I can run for an hour without stopping. (Haggerston Park, the flowering wood has survived the frost and the scent was heavy on the air)
Dental treatment is not paid for by the same system as glasses (only wish I’d found out sooner I can get help even though I’m working: I’ve been putting up with pain while trying to get an exemption form. And don’t get me onto how unfair things are for people with poor sight)
It’s a toss up which is more painful: a dental abscess or ear infection. Not sure how I managed to run so well this week actually!
Putting a plastic bag over your hand does not stop nettles stinging you. (It’s been a painful week!)
If you run long distance with worn out shoes you will end up with shin splints.
When you really need the money it will get delayed (hence lack of new shoes, gardening gloves and drugs/treatment).
Meanwhile, for my long run this week I got my ancient A-Z out and looked for unvisited green space in East London. Then headed towards Wanstead Flats. On the way it was interesting to find out that the ODA (Olympic Delivery Authority) think that plain blue hoardings will do for pedestrians along the canal, but speeding cars along the new fast roads need fancy pictures and writing. Really doesn’t make a lot of sense to put them where there’s hardly any pedestrians, as surely people in cars aren’t going to be able to read them?!?
And thanks to said ancient and now inaccurate A-Z and the brain freeze I get when running I took a wrong turn and ended up on Lea Bridge road several miles north of where I should have been… Well it got me a diversion through pleasant back streets. Where I got lost again... High Road Leytonstone seemed to be full of drunks (hmmm, so much for avoiding Finsbury Park on a Saturday!), though Harrow Green was a pleasant surprise, looking lovely with trees and borders in bloom. Then it was down past some of the ugliest housing blocks I’ve ever seen before I made it down to the Flats. It was nice to see that, unlike the football pitches on Hackney Marshes, the ones there were in noisy use (and before someone protests, I’m willing to believe the Hackney pitches get used, just I’ve never seen it). I headed north along the edge and picked up what was marked on the map as a horse ride. You could make out the remains of an avenue of trees, and one solitary set of hoof prints, but it was basically a footpath. As I went on it plunged into woods.
I crossed a road and headed on into Wanstead Park, past one lovely natural looking pond and then some with artificial banks. According to a notice board Wanstead Park is officially part of Epping Forest, and I really felt I was on some kind of border when saw a teenager with a pitbull type AND a Labrador. The park is what remains of the gardens of a stately home. Besides the many concrete-edged ponds there’s avenues of trees and old buildings, though the house itself is gone. And overgrown woods with impenetrable brambles and deadfalls all over the place. Wonderful.
On the way back I was a little worried about negotiating all the new roads where I’d got lost before with evening closing in. But it turned out that on the correct route it wasn’t so ‘remote’ and pedestrian unfriendly as I’d dreaded. There were a fair few folks about too, walking back from Leytonstone to Hackney and seemingly not unpleasantly drunk. 18 miles in all for me, slow, but still more than I’d intended and not bad with all the stops to look at maps! Like I said before though, I now have shin splints… hope the money turns up for shoes and my legs recover in time for me to enter the half I’m supposed to be doing in 2 weeks!
Oh yes… what’s on locally… The London Word Festival is on in various East End venues. See http://www.londonwordfestival.com for details.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Blossoming
My tip of the week: if you are looking for something this weekend, then this might be a good one to head down to Hackney City Farm (and maybe Columbia Road Flower Market if it’s Sunday), and then go for a walk in the wood in Haggerston Park afterwards. I was down there this week and was astonished when I saw the wood. Most of the trees are laden down with white blossom. The pictures I took today do not do it justice. All they need is a few bluebells to make it a real fairy wood.
Not so nice is the current state of the River Lea. Apparently local housing is supposed to have separate drainage for rainwater (from gutters etc) and for sewage, but some builders have been connecting it wrong. According to the Hackney Gazette as many as 400 houses may be currently discharging raw sewage into the Lea. Well, at least they’ve realised there is a problem and are getting it sorted. Nowhere near Haggerston Park so don’t be put off!
Singer and pianist T J Johnson and his band are performing at The Globe pub, Morning Lane, Sunday afternoon 12.30 to 3.30, free entry. Bluesy vocals, rocking piano, rhythm and blues, roots and swing. Apparently recommended for a traditional jazz audience. Not to my taste unfortunately, but I like to pass these things on!
On the personal side… I did my 15 mile run last week in a time which puts me well on time for a cracking (for me!) improvement in my time next marathon I do. Very pleased. I’ve run well this week on short runs too, including the one that led me to discover all that lovely blossom.
Gardening this week led me to war on spiders. I was cleaning out the shed, and found it swarming with them. Little fat ones with short legs that reminded me of ticks. Creepy leggy skeleton ones. And huge, big, black garden spiders. I know spiders are a good thing, but I can do without that many of them. So far gardening has been stressing my nerve more than my muscle! But next I tackle the weeds… if I can work out which plants are weeds. They have different weeds in London than the ones I knew as a child!
