efog-blog
Railways and Regeneration in Kings Cross-St. Pancras Walk
Jacky suggested joining a walk on Monday 9th December which was to look at railways and regeneration in the Kings Cross area.
This was in addition to our programme of events, and on a weekday which is not so usual for EFOG members due to work and other commitments unless it be of an evening. However, some of us are relatively free, and the prospect of looking in more detail at an area that I was familiar with as a child (train-spotting – when there were real trains), and to a certain extent because I worked there from time-to-time, appealed to me. Thus it was that Jackie, Marian, Fred and myself as EFOG representatives, plus about 15 others from as far afield as Folkstone and Southend, met at St Pancras Station to be guided by David Williams.
In an area that once had something of a sinister reputation, one of Europe’s biggest re-development programmes is taking shape. For the first time since the early 1970's, Kings Cross Station's Victorian – and Grade 1 listed – frontage is now visible. St Pancras Station – which has a magnificent single span train shed (the cover over the platforms) as well as its wonderful Gothic frontage – is now the terminus for Eurostar trains.
On meeting our guide, he told us about statue known as The Meeting Place, which is underneath the clock. You can only really see the clock if you are coming off a train or are further down the western edge of the train shed, for example near the statue of Sir John Betjemen, his coat askew, as he peers upwards towards the roof of the shed.
Having left St Pancras and Kings Cross Stations we passed the Scala Cinema and went into Keystone Crescent. As with Pam's walk along the course of the Westbourne, it only takes a few steps off a busy main road to find yourself in a quiet mews or street, and in this case we were in the only double-fronted crescent street in Europe, which is to say that it has houses on both sides of the road. We moved on to Battle Bridge Basin, just across from the Canal Museum which the Group visited a while ago, then made our way up to an observation tower from which grand views of the regeneration project as well as the hills of North London are visible. Just below the tower is Granary Square, once the site of gas-holders and now a wide open area in which a series of fountains do some amazing manoeuvres whilst making some rather clever sounds.
We popped into Camley Street Nature Park, which is a bit of wildness sheltered between two major sets of railways lines as well as a canal, then made our way to St. Pancras Churchyard.
We'd visited this churchyard on Pam's River Fleet walk, but Fred and I were slightly disappointed this time that we didn't get free fruit in the church. We did, however, get a wonderful description of the conditions under which people confined to the Victorian workhouses lived. Those workhouses are still there, right by the graveyard. As well, we took a look at the tomb of Sir John Soane which provided the inspiration for the design of London's red telephone boxes, and here too is the memorial to Angela Burdett-Coutts who in 1837 became the wealthiest woman in England. It is said that she had proposed to the Duke of Wellington, despite the fact that he was vastly older than her, and that when she eventually married at the age of 67 her husband was 29. She certainly wasn't age-ist.
I have skimmed the details of where we walked, what we saw and what David told us about, but it was a most enjoyable outing and well-worth the £5 fee that such a knowledgeable and professional guide charged. I'd thoroughly recommend another such walk to EFOG members, if such is offered.
Paul Ferris, 12 December 2013
New Needles in a Rodings Rally Checkpoint
I write as a new participant in helping out at the annual EFOG Rodings Rally in which, last Saturday, about 260 brave souls attempted to find ten needles in a haystack called Epping Forest – in the dark. We, David and I, were one of the needles, and our checkpoint was Number 4 – Bury Wood. From our viewpoint, as complete novices, we would like to pass on some lessons learned:
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If you are interested in the idea of spending 12 hours in the dark in a flimsy tent in cold, foggy weather with a real possibility of rain, wind, frost, sleet, snow, thunder and lightening, to name but a few, the first and most important rule is – find somebody else to do it! If you require help with this skill, we recommend Paul – one of the organizers - we were putty in his hands!
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Have a good look at your tent (put it up in advance) – was its previous owner Baden Powell, are half its ‘bits’ missing, and would it just about accommodate Grumpy and Dopey? If the answer to these questions is yes, take your own. Experience has taught us that, if you wish to make your tent difficult to find, choose a nice bright scarlet-coloured specimen. In our case, only less than 50% of the contestants found us – a record for the night.
