A Night stumbling in the Forest (an EFOG member's view)

November 2011 – Sitting in a tent in the middle of Epping Forest at silly o'clock in the night in a checkpoint, I wondered if I could get any of my other group, Redbridge 18 Plus, to have a go at next year's event. Roll forward a year and I'd managed to interest/cajole/con Elliot and Will into our first attempt at the legendary Rodings Rally (it only took 56 years – why the delay?).

One thing about taking part in the rally, it means you're banned from the "joys" of check-point plotting, so you don't gain any unfair advantage over the other teams. So having had a forest-free autumn, I was looking forward to returning from "exile", having missed the camaraderie of c.p. plotting, early morning starts, falling over in the mud, and most importantly, scrambled egg on toast at the cafe!.

Arriving at Loughton Station first, I waited or the others to arrive. Will was next, but carrying very little for a night in the forest - no food, drink or torch even. However, it turned out he was not feeling well and was going to join us for a pre-rally drink and was then going to go home. Fortunately, Elliot was fighting fit, so it would be just the two of us, so now our team name "Trev's Trudging Trio" was a teeny bit wrong.

Arriving at High Beech and having confirmed the starting point, we ventured to the nearby pub for a couple of beers to fine tune our sense of direction. But alas, it was closed for a private function. This was not a good start, a man down and the pub shut. Un-deterred we re-assessed our plans and made off to the Wellington, as did a number of other teams who we saw there. 10 o'clock came and it was time to depart for the start. We said our goodbyes to the sickly Will and left him to meet his friends/ get attacked by an owl/ get run over in the dark of the forest (for those of a nervous disposition he did get home safely).

Arriving at the check point, we were greeted by some friendly faces, given our clues and card, and then spent the next 5 or so minutes huddled over the map checking co-ordinates to see which best matched the clues. Most were ok, except the last one, check-point 8, where 2 locations referred to bridges, so we plumped for the one which seemed most likely.

We then set off along a forest track towards check-point one, and could see a couple of walkers on the same track in the distance which gave us some encouragement. Arriving in the vicinity of checkpoint 1, it was like a scene from a Disney film, with dozens of torches all twinkling in the forest, searching for the tent. We continued down the hill for about 300 metres before bearing right into the forest. There was no sign of a tent, and not a lot of other torches either, Retracing our steps we found a track leading off into the woods which looked promising. Following this, we came across an increasing number of other teams, and there across a clearing was the tent. Our clue sheet said the tent would be illuminated, I was expecting a light display more similar to Blackpool at its best, rather than faintly glimmering lamps, nevertheless we'd found it. 1 down, 4 to go. Susan and Lynne signed our card and we set off for cp 5 (2nd in the 5 cp event). This is where it started to go wrong.

Having in previous years done check-point plotting, I know we normally use compass bearings to get back to a path. My brilliant idea was much easier - simply retrace our steps, using the incoming torches as a guide back to the track. After about 15 minutes of falling over tree-stumps and going round in circles we finally found our way back to the track which we came in on. Having found our way back to the road, we decided to follow it round and after a short time ended up back at the start point. Yes, I'd missed the turning.

A re-check of the maps and we decided we'd follow the roads to the next cp (number 5). After a mishap-free half hour (blimey!) we were at the horse ride leading to cp 5, a brisk stroll down the path, again with a fair number of teams about, and a quick foray into the woods and there was the checkpoint. Is this Jim and Sue's house? I enquired. The reply confirmed it was. Two checkpoints found, I wouldn't be frog-marched out of Efog at the next club night! This time we used the compass technique to get out, heading west and were back on the road in no time.

The route to the next cp looked straight-forward, follow the roads skirting the forest and then up Strawberry Hill, to the cp, after all who can get lost on the road? Answer – we can, and did. Somehow, we'd ended up in the outskirts of Loughton. After half hour or so exploring Loughton and avoiding the temptation of a late night kebab, we found the road to Strawberry Hill and an incredibly busy tea-point. The third checkpoint should be just along the track and to the left. After 5 minutes crawling through some of the densest undergrowth of the night, there was the checkpoint with Val and Eileen. We made our way back to the tea-point which was now much quieter. After some much needed refreshment we pushed onto the fourth check-point (cp8).