I’ve also added some pictures of the pancake race in the report below. Behind with my picture editing *G*
Not so nice is the current state of the River Lea. Apparently local housing is supposed to have separate drainage for rainwater (from gutters etc) and for sewage, but some builders have been connecting it wrong. According to the Hackney Gazette as many as 400 houses may be currently discharging raw sewage into the Lea. Well, at least they’ve realised there is a problem and are getting it sorted. Nowhere near Haggerston Park so don’t be put off!
Singer and pianist T J Johnson and his band are performing at The Globe pub, Morning Lane, Sunday afternoon 12.30 to 3.30, free entry. Bluesy vocals, rocking piano, rhythm and blues, roots and swing. Apparently recommended for a traditional jazz audience. Not to my taste unfortunately, but I like to pass these things on!
On the personal side… I did my 15 mile run last week in a time which puts me well on time for a cracking (for me!) improvement in my time next marathon I do. Very pleased. I’ve run well this week on short runs too, including the one that led me to discover all that lovely blossom.
Gardening this week led me to war on spiders. I was cleaning out the shed, and found it swarming with them. Little fat ones with short legs that reminded me of ticks. Creepy leggy skeleton ones. And huge, big, black garden spiders. I know spiders are a good thing, but I can do without that many of them. So far gardening has been stressing my nerve more than my muscle! But next I tackle the weeds… if I can work out which plants are weeds. They have different weeds in London than the ones I knew as a child!
I’ve also added some pictures of the pancake race in the report below. Behind with my picture editing *G*
Friday, February 8, 2008
East End Round Up
As planned I went down to the Spitalfields Pancake Race on Tuesday. It turned out to be a fairly small affair down a side street, though that was fully lined with an enthusiastic crowd. The event was well stewarded by some folks in clown costumes, though rules were bent all round. Several of the teams had made an effort with costumes, and put full effort into relay races up and down the road, with a few people ending up on the floor!
I think most of the teams were from local offices etc, and most of the spectators were their friends. That was reflected in the catering: I was very disappointed to find a pancake would put me back around £4! That might be OK for yuppies wanting ‘crepes’ but they really needed someone churning them out at £1 a go. It was good fun, and raised money for charity, but I decided against celebrating the day with an overpriced pancake and went round the corner and for £2.50 bought some rashmallai (Indian sweet) instead.
I spent my first session in ‘my’ garden demolishing a dead bush and cutting back the live one underneath. Very satisfying! Also discovered massive numbers of snails. I’m contemplating following Gordon Ramsey’s instructions on turning them into lunch.
Hackney Freecycle included a note about some free gigs:
There is a free gig every Friday night with great local bands in atraditional east end boozer…on a rotating basis, with either Morning Bride - soaring country tinged pop, Brick Lane Boogie Boys - sun studio rock’n’roll, Slym’s Cyder Co - cajun country or Nigel Birch and The Flea Pit Orchestra -Brechtian cockney’n’roll. The Carpenters Arms, 135 Cambridge Heath Rd, E1. Tube: Bethnal Green. Bands on stage from 9pm till very late
Think I might check that out sometime, though too late this week! I have a long run on Saturday anyway. In the last week I’ve done one run of 55 minutes without stopping (1 hour here I come!) and an interval run (run 8, walk 1) on which I reduced my recent times to do 3 miles. It’s an annoying fact that right now the more I run the slower I go! My fastest times were done with running intervals of 5 minutes and walking 1 (or even less running on longer distances…). I’m hoping though that with persistence I’ll eventually be able to maintain reasonable running speed for more than short bursts!
Oh, and some good news… The ODA (Olympic Delivery Authority) has been allowing The Celia Hammond Animal Trust some access to the Olympic demolition site to rescue cats, including areas they’ve never been able to get into before. It’s good news, but not a reason to sigh with relief and forget about the whole thing as the ODA have made ‘gestures’ then gone back on their word before. I’d suggest anyone who hasn’t done so still signs the petition, says thanks to the ODA and ‘keep it up’. Let them know they are being watched! During recent access the Trust have rescued two pregnant cats and heard the sound of toms fighting: suggesting females in heat in the area. There really are only weeks to get the cats out if kittens on site again are to be avoided. News page and link to petition here.
I think most of the teams were from local offices etc, and most of the spectators were their friends. That was reflected in the catering: I was very disappointed to find a pancake would put me back around £4! That might be OK for yuppies wanting ‘crepes’ but they really needed someone churning them out at £1 a go. It was good fun, and raised money for charity, but I decided against celebrating the day with an overpriced pancake and went round the corner and for £2.50 bought some rashmallai (Indian sweet) instead.
I spent my first session in ‘my’ garden demolishing a dead bush and cutting back the live one underneath. Very satisfying! Also discovered massive numbers of snails. I’m contemplating following Gordon Ramsey’s instructions on turning them into lunch.
