efog-blog
Tower Hamlets Cemetery and Mile End Parks
The Central Line was partially running, and the sun was fully shining, on Sunday 15th June, when a group of EFOGgers met at Mile End for a visit to Tower Hamlets Cemetery.
The tour started at lunch-o’clock, in other words one pm, so most of the group met beforehand for a quick snack at a nearby café. Some of us sat in a row on high stalls, facing others of us on high stalls, and separated by a low divider which was demarcated with charging points, making it feel like we were about to start an office meeting, a nice reminder that most, if not all, of us have dispensed with that annoying ritual.
The cafe was very nice but a little slow – I think the fruit for the juices needed to ripen before being picked and jucified – but the residents of the cemetery very obligingly waited for us, and we made it to the main entrance by one.
Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park is a beautiful green oasis in Mile End, and was opened in 1841, one of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ cemeteries within London. Our tour guide, Ken, who works for the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery, did a truly excellent job of showing us round, giving us a history of the site, telling us about the lives of some of the people buried there, and pointing out a wide variety of plants.
The cemetery was closed in 1966 when the company which owned it ran into financial difficulties, and many of the graves as well as the two chapels were destroyed, before campaigners were able to secure the cemetery as a heritage site and nature reserve in the early 90s.
There are around 47,000 monuments and headstones in the cemetery, most of them crammed in very close rows. Some larger ones mark the graves of ship builders and prominent Victorians; one very grand monument, marking the grave of the director of the cemetery had a brick removed, with the plan being that the light would shine through it forming the shape of a cross on the ground in front of the stone.
A very moving modern sculpture commemorates the many children under the care of the charity Barnado’s who were buried in unmarked graves in the cemetery park; and two of Dr Barnado’s sons are buried there too.
Amongst the plants Ken pointed out were white holly berries; a lily whose leaves smell of roast beef; and a plant that smells of both garlic and onion, yum.
After the tour, it was definitely time for tea, and seven of us went on to Mile End park, where Paul led us along the Regents Canal to the Ragged School café. By this point it was pretty hot, and we were more than happy to sit inside and enjoy some tea and overpriced cakes, before wending our various ways home.
Louise, 23 June 2025
Some of the group had assembled earlier on Sunday 15th June for a pre-walk cafe-stop, but I arrived at Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park just before 1pm, to wait for them there.
The cemetery that now comprises Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park is one ‘Magnificent Seven’ London cemeteries, established around the mid-1800s to address the problem of overcrowding of burial places in London. One of the most well-known of the seven is Highgate.
As the group of eight arrived at the cemetery gates, we were met by our guide, Ken, one of the ‘Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park’, who told us he had worked as volunteer there for many years. Did he say 20? Although owned by Tower Hamlets Council, the day to day business of managing this 27 acre site is performed by a large group of volunteers. As well as being a space open to the public 24 hours a day, the park is also designated as a nature reserve.
Ken provided us with a lot of history of the site, present management, information about the ’Friends’ group, and what wildlife is present or may be found there, before beginning the tour. Various gravestones and monuments of particular interest were pointed out, as were numerous species of plants that exist or are encouraged to grow there. There wasn’t a lot of bird-life in evidence, and most of that by way of sounds rather than sightings, but some of us were aware of Jays, Magpies, Coal Tits, Wren – and a wonderful (what sounded like) song competition between a Blackbird and a Blackcap.
The guided walk took about 2 hours, after which we walked to nearby Mile End Park, a 29 acre linear park which stretches from near Limehouse to Victoria Park adjacent to the Regents Canal. We cut through the park to the canal and walked the relatively short distance southwards to the Ragged School Cafe, located in the basement of the Ragged School Museum. The cafe has some seating outside by the canal, but these were busy and anyway we were happy to get out of the sun and have our teas, coffees and cakes inside – nine of us seated around Table Nine.
