Redbridge Lakes and Claybury Woods.

A bright though slightly chill-wind 12^th April became a bright and not un-warm very-Spring day as Jacky led a group of 10 of us on a visit to Redbridge Lakes and Claybury Woods.

I'd known of the Redbridge Lakes, but had never visited, and it was a new area to most of us, I think. It is really planned for the benefit of anglers, I would say, but is called a conservation area and is a nice place for a family visit, with bee-hives to see, tadpoles to dip for and a bird-hide to hide from birds from. There is also a cafe, so of course that was our first objective.

After walking around one of the two lakes, we made our way across an adjacent playing-field then up Roding Lane North to enter the west end of Claybury Woods, crossing a Roman Road as we did so. Although probably two or so weeks early for the best show of bluebells, the sunshine and warmth had encouraged enough to begin to flower to at least give a tinge of blue. There were chiffchaffs singing all around, and a few butterflies, too.

Jacky gave us a choice of two routes to cater for different levels of ability; with a number of recent injuries and ops. amongst our contingent this was a sensible thing to do. One of the routes began with an uphill climb and was more strenuous and the other was a lower-level route and easier underfoot. Always for some odd reason wanting to go uphill rather than down, I choose to join the group of 6 who took the higher one. This led us up and through the woods - where wild garlic wasn't yet in flower, but wood anemones were. We met up briefly with the others, arranged a meeting place further on and continued through the ancient woodland, with a surprising amount of green-leaf showing on the hornbeams.

Meeting the others – who were relaxing by the pond – we made our way back to our cars from where some of us went to a nearby inn for a meal.

Not at all a bad day. Thanks to Jacky for organising it and being aware of people's needs. Those of us who did the whole circuit covered 3 miles.

Paul Ferris, 13th April 2015

First Night

So - our last evening at the "old" hall of Rovsco last Thursday, and our first evening at our temporary accommodation at Endeavour Hall this.

For most, it was a question of finding it in the first place. Explicit instructions sent by email by Maz and posted on the website - together with a map and even a direct link to Google Maps, enabling you to walk almost to the hall, at least virtually.

The next issue was parking, with only road-side rather than hall-side being available, and "feeling" where might be convenient.

The chairs weren't much of a problem, with plenty available - as well as tables - in a cubby hole adjcent to the room itself. The kitchen facilities were felicitous, but requiring some sorting and a little getting used too. Fear of setting of an alarm by allowing the water-boiler to over-steam were carefully considered. Heating was adequately provided for by an adjustable thermostat by the door - but with a real need to remember to re-set it to its off position before we left.

Pam organised a seminar-warm-up-style session for our evening's entertainment. We were all asked to write on a card a memory of a "First" in our lives. When these were read out - by Pam - we had to try to guess whose first it was. Ian G. got them all right, but he was lying, some got about eight correct - which I thought was remarkable because I didn't even get my own one - but I believe Cliff got something like twelve. Some wonderful money prizes in the form of gold-wrapped chocolate were awarded to Cliff and also to Maz, who was the only person to come up with a poem about the move from the old hall - the original suggested activity for the evening. The poem is appended below.

The hall was OK - my personal reservation about it being the terrible sound-quality. It is one of those places where you can hear everybody speaking at equal volume at the same time. The other problem I foresee is the necessity of clearing the hall (and leaving it in clean and tidy condition) by 10pm. We are so lucky in our Rovsco Hall that we can over-run more or less as we wish. It makes for a much more social atmosphere.

Paul Ferris, 10th April 2015

Here is Maz' poem (and her first, by all accounts!)

FAREWELL TO ROVSCO HALL

Rovsco Hall has been EFOG's home for roughly 20 years,
So saying a fond farewell to it was bound to bring some tears.

The animal paintings on the wall have given us some pleasure,
The hall has seen activities which have given us all much leisure.

Our food evenings have always been an important part of the fun,
And I know they will continue - bangers and mash is the next one.

