Art, Guns and the Olympic Cats

Saturday is long run day, and I decided to head by Victoria Park and then up the Lee Valley. First call though would be to pop into an art exhibition I’ve mentioned before which has been causing some controversy in the Hackney Gazette as it includes a gun which people are asked to pose with. According to the Gazette the artist, AK47, first became known for taking Banksy’s ‘The Drinker’ from where Banksy had left it. So I headed off to Vyner Street, which comes off Mare Street just south of the canal. It’s an industrial looking back street, with lots of small workshops with pull-down fronts and looking pretty grotty.

I nearly walked past a set of steel grey doors until I saw ‘Modern Art’ written in tiny letters on them. Inside the exhibition wasn’t quite what I expected. No sign of the reported coffin lid. It looked like someone had taken a trip to the states with a sketch pad along for the ride. A load of water colour sketches, many of them of a dark haired girl posing sexily and various western icons. Images of cowboys and Indians and modern commercialism. I noticed a rifle propped in a corner. Now I’d heard the gun was a Kalashnikov, which I didn’t expect to look like a rifle, but I’d also heard that had been seized by the police and replaced… still didn’t seem to fit. Sure enough, in spite of there being a gun, when I asked at the desk it turned out I was in the wrong gallery.

So I headed up the road and found the right gallery this time. The door had blue and white tape on it like police crime scene tape, and for a moment I thought maybe it had been closed. Then I realised it actually said ‘polite line’ instead of ‘police line’, and there was a receptionist beckoning me in. From there I went through a curtain into a very small room. There were roses scattered around, and in the centre an American flag laid out (surprised the American’s haven’t got in on the controversy, I hear they have a tradition that they burn any flag that’s been ‘despoiled’ by being allowed to touch the ground) covered with Perspex with a small coffin lid (no coffin) on top of that. Then the gun standing on top of that. Actually it didn’t look all that different to the rifle in the other exhibit to me. A bit bigger, some extra bit down underneath and a stand thing attached to the front. There was also a ‘Do not touch’ notice which on closer inspection actually said ‘please do touch’.

So I did the expected thing and tried picking it up (it was chained to the floor by the way!). And yes, it was very heavy, as I’d heard in the newspaper reports. It was also unbalanced: with that stand at the front it seemed to be meant to be propped on something, but there was nothing you could prop it on while looking in the mirror you were supposed to pose in… Holding it against my shoulder I could feel the stand dragging it down and wondered if it was actually ever meant to be used like that. It also smelt of oil and metal, and since I’m allergic to both I had to wonder if I’d be rewarded with a nice rash of blistering. Glad to say that was avoided! With all that going through my head I didn’t exactly feel I’d got the ‘posing with a gun’ experience.

That over with I stood and watched the film showing on the TV screen to one side. There was a notice onscreen constantly, calling for an end to the use of child soldiers (which fitted with the small coffin lid). Very worthy, but the films, showing in a small screen within the screen, had nothing to do with that. In stead they seemed to have a lot to do with Banksy, and what a sell out he apparently is. One section had a lot of written quotes and no commentary, with the display too small and fast to read. From the few words I made out I think it was something about how much art sells for. Then there was endless stuff on AK47’s theft/kidnap/acquirement of The Drinker. Some bits with ‘Art Kieda’ dressed up like terrorists seemed to be going for wit.

Overall, though there might have been a few good points in there, I found the show scattered and unfocused. All the competitive anti-Banksy stuff didn’t fit with worthy anti-violence stuff. I think the artist needs to forget Banksy and let his stuff sink or swim on its own merits.

For those that would like to check them out, ‘Rapid City’ by Brad Kahlamer is on at Modern Art, 10 Vyner street until 17 February. ‘Interaction’ by AK47 is also on until 17 February, though according to the Gazette it’s on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays only. I think there was at least one other gallery down there but I had to get on with my run!