As we prepared to return, two greyhounds decided to pay us some sight-hound attention. I like these sighthound breeds, so was pleased to exchange greetings. One greyhound was wet, the other dry. It was explained that the wet one had fallen in the canal. Considering the heat of the day, or the exuberance of the dog, it was not possible to say why this had happened. Nevertheless, the dog leaned up against my leg, as affectionate, tired, or upset greyhounds are prone to do. Some of the canal was passed between us, but it didn't really matter. Some of us walked back to Mile End Station afterwards, although some had already departed and a couple decided to walk on down the canal towards Limehouse Basin. At the station the rest went different ways and just Louise and I travelled back to Stratford Station together.
Thanks to Louise for arranging the guided tour.
Paul Ferris, 22 June 2025
Epping Forest Walk
I was due to lead the walk on the Saturday 7th June, but with Thursday’s adverse weather forecast from the BBC (which did not materialise in the area until heavy rain late Saturday) I moved it to Sunday 8th to be safe. 5 members met at Loughton Station for a linear walk in Epping Forest, and Trevor caught up with us at the end of Smarts Lane cleverly knowing which path we were taking. So, 6 of us joined the forest from The Stubbles with our first stop at the Strawberry Hill Pond to see the many ducks and ducklings (Mallards, Mandarins & Moorhens) and luckily for them and us, Dave had brought along some proper duck food which they greatly enjoyed. On leaving the pond we walked through the forest, crossing the Epping New Road to join up with Green Ride, taking a right at Three Bridges, we took this path all the way through to the ‘ups and downs’ which are always good for the cardio workout. At High Beech we had stopped for lunch on a picnic table near the Visitors centre. It is such a shame to have lost the cycling hut cafe, and unfortunately the queue at the other café was very long, so it was a good thing we all prepared and had all brought lunch with us.
After lunch, we continued onto the General’s & Verderer’s rides stopping to admire the ‘Big View’. Crossing Woodridden Hill and following on the track we came across a few Rhododendron bushes out in bloom. We continued and crossed over the Epping Road to pick up the Green Path again and then a left onto Genesis Slade and on down to Theydon Plain which was quite a picture with all the buttercups in flower. Arriving in Theydon Bois we had a stop at The Bull for liquid refreshment before getting our trains back home. By my step counter - a route of 7m (others had 7.5m) - it was an enjoyable walk either distance, the weather was lovely, and it was nice to be out in the forest.
Sue S. 8th June 2025
Themed Music Evening
On Thursday 29th May, we held another Themed Music Evening for our weekly get-together at the Scout Hall. This was our fifth such evening and the subject, this time, was TV & Film Themes. I had received 20 suggestions to play but, rather than the group members sitting in a semi-circle looking at me / me staring at my laptop and trying not to feel too self-conscious, Brian had suggested we try something to make it more interactive.
Once everyone had got tea / coffee and biscuits and I'd checked that I had sound coming from the speakers, we got started. We'd placed the chairs such that everyone sat in groups of four or five and, as each track was played, the groups conferred to discuss which show or film they thought it had been the theme tune for. The consensus was that the person who'd chosen the track wouldn't contribute to the discussion, to be fair. Once the track was finished (or I'd cut it short if it was longer than a couple of minutes), I asked each team, at random, what they'd concluded and noted who was right. The person who'd originally chosen the track then told everyone what it had been the theme for / explained why they'd chosen it. Seemingly 'Running Scared', a children's TV series from the late 1980s was set in Forest Gate and parts of it were filmed nearby; Trevor had been working as a groundman at a sports club at the time that the studio filmed on the grounds and, for 2 days, had been unable to do any work to ensure equipment was out of the way of filming. When it actually went on air, about 30 seconds of footage appeared on the TV.
Some tracks were easily identified, some were a toss-up between two or three programmes, some were correctly guessed by some teams but not all and one track (sung in Arabic, for a French film) flummoxed everyone. One person couldn't remember the name of the film, that the track they'd chosen, had come from and, to much hilarity, another didn't even recognise their choice, participated in the group discussion and their team had no idea what it had been the theme to. To be fair, apparently the important bit is towards the end of the track and I was cutting everything short at 2 minutes.