After a starlit walk along tracks and Fairmead Hill we arrived at the horse ride; following this, the check-point should be to our right. However, we couldn't see anything - other than trees - not even torches twinkling in the dark. We'd gone too far, instinct was telling me. We retraced our steps and after a short while glimpsed a track to the left, which looked likely. We wandered along this to about where we'd marked the spot on the map. "It should be around here" I said, by this stage fearing we'd got the wrong co-ordinates, "lets give it 20 or 30 minutes". By now though, people had begun to venture into the forest. Either, we were right, or they were equally lost and just following us. But after a few minutes, behold the 4th checkpoint. Card signed by Fred or Dave (we only saw a hand), we made our way back to the track and after a celebratory high-five headed to the village hall.

Following the road back to the village hall was straightforward (even for us!). We arrived back shortly after 3 a.m., giving us a time of just under 5 hours, and were very grateful to have a sit down, a cup of tea, a chat with the Efoggers who were on duty at the hall, and a much needed early breakfast.

It had been a good night, the weather had been almost perfect - quite mild with little wind - and chatting with some of the competitors on the way round, they had also enjoyed it. Oh, and somehow, we'd found all 5 checkpoints (I was not expecting that). I'm glad we had a go, perhaps next year, we'll have 2 teams. I'd like to thank all the EFOG members and past members who make it possible and Elliot for being willing to have a go and not losing the scorecard. It's a night like no other, and despite our mishaps was challenging and fun!

There's something quite strange about choosing to spend Saturday night wandering about looking for tents in the forest on a late autumn night, when everyone else is in bed, warm and asleep, but maybe that's part of the magic of the event. Well done all EFOG folk.

Trev Eley, 3rd December 2012

An Exploratory walk along the Lower Lea

(This wasn't a programmed EFOG walk, but was walked by two EFOG members - possibly as a pre-ramble to a possible ramble. If any members feel like doing it, let me know. It is a bit out-of-the-ordinary and a not-very-difficult 5 miles or so.)

A nice sunny day after a dull rainy one yesterday, and Pam and I decided to take a walk – which turned out to be a little on the wild side in a couple of ways.

I'd done this walk before, or something very close to it, early last year. Then – as today – was a bit of an exploration to see if it was yet possible to negotiate the lower reaches of the Lea without negotiating too much of industrial Canning Town. It turned out that it is not yet possible...

Pudding Mill Lane DLR was the starting point, and even the station entrance approach looked very different from when the Group had used it for last-year's tour of the pre-Olympic Park. Walking in the general direction of the Bow flyover, we first tried a somewhat overgrown ex-towpath to our right at the first bit of “back-river” that we came to. Apart from a welcome from a worried security guard, the way proved – not unexpectedly – not very welcoming and led us nowhere you'd want to be or could get out of.

An anti-nuclear ecological green man by the gasworksHowever, on the other bank and in the other direction (ie back towards Stratford), a new section of river (or canal)-side path has been created, so we went along that. It is a short stretch, and leads to a rather important lock in the confused water system here. I understand that it is a bit special because at one time it locked water that was tidal both sides. Whether that's true now I couldn't work out. There is a very attractive (sort of) ex lock-keepers cottage here, painted in a shade of blue that is almost totally out of keeping with the rest of the buildings hereabouts, but which will probably become famous.

Crossing the Stratford-to-Bow Road, we visited part of the premises of what used to be a pigment & resin company - or maybe paint. Something has sprung up here that looks like an on-end cheese skyscraper, but Pam explained that it probably represents one of the Olympic torches. There's also a plainly attractive outdoor seating area next to the cut, which is associated with an indoor eating experience with prices that represent just what the east-end is coming to.

We didn't eat there, but staved off hunger and thirst in favour of the more homely fare of the House Mill at Bromley-by-Bow – an area which the Group is completely familiar with 'cos I've walked you there before. Crossing the great tidal lock-gates at Bow Locks, we had to necessarily back-track along the first real wilderness: Gillender Street. This is the Gillender Street which the south-bound Blackwall Tunnel traffic is always backing up to, though why anyone would want to back up to this...