So, after that I started running… and feeling like I had concrete shoes on. Maybe it was partly I was getting distracted taking photos as well, but I don’t think I can blame it all on that. It was just a bad day. Still I struggled through Victoria Park and along the canals, documenting a few pieces of graffiti art along the way. Then I headed North alongside the Olympic demolition site. I still find it uncomfortable going that way, but decided it was worth it with my camera to take my own view of what’s going on. To recap, though some 160 feral and stray cats and kittens have been rescued from parts of the site, the authorities have not allowed rescue work to continue, or to reach large parts of the site. It’s been going on for months, and it’s likely that many kitties have starved or been crushed. The rescue organisation have been able to set up traps recently at some points and are finding some cats are arriving there, so there are obviously still cats around. Things will soon get even worse, as kitten season is coming, and any un-neutered females still on site will be having kittens, and therefore unable to move away and likely to die there with them if they have them in the wrong place. If you’d like to find out more go here for information, and click here to sign a petition.

As to what I could see… The site is surrounded by a high, smooth wall of hoardings, which most cats are unlikely to jump over. Even if they do, if they’ve come this way, they’ll find themselves on the canal bank with a very long walk to safety and cover.




At some places the authorities have kindly put windows (covered in plastic sheeting so no way out for the cats) in the fencing. As you can see this section is pretty much demolished, though there’s still a few places surviving cats could be lurking.
















One place I did find a hole where the wall had been cut roughly around a tree. Though it would allow access to the canal bank, here’s what I could see through it on the other side.




It looks desolate, and it’s easy to understand why people would think the cats must all have gone. But you can see there’s still a few hiding places. And the trust have sightings, and are still picking up cats moving to where they have got rescue points. It’s horrible to think there must still be cats lost and starving in that mess, and so unnecessary when rescue workers are available.

And people go on about a few chunks of metal…

Anyway, I headed on, up through Hackney Marshes, the Middlesex Filter Beds Nature Reserve, Walthamstow Marshes… by which time it was getting to dusk, and rather than going home the long way, I cut across and dropped in at Tescos. I think I covered 11 miles or so in all, though only about 8.5 included running. Not as good as I’d hoped, but not too bad with lead legs.

Cluck Cluck

I think it’s pretty much par for the course that as soon as you make plans, something is going to change them. Some changes are a little more unusual than others. Wednesday went as planned in many respects. Having been up late, I got up later than planned. I did however go out and run 50 minutes without stopping to walk, and took some pictures on my way home. Then after a bath it was out to do some Qype stickers. Gave that up when it started to get too dark for taking piccies. So far to plan, if running a little late, and only the tax return to go…

Here’s one of the pictures, of graffiti near Victoria Park, review on Qype:



If you like that, here’s some more.

I was walking past Stonebridge Park when I found myself doing a major double take. Yep, no mistake… it was a chicken. Strolling around, apparently totally unaware that with dogs being exercised, a high fox population in the area and busy roads alongside it wasn’t the best place to be. I tried to tempt it with some of the bread I just happened to have with me (having passed the supermarket on my way), but not interested. So I headed home, rang the RSPCA (who have an amazing series of number pressing choices to go through before you speak to someone) and returned armed with bread and my cat’s basket.

By then the chicken had decided to stroll out onto the road. I quickly shooed it back into the park. Seemed it didn’t intend waiting for a fox to take it, but thought a car might do better. For quite a while then I followed it up and down the fence (me on the outside as I didn’t want to go in and scare it into the road). But the bird wasn’t coming close. For one thing it seemed to be finding a few worms that were much tastier than bread.

Next on the scene was a woman with a tiny Yorkie. She’d apparently also rang the RSPCA and been told they wouldn’t come as chickens can fly up into low tree branches and out of the way of foxes. I’d got the impression they were coming, but now I was more determined to get it. Yes, chickens can fly a bit, but in that park there’s only low bushes or trees with branches high up, and I wasn’t convinced it would be able to get out of the way of a fox. This particular chicken wasn’t showing the least sign of flying either. Anyway, the dog turned out to be surprisingly useful. He was a little cautious of the bird (well, it must have been twice his height), but seemed to get the idea of going one side of a bush while his owner went the other, and I waited as the third point of the triangle to grab it through the fence. I nearly got it once. But the bird was getting upset and the dog was loosing his caution and getting a little too into the game. The chicken showed it’s displeasure by stalking away into the centre of the park, blowing itself up and calling loudly.

