Clacton Holiday Weekend 2024

The last weekend in April was Andrea and Eileen’s Clacton weekend break. I was sharing a caravan with Eileen, Fozi and Louise at Weeley, just outside Clacton, and arriving first, set off to explore the small village of Weeley, which didn’t take long! Getting ready to go out, I realised we didn’t have any hot water, and told the site reception, who sent an engineer to fix the problem. Fozi and Louise weren’t going to the Thai restaurant, where we were going with Andrea, Sarah, Cathy and Richard, so Eileen and I set off, whilst they stayed at the caravan. However, the engineer couldn’t fix the problem, so we were upgraded to another caravan, moving some of our stuff overnight and the rest in the morning.

Saturday saw an early start. We all met at Andrea’s house at 10 a.m. and were soon joined by Annick, Frances, Peter and Parviz, who were also on the caravan site. The plan was for a country walk visiting a gin distillery, the backwaters for lunch and return to Thorpe-Le-Soken, about 6 miles. We arrived early at the nearby East Coast Distillery site and were given an entertaining talk on how the gin is produced and flavoured and, more importantly, sample some of the products. Whilst I’m no gin drinker, it was still very good visit. .

After the tour we set off to the nearby backwaters for a waterside lunch, and after lunch headed off on the waterside footpath which should lead us back to Thorpe. After about 10 minutes, I was beginning to have doubts. We should have been heading inland, but instead the water was widening (considerably) which didn’t bode well. Checking the map confirmed that we were on the right footpath, but heading in the wrong direction. A quick about turn and having checked with a local we were now going the right way, we had a pleasant river/ countryside walk back to Thorpe.

In the evening we all had a meal in Clacton, followed by a show at one of the local theatres. It was an 80’s music evening, with the group performing many 1980’s electro-pop songs, by bans like Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Depeche Mode and other synthesizer based bands. Personally, I loved all that type of music, so thought it was a good evening.

On Sunday, we all went to Holland-on-Sea and enjoyed a bracing walk along the sea-front, although it was too cold for a paddle. We then went to Brightlingsea for lunch, a warming cafe and a visit to the local museum with a walk along the river-front and around town. Returning to the cars, Eileen asked whether she needed to use Sat-Nav or if I was confident to navigate the 10 mile journey back, which obviously I was. After about an hour, as we were approaching Birmingham, I was beginning to have doubts (no only joking! – we were good, although my constant comments of “blimey I’m good” every time we passed something in vaguely the right place, were probably beginning to grate).

In the evening we all went for a curry at a restaurant in Thorpe-Le-Soken, which was very nice, and a fabulous way to round off the weekend, after which we said our farewells to everyone and headed back to the caravan for a final night.

I would like to thank Andrea and Eileen for organising the weekend, sorting out the accommodation, and arranging some excellent walks (and visits) and good places to eat.

Trev Eley,  20th May 2024

Norfolk Broads Holiday 2024

Arriving at the boat yard at Potter Heigham, via train, bus, a mile walk and a lift from a kind local couple, I checked in and boarded our boat for the weekend and was soon joined by Peter, Annick and Fozi. Having had the boat tour with a member of the boatyard staff, we loaded up the boat with considerable luggage, bought some ships provisions, and cast off for our destination for the evening.

On leaving the boatyard we headed south turning into the River Bure, passing through Horning and reached and moored up at Salhouse Broad after a couple of hours cruising. We then headed to the pub about a mile away for our evening meal, before returning to the boat in the dark afterwards, with our torches lighting the way through the wooded pathway to the Broad.

On Sunday we cast off, with Annick at the helm doing a good job steering the boat. We rejoined the main river, heading back past Horning, hoping to moor at Ranworth for lunch. To my surprise, there were a couple of spaces available so we moored up and had lunch. We then headed to the nearby nature reserve, where one of the few remaining wherries was moored up and open to visitors, so we had a look around it as well as the nature reserve.

Returning to our boat, we cast off and then headed up the River Ant to Stalham, passing under the low and narrow bridge at Ludham Bridge and crossing the exposed expanse of water at Barton Broad. As we neared Stalham, a kingfisher flew down the river passing by the side of the boat. At Stalham we moored up in the boatyard for the evening before handing off into the town for our meal.

On Monday morning, we departed the busy boatyard and headed back along the River Ant, passing close by another kingfisher perched on a branch, to moor at How Hill, where we had a walk round the wildlife trial walk, and spotted a deer, and visited the “secret” garden. Returning to the boat we had lunch, and I heard the low pitched boom of a bittern from the reed beds across the river. We left to continue down the River Ant, retracing our route, back under the little bridge, to moor up at Ludham for the final evening. After a couple of hours we arrived at Ludham and moored up in glorious sunshine. .