Canary Wharf from the Private bridge at Bow LocksThe back-track was to enable crossing of the Lea itself, by means of the Private bridge that always led to the gas-works. Now that the gas-works doesn't work anymore, the Private bridge now allows ordinary pedestrians, buses and vehicles that have due reason to cross it, across. I found this out the last (and first) time I'd been to “the other bank” (ie the Essex side), for now a new footpath - aptly but stupidly named “The Fat Walk” - has been provided as part of the 50 mile Lea Valley Path, from Luton to the Thames. Last time I'd walked the Fat Path alone, this time I had Pam with me so felt safer. It is nice and wide (“Fat Walk”, see!), has seats and lights, but is totally disconnected from any other human beings except walkers and rogues and footpads (and maybe cyclists) by a twenty-foot fence. You could have a great audience of spectators whilst a footpad was demanding your purse. Anyway, we saw a bloke walking his dogs – which barked but wagged their tails as well, so that was alright.

This lovely path – and it is nice, albeit the Middlesex bank is mostly scrapyards – runs alongside the tidal Lea, with the wildness of reed-beds and mud-banks edging it. Swans, Mallards, Cormorants, Gulls, rafts of Teal, Wagtails – even a Sandpiper – were all to be seen. Then we reached the barrier where I'd been stymied last time. A couple of hundred metres beyond can be seen what appears to be a continuation of the path, but between it and us is Cody Dock. I moaned of course that by the time any connection will be made to enable the Lea-side path to reach the Thames I shall be extinct or at least more decrepit than I am now. We turned back to where it is possible to follow a passage through the business estate area (reason for the fences) and out into real streets. One of the real streets – near Star Lane DLR – is Stephenson Street, and if you'd like a taste and smell of real Victorian-style east London, that'd be a good place to go. I don't like it very much.

Stephenson Street sort of spills -  or perhaps vomits - onto the Canning Town Flyover, but we went under it. There is an encouraging notice: “ Bow Creek Ecology Park”, and then the approach dives into a black hole to which at least somebody has added a burnt out three-piece suite, amongst other things. On the other side of the black hole, “Bow Creek Ecology Park” is writ in large friendly letters across the tarmac alongside part of the DLR. To cross the DLR and access Canning Town Station a new ramped bridge has been built. It had been built last time, but the same fence inhibiting access is still there, so you can't get that way to the station. I was back to my rantings about a tower block in Stratford going up between going to bed one night and getting up the following morning and the non-opening of a pedestrian bridge after two years.

Fat Boy's Diner at Trinity Buoy WharfThe ecology park is actually a nice place. I've been there before and it has a lot of managed wildness about it – very pretty and with bees and things in the summer. But it wasn't summer and the clocks have gone back and the sun was getting low, so we crossed the Blue Bridge and walked towards Orchard Place and our Thames-side destination. Orchard Place is one of those out-of-the-way places that is just being discovered by London and the World. I discovered it quite a few years ago, after hearing tales of the strange, in-bred community that once lived here, separated from their fellow men – even those that lived in Poplar a mile away.

Surprisingly, I thought, there were a few other visitors making their way towards London's Lighthouse. Oh Yes there is! It is an intrinsic component of Trinity Buoy Wharf, where there is also a Perpetual Music Player and Fat Boy's Diner, where we dined on burgers, cokes and milk shakes as the Sun went down. The tenders in the diner were Sicilians, but there was at least a woman customer from California to give it some sense of reality.

The metal gates of the old East India Dock were still open as we walked back along Orchard Place in a rapidly darkening evening, but we went in anyway to look at the river and Canary Wharf in a dull red sunset. Just opposite is the Doom, or Otwo as it is now termed, all illuminated-like. East India Dock Basin – now another wildlife and dog-walking area – was not illuminated and I had difficulty finding my way out the other side, but luckily a handy dog-walker knew her way, or the dog did, so we followed.

We came back by train, East India DLR station being nearby.

