So, in spite of my cold I’ve finally got off my butt and taken a bit of a stroll around the East End this morning. It’s true much of it is decidedly unpretty. But there’s also many hidden gems. For example museums: today I visited Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood. Recently I was at the Geffrye Museum. Both very unique and excellent museums. The sort of place you can dip into as you pass, or take a longer, more thoughtful visit. I’m hoping to visit Sutton House soon as well.
Of course there’s also parks. My fave Hagggerston is not the only decent park. There’s everyone’s favourite Victoria Park. Today I discovered Stepney Green. Not a competitor in my view, but still a nice local park. I must get round to reviewing Mile End Park sometime too. Quite unusual!
And then there’s the mix of old and new. One minute you’ll be walking through post war housing estates. The next you’ll be on a street of lovely old houses, like around Columbia Road, or find a little gem like St Dunstan’s Church. I enjoyed today…
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Seed Watch V
Sorry for the long break for anyone that’s been following this, but considering my last post I thought it appropriate to let that stay at the top at least a couple of days. Anyway… not a massive amount has been happening. I’m currently pretty much stuck in at home not doing much, as I have some kind of grumbling bug which has been making me feel vaguely fluey for days but not really getting on with it. So no chance yet to check out the sights of East London on an 18 miler as I had planned…
One thing that has happened among the seeds in my kitchen is a bit of a drama… I’ve transplanted the dill as it was clear that if they remained in the pot much longer they’d be hopelessly tangled. Long leggy plants with presumably long leggy roots to match. So I spent an evening making cardboard dividers for a tray so I could give each plant it’s own little cell. Then a very tense hour or so transplanting the amazingly delicate hair-thin 3 inch high plants. The roots did indeed turn out to be very long. To be honest I might have been better doing it sooner when there was less of them to feed into a planting hole. Or maybe it would have been better for nature to take its course and allow the stronger plants to crowd out the weaker... Anyway, so far the results don’t look especially successful, and I think the majority of the dill seedlings are in the process of dying. I think I’ll end up with 10-20 survivors out of 60 or so plants. The thyme pot is also now very crowded, but I’ve decided to let be. I’m hoping they’ll soon develop the wiry character of their species, making transplanting them an easier procedure.
I’ve also realised I’m going to have to try and find places around my flat for the seedlings to grow on, as the kitchen is too dark for them to continue there really… And I really need to get a second wave planted. If I can find the energy!
Day 16:
Thyme: 70+
Tarragon: 45+
Basil: 29
Mint: 0
Dill: 60+ to 20 ish, L
Parsley: 30+
Chives: 17
Sweet corn: 2
Squash/marrow: 2
Marrow/squash: 1
Globe Artichoke: 3
Well, there you go… checking the pots for the list, when I went ‘what’s that white thing in that pot…’. Turns out I have a total of 3 squash/marrow seedlings coming up. And also have to admit I didn’t mark and have forgotten which set of pots was which! LOL. I may be able to establish which is which once they are fully out as the seeds were slightly different shapes… Guess that means the temperature has gone up to their germination level. I’d given up on them! Only mint has yet to show any germination…
One thing that has happened among the seeds in my kitchen is a bit of a drama… I’ve transplanted the dill as it was clear that if they remained in the pot much longer they’d be hopelessly tangled. Long leggy plants with presumably long leggy roots to match. So I spent an evening making cardboard dividers for a tray so I could give each plant it’s own little cell. Then a very tense hour or so transplanting the amazingly delicate hair-thin 3 inch high plants. The roots did indeed turn out to be very long. To be honest I might have been better doing it sooner when there was less of them to feed into a planting hole. Or maybe it would have been better for nature to take its course and allow the stronger plants to crowd out the weaker... Anyway, so far the results don’t look especially successful, and I think the majority of the dill seedlings are in the process of dying. I think I’ll end up with 10-20 survivors out of 60 or so plants. The thyme pot is also now very crowded, but I’ve decided to let be. I’m hoping they’ll soon develop the wiry character of their species, making transplanting them an easier procedure.
I’ve also realised I’m going to have to try and find places around my flat for the seedlings to grow on, as the kitchen is too dark for them to continue there really… And I really need to get a second wave planted. If I can find the energy!
Day 16:
Thyme: 70+
Tarragon: 45+
Basil: 29
Mint: 0
Dill: 60+ to 20 ish, L
Parsley: 30+
Chives: 17
Sweet corn: 2
Squash/marrow: 2
Marrow/squash: 1
Globe Artichoke: 3
Well, there you go… checking the pots for the list, when I went ‘what’s that white thing in that pot…’. Turns out I have a total of 3 squash/marrow seedlings coming up. And also have to admit I didn’t mark and have forgotten which set of pots was which! LOL. I may be able to establish which is which once they are fully out as the seeds were slightly different shapes… Guess that means the temperature has gone up to their germination level. I’d given up on them! Only mint has yet to show any germination…
Friday, March 28, 2008
Murder in Matalan
Walking out of Sainsbury in Dalston a couple of days ago I noticed Matalan was closed. There was a small crowd, and police at the entrance. I guessed there’d been some disturbance, and people were waiting to go back in. Actually it was more than that. It turned out the store had already been closed a few days, and the people were holding vigil at a shrine that had been set up. Jamie Simpson, the manager of the store, had been stabbed in the neck and killed as he cashed up the day’s takings. The shrine was the usual mass of flowers, pictures, cards. Being inside there were also lots of candles. Also a scattering of cigarettes and a bottle of fresh orange juice, two of his favourite things apparently. Three people were caught on CCTV, and one person has since been arrested.