Our mixed bag managed to cover children's TV shows, regular TV shows and films. It was a fun evening and was definitely made more interesting by finding a way to actually get the group to socialise and interact whilst the music was played. Our playlist consisted of the following:
The Persuaders by John Barry
Captain Pugwash theme
The IT Crowd theme
Midsomer Murders theme
This Wheel's On Fire by Julie Driscoll & Adrian Edmondson (Absolutely Fabulous)
Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush (Running Scared TV series)
Ya Sidi by Orange Blossom (film 'Marseille' theme song)
Theme from The Onedin Line
The Chain by Fleetwood Mac (Theme to F1 on TV)
Theme from Jaws by David Williams
Theme from Space: 1999
Love Me Tender sung by Nicholas Cage (from David Lynch's Wild At Heart film)
The theme from Bod
Miami Vice by Jan Hammer
Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers (film Ghost)
Theme from the original Halloween film by John Carpenter
Theme from Schindler's List
Gabriel's Oboe by Ennio Morricone (The Mission theme)
Theme to Camberwick Green
Roobarb (and Custard) theme
Assuming we add another music evening when we plan the next programme, we'll definitely come up with something that people can discuss / guess whilst each track is playing.
Jill S, 31st May 2025
Stanmore to Harrow Weald Walk
Saturday 24th May, and it’s another of the hilly London walks, this one starting at Stanmore, at the far end of the Jubilee Line. Boarding the tube at Bond Street, there were lots of football fans wearing red and white striped shirts, heading to the Premier League play off final between Sheffield United and Sunderland at Wembley. Claire, Madeleine, Lynne and I were all on the same tube train, so arriving at Stanmore we then met up with Louise, who had arrived earlier, and set off.
Exiting the station, we headed uphill passing some smart houses to enter Stanmore Country Park and continued climbing gradually uphill thorough woods and open grasslands to reach the summit of the common where there is a fabulous viewpoint with an information board identifying various landmarks in the distance and the Wembley Arch being very prominent.
We then continued, passing a rugby club, a small hamlet with village green, a couple of ponds which date back to Roman times and a cricket ground where a game was about to get underway. Crossing the road we continued through woodland to a small car park before entering a private road lined with some very posh houses before entering Bentley Priory Open Space/Nature Reserve, where long horn cattle were grazing.
We passed the cattle and soon came to a fenced compound on our left where we spotted some deer in the compound. However, having done the walk previously, I realised we had gone wrong and missed a turn. Still good job we did or we wouldn’t have seen the deer. Re-tracing our steps to the cattle, we rejoined the walk and soon stopped in front of Bentley Priory, which was a World War 2 RAF Command Centre, for lunch and saw a red kite being mobbed by 2 crows.
After lunch we continued through woods to the Grim’s Dyke House/Hotel, which was once owned by W.S. Gilbert of Gilbert and Sullivan fame, who sadly died there in a tragic accident. We made our way through the surrounding woods with colourful rhododendrons making the woods feel like a fairy-tale enchanted forest, to a tranquil pond.
Retracing our steps through the “Enchanted Forest” we reached a final viewpoint with good views over Harrow and west London, before calling at a pleasant pub for some refreshment. After that it was a short walk to a bus stop and a short ride back to the Jubilee line to return home. The walk had been about 6 miles (I got that right for once) and the weather had been comfortable, cool but dry, all in all a good walk.
Trev Eley, 27th May 2025
Photos by Madeleine
Caister Holiday 2025
Monday 5th May, 10.32 a.m. at Stratford Station, and I’m waiting for the train, due in 5 minutes, to start our holiday at Caister. Oh, I’m also waiting for Louise, who is booked on the same train, which one would arrive first? Eventually, Louise arrived, followed A MINUTE later by the train, talk about cutting it fine!