Then another guy turned up, with the advice that chickens like grapes. None of us had grapes. And a mother and child (the child tried tempting cluck cluck with breadcrumbs in case it was less wary of a small person). Then a couple of lads and a girl. One of the lads reckoned he had experience of chickens, so they headed into the park while the rest of us kept the fence line secure. A guy from the council parks department also turned up and didn’t say much. I think he’d actually come to lock the gates. He disappeared at some point. Anyway the lads were now diving into bushes, many of which were covered in thorns. They may have had chicken experience, but bushes were another thing, and Chicky turned out to be amazingly adept at finding any gap.

Then my phone went: it was the guy from the RSPCA, an hour away but heading in our direction, with somewhere else to go on route. He said he’d ring back for an update as he got closer. I think being the person getting called by the RSPCA gave me a certain cachet… Anyway within minutes the bird was cornered, caught and deposited in my cat basket, where it huddled in the furthest corner, apparently out of breath and feeling more secure in containment by the look of it.

So, for a brief time I had a chicken in my flat. I did show it to the cat as she’s an inside cat and I like to give her new experiences. Not as mad as it sounds as Lizzie is very elderly and doesn’t do chasing things. In fact she wasn’t interested until it clucked at her and then she just stared. Then it went, still in the basket, in my bathroom. From outside I could here it clucking to itself, a lovely sound. I also brought it water and food (bread, which suddenly became very popular) and discovered that it did not want to be touched, even now thank you very much, when I put some newspaper in. Though there was absolutely no way I could have kept it, I was still a little sad when the guy from the RSPCA turned up and I had to hand it over (by the way, I asked, and he couldn’t tell if it was male or female either, though I suspect male). He was on the way to a wildlife rescue with a fox, so he said the chicken would go there for now, maybe permanently, maybe to be rehomed on.

There was a box by the road that had obviously been the means by which the chicken had arrived at the park, but who’d brought it and why will probably remain a mystery. Apparently it had been in the park all day.

Of course it’s perhaps also slightly batty to save a chicken when we eat so many of them. I guess there’s a sort of logic though. Someone had abandoned it, we paid back the unkindness to chicken kind by helping it. Without that it might have come to a bad end. To be honest a fox might have been quick (assuming a city fox would know how to dispatch a chicken…), but it could have been hit by a car where it was, and possibly caused injury to humans that way too. It certainly gave us all something a little different to talk about.

Tuesday Qyping

You may have just caught in my last post that after a morning hulking heavy bags I was mad enough to go straight out for a run. Well it did turn out to be mad… next day I woke up in pain in the area of a muscle tear I got 18 months or so ago, so I’ve been on the sick list again as far as running goes. I think it’s healed now though.

Been keeping busy though… besides my tax return (yep, really should have done it sooner, and currently wrestling with the mysteries of ‘basis periods’), I went out with a group of runners to dinner at Sartaj and a drink at The Crown. Good fun was had by all, especially with some frosted windows at The Crown (read the review…) I’ve also been down to the London office for Qype to meet one of the staff there, with reference to my role as ‘City Guardian’. I got to see some of the upgrades that are coming on site (some improvements to search facilities), and to hear about some upcoming promotions. Let’s just say the current wine and cinema tickets are not the end of things!

I also picked up some of the newly printed Qype stickers. The first of these had already gone up at a café used by Qype staff, but I’m pleased to say that as far as I know I got the honour of doing numbers 2 and 3. At The Crown and International Magic. I didn’t get to tell them at the Crown that it was my first, as I only talked to the manager on the phone upstairs as they were getting ready to go out to the cinema. Hopefully getting stickers in places in future will be more straightforward! I’ve got to admit to being lazy and trying only a few places on my first day. I’ll get serious with it back on home ground!

