A Sunday stroll by the Lea

Seven of us met at Fishers Green car park on Sunday 3rd April to begin a walk organised and led by Jenny.

Almost immediately as we left the car park we were greeted by the sound of a chiffchaff, presumably recently arrived from Africa, followed by the more tuneful song of a blackcap – perhaps another long-distance arrival although maybe one that had decided to stay on after overwintering? Anyway, it was to distinct sounds of Spring that we began the walk.

Much of the walk to Broxbourne was along the Lea Navigation towpath, so we were treated to the traditional sounds of bicycle bells (or not) coming from behind, and sometimes accompanied by that well-known cry “bike” and sometimes “Oi – slow down”. The latter – it should be clear – was not aimed at us, but more usually by us at them.

At one point on our walk, we could not fail to see two craft moored to the bank. Most peculiar, they were, of orange colour and a somewhat unflattering shape which reminded me very much of that craft which was discovered at Hobbs Lane underground station. You'll doubtless remember that (or not)... the Central Line was being extended and the excavations at the station revealed what at first was thought to be an unexploded World War 11 device. Turned out – of course – to be a Martian spacecraft which over the millennia had unleashed all manner of psychological horrors on the local inhabitants (some of whom were – or had been - Neanderthals).

Well, to get back to the walk. We moved on from the spacecraft moored on the Lea and eventually reached Broxbourne where we stopped at a busy little cafe for refreshments and a bit of a laugh at some youths who hadn't worked out that if you both paddle on the same side of the boat you go round in circles – or bash into the bank, in this case. Their girl-friends in the other boat got the hang of it a lot quicker.

On the return journey we stopped at the spacecraft again and spoke to its owner. He wasn't a Martian at all, but simply a chap who'd bought a life-boat from an oil-rig and converted it for on board living, rather than space-travel or simply survival. That cleared THAT up.

So there we have it, a good six-mile walk (being three miles there and the equivalent back) Quite an easy pace where we stopped to look at things a few time and listen a couple, and a nice time was had by all.

It appears there is no imminent threat of an invasion by things that look like locusts - even aquatic ones let alone those that reside in pits - and Quatermass wasn't involved in any way.

 Paul Ferris, 5th April 2016

As seen excavated from the pit

Has been extricated from an oil rig