desirers. The world emotes in us actions, by it beauty by its raw-ness by its tooth and claw by its survival by its rarity and by its numbers. We can understand and live alongside nature or we can dispute and destroy it. If we do take this last action be assured it will destroy us with it.

I hope and work towards harmony of the planet, I argue for sense to be seen and acted upon. I try to limit my own impact on the environment and I walk and observe I photograph I ponder I smile I enjoy.

These are from Rainham marshes RSPB taken in the October grey day but full of colour and changing winds flocking birds loan hidden swans.

Below Goldfinch bath in puddles rather than the lakes, always sensible know your limitations.

but watch out for the hovering hawk

They are amazing birds of prey, with grace, speed, vision and pure beauty.

Here are two of my favourite paintings that hang in the portrait gallery off Trafalgar Square London. They are of Laurie Lee famous for his novels notably, 'Cider With Rosie,' and 'As I Walked Out One Midsummer Day.' The other is of Dylan Thomas Welsh Poet noted for many wonderful poems amongst them, the most enjoyable, Under Milk Wood. The delightful portrait painted with words of a Welsh village and its colourful, entertaining, full of life residents .

Both portraits are from their youth, as I sit pondering these two great writers, I often imagine that once the gallery is shut they may speak and in that silence they are discussing so many things of the world for the both had extraordinary lives in extraordinary times. Mind you they say it is a curse when someone wishes you 'That you live in interesting times,' as we defiantly do at the moment.

To change that thought a photo of thistle taken at Rainham Marshes

The following photos were taken in London around the Chancery Lane area, where my delightful partner Anne works she passes the places and told me about them so we took a walk to capture these shots.

Judging by these two photos of a tailors shop, you can guess we are near the High Courts. Where dressing up is expected in gowns and wigs, strange people, yes / no?

This was our favourite shop though.

History and wonderfully powerful novels from Charles Dickens collide at this corner.

Inside the shop window which now sells boots and hats all very curious types as well.

We walk on finding other amusing sites catch our attention once upon a time our famous red phone boxes were everywhere now many have been taken away and litter junk yards, or as an artist has posed them in a line leaning over as a work of art, now at Kingston Upon Thames. Thankfully many still exist in situ. But I guess the ever growing ownership of mobile phones is making these delightful red boxes ever more redundant. I also wonder about how many of these appear in novels, as a hinge pin to a plot within a story.

This is a great T shirt seen in the students union shop.

Christmas decoration appear these around Covent Garden area.

Strange times, such sad times, times to re-think, yet still times to spread peace to spread happiness. We need to widen our understanding, we need to open our minds, we need to respect and allow trust to be part of our guidance in life for all the horrors that are taking place, that said let us enjoy some more wanderings.

We are blessed in London to have so many parks, gardens and squares, these are full of trees, shrubs and flowers with plantings both formal and now also with many wild natural plants. Above is part of Green Park which runs from Piccadilly to The Mail and passes Buckingham Palace here with the sun setting behind it.

I love the London Plain above trees that helps purify the polluted air of London that diesel vehicles mainly along with petrol run cars put into it. Below winter flowering trees in St James Park bringing colour to our dark winter days.

From green Park cross the Mail into St. James Park.

We had a real London thick mist day, last Saturday not quite a pee-soup fog, of the old days but very atmospheric as we crossed Hyde Park to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum or the V and A to those in the know.

Above Peter Pan statue, in Kensington Gardens, with fairy friends who drift out of the mist. J.M. Barrie would be proud of the amount of visitors Peter gets from all around the world to have self-is with him. Below a Heron sleeps high in the trees on its slender legs.

People and statues merge into the background, maybe coming to life and swapping places with live humans.

Colour persists even on the murkiest of days, below all the leaves are down littering the floor with nourishment for the worms and ultimately for the trees and next year growth. It also allows us to see the beauty of the architecture of the trees without its foliage.

Gas street lamps add to the feeling of London past, as their soft glow enhances the character of the Parks. Gas lit lamps are dotted around many of London's parks and side streets, all of beautiful and varied designs.

Above a red and green parakeets that have adopted many of our green places to live and breed in. Many flocks, squawking their beaks off, may be heard flying speedily around our parks and green spaces in summer or winter.

One of the many statues that surround Prince Alberts memorial.

Never a truer saying, for with wisdom so much may benefit many not just the few. Below inside the V&A, in its restaurant /cafe a most delightful venue to sit and eat or just have a cup of tea in beautiful surroundings and where people watching will amuse for hours.

Happy New Year one and all 2017 well, well, well so we survived 2016, no actually not all of us did. You no doubt remember some of those wonderful actors, musicians, writers, comedians and poets that passed away in 2016, most from natural causes, some helped a little with their type of lifestyle. But my greatest sadness springs from the thousands killed and obliterated by violence that troubles the world so. As well as the untold missing, while trying to reach safe havens after fleeing their homes because of this violence. Please allow 2017 become a year of peace and harmony where children may grow without fear.

Sorry about the fact that we need to make such statements, but we must all of us strive to make the planet a safe, fair and fun place for everyone.

This is my start.

Another fine walk at the RSPB Rainham Marsh

Above a flock of Lapwings enjoying a stretch of the wings before returning to their water / mudbank homes, below from inside one of the comfortable bird hides overlooking expanse of water and reed beds.

This weekend had us visiting Waltham Abbey said to be the last resting place of King Harold. The Church now standing, is part Norman, built with stone from France. It was once an Abbey that fell under the displeasure of King Henry the Eighth and was mostly destroyed apart from this part which is still standing because the locals objected to total destruction.

Most amazing stained glass windows some designed by the artist Edward Burne-Jones who was part of the William Morris arts and crafts movement.

After a delightful meal and coffee, in a small but charming cafe opposite the church entrance, we took a walk around the local wildlife country park that buts up against the Royal Gunpowder Mill once upon a time an MOD property now part of Industrial Heritage park.

Frost and blue sky dominate the day for a lovely walk.

Above frost art work by the noted artist nature. Some Robins migrate but others like this brave chap stayed and made our winters less long and lonely with its red breast and sweet song.

Below even the coldest, greyest day will produce moments of beauty.

Spring 2017 although it is well into spring the weather is so changeable today it has been one of sunshine, wind, rain, hailstones. But for all that the birds are in full song flow, nest building and mating, mainly within the now full green covered trees and shrubs.

The last of the blossom awaiting a strong breeze to turn them into wedding confetti

While walking in London you can often come across filming of some sort be it a TV interview or an actual film being made. The other day I came across this young man being filmed eating a sandwich I am sure there was more to the plot but it was all I saw

Yes it is Benedict Cumberbatch along with thirty odd filmset crew members, it is amazing the amount of people that are involved in even the shortest of film-takes.

Below is a photo of the building of our most lovely Tower Bridge being built between 1886-1894 .

This painting of the event below was created by my cousin David Larkin, who is also a respected talented author.

Fine sailing crafts moored at Maldon Essex below on a blues sky day.

we were back in London walking across Hyde Park when we saw this gas lamp, now I know you must think me a lamp nerd which may be the case but I just think they are quite delightful a crap pun intended.

The Royal Albert Memorial in the distance

On open House weekend Anne and I got to see inside the The Foreign and Commonwealth Office on King Charles St SW1 a most beautiful building which at one time was due for demolition.