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Assuming you don’t have a degree in civil engineering, and are possessed of average hamfistedness, get to your site early (7pm) to erect your tent. Do not use guys (they trip over them, and, unless it is windy, they are unnecessary). It is difficult to hold or support a torch in a way that is remotely helpful and, if your colleague is of a puritanical persuasion, you will need to learn to swear under your breath.
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If you do not wish to suffer the fate of Scott of the Antarctic, take something that would have got him there before Amundsen – a duvet. Also something to lie on – preferably inflatable as you have to be able to walk 12 hours later.
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Make full use of the ‘bathroom’ before you leave.
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Make sure your colleague lies on the side near the door (nudge! nudge! wink! wink!).
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You need a big, digital time readout on your phone.
As to the experience itself – here goes!
Lying, tense with nervous expectation in a tangible silence – waiting – waiting. Then a distant snap of a branch, then silence and we let out our held breath. Then another – was it nearer? And another. A bird starts noisily. “Was that a voice?” I whisper. “I didn’t hear anything”. “You never hear anything! There – surely you heard that - pause - even you must have heard that!”. “Yes I can hear them now – they’re getting closer”. Lights begin to flicker, get nearer, flash on the tent. Cracking and snapping of branches and “Where are you Felicity?” “Over here Archibald!”
Some of the voices must have been audible half a mile away, while others were half whispered as they closed in on us. We froze as they got nearer with that nasty feeling of being hunted down. Soon the silhouettes of adjacent trees became sharp before the blazing headlights on the tent and David (who was nearest to the door!!) scrambled over to respond to the muffled “Hello!”. Zipping open the door, all we could see was big muddy boots and a hand with a card. It could have been the Mad Axe Man of Epping Forest for all we knew. David entered the time, signed the card, completed the time sheet and wished them luck. They vanished like phantoms into the night and all became still again. The pace increased towards midnight, and from 3 o’clockish - till awoken by a phone call from a warm, comfortable, breakfasted Paul at 7.30 - we got some sleep. Naturally, we lost our ourselves on the way back – but that’s another story!!
Would we do it again? Well may you ask! The day before the event, David was grumpily asking what possessed us to volunteer. And I was sure we had to be slightly mad. Both of us blamed Paul and the sob story he sold us! After the event however, we both – rather shamefacedly – had to admit that we had thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing. We felt that our souls had been purified by sacrifice and suffering and – if asked by those very nice people at EFOG to do it again – yes, we would!
Roger Snook, 22 November 2013
Walking the River Westbourne - Sunday 11th November
The River Westbourne is one of the “hidden” rivers of London, about the same size and length as the River Fleet. Pam had led us on a walk from the mouth of the Fleet to its source on Hampstead Heath in October 2012. This time we followed the Westbourne, downstream from Paddington to the Thames.
Fifteen EFOG members plus two guests assembled in front of the Hilton Hotel in Paddington in time for the two minutes silence – it being Remembrance Sunday. The traffic also paused - including a poppy-bedecked bus. Pam then introduced us to the the Westbourne River, telling us how it rises on Hampstead Heath, flows through Kilburn – where it was once called the Cyl-Burn – and all of the way underground.
Crossing the road, we turned left into Spring Street – the first of numerous street names that reminded us of the river's course – then into one of a number of pretty mews that we were to pass through. I suspect that they're pretty expensive, too.
Crossing Bayswater Road we entered Kensington Gardens, at which point there is an ornate Italian-style garden. In the 1730s the Westbourne had been used to form the Long Water and the Serpentine; now these two lakes are fed by pumping spring-water from the aquifer below this part of London. We followed the north banks of the lakes, past a statue by Henry Moore, to the southern end of the lakes where we had a break for a snack in lovely Autumn sunshine. The Westbourne, meanwhile, continued its underground course via a system of water pipes somewhat away from its original course, to be joined with overflow from the Serpentine close to the area known as the Dell.