It’s a shame it’s still getting dark early as I got some stunning pictures down in Westminster, my favourite being this one of Westminster Abbey. Great sky.

It went dark though as I headed on foot back to Hackney. I did manage to take some by flash of graffiti near Old Street.

Plan for Wednesday (looks at time… that’s today… should be in bed!) is to run, take some more pictures, get some stickers out, and work on that tax return! Wish me luck…

Travelling and Floods

I’ve been away in Wiltshire for a few days. The travelling could have been worse. The ticket problem was sorted out OK, but then the table seats I’d booked were for old-style trains and the actual trains were a different layout… Luckily a couple of people very kindly moved and let me have seats near the door. I was of course travelling with my cat. She was in her basket, on a trolley, which meant my huge bag full of heavy presents for family had to be carried on my back. I like to show off how strong I am, but with my centre of gravity thus raised I have no balance and a width to get stuck in any tight space. So, on the trains I was able to get seated before it pulled away. Buses were a different matter… my last trip of the journey was via a packed bus. I found myself crammed in the standing area, trying to balance leaning on the trolley (which is not stable), with my bag ending up on top of someone’s pram, which luckily did not have a baby in it. My back will be eternally grateful to the dad who didn’t mind me using it as a luggage rack! I’d probably have ended up flying across the bus several times without it. Meanwhile Lizzie enjoyed people watching on the trip, though she does get a bit miffed that people ignore her, even when she meows at them.

On the trip out I was pretty lucky actually. Though my train to Swindon was unaffected, from there people were going to have an interesting journey. Due to flooding quite a few stations were closed and trains diverted. There were a whole fleet of busses in the station car park waiting to take some passengers on by road. Living in London you sometimes end up a bit isolated from the problems of other parts of the country. Seeing the swollen rivers from the train really brought it home to me. I spent some time in Marlborough, and though there was no serious flooding there, I did go down and take some pictures by the River Kennet. Normally little more than a stream, with clear waters, where you can watch trout, that day it was lapping across its banks, filling up its bridge arches, and an opaque caramel cream in colour with silt. You could see the speed by watching the ducks. Swimming upstream they’d go very slowly. Then they’d relax and swoop downstream, spinning in the flow, going as fast as flying. One group seemed to be really enjoying it. Another group, seemingly exhausted, slept on the bank.

A little further down, near a new housing development, the river was within inches of crossing the path and entering the houses, only held back by a few pathetic looking sandbags the size of bags of sugar. On the opposite bank the water had stretched fingers across a park, meaning long walks round on the grass. Ducks were getting very excited as they dabbled in the swamped grass for drowned worms and insects.





Well, flood plains and water meadows have those names for a reason. If we are going to build on them, we have to expect the results…






Meanwhile, back in London, it’s wet, but except for a few localised areas of flooding I guess it seems pretty far away. People are still concreting over their gardens, helping to cause that local flooding and drying problems… and expecting the government to sort out any nasties and keep us safe from the big stuff.

After a morning spent lugging heavy bags around on my return I went straight out for a run. I am definitely addicted.

The after Christmas lull seems to have ended and there’s quite a bit on actually. An art exhibition featuring a gun is causing some controversy (Interaction by AK47, at AA Galleries, Vyner Street, Bethnal Green, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until Feb 9th). Since the artist apparently first became famous by nicking a statue by Banksy I think it’s fair to say he knows how to use publicity, though I have no idea if his art is any good! I think I might take a look.

Meanwhile ‘Jumblist Massive’, a charity jumble sale and music mash-up is taking place at 93 Feet East, Brick Lane from 1 pm till 10.30 pm. They’re hoping to have retro treasure to sell (£1 each, shoes and coats £5) and music from Short Circuit, JP Collective and more. Entry £2). Guess who’s working, grrrrr.

And… Club Cargo is celebrating its seventh Birthday next week. You can get free entry for the Wednesday night party by downloading a voucher at http://www.cargo-london/event.php?id=1056 I haven’t been to a club for years. As a very un-chic forty year old I wonder if I dare?