Hackney Freecycle included a note about some free gigs:
There is a free gig every Friday night with great local bands in atraditional east end boozer…on a rotating basis, with either Morning Bride - soaring country tinged pop, Brick Lane Boogie Boys - sun studio rock’n’roll, Slym’s Cyder Co - cajun country or Nigel Birch and The Flea Pit Orchestra -Brechtian cockney’n’roll. The Carpenters Arms, 135 Cambridge Heath Rd, E1. Tube: Bethnal Green. Bands on stage from 9pm till very late
Think I might check that out sometime, though too late this week! I have a long run on Saturday anyway. In the last week I’ve done one run of 55 minutes without stopping (1 hour here I come!) and an interval run (run 8, walk 1) on which I reduced my recent times to do 3 miles. It’s an annoying fact that right now the more I run the slower I go! My fastest times were done with running intervals of 5 minutes and walking 1 (or even less running on longer distances…). I’m hoping though that with persistence I’ll eventually be able to maintain reasonable running speed for more than short bursts!
Oh, and some good news… The ODA (Olympic Delivery Authority) has been allowing The Celia Hammond Animal Trust some access to the Olympic demolition site to rescue cats, including areas they’ve never been able to get into before. It’s good news, but not a reason to sigh with relief and forget about the whole thing as the ODA have made ‘gestures’ then gone back on their word before. I’d suggest anyone who hasn’t done so still signs the petition, says thanks to the ODA and ‘keep it up’. Let them know they are being watched! During recent access the Trust have rescued two pregnant cats and heard the sound of toms fighting: suggesting females in heat in the area. There really are only weeks to get the cats out if kittens on site again are to be avoided. News page and link to petition here.
Monday, February 4, 2008
In The Dark
I’ve just scored on Freecycle. And I’m terrified! Thing is a nice lady is going to let me use her garden. For gardening that is. Thing is after years of bemoaning the fact that I don’t have any private outside space, and how much I’d like to grow herbs and maybe a few veg… now I’m wondering if I’ll actually be able to cut it! My record with houseplants isn’t the best, however much I used to blame it on having to keep them in the rather dark kitchen out of the way of the cats. And yes, we did have a huge garden with herbs and vegetables when I was a kid, but our neighbours used to come and trim our hedge ‘while they were doing their side’ because otherwise it never came up to their standard and would probably have fallen over from uneven growth. I loved our garden but it wasn’t conventionally tidy, nor did it have 50 hours a week put into it.
On the other hand I keep expanding my list of things I’d like to grow. Latest is jerusalem artichokes. Plus if I’m supposed to be representing East London, then I should be like Arthur off Eastenders and have an allotment! Bet he never grew jerusalems though.
Things are getting busy, with work, training and now this! I’ve actually gone as far as to draw up a weekly schedule. Of course I’ve already changed it this week so I can go to something… but that’s what flexible working is about. As to what I’ve got planned… It’s a trip to the Spitalfields Pancake Race on Tuesday. The location is Dray Walk in the Trumans Brewery Complex, between Brick Lane and Hanbury Street. Heats start at 12.30. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a pancake race!
It’s been a pretty boring week really. Nothing massively exciting unless you count finally getting my tax return done. That’s in spite of last minute panics. I actually rang them up on the 30th to ask ‘If it’s got to be in BY the 31st does that mean midnight tonight or tomorrow night?’
Well, I did start one of my runs late enough that I ended up running around in the dark. I wouldn’t have planned to run in London Fields in the dark. The light was fading when I started, and I decided to get in what I could of my run before it disappeared. As it happened there always seemed to be OK looking people around (quite a few walk along the better lit paths on their way home from work) so I stayed and finished. It was different and sort of fun, and I did a good run. Funny how being there as it got dark it seemed fine, whereas I’d never go into a park in the dark. Maybe something to do with my eyes adjusting. Or maybe it’s just my brain freezes while I’m puffing away!
On the other hand I keep expanding my list of things I’d like to grow. Latest is jerusalem artichokes. Plus if I’m supposed to be representing East London, then I should be like Arthur off Eastenders and have an allotment! Bet he never grew jerusalems though.
Things are getting busy, with work, training and now this! I’ve actually gone as far as to draw up a weekly schedule. Of course I’ve already changed it this week so I can go to something… but that’s what flexible working is about. As to what I’ve got planned… It’s a trip to the Spitalfields Pancake Race on Tuesday. The location is Dray Walk in the Trumans Brewery Complex, between Brick Lane and Hanbury Street. Heats start at 12.30. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a pancake race!
It’s been a pretty boring week really. Nothing massively exciting unless you count finally getting my tax return done. That’s in spite of last minute panics. I actually rang them up on the 30th to ask ‘If it’s got to be in BY the 31st does that mean midnight tonight or tomorrow night?’
Well, I did start one of my runs late enough that I ended up running around in the dark. I wouldn’t have planned to run in London Fields in the dark. The light was fading when I started, and I decided to get in what I could of my run before it disappeared. As it happened there always seemed to be OK looking people around (quite a few walk along the better lit paths on their way home from work) so I stayed and finished. It was different and sort of fun, and I did a good run. Funny how being there as it got dark it seemed fine, whereas I’d never go into a park in the dark. Maybe something to do with my eyes adjusting. Or maybe it’s just my brain freezes while I’m puffing away!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
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.
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.
Friday, January 25, 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
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…
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…
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