We rescued most of the primroses with Marian's help and advice.
They are spread around all over the place - but we had to leave the squirrels and mice!

Endeavour Hall will be our home for the next few months or more,
Then we hope to return to Rovsco Hall, rebuilt and with a new floor.

We'll have to take care with a brand new place, and not leave marks anywhere,
But it will be our home for many years, so I know we'll take some care.

So farewell to old Rovsco Hall, we'll look forward to your rebirth.
I am sure you will give us much pleasure once more, and we'll have many good evenings and mirth!

Easter in Eastbourne

Back from another great break with EFOG. Easter weekend in Eastbourne was cool but not very wet and the sun did not desert us completely. The journey there went smoothly; the mid-morning travel avoided potential Bank Holiday crowds, giving us time to look round and have lunch before booking into the hotel. Many of us even had sea views.

Saturday was the “long walk” day – for most – walking up and down all of the Seven Sisters. A few of us did a shorter walk - from East Dean to Belle Tout Lighthouse, then to Birling Gap, where we fortuitously met up with the others for a bite to eat before going on with them to Beachy Head and thence to Eastbourne. The Downs were lovely, the views spectacular, even under an overcast and occasionally drizzly sky.

Unfortunately, because of her leg injury, Lynne was unable to join the walks this weekend. However, she found lots to do, including visiting some of the places we walked to – and giving us ideas of places to visit if we had time. We also had the pleasure of Parviz's company on the walks and Frances's company in the evenings.

The evening meal that night was particularly good – the huge, “pink” moon fantastic. There's sure to be a photograph here – Paul may have difficulty choosing which one to use.On Sunday most of us took the bus to Alfriston, a lovely “olde English” village. Soon we were back up the hills and on the South Downs again, searching for The Long Man of Wilmington. On the way we saw a chalk horse in the distance and some hang-gliders (it was certainly a good day for it). We were treated yet again to fantastic views, good walking and, of course, splendid company.

Some thought the long man needed a bit more definition (he was better seen at a distance perhaps) but we greeted him anyway. The weather was improving all the time – no rain today – so delicious ice-creams were enjoyed by many when we got back to the village. Back to Eastbourne, where there was plenty of time for a lovely stroll through the gardens, shopping or just “chilling” out near the sea before another nice meal – and “bingo” for those who fancied it. Did anyone win this time?

Quite a few of us used the 'Hop On Hop Off' bus on Monday to re-travel to places we had already seen and to go to places we had missed. We did brave the top deck at first – but the wind was a bit strong on the second bus we boarded (less cover). It was good to be able to “just look” rather than concentrate on walking as well. It was a good way to end the break – before what proved to be a pretty easy journey back home. Thanks for organising it, Ken.

Pam, 7th April 2015

Wet and Windy In Woolwich

We were not as lucky with the weather as the the people who went to Warley Place yesterday – and we certainly couldn't compete with the daffodils – as Fred kept reminding us - but we had a good time despite the weather. However, the rain came and went and the wind varied.

Five of us hardy EFOGers walked from Woolwich to Greenwich on the last Sunday in March, braving the rain and the wind. It's amazing how much this area has changed in just a few hundred years. At the beginning of the 19^th century 'free cerls' were raising pigs on what were marshlands; they were considered a 'race apart' from the ordinary people who lived on the other side of the New Woolwich Road in Charlton (new in 1790).

After the 1850s this area developed into a crammed, busy, closely knit, working-class community, fringed by wharfs, barge works, rope-walks – all the paraphernalia and trades associated with riverside life - most of the way to Greenwich.

At the end of the last leg of the Green London Way walk we had began looking at the impact of the army on Woolwich. Today we started at the ruins of the old (once very ornate) garrison church of St. George, bombed in 1944. Unfortunately, we couldn't get inside to see the walled garden hidden there, or the mosaics of St. George slaying the dragon. However this site is set to become into a memorial to Lee Rigby and all the men and women killed in service and to commemorate Woolwich's history as a garrison town.