Of course, talking about murder I wonder if I’m adding to people’s fear. I can talk about the shrine having ‘the usual’ components because I’ve seen enough of them. In a crowded, deprived area it’s not too surprising if tensions sometimes bubble up, and someone gets hurt. Recently there’s been way too many gang-related murders of young people.
But… it wasn’t the first time I’d seen a shrine that week. The other was in polite Dulwich, along a busy road of big, expensive houses, marking the spot where someone else had died, victim to a car driver this time. Funny how these shrines are always to murder and road accident victims isn’t it? Our publicly mourned forms of death…
And of course the news has been filled this week with the trial of the teenagers who kicked to death a young woman simply because she was dressed in a way they didn’t like. All in Bacup, the sort of little town people scared of the East End want to retreat to.
I don’t have the statistics handy to see if there’s actually more killing per head of population in one area than another, but, whatever, it seems humans are quite capable of killing each other wherever they live. I have this feeling that at some deep level all the cases above are linked. You could summarise it as human nature. Maybe it’s all a matter of dividing into ‘us’ and ‘them’, whether it’s outright hatred of ‘them’ or just lack of concern. So, with lack of concern we kill the person who gets between us and the cash we want, or run over the person outside our speeding metal box. When it’s hatred then you get gang war, whether that is colour based, postcode based (as happens among the youngsters here in the East End) or based on how a person looks.
Those who live out in the ‘nice’ places might think themselves beyond all that, but they are wrong. Bacup shows that. I experienced it myself as a child growing up in a small town. I do think the more humans are crowded together, the more tension is likely to be caused. But it’s a balance of factors. Come to a crowded area like where I live and the flip side is you’ll find people more tolerant of each other than they tend to be in a small town. I live in a block that’s about as mixed race as it’s possible to be, and on the whole we get along pretty well in spite of the thin walls. Do I want to live in a place where someone on my income level can only hope for a tiny box with thin walls, or do I want to move out where I have more space, but people have strong and sometimes bigoted views on who they’d like as neighbours? It’s actually a difficult choice.
Of course, these days even the small towns are not so small. Back gardens and every other spare space in the cities are being built on. More and more people, whether born here or imported I don’t care, means we are living closer and closer together with less and less green breathing space. ‘Us’ and ‘them’ with less and less chance of moving apart. Of course, if our population continues to grow, most will learn tolerance, but I wonder if there’s some point when it when it gets too much? Experiments on rats showed that the more crowded you kept them, the more the normal rules of society broke down. I wonder if humans are really that much different?
Update: I made my regular shopping trip to Dalston today, pausing only to pay my respects at the shrine before heading into Sainsbury. While I was in there I walked round the corner of an aisle to see a disturbance going on. A woman was surrounded by store detectives. I heard her cry out ‘You can’t arrest my son for something like that. We’re decent people’. I moved on. Later I saw her, still very upset, accompanied by a man, apparently trying to get her head round doing the shopping while too distraught to think straight. Crying as she tried to decide whether to buy milk or not. Of course I wondered what her son had been accused of. Shoplifting? But not inside the store… I didn’t even know if he had actually been arrested. Was the man her son, or was he gone? As I left the store I heard the rumour going round that another of Jamie’s killers had just been arrested in front of his distraught mother. I didn’t see an arrest, or even any police. I guess they’d left by the time I got on the scene. But I have since heard on the news that two more people have been arrested for Jamie’s murder. Good news of course, but I really feel for the woman I saw. Another victim I guess.
Of course, talking about murder I wonder if I’m adding to people’s fear. I can talk about the shrine having ‘the usual’ components because I’ve seen enough of them. In a crowded, deprived area it’s not too surprising if tensions sometimes bubble up, and someone gets hurt. Recently there’s been way too many gang-related murders of young people.
But… it wasn’t the first time I’d seen a shrine that week. The other was in polite Dulwich, along a busy road of big, expensive houses, marking the spot where someone else had died, victim to a car driver this time. Funny how these shrines are always to murder and road accident victims isn’t it? Our publicly mourned forms of death…
And of course the news has been filled this week with the trial of the teenagers who kicked to death a young woman simply because she was dressed in a way they didn’t like. All in Bacup, the sort of little town people scared of the East End want to retreat to.
I don’t have the statistics handy to see if there’s actually more killing per head of population in one area than another, but, whatever, it seems humans are quite capable of killing each other wherever they live. I have this feeling that at some deep level all the cases above are linked. You could summarise it as human nature. Maybe it’s all a matter of dividing into ‘us’ and ‘them’, whether it’s outright hatred of ‘them’ or just lack of concern. So, with lack of concern we kill the person who gets between us and the cash we want, or run over the person outside our speeding metal box. When it’s hatred then you get gang war, whether that is colour based, postcode based (as happens among the youngsters here in the East End) or based on how a person looks.
Those who live out in the ‘nice’ places might think themselves beyond all that, but they are wrong. Bacup shows that. I experienced it myself as a child growing up in a small town. I do think the more humans are crowded together, the more tension is likely to be caused. But it’s a balance of factors. Come to a crowded area like where I live and the flip side is you’ll find people more tolerant of each other than they tend to be in a small town. I live in a block that’s about as mixed race as it’s possible to be, and on the whole we get along pretty well in spite of the thin walls. Do I want to live in a place where someone on my income level can only hope for a tiny box with thin walls, or do I want to move out where I have more space, but people have strong and sometimes bigoted views on who they’d like as neighbours? It’s actually a difficult choice.
