efog-blog
A visit to Valentines Mansion
A chilly but sunny Sunday 27th February 2022 saw a number of us turn up at Valentines Mansion in Valentines Park to be given a tour round the property by Eleanor.
This building, originally built around 1696 for the widow of the Archbishop of Canterbury, was modified by various owners over the years and eventually acquired by the council in 1912. Eleanor gave us her usual informative talk (she volunteers there and has done since the Friends took over its management), spiced with her usual nuggets, this time being the origin of the expression “daylight robbery”.
We had a short walk around the immediate grounds, admired the ornamental lake and settled down to have a drink and snack at the Gardener’s Cottage Café. Eleanor promised us the café garden would be a suntrap and so it proved. What a little treasure virtually on our doorsteps!
The photo is outside the front of the house with its big porch area.
Brian U. 27th Februry 2022
Quiz for St Clare Hospice
Sue arranged for 10 of us to take part in a quiz on behalf of the St Clare Hospice, to be held at Theydon Bois village hall on Saturday 26th February 2022. Looking at the assembled team it was difficult to think it could be any stronger. I must confess I worried who Pam might have met on the way to the hall (we all remember the last occasion) but she turned up alone.
After 3 rounds we were 4th (out of 15), a couple of points behind the leaders. We were all struggling to understand some of the questions due to the unique pronunciation of the caller and it seemed that other tables were in the same boat. Macgillycuddy’s Reeks caused endless entertainment as various tables made the caller repeat it and spell it time and again before he was understood. Gradually our immediate competitors fell away until only one table was ahead. And that was how it remained, we came second by one point.
All the way home the talk in my left ear from she who must be obeyed was how we could have eliminated this or that mistake and thus secured the win. Still, second is not bad, 4 of the table won raffle prizes and St Clare Hospice made several hundred pounds to assist in their good work. A good evening’s entertainment.
Brian U. 27th February 2022
EFOG Extra Quiz Saturday 26th February
It was rather surreal travelling to the wilds of Theydon Bois. I hadn’t been out “properly” for some time. How many people would be there? What do we do now about sharing our snacks? Will anyone be wearing masks, social distancing? At least I’d tested negative earlier, so should be safe to sit next to – hopefully! Would I get lost, even with my Sat Nav? I did, of course – but Val was at the end of a phone …. so I made it on time. I just about had time to admire the stars before going into the village hall …. Inside was like stepping back in time: a full hall, lots of buzz, smiling and chatter, snacks and drinks on tables. A Raffle Table invited you to buy tickets – unless you were too late (like me). Was there excitement in the air? I think so.
Great to see my EFOG friends again, as always. Just managed to exchange warm greetings before the quiz began. Our joker round (Food & Drink) was quite early on – we were one point short of a full score. We did even better on some other rounds. All good selections. Did you know there are gates named after Margaret Thatcher in London or what anniversary is traditionally associated with pearls or what gives Drambuie its distinctive flavour? We were definitely in tune with the quiz designer when it came to (old) films and Disney cartoons – even the young(er) ones among us. Some of us were struggling to remember the tables printed inside our school exercise books when it came to definitions of measures even older than us. But we did well. We came second (thanks to a challenge on scoring accuracy earlier by the redoubtable Kathy (backed up by super-efficient Trevor).
Best of all, it was estimated that the quiz, including the raffle (4 EFOGers won prizes) has raised about £1000 for the St Clare Hospice. Not a mask in sight but plenty of hand sanitiser and people did seem to be pretty much keeping to their tables. It didn’t feel scary at all. Many thanks to Sue S for organising this event on our EFOG calendar. It was a great. Good fun. I do hope we have now travelled back to a more “normal” future – with more nights out to come.
Pamela, 28th February 2022
Upminster to Cranham Walk
Having been thwarted by TfL from doing my originally planned walk, a super sub. of a walk was needed. Hence eleven of us met up at Upminster Station at 11-ish o’clock (some more “ish” than others!), on Saturday 12th February.
The first mile was along main roads, until we reached a narrow road leading to All Saints Church (possibly named after the well known girl group?). From here we headed along a track, past horses and fields, until we reached Cranham Marsh Nature Reserve, which is managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust. Entering the reserve we followed a path through a wood, eventually reaching an information board with carved wooden posts
We then crossed over a river (well, a small stream, actually) to grassland, and continued with the old flood-marshes to our left. Eventually we left the reserve and stopped for a rather late elevenses break. We resumed our walk along more field edges before climbing a small slope to cross over the railway line and then enteed the Thames Chase woodlands, heading through the trees to the Visitor Centre, accompanied by the gentle roar of M25 traffic (I love that road!)
We reached the Centre and enjoyed a lunch stop before starting on the last quarter of our walk, heading westwards around and across more fields and passing back under the railway line, and heading back to the church. Following another path to houses, we returned via quiet residential streets, before hitting the main road five minutes walk from the station to complete the walk.
It had been a good walk with warm sunny weather, the paths were not very muddy and no-one got lost or left behind. Finally at the station, heading through the car park, some of us spotted a fox, quite happy among all the many vehicles.
Trev ('Pathfinder') Eley 17th February 2022 Photos by Eileen. 12th February 2022
The Epping Forest Oak Trail
Six of us met at Theydon Bois for a walk along the Oak Trail. It had poured down with rain earlier so six was a good turnout.
Leaving Theydon Bois via Forest Drive we started climbing on greasy paths and fields, heading towards the M25. Slightly slippery underfoot but we made good time, some of us envying Val’s poles which were giving her good purchase in the conditions. Through the Great Gregories, across the M25 and down to Ivy Chimneys where the path could have been very difficult if kind residents had not laid planks of wood and paving slabs to aid our progress. Up again through Sheppard’s Meadows heading towards the Epping Road where we turned south alongside the main road to stop at Forest Gate pub. Once again I was disappointed by this pub. We had to buy coffee/tea from a stand in a corner of the car park and it took so long a couple of us gave up waiting, that decision being made easier when hearing colleagues complain about the cost.
We had roared along, covering 2.7 miles in an hour, much faster than recent EFOG walks where (dare I say it) the laggards include my wife. Heading south again we walked through Epping Thicks to Jacks Hill car park. Here, the parking machines had been vandalised and presumably all the cars there were parking for free. I am not condoning this type of action but I do understand the irritation felt about the hamfisted introduction of parking charges by the City of London (COL). Turning left off the Ditches Ride I was complimenting the COL on their waymarking of this route when the markers disappeared, just as we reached the stream. A difficult crossing with two of us getting wet feet and we were over and climbing up to the deer sanctuary. Today the deer were determined to remain hidden so we took a photo of us with a chain link fence behind and walked on. Reaching Coppice Row we turned down the hill and returned to Theydon Bois. The walk is advertised at five miles but we measured it at six.
We were congratulating ourselves on having had a dry walk when the first spots of rain were felt and we dashed to our cars to return home.
Brian U., 6th February 2022