Tuesday morning saw an early start, and after a short cruise of about 40 minutes, we arrived back at our home boatyard, where we moored up amidst all the other boats, before unloading and heading back home. It had been a good weekend with everyone back safe and sound, no-one falling in the water or any other mishaps, and the weather had been good all weekend. Thanks to Peter, Annick and Fozi for their help with the moorings and keeping us supplied with teas, lunches, etc. I think I’m getting the hang of this lark.

Trev Eley.  15th May 2024

Fingringhoe Wick - a visit to Ann's Reeds

Twenty-two group members and past members visited Fingringhoe Wick Nature Reserve on Sunday 21st April 2024, to see Ann Lowther’s bench and the area named Ann’s Reeds in her memory, and to remember Ann and Duncan Lowther.

Ann and Duncan were long-time members of the Epping Forest Outdoor Group – both Ann and Duncan joining in the very early days of the group at the beginning of the 1960s. At the time that Ann died in March 2014, the Essex Wildlife Trust was running a campaign to raise money to add a considerable amount of land to their nature reserve at Fingringhoe Wick, on the River Colne south of Colchester. The plan was to purchase farmland adjacent to the reserve, and breach the sea wall to enable the river and the sea to reclaim the land and create a large area of shallow water, suitable for a wide range of birds and other creatures to use the habitat.

Ann and Duncan had put some money aside to do some travelling in their later life, but Duncan decided after Ann’s death that he would prefer to donate some of it to enhancing the environment, something that both he and Ann were passionate about.

Duncan talking with the CEO in 2017The group's visit to the same location in 2024During 2014, I went with Duncan to the headquarters of the Essex Wildlife Trust at Abbotts Hall Farm to meet with the then CEO to discuss a possible donation and what it would mean for the campaign. The donation would make a big difference to the cost of the work involved, and Duncan asked that perhaps an aspect of the new area of reserve might be named after Ann, in commemoration. It was agreed that a bed of reeds (Phragmites), fed by a stream running near the edge of the reserve could be called Ann’s Reeds. This could be a habitat for birds such as sedge and reed warblers, Savi’s warblers and perhaps bittern.

The sea wall was breached in September 2015, and members of the group were invited to go along to see this take place. A 22-hectare area was flooded, creating a new area of saltmarsh and mudflats. Because of the stream, a saline environment was created in one corner, enabling the growth of reeds – Ann’s Reeds.

Duncan and I then went back to Essex Wildlife Trust to discuss the provision of a commemorative bench, paid for by donation from the Epping Forest Outdoor Group.

On Sunday 21st, group members met at the visitor’s centre and then set out to visit the reed bed and bench, and of course see something of the rest of the reserve.

A bee-fly (Bombylius major)My own experience of the day was of being given a lift there by Christine and Peter of Wanstead, group members who knew Duncan and Ann well. The lift from Wanstead was much appreciated as the reserve is otherwise very difficult to get to by public transport, necessitating probably a cab from Colchester. I had been introduced to Fingringhoe Wick in 2002, by a friend whose favourite place it was. It became a favourite of mine, too, so apart from the association with Duncan and Ann, the place holds special memories for me.

As I got out of the car, almost the first thing I was aware of was the sound of a cuckoo – the first I had heard this year. They are not nearly as common as they used to be, so good to hear that. The three of us joined other EFOG members in the visitor centre before we set out under Fergus’ guidance to walk to Ann’s Reeds. He did ask me if I remembered how to get there, and I thought that I did. However, I haven’t been there for some years, my memory was faulty, and we didn’t exactly get there by a direct route. Well, it was a direct route, but we had to backtrack a couple of times to reach it.

The cuckoo wasn’t calling any more, but I was aware of chiffchaffs and blackcaps singing, amongst other bird song and sounds. And of course, a lot of the other sounds were coming from the chatting of people who perhaps hadn’t seen each other for some time. Always when there are large-ish groups of people – even on nature walks, which this wasn’t – it is sometimes difficult to point out aspects which some might be interested in. But I did spot one of my favourite creatures – a bee fly – and managed to at least show a few people this lovely little thing. There were lots of ‘felts’ by the track-ways: squares of material left down on the ground to enable reptiles such as adders and grass snakes, and lizards such as slow worms, to have shelter and get warm in the early sunshine. They are best not disturbed to see if there is anything sheltering, and I don’t think any of the group did. The reserve is a favourite of badgers, and we saw numerous signs of their diggings as we walked around.

Ann's bench in 2017...and the bench in 2024We reached Ann’s Reeds, where part of the sea wall gives views over the reed-bed and lagoon on one side, and over salt-marsh on the other. It is on the sea wall that Ann’s bench is located, looking decidedly aged, with lichens growing on it and now looking out towards the salt marsh rather than across the reed bed as it was originally placed. The ageing, and the lichens, are not surprising given the open exposed environment here. Below the sea wall, by the reed bed, is a really nice information board about the reeds, complete with a reference to the donation that made it possible. Nearby is the Kingfisher bird hide, but from a viewpoint adjacent to this there was the wonderful sight of large numbers of knot in the distance, their colours going from light to dark as they flew in a twisting, turning, flock similar to that of starlings' murmuration.