Of course, these days even the small towns are not so small. Back gardens and every other spare space in the cities are being built on. More and more people, whether born here or imported I don’t care, means we are living closer and closer together with less and less green breathing space. ‘Us’ and ‘them’ with less and less chance of moving apart. Of course, if our population continues to grow, most will learn tolerance, but I wonder if there’s some point when it when it gets too much? Experiments on rats showed that the more crowded you kept them, the more the normal rules of society broke down. I wonder if humans are really that much different?
Update: I made my regular shopping trip to Dalston today, pausing only to pay my respects at the shrine before heading into Sainsbury. While I was in there I walked round the corner of an aisle to see a disturbance going on. A woman was surrounded by store detectives. I heard her cry out ‘You can’t arrest my son for something like that. We’re decent people’. I moved on. Later I saw her, still very upset, accompanied by a man, apparently trying to get her head round doing the shopping while too distraught to think straight. Crying as she tried to decide whether to buy milk or not. Of course I wondered what her son had been accused of. Shoplifting? But not inside the store… I didn’t even know if he had actually been arrested. Was the man her son, or was he gone? As I left the store I heard the rumour going round that another of Jamie’s killers had just been arrested in front of his distraught mother. I didn’t see an arrest, or even any police. I guess they’d left by the time I got on the scene. But I have since heard on the news that two more people have been arrested for Jamie’s murder. Good news of course, but I really feel for the woman I saw. Another victim I guess.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Seed Watch IV
I’ve decided to drop this to every other day for now, as there’s less happening. It’s not over though…
Day 11
Thyme: 60+
Tarragon: 30+
Basil: 24
Mint: 0
Dill: 50+
Parsley: 3
Chives: 8
Sweet corn: 2
Squash: 0
Marrow: 0
Globe Artichoke: 3
So, it’s mainly a picture of increase in numbers, with the only new entry being the parsley. Glad to see more chives. My single seedling was on it’s own for what seemed like an age. Glad I’ve got the makings of a clump, though they are tiny teeny spikes as of yet.
I’m guessing the temperatures in my kitchen have been too low for the squash and marrow (the packets do confirm they needed higher temperatures to germinate than some of the others: 20-25 C rather than the 15-20 C range I guess my kitchen has been at! Mint germination time is described as ‘erratic’. I looked at a packet of catmint the other day that said that could take up to 30 days. Since mint is of the same family I guess I could be in for a long wait!
It’s fascinating to see the different forms. From the biggest: chunky-leafed artichokes and the thrusting spires of the sweetcorn, down to the tiny round-leafed thyme, and spiky chives – so similar in form to the sweetcorn, but so tiny and delicate. The thyme, which started so tiny, is growing faster than the tarragon and dwarfing it now. Meanwhile dill is very much doing its own thing. I thought at first they only had one leaf: starting off bent over with heads in the soil, by the time they straighten they are already tall compared to their neighbouring herbs, each slender stalk toped by a jaunty slash of leaf, out to one side like the top of a musical note. It was a while before they were revealed as actually being two leaves, only reluctantly parted. The dill have turned into a forest now, still slim and criss-crossing, baffling the eye when I try to count them.
I’m waiting for warmer weather to plant the second wave... maybe I’ll actually post about something else tomorrow!
Day 11
Thyme: 60+
Tarragon: 30+
Basil: 24
Mint: 0
Dill: 50+
Parsley: 3
Chives: 8
Sweet corn: 2
Squash: 0
Marrow: 0
Globe Artichoke: 3
So, it’s mainly a picture of increase in numbers, with the only new entry being the parsley. Glad to see more chives. My single seedling was on it’s own for what seemed like an age. Glad I’ve got the makings of a clump, though they are tiny teeny spikes as of yet.
I’m guessing the temperatures in my kitchen have been too low for the squash and marrow (the packets do confirm they needed higher temperatures to germinate than some of the others: 20-25 C rather than the 15-20 C range I guess my kitchen has been at! Mint germination time is described as ‘erratic’. I looked at a packet of catmint the other day that said that could take up to 30 days. Since mint is of the same family I guess I could be in for a long wait!
It’s fascinating to see the different forms. From the biggest: chunky-leafed artichokes and the thrusting spires of the sweetcorn, down to the tiny round-leafed thyme, and spiky chives – so similar in form to the sweetcorn, but so tiny and delicate. The thyme, which started so tiny, is growing faster than the tarragon and dwarfing it now. Meanwhile dill is very much doing its own thing. I thought at first they only had one leaf: starting off bent over with heads in the soil, by the time they straighten they are already tall compared to their neighbouring herbs, each slender stalk toped by a jaunty slash of leaf, out to one side like the top of a musical note. It was a while before they were revealed as actually being two leaves, only reluctantly parted. The dill have turned into a forest now, still slim and criss-crossing, baffling the eye when I try to count them.
I’m waiting for warmer weather to plant the second wave... maybe I’ll actually post about something else tomorrow!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Seed Watch III
I just went onto Qype and found I have a ranking of 180 with 2001 points. Well I thought it was cool…
Meanwhile, day 9:
Thyme: 50+
Tarragon: 20+
Basil: 16
Mint: 0
Dill: 30+
Parsley: 0
Chives: 1
Sweet corn: 2
Squash: 0
Marrow: 0
Globe Artichoke: 3
So I now have one solitary chive! It’s just a tiny little spike at the moment. Still waiting for mint, parsley, squash and marrow. I’m planning to plant some more seeds soon, and may plant more of the big seeds as I’m presently a little short!
