Showing posts with label Totteridge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Totteridge. Show all posts
Thursday, 16 July 2020
16/07/20: Totteridge
On the daily walk I saw the usual abandoned face masks littering the paths. So nice to also see a woodpecker.
Thursday, 23 April 2020
Wednesday, 22 April 2020
22/04/20: Scenes from the daily lockdown walk: free books
Totteridge. Books being given away on a wall.
Thursday, 16 April 2020
Saturday, 4 April 2020
Friday, 27 March 2020
27/03/20: Scenes from the daily lockdown walk: Thank you NHS
Totteridge. Very moving to see this. As the lockdown continues it is touching to see the ways local people have reacted. Children have written messages in chalk on the pavements outside the houses of their friends and relatives. They have also painted rainbows and left them in their front windows. And someone had set up their own hand-sanitation station on their garden wall with cleaning chemicals barrels of water for anyone passing.
This kind of disaster seems to bring out the best in people, despite everything. That's not the case for our Great Leader, though. I hate the way he keeps saying "our NHS", given the way the Tories have treated the NHS over successive governments. I am sorry to hear that Boris has the virus, but will he be queuing up for hours in a crowded NHS waiting room for his treatment? I very much doubt it.
Sunday, 22 March 2020
22/03/20: My first half marathon (unofficial)
I finally ran a half marathon today – unofficially, that is – along the pavements, through the parks and beside the rivers near where I live.
After countless strains and sprains, a recent ITB problem saw me spending five weeks on the injury couch and meant that I had to pull out of the Big Half (1st March). The charity kindly moved my place to London Landmarks (29th March), but then that – like everything else – was of course cancelled/postponed because of Coronavirus. So, having spent the last five weeks getting back from zero K to a decent distance, I decided to run my own private HM.
The good news is that I came first.
The bad news is that I also came last.
I set off at about 7:15. The weather was cool and sunny – pretty much ideal. I felt like it might just be possible, but decided to just see how it went and not make too much pressure for myself.
My son ran with me for the first 5K, which was nice. He’s full of beans and makes me laugh. Then he went home and I carried on alone. It was just me, my music and the path ahead.
At about 8–9K I looped back past the front of my house to sip from a pre-placed bottle and pick up a snack.
My playlist threw out some gems. Really enjoyed Simon & Garfunkel singing “The Sound of Silence” and “I Am a Rock”. The latter seemed especially appropriate in these self-isolating times. “Hiding in my room / Safe within my womb / I touch no one and no one touches me / I am a rock / I am an island.”
People I passed were no less friendly than usual, but I did notice a few people steering very clear of one another. One runner ran past wearing a face mask. I wonder if that still works, given all the sweat and so on.
At about 12–13K into my route, the trees and houses fell away from the track and the effect was like entering an empty plain. The result was that a wall of wind was suddenly blowing right into me. This was tough, but I got back to the more covered area and rewarded myself with the peanut-flavoured Nakd bar I’d collected earlier. (Is it just me, or is it difficult to chew food and breathe at the same time?) Not actually sure if this snack had any reviving effect, but I kept on anyway.
Just me, the music and the path ahead.
David Bowie came on, singing “Let’s Dance”. Funny how lyrics jump out when you hear them in a different context: “And if you say run / I’ll run with you,” he sang.
At 18K I passed my previous best distance, which I’ve hit twice. I was slowing down a lot by now but forged on anyway.
“We’re on a road to nowhere,” chanted Talking Heads.
The last few kilometres were on the streets where it all started for me: the same roads I nervously panted along during Couch to 5K last year. It was a strange feeling to be trying this very different kind of run on those same streets.
By 20K I was a bit delirious and stupidly missed a turning I had planned to take. As a result I found myself later running up a close I should have been running down. It was so steep that I refused to continue that way and ended up doing a comedy U-turn, then improvising the final bit to make up the necessary mileage.
I finished on my own road and was very happy to leap into a hot shower.
I didn’t get a medal or a T-shirt, and there wasn’t any cheering along the route or at the finish line, but I do feel pleased to have finally hit this milestone.
After countless strains and sprains, a recent ITB problem saw me spending five weeks on the injury couch and meant that I had to pull out of the Big Half (1st March). The charity kindly moved my place to London Landmarks (29th March), but then that – like everything else – was of course cancelled/postponed because of Coronavirus. So, having spent the last five weeks getting back from zero K to a decent distance, I decided to run my own private HM.