Through Knightsbridge then, to walk along Pont Street (Knightsbridgian for Bridge Street, of course) and southwards towards Sloane Square. At Sloane Square – curiously – one can glimpse the course of the underground river as it flows above the Underground Station. It is easier to do this from the station platform, but we left that until the end...
Unfortunately we were not able to follow the river's course beneath the grounds of the the Royal Chelsea Hospital, as there is no through-route at the moment, so instead we walked past the vast area soon-to-be-development-site of the old Chelsea Barracks to reach another new development – Grosvenor Waterside. Here we looked at the Grosvenor Canal – or the little that remains of what has ever only been a short canal. At its maximum extent it reached what is now the bus station outside of Victoria Station. Here too is the chimney-stack that once conducted the smoke from the boilers that powered pumping-engines to lift sewage into Bazalgette's wonderful system, to transport it from here across London to join that from elsewhere to reach the Thames at Beckton. The system is still in use, although the adjoining engine-house now uses electric pumps to do the same job.
Crossing the road just onto Chelsea Bridge, we had our first view of the River Westbourne itself – the only view, as even the waters of the Serpentine are no longer sourced from the Westbourne. Looking westwards along the embankment of the Thames, in the distance can be seen the arch from which the Westbourne exits for its final few metres into the Thames. We walked along the embankment to this point, almost opposite the main gates of the Chelsea Royal Hospital grounds. We were just above the arch here, and the Westbourne flowed below us.
Retracing our steps to Chelsea Bridge, we crossed into Battersea Park – again viewing the Westbourne's exit from its subterranean passage. Through Battersea Park then, viewing the rather magnificent fountain display at 3pm, then across the Albert Bridge – ensuring that we broke step as instructed – and along Royal Hospital Road, past the Physic Gardens, to stop for a snack in the National Army Museum.
Finally, we made our way to Sloane Square Station where as we waited for our trains home we were able to view the Westbourne from below...or at least the cast iron pipe within which it flows above the platforms.
Another excellent town-walk by Pam, accompanied by Amina, Bernie, Dave, Fozi, Fred, Jill V., Jinan, Ken, Lynne, Madeleine, Marilyn, Paul, Phil and Sue - plus John and Wendy.
Paul Ferris 11th November, 2013
A Visit to Kew Gardens - Saturday 2 November
A visit to Kew Gardens in autumn is always a wonderful opportunity to savour the change-of-season colours, and a walk along the Treetop Walkway - yielding views across south London - seemed a good way to start.
After that, a stroll past the Rose Garden Tea Party, with edible plants spilling out of teapots and platters, led us on via the arching banana plants in the Palm House to a fantastic display of pumpkins in the Waterlily House.
Never mind the orange Hallowe'en pumpkins which we all know, here were pumpkins and squashes in a rainbow of hues. There were stories - such as how they saved from starvation the first white settlers in north America - and tempting recipes both sweet and savoury. It begged the question of why we find so few of these wonderful vegetables in our shops - let's all get growing them!
Of course we also associate autumn with mushrooms and toadstools, and seven towering willow sculptures of different native edible fungi tested our ID skills.
In the bright and airy Nash Conservatory we found the International Garden Photographer of the Year exhibition (www.igpoty.com): the tendrils of a climbing pea plant intricately curled around a mesh fence; a still life collection of marrows like a Dutch painting; people moving between ramshackle sheds in allotment gardens overflowing with greenery against a backdrop of concrete tower blocks.
And trees galore: oak, maple, sweet chestnut, ginkgo, and the rarest of them all - a Wollemi pine whose nearest relatives are the monkey puzzle and the Norfolk Island pine. Roll on winter - maybe we should make time for another visit?
Susan B., 3rd November 2013
How I didn’t get to Kew Gardens
Susan had promised a coffee and cake for the person who successfully got to Kew Gardens by the most circuitous and time-consuming route; the numerous rail-closures might potentially make the proposed visit difficult to get to. My visits to Kew Gardens are scarce; compared to the penny that it once was, the somewhat high entry fees are a bit of a deterrent. However, the weather was forecast to be fair so I thought I'd go, at least for the coffee and cake. I worked out a nicely circuitous route which necessitated leaving much earlier than I would otherwise have needed to, beginning with a 474 all-night bus towards Beckton. The cost of a journey across the Thames on the cable-car would have made the free coffee and cake pointless, so I headed instead for the Woolwich Free Ferry, which wasn't running yet. That's not a problem, as there is a foot-tunnel under the river.