Meanwhile, day 9:
Thyme: 50+
Tarragon: 20+
Basil: 16
Mint: 0
Dill: 30+
Parsley: 0
Chives: 1
Sweet corn: 2
Squash: 0
Marrow: 0
Globe Artichoke: 3
So I now have one solitary chive! It’s just a tiny little spike at the moment. Still waiting for mint, parsley, squash and marrow. I’m planning to plant some more seeds soon, and may plant more of the big seeds as I’m presently a little short!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Seed Watch II
So, is my single sweetcorn seedling destined for a life of celibacy? Will the squash and marrow ever sprout? Hold on for some of the answers… maybe! The weather here is still cold. It’s amazing me that seeds are sprouting at all in my kitchen, which feels frigid to me. Anyway, here’s the latest on Saturday night, day 8…
Thyme: 35+
Tarragon: 7
Basil: 3
Mint: 0
Dill: 8
Parsley: 0
Chives: 0
Sweet corn: 2
Squash: 0
Marrow: 0
Globe Artichoke: 3
So… the basil have arrived. Dill has overtaken tarragon. Globe artichokes are doing me proud with the biggest percentage germination so far among the big seeds. Thyme seedlings may be gifts to everyone I know. And my sweetcorn seedling is no longer alone! I’m still a little worried though… while the artichokes are in a nice little group, the sweetcorns that have sprouted are diagonally opposite in their little block of pots. Hope this doesn’t mean they don’t like each other. And the squash, marrow, mint, parsley and chives are still notably absent. Come back soon for another thrilling instalment…
Thyme: 35+
Tarragon: 7
Basil: 3
Mint: 0
Dill: 8
Parsley: 0
Chives: 0
Sweet corn: 2
Squash: 0
Marrow: 0
Globe Artichoke: 3
So… the basil have arrived. Dill has overtaken tarragon. Globe artichokes are doing me proud with the biggest percentage germination so far among the big seeds. Thyme seedlings may be gifts to everyone I know. And my sweetcorn seedling is no longer alone! I’m still a little worried though… while the artichokes are in a nice little group, the sweetcorns that have sprouted are diagonally opposite in their little block of pots. Hope this doesn’t mean they don’t like each other. And the squash, marrow, mint, parsley and chives are still notably absent. Come back soon for another thrilling instalment…
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Seed Watch
The last few days I’ve become totally obsessed with my seedlings, and I thought it was time to share it! A week ago I planted a sprinkle each of some second-hand herb seeds, 4 each of squash and marrow, and 6 each of globe artichoke and sweetcorn. Small amounts maybe, but it is a small garden. I was hopeful that with brighter weather predicted after the rain it was the right time, and I’d be seeing them in the 7-10 days most of the packets seemed to predict.
I got worried as the weather turned colder. Would any sprout? Then after only 5 days I spotted the first seedlings. Tiny teeny thyme plants, three of them, and so small I had to stare closely to be sure. Next was one solitary tarragon seedling, also small, though not so teeny as the thyme. The next to arrive, early on day 6 was something of a shock. A great spear thrusting up, announcing the arrival of the first sweetcorn seedling.
Today (well, yesterday now if you want to be picky, since midnight has passed) was a day of little new. The thyme seedlings multiplied, reaching 15+. Tarragon climbed to 3. Still only 1 sweetcorn though and nothing new. I was especially worried by now about the globe artichokes, since mould had developed on their pots, surely not a good sign. And 1 sweetcorn? I think they are not self pollinating, so I need at least 2!
Scores on the pots this evening:
Thyme: 15+
Tarragon: 3
Basil: 0
Mint: 0
Dill: 0
Parsley: 0
Chives: 0
Sweetcorn: 1
Squash: 0
Marrow: 0
Globe Artichoke: 1.5
Yep, no need to worry about the mould it seems! One big strong seedling thrusting up, and another pot’s soil cracking in a way that surely indicates a plant pushing upwards (hence the 0.5!)
Stop Press: just checked and there’s two dill seedlings now… More tiny seedlings, long and leggy with their heads still buried in the soil and long stems bent double. Time for bed! Wonder what will be there in the morning?
Friday, March 21, 2008
Going to see the Dinosaurs
Wednesday I finally got out on my long run. It was supposed to be Sunday… but well, these things happen. And I did do a short run then… I also have to admit that it involved very little running. Something that I’d planned as I knew I’d planned far too many distractions along the way, and the speed I go it doesn’t make a massive amount of difference! Anyway, I headed off for an adventure down South.
I know my patch is more North East London, but I’d decided to go and explore the South East a bit. I’d been promised bright sunny weather, but the threatening clouds hadn’t heard that. Sun only broke out occasionally, it was cold, and the pictures I took are not as good as I’d hoped to get. Never mind. I started off in Brixton, where I used to live years ago. It looked pretty much as I remembered it to be honest! From there I headed through Brockwell Park, and into the unknown. To think, when I lived there I hardly ventured out except to head North!