The good news is that I came first.
The bad news is that I also came last.
I set off at about 7:15. The weather was cool and sunny – pretty much ideal. I felt like it might just be possible, but decided to just see how it went and not make too much pressure for myself.
My son ran with me for the first 5K, which was nice. He’s full of beans and makes me laugh. Then he went home and I carried on alone. It was just me, my music and the path ahead.
At about 8–9K I looped back past the front of my house to sip from a pre-placed bottle and pick up a snack.
My playlist threw out some gems. Really enjoyed Simon & Garfunkel singing “The Sound of Silence” and “I Am a Rock”. The latter seemed especially appropriate in these self-isolating times. “Hiding in my room / Safe within my womb / I touch no one and no one touches me / I am a rock / I am an island.”
People I passed were no less friendly than usual, but I did notice a few people steering very clear of one another. One runner ran past wearing a face mask. I wonder if that still works, given all the sweat and so on.
At about 12–13K into my route, the trees and houses fell away from the track and the effect was like entering an empty plain. The result was that a wall of wind was suddenly blowing right into me. This was tough, but I got back to the more covered area and rewarded myself with the peanut-flavoured Nakd bar I’d collected earlier. (Is it just me, or is it difficult to chew food and breathe at the same time?) Not actually sure if this snack had any reviving effect, but I kept on anyway.
Just me, the music and the path ahead.
David Bowie came on, singing “Let’s Dance”. Funny how lyrics jump out when you hear them in a different context: “And if you say run / I’ll run with you,” he sang.
At 18K I passed my previous best distance, which I’ve hit twice. I was slowing down a lot by now but forged on anyway.
“We’re on a road to nowhere,” chanted Talking Heads.
The last few kilometres were on the streets where it all started for me: the same roads I nervously panted along during Couch to 5K last year. It was a strange feeling to be trying this very different kind of run on those same streets.
By 20K I was a bit delirious and stupidly missed a turning I had planned to take. As a result I found myself later running up a close I should have been running down. It was so steep that I refused to continue that way and ended up doing a comedy U-turn, then improvising the final bit to make up the necessary mileage.
I finished on my own road and was very happy to leap into a hot shower.
I didn’t get a medal or a T-shirt, and there wasn’t any cheering along the route or at the finish line, but I do feel pleased to have finally hit this milestone.
Thursday, 5 December 2019
05/12/19: Election fever
Emerging from Totteridge and Whetstone tube station on Thursday night I was surprised to see a small political demonstration taking place. About 20 people were crowded on the other side of the road from the tube chanting "Corbyn is a racist, Corbyn is a racist, tra-la-la-la, tra-la-la-la". Some police were there as well but no trouble by the looks of it.
Sunday, 23 June 2019
23/06/19: Angry farmer
A nice walk around Totteridge. Following the public footpath between the two stables we encountered this sign:
....and the gate had been tied shut. I asked a man working at the stables and he said that one of the farmers had done it. This is illegal: a public right of way cannot be closed off at the whim of an individual. The stable man went off for a few seconds and came back with a sharp, jagged knife with which he started hacking at the thick string. He got through it and we were able to pass through the gate.
We then still managed to go the wrong way through the field until eventually making it to the other stables (where horses’ heads hovered above their low-cut doors) and – after climbing over another fence because there were pallets in the way – to the bridlepath beyond.
It was a warm, muggy walk home.
....and the gate had been tied shut. I asked a man working at the stables and he said that one of the farmers had done it. This is illegal: a public right of way cannot be closed off at the whim of an individual. The stable man went off for a few seconds and came back with a sharp, jagged knife with which he started hacking at the thick string. He got through it and we were able to pass through the gate.
We then still managed to go the wrong way through the field until eventually making it to the other stables (where horses’ heads hovered above their low-cut doors) and – after climbing over another fence because there were pallets in the way – to the bridlepath beyond.
It was a warm, muggy walk home.
Thursday, 24 January 2019
24/01/19: Slippery Totteridge
Totteridge looked beautiful in the snow with the sun rising. The river path was covered in black ice. I trod carefully, but still managed to slip, smashing down on my back. A couple of dog walkers offered annoying comments and were no help at all as I laid in shock and agony in the mud. Then a kind man came and helped me up. I staggered home.