To see more of the reserve we walked northwards towards the distant Margaret Hide on the edge of the lagoon. From this large hide we were able to see an avocet, oystercatchers, shelduck and Canada geese. Organiser Sue Stirling gave a little talk to remind us of why we had come here, and to thank Edwina Simpson for helping her to arrange the two days of memorial visits. Indeed, there were thanks all round.

Ann's Reeds information boardSome of us continued the walk a bit further north, whilst others returned to the visitor centre. At one point, the sound of a lesser whitethroat was heard. They are not that common, so was an appreciated sound. There were skylarks, too – again a bird that is getting less common with declining habitat.

Returning southwards along higher ground, we reached a point where there is more scrub and woodland, and through which the stream that feeds the reed bed flows. The group that I was with was smaller now, so it gave me an opportunity to suggest that there was a particularly nice path that one could take to the west, between woods and fields, which eventually would lead to the access road to the visitor centre to return there. The reserve was created on the site of gravel quarries, so in fact had been very industrial at one time, and the suggested path snaked through these. This area had been used by the reserve, but hadn’t belong to it. Duncan’s donation helped the campaign to over-top the amount required for the creation of the lagoon habitat, and the Trust had been able to buy this woodland.

A not-very-good photograph of a nightingale at Fingringhoe WickThe industrial aspect of the site is not so visible any more: nature has taken over. And because we had assembled to talk about this, I was also able to point out that one of the bird songs that we were hearing was that of a nightingale. Nightingales are so scarce in Britain now that you can’t even hear them in Berkeley Square. Not that you ever could, of course, and the song is really saying that. But Fingringhoe Wick is one of the few places where you can still hear them. I’d heard a few as we set out, and there were a couple of others less evident than the one nearby to us, but it’s such an unfamiliar sound these days I suspect that few of the group realised what it was.

I stayed behind to listen, and make a recording, as the others moved on towards the nearby visitor centre. As I walked back, listening to nightingales, blackcaps, chiffchaffs and other species, I noted orange-tip butterflies and spring beauty flowers, as well as some insects that looked new to my experience. The visitor centre was busy – mainly with EFOG people queueing for various long-to-process varieties of coffee, I suspect, and the usual carrot cake. Chats and reminiscences later, group members began to depart, until Christine and Peter asked if I was ready, and we left with goodbyes.

My thanks particularly to Sue Stirling and Edwina Simpson for doing so much work in organising the weekend, and to Fergus for leading us on the tour of the reserve. And also to Christine and Peter for giving me the opportunity to get there and catch up with my friends from the group.

Paul Ferris   23rd April 2024

Perivale to Northolt Walk

Easter Saturday - 31st March 2024 - was warm and sunny, just perfect for a good walk, the latest of my hilly London walks. Having met Cathy, Richard and Lorraine at Stratford station we took the central line to Perivale where we met Louise and Ken, who were on the same train as us, and were soon joined by Laurel and Fozi. We set off heading towards the Grand Union Canal and Horsenden Hill. Crossing over the canal we turned toward Horsenden Farm and visitor centre, where we had an early refreshment break (we’d only been walking 15 minutes!) at the pop-up cafe.

Suitably refreshed we started the climb up to Horsenden Hill, with fine views of the City and surrounding area on our route. It wasn’t too muddy, but was a good climb. We reached the disc and foot golf course and edged round this to the trig point on the grass plateau at the summit of the hill offering superb panoramic views. After taking in the views we descended to an old car park and followed the path down back to where we crossed the canal and turned to walk along the towpath.

We shortly reached the turn-off to Greenford station, where Fozi left us, heading off through an enclosure housing a family of beavers recently introduced into the area, whilst we continued along the towpath. After a while I spotted a couple of cormorants sunning themselves at the top of a tree and it then turned out there was a whole row of trees, each which two or three cormorants perched at the top of them, basking in the warmth of the day, and maybe scanning the canal for their next meal.

After a couple of miles we turned off the towpath and headed towards Northolt, passing under the A40 to Northala Fields, a park opened in 2008. We headed to the cafe for some, this time, well earned refreshments. Afterwards we climbed the second highest of the 4 man-made hills, created from the rubble of the old Wembley stadium and White City shopping centre redevelopment. Whilst not as high as our first hill, the views were still pretty good. When I reccied the walk I spent ages watching a Red Kite fly between the 4 hills, but no sign of any today. We then walked over to the lakes where a couple of swans were nesting in a fenced off area.

Exiting the park, I was still looking for a Kite, but no luck. We exited the park and walked up back to Northolt station. It had only been about 5½ miles but with all our stops had taken nearly 6 hours, but it had been a very enjoyable day. As we waited at the platform, Cathy suddenly shouted at us and pointed skywards, and there flying over the station was a.......pigeon, no a Red Kite. It just shows you never know where or when something may turn up.

Trev (pathfinder) Eley