Paul Ferris, Remembrance Sunday, November, 2012

For more information on the missing link in the path at Cody Dock, have a  look at this website:

 http://www.gasworksdock.org.uk/index.php?mact=News

As walkers, you may even consider contributing to the fund, as I have done. We spoke to a member of the Gasworks Dock organisation who is trying to do something about it.

There is a nice pdf file available from London Borough of Newham about the proposals for the "Fatwalk" by clicking here

A very funny pantomime - or was it?

I thought that two pantomimes in the season were a bit much, and this one a bit early.

There is usually some evil woman in the show, and this production was evidently centred around her. Usually, though, it's an evil Queen of something or other, with a somewhat overdone hairstyle and a bit of a look to her – but nevertheless rather attractive. I think they choose the actresses (yeh, I know – actors – but you have to be careful in pantomimes, they often deceive) especially for their looks. This one was no exception.

Usually in pantomimes there are some rather grisly goings-on, but I was somewhat perturbed prior to this show at the Theatre Royal Stratford to see a warning that some scenes may be “disturbing”. Most pantomime scenes tend to be funny – or ridiculous. What's supposed to be funny about on-stage abortion scenes, in-head shootings and heads-in gift boxes? I couldn't understand why some of the audience were laughing at times; embarrassment, I suppose.

Anyway, Pam's outing to the theatre to see “Dangerous Lady” was well attended by EFOG members, and really a good evening out. I didn't go to the pre-play meal, and just as well really considering the in-play content, but I suspect that a good meal was had by all. (apart from Madeleine who got there apparently after the food had run out (correct me if I'm wrong) and had to get sandwiches.)

 I hope that the proposed second pantomime for the Group - Robin Hood – is not so graphic and a bit more light-hearted. This dangerous lady was really very good, but not suitable for children.

 Thanks Pam!

 Paul Ferris 7^th November 2012

Greenwich Walk on Saturday 6th October

On a bright sunny Saturday in early October, itself a highlight in this funny Autumn weather, a group of Effogers ventured down to Greenwich for a local history walk.  The Cutty Sark - newly refurbished after the fire in 2007 - provided a picturesque backdrop while we waited to get started.  Much of the hull is now obscured from the outside but inside the walls visitors are able to go underneath the ship and see just what made her such a fast clipper on the tea runs.

Once walk leaders Amina and Madeleine had arrived we set off, bypassing the market, to Crooms Road.  On the way up the hill we passed the Greenwich Theatre, home of our more recent pantomime outings and the Fan Museum, home of, well, fans!  Along the way we saw the home of Benjamin Waugh, founder of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.  We also heard the story of the local residents fight to have the park walls made lower so that they could have a view of the trees rather than of bricks; they won the fight, with the bricks being replaced by railings and a lovely view.  Near the top of the hill was the delightfully named Convent of Our Ladye of the Seas, and at the top of the hill the home of the hero of the siege of Quebec, General James Wolfe, whose statue overlooks the Naval College.

After all of this elevation it was time for a break, and where better than the local tea hut on Blackheath.  Familiar in design to those of us who get out and about in the Forest, this particular tea hut is under threat of closure from road widening proposals.  We dutifully all lent some support in the form of drinks and huge squares of cake, all of which went down very well.

Suitably refreshed, we renegotiated Blackheath Road and headed back into Greenwich Park.  A particularly handsome chestnut tree caught the group's collective eye and they decided on a spontaneous hug, followed by dancing round the tree.  Luckily no-one else thought this strange, though the deer in the compound may have got wind of the hugging as they were nowhere to be seen!

After lunch we stopped to welcome some runners who were finishing 10 marathons in 10 days, then admired the views over London.  The panorama covers Canary Wharf to the London Eye and all the way through to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford.  We also got to see the same view the audience must have had of the Naval College and the Queen's House during the equestrian events, the stands for which were still in situ.

Across the park we stopped at the house of Sir John Vanbrugh and admired it for quite some time while assistance was called for an injured seagull, then it was down the hill to visit the college and the chapel before heading back to the station for the journey home.

Sue U.