Arriving by bus at Greenwich, I found that I was too early for the river-bus service, but blagged my way onto one anyway which was going up to Westminster to begin its tourist duties. I'd thought to get a District Line train to Richmond from there, then travel on the Overground to Kew. That's pretty circuitous. However, a river patrol was just to about to set off upstream so I hailed the boat in the conventional “Ahoy!” way and convinced them that my free coffee and cake was a prize worth giving me a lift to Richmond for. The one-stop train journey to Kew was uneventful and I met Louise at the station where she'd just got off the train from Wanstead Park via Gospel Oak, which is the easy route anyone could have taken.
Now all that is a load of rubbish and it didn't happen – I travelled with Louise from Wanstead Park – but it made a good story and I was awarded the coffee and cake.
Together with Marilyn and Susan, we had a lovely day in the gardens, encompassing the treetop walkway, a fungi fairy ring sculpted from willow, a wonderfully colourful display of pumpkins in the waterlily house, and the International Garden Photographer of the Year exhibition in the Nash Conservatory. Highlight of course was the bouncy carrot patch, which Louise and I tried. The carrots must have been a bit stale though, because they weren't very bouncy.
Apart from the special exhibits, there were the permanent ones including the trees, which particularly appeal to me. On a previous EFOG visit in December 2006, with Gill Light, Jane and Alex, I'd particularly looked out for the newly-discovered Wollemi Pine, and it was nice to see just how much it had grown since then. This is a remarkable species, having only been discovered in 1994 having thought to have been extinct for two million years and previously known only from fossil records of a family of trees which existed 200 million years ago!
It's a shame that possibly because of the perceived travel restrictions there weren't more of us there. In fact, there were numerous alternative routes or replacement services available, and it was a very nice day.
Paul Ferris 3rd November 2013
Bloomsbury Festival walk - Sunday 20th October 2013
Take One, by Christine
A few hardy members donned their raincoats and wellies to make the most of the last day of the Bloomsbury Festival on Sunday. We followed a route mapped out by Jacky, who organised the day so that we could see as much as possible that was going on (and a few that weren’t!). Our first stop hadn’t quite got started when we arrived, but was an art installation made up of spherical white balls linked together, and with antennae of clear plastic tubes that lit up when pushed, generating sounds that formed music as they moved about.
We then went on to St Pancras Church to visit the crypt and see an art exhibition by Julie Caves and H Locke, a local Walthamstow artist. The crypt was huge with vaulted passageways and a series of rooms creating a most spooky atmosphere. Dragon eggs, drawings and paintings adorned the walls, but the most magical effect was in a small room, where a set of delicately coloured translucent bells were arranged in a circle, glowing gently in the dark, gliding around as though they had a life of their own.
Afterwards we wandered through Russell Square, where the crafty ones among us could make an appropriately coloured paper flower to pin onto a banner of your choice strung across the walkway with emotions such as “Fearful” or “Excited” on them. Another attraction was a demonstration of Mongolian throat music, which made Paul very excited as he already knew about this style of singing.
We left there after coffee, to return later. The next stop was UCL; here we came across an exhibition not normally open on Sunday at the Burundi Gallery called “The Eternal Flame” about Zoroastrianism, its origins and history. Artefacts included pottery, paintings, videos, textiles and included a reconstruction of a temple where a flame burns eternally. Well worth seeing and free to enter, it’s on until 14 December http://www.soas.ac.uk/gallery/
Inside UCL we found a food event and, although we had to wait for it, a delicious lunch of vegetable soup, bread and dips, coffee, and homemade scones with cream and homemade jam. Before each course we listened to expert artisan food producers who talked about why they set up and what they made. Talks ranged from a cheesemaker who made Mexican cheeses to urban beekeepers and the future of composting – into gas for heating, and cooking, if you want to know.