Running Uphill

Saturday it was time for a long run, but I didn’t fancy a local one. I was feeling a call, and headed for the ‘Parkland Walk’: a secret little way along an old disused railway line from Finsbury Park to Highgate, then from there North to Alexandra Palace.

I took the bus to Finsbury Park Station, where I needed to buy a train ticket. I’m off to Wiltshire this week. Of course I’d forgotten it was match day. People in the queue were not pleased with me when I contributed to my server getting a lesson in how to select designated seats. Ah well, since I’ll be travelling with my cat, it would hopefully make things a lot easier on the day, and when I looked at my watch it looked like it actually only took about 5 minutes. Yeah right. I’ve since found she managed to sell me 2 tickets starting in London. A mess to sort out tomorrow…

I actually ran the walk of course, and it was just what I needed. Gradually uphill all the way it challenged me a little bit. I got to stop and explore a little on the way, as the route takes you through Highgate Wood and to Muswell Hill. Then I spent a bit wandering around Alexandra Palace, mostly on the outside.

Contemplating the way back was a little scary, as dark was threatening so there was no way I’d go back along the walk, and the alternative offered hills. No railway embankments and cuttings. In fact I surprised myself by taking Crouch Hill in my stride, and found myself back in Finsbury Park, now lightly but significantly populated by drunken hoards. I popped into The Madeira Star for a fishcake, but found it a less pleasant place to be. Not many in, but those that were seemed depressed and worse the wear. No fault of the venue, but remind me not to go to Finsbury on a match day… I was feeling OK, I didn’t fancy the bus… so I headed on home on foot. I stopped off in Tesco’s which turned out to be a mistake as I lost my ‘groove’ and staggered on after that. Still I picked up some books and videos which some kind person had deliberately left at a bus stop (I’ll freecycle them when I’m done). Checked my distance online and it totalled 11 miles. I only meant to do 10 and with the hills as well, I’m pleased.

Looking Ahead

All those people in London Marathon reject gear the other day inspired me to write a review on Qype. Or rather a whole series of reviews when I realised I had way too much to write and lots of points around the course to write it about! If you want to read them, start here.

Meanwhile I got a free sheet through my letterbox. Apparently they are still thinking about re-opening Haggerston Pool. Realy wish they’d stop using money to do all sorts of feasibility studies and actually get it sorted. That place used to be brilliant.

They are also talking about making changes at Ridley Road Market. Increasing rents for the stalls and making them a standard size? I’m not sure I get the point of making the stalls a standard size if the stallholders are happy right now. Unless they want to make the place ‘pretty’ and that’s just misguided. There’s pretty markets elsewhere, Ridley Road needs to stay what it is.

Graffiti Run

Saturday was a great day, in spite of being gloomy and grey, as I headed out for my first long run since being ill. I headed down through London Fields, past the top of Broadway Market, and down Mare Street and joined the canal on my way to Victoria Park. First treat of the day was spotted along the far bank of the canal: an amazing new work of graffiti showing stylised boxing dogs, and a rather sneaky looking human apparently clearing off with the winnings. I’ve written about it more here on Qype. It’s really one of the best pieces of graffiti art I’ve seen in a long time.

Victoria Park was dull, slightly muddy, and infested with some extremely noisy rugby players. You can also tell its January as the folks training for London Marathon are out in force, wearing the training jackets they give to people rejected in the ballot. Having now collected quite a lot of ballot rejections (my one time in was on a charity place, having failed again on the ballot…) I could identify several years’ worth. Personally I was wearing the rather lovely fleece, from 2006 I think? Actually, since I’m not in London this year, maybe I’m wrong in my assumptions, but the knowing smiles they gave me looked like they considered me part of the club! Anyway, I plodded round several times, making up a total of 8 miles. I’d originally planned to head up the canal towards Hackney Marshes. But that takes me past the Olympic site, and to be honest knowing what’s going on there really puts me off going that way. The latest news is here. Anyway, it was a grind, but I kept going, and beat my time target too. It wasn’t an especially ambitious time target, but then it was supposed to be a long slow run. I’m happy!