After an uneventful journey, we arrived at the holiday caravan park, signed in, tried to find the short cut to the caravan, which we eventually found and then unpacked. Sue was still to arrive so we decided to walk into Caister, have a look around the village, visit the very windswept beach and get the shopping. By the time we returned Sue had arrived. Jinan was originally coming, but sadly had to pull out, so we all had the luxury of a room to ourselves, and being the gentleman that I am, I baggsied the main bedroom and left the smaller twin rooms to the girls.
In the evening we met up with Annick and Peter, who were staying in a caravan with Frances and Parviz, for a meal at the Mash and Barrel, the camp’s traditional pub style restaurant, and it was pretty good. Afterwards we checked the entertainment at the “Live Lounge” the resort’s entertainment centre. I think it’s best described as “variable”, being largely aimed at the camp’s smaller visitors, although the last act was enjoyable
On Tuesday, we were going for a six mile circular walk along the coast into Great Yarmouth, returning along the Broads and through countryside to the camp. We met up with Frances and Parviz and headed to the beach, walking along the sand and promenade and with a bracing sea breeze. On reaching the Venetian Waterways, it started to rain slightly, so we headed for a cafe for a tea break, thinking it would be sunny when we left. Well, it might not have been sunny, but the rain had stopped.
We soon reached Great Yarmouth where Frances and Parviz left to explore and we headed to the yacht station to start back along the River Bure, with the occasional boat cruising along it. Having had lunch by the river, we continued to a lonely avenue of trees, and uphill for some good views over the Broads, before reaching Caister. It felt a long 6 miles, and arriving back at the campsite we found we had actually walked 10 miles (I’d forgotten to add on the mile to and from the walk). In the evening we all went to the campsite restaurant.
Wednesday was to be an easier day (not for me it wasn’t). Louise, Sue and I caught the bus to Great Yarmouth to visit the Time and Tide museum, which details Great Yarmouth’s history. The museum was in an old herring processing plant, and in the courtyard there was a Punch and Judy show, being enjoyed by a class of school-kids who were really loving the show. Moving on through the museum there was a lot about the old fishing industry, and the town’s history, oh and some low doorways, which weren’t always well signed, as I painfully found out (idiot!).
We then had lunch before wandering back into town and returning to the campsite. Sue and Louise went to the prize bingo, whilst I decided to check a possible walk for next day. I really should have learnt from Durham that I shouldn’t go out alone without a responsible adult. The walk looked promising, rural footpaths and quiet roads, but returning to walk along the beach to the campsite, I tripped over a semi submerged railing and twisted my knee, so had to hobble the mile back to the campsite. We’d booked a meal at a pub in town, and Sue kindly offered to drive us there, but we walked into town, albeit slower than expected, for a nice meal.
On Thursday morning we awoke to bright sunshine (about time too). After a test walk to the shops, we decided against a long walk and went into Great Yarmouth again. This time we visited the Elizabethan house, which was pretty interesting and according to legend was where the Parliamentarians decided to execute Charles I after the Civil War. After the museum we walked along the seafront to the Pleasure Beach, had lunch and headed to the crazy golf where we were joined by Frances and Parviz. I narrowly won it, beating Frances by just 1 shot with Louise and Parviz contesting the wooden spoon.
Afterwards, we returned to the campsite and all went for a game of prize bingo with a couple of us getting close to, but sadly not quite winning, the substantial jackpot of almost £180. Afterwards, we enjoyed a meal on site before visiting the entertainment in the live lounge or playing on the machines in the arcade, before returning to the caravan.
On Friday we packed, left the site and Sue dropped Louise and me off at the station for our train home. It had been a good holiday, our caravan was comfortable and spacious, and it had been a very relaxing and enjoyable break. I just mustn’t go out on my own next time!
Trev (Pathfinder Hoppity) Eley