Dulwich turned out to be surprisingly pretty and posh. I cancelled my visit to the Picture Gallery though as they expected £5 to look at even their permanent collection and it didn’t appeal enough to me. Past Dulwich Park I took an unplanned diversion up Cox’s Walk to Dulwich Wood, then had to turn back to my next stop... The Horniman Museum and Gardens was even more distracting than expected. It’s an excellent museum, and I had a hard time pushing myself through in even twice the time I’d planned!
Then it was on over the hill to Crystal Palace. By the time I reached the top of that park it was heading towards dusk, the road was crammed with speeding cars tooting horns at each other, and there was no sign of a crossing. It took a while to get over, and then I had to decide which way to go to try for an entrance to the park. I decided to walk down past the transmitter, and eventually found a way into the North side of the park. There were no signs with maps, so I wandered along the top until I came to the North West entrance, where there were a few formal beds. Still no sign. I wandered down, taking in the terraces, great sweeps of lawn and sphinxes. All fenced in as they are dangerous till renovated. Still no signs. I was of course looking for the dinosaurs, but when I asked locals they seemed a bit vague. I was directed back to the corner where I’d first met the park boundary and told to turn right… Past a fence, I guess marking the parts of the park under renovation, with signs on about events, but no sign with a map… Onwards and ever onwards I was directed. Down and down (knowing at some point I’d have to come back up…). Past a weird windowless building thing in a lake (I eventually worked out it was a stage). I explored a maze (nice, though the branches were bare at this time of year), and on to the bottom of the park. At which point I realised I was going too far and trekked back across the corner of a open grass bit that turned out to be a near swamp. Finally I found myself facing a fenced area with lakes. And there was a map! I walked on… and on… those lakes seemed to go on for ever.
At last I found the dinosaurs… There were a lot more of them than I remembered (visited once as a small child…), and not just dinosaurs as well. There’s ancient early mammals as well. I also remember them being half hidden in vegetation, and being able to go up and touch and climb on them. Today they are, of course, fenced off. Still they are, as a group, impressive and a lot of fun. They’ve got good signage up too, with comparisons of the inaccurate way they were made, compared with modern versions. To be honest, on a one against one basis I think I prefer the Stonebridge Park serpent. But as a group they are well worth seeing.
I paused only to use the loos (graffitied, scrawl, not art), decided to give the information centre a miss and walked out. Past another sign I think. There were signs with maps all over the place down there… it’s almost like the guys who put the signs up had said to each other ‘look, let’s not bother climbing that hill, no-one will notice…’ and put all the signs down the bottom. Rather like those leafletters who leave leaflets all over the floor of the entrance of a block of flats thinking their boss will never know they haven’t delivered them properly.
Meanwhile, I headed off up the streets round the park and back up the hill… bloomin eckers it was steep. Then I decided I didn’t fancy walking back to Brixton and walked and ran to Clapham instead. Rush hour was in full flood, and you could feel the frustration like a dark miasma coming off the cars. Moments like that I’m so glad to be on foot. It was going dark as I walked along the crest of the hill. There were great views out over London, and the sky was a mass of steel blue and red. I tried to take a picture, but got the red light of a full card. Sunset pics rarely come out well anyway. After that it was a long slog on protesting legs (sometimes meandering slowly is harder on them than a fast run, and they were feeling my long day). It was gone 9pm by the time I got home.
I have now got a massive job writing reviews for Qype and editing all the pictures. I’ve been editing pics 2 hours already and a tonne to go… I’ll add the links and pictures in here later. Might actually get round to measuring my distance travelled at some point too, as I currently have no idea!
I know my patch is more North East London, but I’d decided to go and explore the South East a bit. I’d been promised bright sunny weather, but the threatening clouds hadn’t heard that. Sun only broke out occasionally, it was cold, and the pictures I took are not as good as I’d hoped to get. Never mind. I started off in Brixton, where I used to live years ago. It looked pretty much as I remembered it to be honest! From there I headed through Brockwell Park, and into the unknown. To think, when I lived there I hardly ventured out except to head North!
Dulwich turned out to be surprisingly pretty and posh. I cancelled my visit to the Picture Gallery though as they expected £5 to look at even their permanent collection and it didn’t appeal enough to me. Past Dulwich Park I took an unplanned diversion up Cox’s Walk to Dulwich Wood, then had to turn back to my next stop... The Horniman Museum and Gardens was even more distracting than expected. It’s an excellent museum, and I had a hard time pushing myself through in even twice the time I’d planned!
Then it was on over the hill to Crystal Palace. By the time I reached the top of that park it was heading towards dusk, the road was crammed with speeding cars tooting horns at each other, and there was no sign of a crossing. It took a while to get over, and then I had to decide which way to go to try for an entrance to the park. I decided to walk down past the transmitter, and eventually found a way into the North side of the park. There were no signs with maps, so I wandered along the top until I came to the North West entrance, where there were a few formal beds. Still no sign. I wandered down, taking in the terraces, great sweeps of lawn and sphinxes. All fenced in as they are dangerous till renovated. Still no signs. I was of course looking for the dinosaurs, but when I asked locals they seemed a bit vague. I was directed back to the corner where I’d first met the park boundary and told to turn right… Past a fence, I guess marking the parts of the park under renovation, with signs on about events, but no sign with a map… Onwards and ever onwards I was directed. Down and down (knowing at some point I’d have to come back up…). Past a weird windowless building thing in a lake (I eventually worked out it was a stage). I explored a maze (nice, though the branches were bare at this time of year), and on to the bottom of the park. At which point I realised I was going too far and trekked back across the corner of a open grass bit that turned out to be a near swamp. Finally I found myself facing a fenced area with lakes. And there was a map! I walked on… and on… those lakes seemed to go on for ever.