Our penultimate destination was the Senate House at UCL, which we hurried along to in the pouring rain; we were lucky enough to squeeze onto a guided tour of the building and learn something about its history. We then completed our day walking back through Russell Square, where the events were closing, hastened by the rain, and we caught the last few songs of the day from “The Choir with No Name”.
Christine Toogood, 23 October 2013
Take Two, by Paul
Just before 9am on Sunday morning I'd got myself ready to leave for Jackie's Bloomsbury walk, then texted Fred to say that I wouldn't be going because it was raining. Then words such as “outdoor” and “walk” and “wimp” started annoying my head, so I had to rush to catch the train.
We met at Euston Station and visited the crypt of St Pancras New Church – the one with the dumpy caryatids - where there was an art exhibition by Julie Caves and guest artist H Locke. I needed to 'get myself in' to the art displayed, but H (that was her name) helped out a lot there. As well – especially as she lived in Walthamstow and wanted to explore the Forest on her bike a bit – she readily accepted one of our cards.
Then on to the fayre in Russell Square where, just as Jacky and Christine had finished adding their origami flowers to the category of their choice, I heard the strains of “The Gay Goshawk”* amongst the other sounds emanating all the goings-on in the square. I watched the performance from a distance, then rejoined Christine, Jacky, Lynne, Marilyn and Fred to tell them what I'd been listening to. The singer was Carole Pegg, a founder member of the Folk/Rock Group Mr Fox from the 70s. It was from Mr Fox that I'd first heard the lilting tune and disturbing words of the Gay Goshawk.
This was followed by Tuvan throat singer Radik Tülüsh, whose deep undertone singing I hope amazed us all. His words may possibly have been even stranger - but then perhaps not. Together with the bass player Richard Partridge, they were performing sets from the Goshawk Project: English Folk meets Siberian Roots.From Russell Square we walked through Tavistock Square with its peace-themes and Ginkgo trees, then made an unscheduled visit to the School of Oriental and African Studies at UCL where there was a display about Zoroastrianism. It was interesting, but it didn't gel with me anything like the previous day's visit to the Hindu Temple had, but the Zen roof-garden was nice.
When we arrived at the UCL cloisters the promised food was not yet ready, and we were ready to eat. However, we were encouraged to stay and during and following a series of short talks on bee-keeping, cheese-making, apple-picking and bread-making forth-came a selection of ecologically-friendly foodstuffs and coffee. It was a nice event and I felt I needed to say thank you to Marina (?), the organiser of the event, who had encouraged us to stay. I found that I was speaking to one of the nicest personalities I have ever met; when I thanked her there were tears in her eyes and she clutched my hands and thanked me!
We made our way to the '1984' building (thirties, actually) of Senate House where we were given a guided tour. In the Senate Hall, sitting at our desks in front of microphones, from my viewpoint I could see two of our small group seated in their esteemed positions looking somewhat weary. We had covered a fair bit of ground, walking outside as much as visiting inside, with a variety of exhibits and happenings to take in.
We returned to Russell Square to hear the close-down performance of the events there by the Choir With No Name. They were singing in the rain slightly less so than we we were standing in it.
There was a general consensus that we'd had a good day and that perhaps it was time to go home, so we did. In fact we'd had a very good time, taking in so many different things. Jacky had done a wonderful job organising it ( not the whole festival – just EFOG's participation!) Particularly as a very new member, she deserves to be congratulated on the day.
When I got home I remembered that I had almost not gone. I'd have missed a lot more than a gay goshawk.
Paul Ferris, 20th October 2013
* The gay goshawk came to my window sill;
The snow it fell fast & the stars stood still;
Oh, won't you take me in from the storm;
Won't you take me between your sheets so warm...
Don't breathe a word, don't speak don't shout;
I can turn the whole world round about;
Lay the moon flat on the land;
Whisper rope out of flying sand...
(from Mr Fox - "The Gay Goshawk", based on Child ballad number 96. My highlight of the day - apart from the company!)