On my way back I decided to pop down Broadway Market. It was just closing up, but I still managed to sample several varieties of flavoured goats cheese from one stall. Very nice: not too goaty and a lovely texture. I also enjoyed what can only be described as the free art gallery around the entrance to Ada Street. It seems like a whole gang of local graffiti artists have had a party and produced some spectacular work. Again I’ll write more on Qype, but special mention has to go to Sickboy, who’s produced something a bystander described as a poem, with words and pictures incorporated into one of his designs. He’s really put his name on the map with this one.

On the way home I picked up the Hackney Gazette, to see a story speculating that Banksy has returned to the area. Well, I think they are little desperate for copy… it’s pretty definitely not a Banksy in my opinion (and I did go and have a look today). It’s a picture of a policeman, with pig snout, and a couple of slogans, on a wall as you go into the car park at Dalston Kinglsand Shopping Centre. I think it’s much more likely to be the work of one of the many stencil artists working in the area, perhaps one who goes by the tag Cartrain. He’s something of a Banksy copyist, and does some good work, but tends to ‘plonk’ his work on a wall rather than place it in context as Banksy does (Banksy’s rats for instance will be were you’d expect to see a rat: at ground level or standing on something. Unless parachuting of course). On the whole I’d say give it a miss and go look at the other examples I’ve talked about.

New Year

In spite of my worries, New Year turned out great. I started thinking it would sometime in the early evening. As I was walking near Newington Green I saw someone coming towards me walking their pet ferret. As uncommon a sight as that just has to be a good omen doesn’t it? I did say hello too, and got a lightning fast exploration of my feet and the chance to brush his fur with my fingertips before he began to pull his owner onwards. He seemed a determined little beast and didn’t look as silly on a lead as you might think.

In the evening I watched Monty Python then turned on my computer to see in the New Year on a message board, while watching the London fire work display courtesy of the BBC. The fireworks were spectacular, and as per usual I’m toying with the idea of actually going and seeing them in person next year. I think I might. The message board crashed, though I still stayed up till half one before I gave up on it. Besides the big fireworks down the river, London was, of course, exploding until well after twelve. But here’s the strange thing. After that silence descended. There were no loud parties in my vicinity this year. Someone let off a load of fireworks around three am, but other than that, everything went quiet. It’s unheard of, and though I was wishing for it, it’s weird.

I know the council did a big sweep last year and evicted a lot of people for rent arrears. Maybe they were the noisy ones too (I know of one case at least where this was true). But other people I’ve mentioned it to have said things were subdued around their way too. Maybe it’s twenty four hour drinking keeping people in the bars, or maybe it’s squeezes and worries about borrowing. Or maybe it’s because so many are sick (people coughing everywhere…). Anyway, when I dragged myself out of the house at six fifteen am (yes I made it, after about three hours of restless sleep…) there were a fair few nauseated looking folks just making their ways home, so I guess partying did happen somewhere.

Normally when I go to Bushy Park for the time trial I arrive minutes before the start, end up running from the bus stop, thrusting my bag on to some spectator and asking them to leave it for me at the finish, and starting the run with my breathing still fast. It’s a long journey of two hours plus, and any delays mess things up badly. Of course this time the journey went fast and easy, and I arrived an hour before the start. I was hungry and everywhere from Richmond Station to the park was closed. Luckily I did finally spot a petrol station and managed to rouse the assistant.

The park was amazing when I arrived. The sun was creeping up slowly, with no bright colours but lots of mist. It was pooling and drifting through the park. At one point I saw it had raised up slightly so there was crystal clear air at ground level, with a layer of cloud starting at a definite line in the lower branches of some trees then fading out upwards. I wish I’d had a camera, but it’s not practical to bring one to a run really, and it may well not have captured it anyway. Mist is very difficult to photograph.