At last I found the dinosaurs… There were a lot more of them than I remembered (visited once as a small child…), and not just dinosaurs as well. There’s ancient early mammals as well. I also remember them being half hidden in vegetation, and being able to go up and touch and climb on them. Today they are, of course, fenced off. Still they are, as a group, impressive and a lot of fun. They’ve got good signage up too, with comparisons of the inaccurate way they were made, compared with modern versions. To be honest, on a one against one basis I think I prefer the Stonebridge Park serpent. But as a group they are well worth seeing.
I paused only to use the loos (graffitied, scrawl, not art), decided to give the information centre a miss and walked out. Past another sign I think. There were signs with maps all over the place down there… it’s almost like the guys who put the signs up had said to each other ‘look, let’s not bother climbing that hill, no-one will notice…’ and put all the signs down the bottom. Rather like those leafletters who leave leaflets all over the floor of the entrance of a block of flats thinking their boss will never know they haven’t delivered them properly.
Meanwhile, I headed off up the streets round the park and back up the hill… bloomin eckers it was steep. Then I decided I didn’t fancy walking back to Brixton and walked and ran to Clapham instead. Rush hour was in full flood, and you could feel the frustration like a dark miasma coming off the cars. Moments like that I’m so glad to be on foot. It was going dark as I walked along the crest of the hill. There were great views out over London, and the sky was a mass of steel blue and red. I tried to take a picture, but got the red light of a full card. Sunset pics rarely come out well anyway. After that it was a long slog on protesting legs (sometimes meandering slowly is harder on them than a fast run, and they were feeling my long day). It was gone 9pm by the time I got home.
I have now got a massive job writing reviews for Qype and editing all the pictures. I’ve been editing pics 2 hours already and a tonne to go… I’ll add the links and pictures in here later. Might actually get round to measuring my distance travelled at some point too, as I currently have no idea!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
I’ve got a little list…
I’ve developed a fetish. Well, OK, I admit it, I’ve always had it. But recently I’ve been able to enjoy it to the max and make it public. All thanks to Qype. What is it? Well, it’s making lists. There’s a certain satisfaction to gathering things together and putting them in order. From the real places that inspired ‘Eastenders’ to London Loos, I’ve been listing them all. If you’d like to share some lists, including mine, check them out here. Then why not create your own!
Hmmm… really should get together a list of favourite places… now that’s hard to choose!
Hmmm… really should get together a list of favourite places… now that’s hard to choose!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Garden Flowers
I’ve been largely at home feeling depressed miserable and achy this week. Think it’s the wet weather. However not all is lost. I’ve managed to drag myself out to run and done some decent times. I’ve also cracked on well in the garden. It’s actually looking like it might be planting time soon. And I’ve got the seeds sown ready in pots in my kitchen, thanks to the wonderful range at North One Garden Centre.
There’s a grass verge near me that’s currently covered in wild violets. I’ve been looking at it longingly, wondering if I dare ‘transplant’ a few with all the CCTV there is in the area! Not sure the council would look kindly on nicking the plants. Of course, since then some guy on a mower has been and mown them all down… guess the council have not got the violets on their ‘keeps’ list. Sigh. The plants are OK, but most of the flowers are gone.
Still, I have acquired a few broken pipes and bricks from a building site, and have plans to build a feature. With the change in the weather things are looking up.
There’s a grass verge near me that’s currently covered in wild violets. I’ve been looking at it longingly, wondering if I dare ‘transplant’ a few with all the CCTV there is in the area! Not sure the council would look kindly on nicking the plants. Of course, since then some guy on a mower has been and mown them all down… guess the council have not got the violets on their ‘keeps’ list. Sigh. The plants are OK, but most of the flowers are gone.
Still, I have acquired a few broken pipes and bricks from a building site, and have plans to build a feature. With the change in the weather things are looking up.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Nochex Nightmare and the Neolithic
They say money can’t make you happy, but it certainly makes things less complex. Having sorted my cash flow crisis I was feeling all relaxed. I’d decided I’d go ahead and enter my half marathon (gum was healing nicely after the extraction). I also needed some ink for my printer (which, as my printer is ancient, I can get at a fraction of the shop price if I order from the internet). So late one Sunday night I sat down at my computer, armed with credit card.
I decided, unwisely it was to turn out, to enter the Half first. The organisers had set up an account with a credit handling company called Nochex, so I was directed to their site. I happily typed my details into their form and submitted it. Form returned with a red notice saying my address couldn’t be confirmed, please check with my credit company that it was exactly as written on my account details and try again. I checked my credit card statement, found a slight difference (one that hasn’t made a difference before I should add) and re-wrote the address. Same result. I deleted it all out and made sure it hadn’t got any stray gaps… same result. Tried again… same result. Maybe I’d got the security number wrong? (It’s faint on my card)… same result. Maybe they wanted all my initials, not just the one on the form? … same result. Maybe it was a temporary fault with the site? Wait a few minutes… same result. By now I was reeling with tiredness and headed off to bed.
Next morning I got up groggy from lack of sleep, and hoping ‘the fault’ had cleared, I tried again. First go I made a genuine mistake and forgot to alter the ‘valid to’ date. Second go I got a message saying my card was now blocked… Rang up my credit card company and found that not only had payment apparently gone through, in spite of the Nochex site asking me repeatedly try again because it hadn’t gone through, but it had gone through on EVERY attempt I made and my card was now over limit and blocked for 10 days because of the suspicious activity. And no they couldn’t do anything about it: the money was in limbo and I’d just have to wait to see if it would reappear.
