Soanes Museum and a Thames Walk

Wednesday 7th December was a cold day (it felt like 2 or 3 degrees) but bright and dry. Ten of us meet at Holborn station for a visit to Sir John Soane's Museum, organised by Andrea. A short walk later and we were at the museum in Lincolns Inn Fields.

The museum has been kept in the same condition as it was when Sir John died in 1837. This was at his request. Madeleine joined us at the entrance to the museum where there was some fuss about bags. It soon became apparent why; the walkways were narrow and absolutely covered with statuary, pieces of plaster, bowls, paintings and other items from a long career collecting whatever took his fancy. The house itself was a rabbit warren, with a fresh view to admire every time you turned a corner, looked up or looked down. I had to keep asking the curators where I was and where I had to go next. The Picture Gallery was impressive with paintings mounted on hinged panels which a curator regularly opened to let us see the paintings hidden behind the front display. Canaletto’s views of Venice and Hogarth’s Election series featured in the Gallery.

90 enjoyable minutes later we left and went to a Wetherspoons nearby for lunch. Paul, who had been closing in on our trail and covered the museum in 6 minutes flat in his pursuit, finally caught up with us but had to leave part of his lunch as we left to walk on to the Thames. Walking along the North side of the Thames towards Blackfriars Bridge we saw a strange looking new building on the South side but the local maps did not mention it. A Google search established it was called The Boomerang – no, we hadn’t heard of it either.

We diverted to Paternoster Square where some of the party were entranced by a couple of reindeer while the rest of us stood and shivered. There was a dining table with many large animals sitting around and two empty spaces for photo opportunities, which of course we took.

On again along the river, we stopped at St Magnus the Martyr Church, near the Monument, claimed to be Christopher Wren’s most expensive parish church. Worth a visit but some of us just wanted to get a bit warm.

Back to the river, and we walked on to the Tower of London where the walk finished.  Most enjoyable.

Brian   7th December 2022

Andrea's trip to the John Soane's Museum today was very interesting, even though I had been there before. Afterwards we had lunch at a Wetherspoon's, then walked slowly to Tower Bridge beside the river - where road/pavement works allowed. We stopped briefly at St Paul's, and got sidetracked by a man with two reindeer (no - not that man!) and learned a lot about reindeer. They were very sweet, and their feet really do click when they walk. Eventually we carried on - it was pretty cold and we all needed to thaw out by the time we got to Tower Hill.

Thanks to Andrea for organising a lovely trip - and the bright sunshine - despite the cold.

Madeleine    7th December 2022

Dagenham East to Upminster Walk

With winter and the darker evenings approaching I decided the next walk I did would be a bit nearer home (well my home anyway), and perhaps discover some of the lesser known gems of East London. So, on Saturday December 3rd, arriving at Dagenham East station, Jill V was already there and we were soon joined by Lynne, Fozi, Cathy and Richard.

We left the station and crossed over the road to enter Beam Country Park following the track between the railway track and Badass Lake (well that may not be its actual name but it’s owned by Barking and Dagenham Angling Society, so that’ll do for me). To the right of the track were hidden a number of anti-tank defences. After a gentle climb the track turned right with views over the park and the River Beam, after which the park in named. Approaching the bridge on the River Beam (one of the lesser well known war films) there was a marker post, which it turned out was made from part of the old Woolwich ferry mooring piers, which were demolished a few years ago in a project I worked on.

Crossing the Beam we turned right along the track to another lake, which we walked alongside watching the wildlife, before climbing a small hill to a patch of grassland with horses from a nearby stable grazing. Whilst most of them were tethered, one had managed to slip his (or her) tether and was having a fine time visiting its horsey friends. We turned right to exit the park and crossed the road before walking past houses and into Hornchurch Country Park.

Entering Hornchurch Country Park we turned left and followed the undulating track to the recently created Covid Remembrance Field. We continued on the track past a large lake and after a mile or so reached the cafe/ visitor centre for the lunch break. Suitably refreshed and having bought a considerable quantity of jams and chutneys from the visitor centre, we continued onwards, alongside the River Ingrebourne, until we reached Upminster, spotting a Little Egret on route.

We’d walked about 5.5 and it had been a pleasant leisurely walk and had been surprisingly scenic despite being in East London.

Trev (pathfinder) Eley   14th December 2022

Claybury Woods walk

On Saturday 19th November, ten EFOG members met at the café in Ray Park, Woodford Green, and set off at 10am, walking southward along the River Roding and heading towards Claybury Woods.

The walk was very wet and muddy in places, but despite this we found the old tennis courts in the woods, and the 'stairway to nowhere', as you can see in the photo.

After passing the orchard we continued round the woods, passing the large pond and play area, and then headed back to the Ray Park café, where we had lunch. 

The walk was about 6 miles.

  Jill Voon    27th November 2022

Recollections of the Rodings Rally

In years past – each year from approximately late September through to November – a frequent and fun (for some, anyway) EFOG activity would take place, usually on a weekend day but sometimes midweek, too.

This gave a number of group-members an opportunity to meet up and have lots of fun in Epping Forest, to get holly-scratched and footsore, get hot, cold, tired and lost. Obviously, this was an outdoor group enjoying itself to the extreme. This regular part of our late-summer and autumn programme took place for 62 years, to end finally in 2018.