After crossing the impressive front of the Royal Artillery Barracks we did a detour from the set route, walking through Gun Park and army communal areas to the Rotunda Artillery Museum, built in 1820. It was designed to copy the shape of the canvas bell tent which originally held the exhibition. Most of its exhibits were transferred to the Woolwich Firepower Exhibition in 2001, which some of us visited on the previous walk..

Then it was back 'up the hill' to Maryon-Wilson Park, the former 'Hanging Wood', and Happy Valley. Hard to believe this lovely park was once a place where the highwaymen who plagued Shooters Hill were hanged. Our tender-hearted EFOGers felt sorry for the people setting up Easter stalls near the animal enclosures, in the rain, as we made our way to Gilbert's Pit – to admire the way the former pits and gravel heaps are now being taken over by 'nature'.

The next stretch of the walk has seen the most dramatic changes of any of the walks in this series. In 1594 more than 40,000 people were already employed in this stretch of the Thames. By the 1870s it was not unusual to see 2,000 vessels in the 4 miles between London Bridge and Deptford. By the beginning of the 20^th century this part of London had the largest dock complex in the world. Yet, within a few decades after the end of the Second World War it was all over – replaced by acres of dereliction.

Then came an era of massive re-development (still in process). Now office blocks, shopping malls, yachting marinas and miles of fashionable homes for the wealthy rub shoulders with the relatively few surviving industries, buildings and small strands of 'original' housing.

The Thames Barrier (opened in 1984) has to have been one of the most dramatic changes, built after the devastation and loss of life caused by the severe floods in 1953.

We had a welcome 'pit stop' in The View Café catching up with the most recent figures about the ever-more-frequent raising of the barrier. Two thirds of its use has been in the last 10 years – and it is likely to ineffective after 2060......

Afterwards we walked along the Riverside Walk, occasionally battling with the wind and the wet, until we reached the Ecology Park, with its many signs of Spring, despite the weather. A board-walk led us to a very large expanse of mainly ultra-modern high-rise flats, with views of The 02 on one side and the Spring-like Ecology Park on the other.

Fortunately, the rain gave us a break and even the wind seemed calmer, as we crossed the high footbridge in front of the Blackwall Tunnel Southern Approach. Looking at the queues of traffic it was a little hard to imagine that it had originally been designed for the use horse-drawn traffic (hence the gentle inclines) – bet the fumes inside where different then! Trevor pointed out the vent for the tunnel in the 02 canopy.

We rejoined the river on the other side at a point which was once the most polluted section of the Thames, where suicides were more likely to die from poisoning than drowning. In 1957 it was estimated that the 43 miles of the Thames between Kew Bridge and Gravesend were completely devoid of fish, bird or other significant aquatic life.

The recovery of the tidal Thames since then has to be one of the most successful 'success' stories of the river's modern history. This has been brought about by improvements in sewerage and better industrial processes but above all by the DETERMINATION of many, many people to make sure it happened. A determination which needs to be maintained – history has told us it is not irreversible. This has been a continuing theme in these walks – the need to maintain vigilance and a fighting-spirit to defend common rights and freedoms.

The river path took us in a loop to our final destination – we could view its masts well before we neared it. By then the rain had pretty much travelled on but the wind was still as strong and we were walking into it a lot of the time …. invigorating?

More housing estates and development were passed on the way, promising 'outstanding river views', portraying romanticised images of how the buildings would finally look, especially at sunset.

The banks were interspersed with a few remaining examples of 'older history', old wharfs, scattered remnants of rusting 'debris' and left-behind objects. We made our way past the thrusting bleakness of Greenwich Power Station, stark alongside the tranquil beauty of the16^th century Trinity Hospital.

Finally we reached Trafalgar Tavern – and a stern faced Nelson. Time for a quick photograph with him before walking to the Cutty Sark via the Old Royal Naval College – and an end-of-walk coffee.

An unpromising day weather-wise turned out much better than might have been expected and as enjoyable as usual, thanks to my brave and determined EFOG pals.

Pam, 1^st April 2015