Needless to say I contacted the event organisers, and sent a choicely worded email to Nochex as well. Apparently Nochex replied to the organiser’s own enquiry within a day, and told them no payment has gone through. Nochex have yet to reply to me.
So, no half marathon… no card to try again (as if I would..) and no way I was going to pay an extra £7 to enter on the day. But that wasn’t the end of it… I had of course stupidly taken my card to Nochex before my regular ink supply website… And I now had a printer out of action. Besides needing regular printing for work I do from home, I also had another event entry, for the Neolithic Marathon, which needed to be done by post (entry form to print out…) and quickly as it was approaching a deadline for that. So I had to get on the phone to my mum and ask her to order ink for me! I bet Alan Sugar never has to ask his mum to order his ink for him…
So, I have several days worth of scruffy hand drawn record tables for work. The ink did arrive (thanks mum). And my Neo entry did get sent. Still can’t use my credit card, and it still remains to be seen if my money will reappear.
Meanwhile… ‘my’ garden has had pond cleaned out (somewhat yucky job!), has survived the storm nearly intact, and my first seeds (some mixed salad) is just pushing up a few first shoots. Serious planting in trays at home this week!
I decided, unwisely it was to turn out, to enter the Half first. The organisers had set up an account with a credit handling company called Nochex, so I was directed to their site. I happily typed my details into their form and submitted it. Form returned with a red notice saying my address couldn’t be confirmed, please check with my credit company that it was exactly as written on my account details and try again. I checked my credit card statement, found a slight difference (one that hasn’t made a difference before I should add) and re-wrote the address. Same result. I deleted it all out and made sure it hadn’t got any stray gaps… same result. Tried again… same result. Maybe I’d got the security number wrong? (It’s faint on my card)… same result. Maybe they wanted all my initials, not just the one on the form? … same result. Maybe it was a temporary fault with the site? Wait a few minutes… same result. By now I was reeling with tiredness and headed off to bed.
Next morning I got up groggy from lack of sleep, and hoping ‘the fault’ had cleared, I tried again. First go I made a genuine mistake and forgot to alter the ‘valid to’ date. Second go I got a message saying my card was now blocked… Rang up my credit card company and found that not only had payment apparently gone through, in spite of the Nochex site asking me repeatedly try again because it hadn’t gone through, but it had gone through on EVERY attempt I made and my card was now over limit and blocked for 10 days because of the suspicious activity. And no they couldn’t do anything about it: the money was in limbo and I’d just have to wait to see if it would reappear.
Needless to say I contacted the event organisers, and sent a choicely worded email to Nochex as well. Apparently Nochex replied to the organiser’s own enquiry within a day, and told them no payment has gone through. Nochex have yet to reply to me.
So, no half marathon… no card to try again (as if I would..) and no way I was going to pay an extra £7 to enter on the day. But that wasn’t the end of it… I had of course stupidly taken my card to Nochex before my regular ink supply website… And I now had a printer out of action. Besides needing regular printing for work I do from home, I also had another event entry, for the Neolithic Marathon, which needed to be done by post (entry form to print out…) and quickly as it was approaching a deadline for that. So I had to get on the phone to my mum and ask her to order ink for me! I bet Alan Sugar never has to ask his mum to order his ink for him…
So, I have several days worth of scruffy hand drawn record tables for work. The ink did arrive (thanks mum). And my Neo entry did get sent. Still can’t use my credit card, and it still remains to be seen if my money will reappear.
Meanwhile… ‘my’ garden has had pond cleaned out (somewhat yucky job!), has survived the storm nearly intact, and my first seeds (some mixed salad) is just pushing up a few first shoots. Serious planting in trays at home this week!
Sunday, March 2, 2008
A Dental Diversion
It's a little bit lazy of me, but here's my review of Guy's dental service which I wrote for Qype. Follow this link if you want address and someone else's point of view, but my review's the same!
Perhaps I shouldn’t admit this, but I recently had a very unpleasant few days, panicking and in pain. You see, I’d somehow got the idea that you couldn’t get NHS dental treatment if you are working. My excuse is I’ve always previously managed to time my dental emergencies to coincide with periods of unemployment. And I’m also used to getting glasses, where you either pay or get a voucher to help if you can’t, and there’s no help for those that can. So anyway, there I was, with a suspected abscess in one of two teeth competing for one place in my gum, working, but with a cash flow crisis, and thinking I couldn’t go to this place…
Then I found I could actually get help with dental costs as long as I got an NHS appointment at a dentist (and the fees suddenly seemed very reasonable considering I’d been expecting a couple of thousand…), but my local dentist didn’t have NHS appointments for months. So it was off to this place, with the worst of the pain over by this point!