As time went on more people gathered. Families in some cases: there’s quite a few kids run at Bushy. I knew I hadn’t a chance of doing a PB (personal best), with lack of sleep and the tail end of a chest infection, so I set myself another target. I decided this would be my first five k without walking. Though I’ve done three miles at home, five km is slightly longer, plus there’s pacing issues. If you are as slow as me it’s easy to get tempted to go off too fast and end up gasping. So it took some discipline at the start to let the field pull away while I maintained a pace I knew I could keep up. I just kept chugging along. As it happened I soon passed some folks who had slowed for a walk break. For the rest of the run me and one couple passed and re-passed each other. As we turned for home and onto the last long grass stretch home I pulled away from them. I came home three minutes slower than my pb (running constantly rather than run-walking does slow me down…), but I’d managed to run all the way. Very happy!

Afterwards I got a lift to the café, and spent a lovely hour or so chatting with other folks from the run. They are a nice crowd, though the café crowd are all regulars who are able to attend more often than me, so the names thrown around in the stories tend to go over my head!

After a journey that long you can’t just do a run and go home, so I walked off towards Richmond Park. I crossed the river at Teddington Lock, which is something of a landmark, and walked up through Ham. There’s pedestrian cuts through the houses all the way. Once at the park I decided to walk across to Roehampton Gate, then walk round the North of the park. The park was actually busy with walkers, cyclists and riders. Halfway across, near a car park, I found myself walking alongside a road just as a small herd of fallow deer came across. I stopped and let them walk all around me. I also did a little trick, and got my biscuits out and started eating. The theory is that if a wild herbivore sees you eating it’s going to reassure them that you are not thinking of turning them into lunch. Unfortunately it worked perhaps too well, as some of the deer had apparently been fed by naughty folks, and so they reacted by standing round me staring at me fixedly while I ate. I decided to put the food away… and one of the deer tried to creep up on me and make a snatch. Of course I’d seen him and shooed him away. He wasn’t so tame that he didn’t move pretty smartish. Anyway I stood and watched them move close to and even around me for a while. Very pretty with a variety of colours and some of them dappled.

I’d just decided to move away (most of the herd were quite happy to have me close, but I’d noticed some seemed to be put off grazing), when they got scared off anyway. Heads and tails up, eyes fixed up the hill, then they wheeled and bounded away, a large grey dog in pursuit, followed by a woman yelling ‘Dennis!’ and sounding if anything more scared than the deer. The chase went on for a while up and down the hillside on the other side of the valley. I don’t think any actual harm was done, but definitely the only one who got any enjoyment out of it was Dennis, and his owner was right to be worried, for him as well as the deer. Had he picked on a mother with young, or a red stag with full antlers he would have been in real danger.

With that all over I walked away up the hill and through Spanker’s Wood, with whole flocks of bright green parakeets wheeling overhead (they do get a bit noisy). Out the other side I found the path ahead flanked by a huge herd of red deer stags with antlers fully grown. Slightly pushy bare-headed fallows are one thing, but these had serious weaponry. I read somewhere that in zoos and safari parks it’s deer and antelope that kill more keepers than any other category of animal. You really don’t want to get on the wrong side of a horned beast. I walked past slowly, stopping occasionally. I noticed they were actually sorted among the herd, with animals with similar numbers of branches to their antlers seeming to be staying together. The young bucks with single prongs were all up one end. I did have a slightly nervous moment when two of these angled their horns at each other and rubbed them together in a threatening caress. They were probably less than ten feet away and had it turned into an actual clash I could easily have had one of them backing straight into me. I was thrilled to get so close, I’m not scared of large animals and understand them pretty well. But it is a good illustration of why tamed wild animals can actually be more dangerous than those that are truly wild. Anyway, I don’t know if it was because more people seemed to arrive, but pretty soon the herd moved off, and I continued on.

All in all I had a lovely day, finished off by the walk down Richmond Hill with it’s spectacular views. By the time I’d got the tube home I was exhausted and it was dark again.