The activity mentioned was ‘Checkpoint Plotting’, just one of a number of precursors to that annual EFOG event – The Rodings Rally. There was a lot of additional planning that had to take place even before those fun-filled days in the forest could happen: working out where the checkpoints that had to be plotted were going to be positioned, for example. There were decisions to be made on what night the actual event was going to take place, getting permissions for it to happen from the Conservators of Epping Forest, hiring the hall that was to be the ‘headquarters’ during the event, deciding what members of the group would be doing what. And there were a lot of doings that needed doing: who was going to man the checkpoints, for example, who was going to stay overnight in the hall, who was going to drive, who was going to cook, who was…

Those club members – and there were a lot of them – and those ex-members, and those non-members who participated in the planning and execution of the rally, and those hundreds of people over the years whotook part in it, will all remember the event fondly. After 62 Rodings Rallies, we just had to end it, as there were less and less club members willing to devote there time and energy to it, and those that were were – as happens after 62 years – getting older.

So – just a reminder for the present group, of times past. I was reminded of it as we come into November, the month when the Rally took place, and I received a communication from Roger Snook. Roger – together with his friend David – were non-members who had been coerced (by me) into helping out by staying in a checkpoint tent overnight for the last few years of the rally. Having survived the first time, they were enthusiastic to return each year – and would probably still be doing it. Roger has occasionally said to me that they are really sad it doesn’t happen any more.

Here is his report on the rally:

'I write as a new participant in the great EFOG Rodings Rally in which, last Saturday, 300 brave souls attempted to find ten needles in a haystack called Epping Forest – in the dark. We, David and I, were one of the needles, and our checkpoint was Number 4 – Bury Wood. From our viewpoint, as complete novices, we would like to pass on some lessons learned.

1. If you are interested in the idea of spending 12 hours in the dark in a flimsy tent in cold, foggy weather with a real possibility of rain, wind, frost, sleet, snow, thunder and lightening, to name but a few, the first and most important rule is – find somebody else to do it! If you require help with this skill, we recommend Paul – we were putty in his hands!

 2. Have a good look at your tent (put it up in advance) – was its previous owner Baden Powell, are half its ‘bits’ missing, and would it just about accommodate Grumpy and Dopey? If the answer to these questions is yes, take your own. Experience has taught us that, if you wish to make your tent difficult to find, choose a nice bright scarlet-coloured specimen. In our case, only less than 50% of the contestants found us – a record for the night.

3. Assuming you don't have a degree in civil engineering, and are possessed of average hamfistedness, get to your site early (7pm) to erect your tent.

Do not use guys (they trip over them, and, unless it is windy, they are unnecessary). It is difficult to hold or support a torch in a way that is remotely helpful and, if your colleague is of a puritanical persuasion, you will need to learn to swear under your breath.

4. If you do not wish to suffer the fate of Scott of the Antarctic, take something that would have got him there before Amundsen – a duvet.

Also something to lie on – preferably inflatable as you have to be able to walk 12 hours later.

5. Make full use of the ‘bathroom’ before you leave.

6. Make sure your colleague lies on the side near the door (nudge! nudge! wink! wink!).

7. You need a big, digital time readout on your phone.

As to the experience itself – here goes!

Lying, tense with nervous expectation in a tangible silence – waiting – waiting. Then a distant snap of a branch, then silence and we let out our held breath. Then another – was it nearer? And another. “Was that a voice?” “I didn’t hear anything”. “You never hear anything! There – surely you heard that (pause) even you must have heard that”. “Yes I can hear them now – they’re getting closer”. Lights begin to flicker, get nearer, flash on the tent. Cracking and snapping of branches and “Where are you Felicity?” “Over here Archibald!”

Some of the voices must have been audible half a mile away, while others were half whispered as they closed in on us. We froze as they got nearer with that nasty feeling of being hunted down. Soon the silhouettes of adjacent trees became sharp before the blazing headlights and David (who was nearest to the door!!) scrambled over to respond to the muffled “Hello!”. Zipping open the door, all we could see was big muddy boots and a hand with a card. It could have been the Mad Axe Man of Epping Forest for all we knew. David entered the time, signed the card, completed the time sheet and wished them luck. They vanished like phantoms into the night and all became still again. The pace increased towards midnight, and from 3 o’clockish till awoken by a warm, comfortable breakfasted Paul at 7.30, we got some sleep. Naturally, we lost our way on the way back – but that’s another story!!

Would we do it again? Well may you ask? The day before the event, David was grumpily asking what possessed us to volunteer. And I was sure we had to be slightly mad. Both of us blamed Paul and the sob story he sold us! After the event however, we both – rather shamefacedly – had to admit that we had thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing. We felt that our souls had been purified by sacrifice and suffering and – if asked by those very nice people at EFOG to do it again – yes, we would!'

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There it is – the reminder. For those of us that got involved, I suspect that most of us would do it again too, if we were able! Oh, and why was I the warm,comfortable and breakfasted Paul who woke them at 7.30? Well, I was one of the sensible members who stayed overnight in the village hall - not in a tent!

Paul Ferris/Roger Snook, 1st November 2022