I visited the walk in clinic. Actually my second visit, but my first was many years ago and involved having an impacted wisdom tooth and part of the surrounding bone removed under a local: not something I’m keen to remember, though that wasn’t their fault. I was advised to arrive about 8 am to queue for the doors to open at 8.30. Thanks to busses it was actually 8.30 when I arrived. After quite a long wait at reception I was actually seen more quickly than expected (I think I may have been lucky), and there’s a stunning view from the waiting room: the clinic is on the 23rd floor. The walk-in treatment room is a large room with many bays. The walls of the bays are half height: high enough that patients are out of sight when lying down in the chairs (except those opposite you…) but not fully private. I was seen by a 3rd year student to take my history. She then ‘presented’ to a tutor, and I was sent along the corridor to x-ray. Another wait there, then back to wait again… This time I was seen by a student in her final (5th) year, who would be treating me. They actually have notices up saying they don’t do permanent fillings and extractions in the walk-in clinic (usually you’ll have to come back or go to another dentist), but I was offered the chance to have the tooth extracted that day, as the extraction looked strait forward and the tooth was causing me major problems. I said yes, but since it was dinner time by then we agreed after lunch!
After fortifying myself with a good dinner I was escorted into a private room for the extraction. My student was great about waiting for my mouth to become fully numb and giving me a top up (dental anaesthetics seem to work badly on me and I’ve had many experiences where I’ve only become fully numbed up after leaving the dentist…). A tutor was not present in the room, but within earshot and was called in several times to check decisions and progress. I felt quite safe. She did try several different instruments before finding one she could get between my teeth, but then the tooth was out before I realised it. I was surprised to not be given antibiotics since I’d been told it was badly infected: apparently the infection comes out with the tooth! It does feel fine today.
Afterwards I felt lousy of course (not being able to wash the blood out is horrible… and I think worse with a front tooth than a wisdom). A few tips on leaving… if you came in via London Bridge Station (there’s a pedestrian walkway from there by the way: ask station staff), then remember that you entered the Hospital on the 2nd floor. Taking the lift down to the ground floor is a very good way to get yourself totally confused. Also do not go to Borough Market. All those lovely food samples are just a way of torturing yourself. Finally, I’d advise you do go to Southwark Cathedral. Perfect place to relax and take your mind off a sore mouth.
Overall, excellent. I actually wouldn’t feel too outraged about paying NHS charges now I could feasibly find the money, though free is nice. Of course many will find the fact that its treatment by someone not yet qualified scary. And there’s the lack of privacy, and the waiting around… still, a bloomin good service.
Perhaps I shouldn’t admit this, but I recently had a very unpleasant few days, panicking and in pain. You see, I’d somehow got the idea that you couldn’t get NHS dental treatment if you are working. My excuse is I’ve always previously managed to time my dental emergencies to coincide with periods of unemployment. And I’m also used to getting glasses, where you either pay or get a voucher to help if you can’t, and there’s no help for those that can. So anyway, there I was, with a suspected abscess in one of two teeth competing for one place in my gum, working, but with a cash flow crisis, and thinking I couldn’t go to this place…
Then I found I could actually get help with dental costs as long as I got an NHS appointment at a dentist (and the fees suddenly seemed very reasonable considering I’d been expecting a couple of thousand…), but my local dentist didn’t have NHS appointments for months. So it was off to this place, with the worst of the pain over by this point!
I visited the walk in clinic. Actually my second visit, but my first was many years ago and involved having an impacted wisdom tooth and part of the surrounding bone removed under a local: not something I’m keen to remember, though that wasn’t their fault. I was advised to arrive about 8 am to queue for the doors to open at 8.30. Thanks to busses it was actually 8.30 when I arrived. After quite a long wait at reception I was actually seen more quickly than expected (I think I may have been lucky), and there’s a stunning view from the waiting room: the clinic is on the 23rd floor. The walk-in treatment room is a large room with many bays. The walls of the bays are half height: high enough that patients are out of sight when lying down in the chairs (except those opposite you…) but not fully private. I was seen by a 3rd year student to take my history. She then ‘presented’ to a tutor, and I was sent along the corridor to x-ray. Another wait there, then back to wait again… This time I was seen by a student in her final (5th) year, who would be treating me. They actually have notices up saying they don’t do permanent fillings and extractions in the walk-in clinic (usually you’ll have to come back or go to another dentist), but I was offered the chance to have the tooth extracted that day, as the extraction looked strait forward and the tooth was causing me major problems. I said yes, but since it was dinner time by then we agreed after lunch!
After fortifying myself with a good dinner I was escorted into a private room for the extraction. My student was great about waiting for my mouth to become fully numb and giving me a top up (dental anaesthetics seem to work badly on me and I’ve had many experiences where I’ve only become fully numbed up after leaving the dentist…). A tutor was not present in the room, but within earshot and was called in several times to check decisions and progress. I felt quite safe. She did try several different instruments before finding one she could get between my teeth, but then the tooth was out before I realised it. I was surprised to not be given antibiotics since I’d been told it was badly infected: apparently the infection comes out with the tooth! It does feel fine today.
Afterwards I felt lousy of course (not being able to wash the blood out is horrible… and I think worse with a front tooth than a wisdom). A few tips on leaving… if you came in via London Bridge Station (there’s a pedestrian walkway from there by the way: ask station staff), then remember that you entered the Hospital on the 2nd floor. Taking the lift down to the ground floor is a very good way to get yourself totally confused. Also do not go to Borough Market. All those lovely food samples are just a way of torturing yourself. Finally, I’d advise you do go to Southwark Cathedral. Perfect place to relax and take your mind off a sore mouth.
Overall, excellent. I actually wouldn’t feel too outraged about paying NHS charges now I could feasibly find the money, though free is nice. Of course many will find the fact that its treatment by someone not yet qualified scary. And there’s the lack of privacy, and the waiting around… still, a bloomin good service.
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