Sunday, 6 January 2019
06/01/19: Sinister Totteridge
At first I thought they were snowmen. But there was no snow. No, they were four or five white-robed figures performing some kind of ritual on the far side of the field. There was bowing. They wore white hats. I found it very creepy.
Saturday, 5 January 2019
05/01/19: Totteridge to Brent Cross
Walked 5.6 miles along the Dollis valley Green Walk from Totteridge almost as far as Brent Cross.
There were egrets, herons, robins, blackbirds, blue tits, moorhens and a thrush, among other birds.
It was lovely, apart from all the overflowing bins.
Why are these not being emptied?
Other things of note:
• A small tot aimed a stick “gun” at us.
• Saw two “lost cat” posters.
• Found two carrots resting on a tree.
• Passed a large white dog wearing a bow tie.
• Saw a child riding a mini-motorbike (a real one).
• Got a bit lost where the river forked in Hendon but a kind man pointed out the correct route.
• Got the bus home.
There were egrets, herons, robins, blackbirds, blue tits, moorhens and a thrush, among other birds.
It was lovely, apart from all the overflowing bins.
Why are these not being emptied?
Other things of note:
• A small tot aimed a stick “gun” at us.
• Saw two “lost cat” posters.
• Found two carrots resting on a tree.
• Passed a large white dog wearing a bow tie.
• Saw a child riding a mini-motorbike (a real one).
• Got a bit lost where the river forked in Hendon but a kind man pointed out the correct route.
• Got the bus home.
Monday, 1 October 2018
Sunday, 24 June 2018
24/06/18: Hot Totteridge
It was way too warm to walk very far. This summer has barely started and it seems to be the hottest in years. The grass is already yellow and the brook is down to a minimalist trickle. Other people enjoy the sultry conditions more than I do: there were two young couples enjoying the relative privacy of the field, with one pair getting quite “frisky”, so I had to change my route quickly to avoid walking right past them.
I found a fresh white golf ball and tried to throw it back onto the golf course, although I think it bounced off a tree instead.
I met a small ginger cat and was howled at by a big black dog. A bunch of people on deckchairs were having a picnic. There seemed too many of them for it to be a family event. Perhaps it was a church social meeting or something like that.
Miles walked: 1.85
Cats spotted: 1
I found a fresh white golf ball and tried to throw it back onto the golf course, although I think it bounced off a tree instead.
I met a small ginger cat and was howled at by a big black dog. A bunch of people on deckchairs were having a picnic. There seemed too many of them for it to be a family event. Perhaps it was a church social meeting or something like that.
Miles walked: 1.85
Cats spotted: 1
Sunday, 10 June 2018
10/06/18: Death and madness
Totteridge to Woodside Park along the river.
There was dragonfly lying dead on its back on the path – not something you see every day. There was also a dead pigeon at the side of road.
A female walker went past wearing a T-shirt with the slogan “Blisters are in this year”.
At the café, I drank some strong coffee – not silly old decaf, for once.
On the walk back, a strange man pointed at a coat left next to a bin and said “There’s a straitjacket.” Maybe he could have used it...
Miles walked: 3.28
Cats spotted: 2
There was dragonfly lying dead on its back on the path – not something you see every day. There was also a dead pigeon at the side of road.
A female walker went past wearing a T-shirt with the slogan “Blisters are in this year”.
At the café, I drank some strong coffee – not silly old decaf, for once.
On the walk back, a strange man pointed at a coat left next to a bin and said “There’s a straitjacket.” Maybe he could have used it...
Miles walked: 3.28
Cats spotted: 2
Monday, 21 May 2018
21/05/18: Totteridge 4.75-miler
Having found myself a new job, I knew this would be my last morning walk for a while. A fox lying dead at the roadside – startling and beautiful – seemed a bad omen. As well as the usual roar of traffic, Totteridge Village had a strange smell of sewage. A girl on a passing bus was wearing a Game of Thrones T-shirt. By Dollis Brook, I saw a heron fly over. As always, I marvelled at its dinosaur-like quality. No hat and no “good morning” greetings suggested that the two are indeed related.
Back to work tomorrow. On 36 walks during this period between jobs I covered 134.49 miles. I will miss doing this every day.
Back to work tomorrow. On 36 walks during this period between jobs I covered 134.49 miles. I will miss doing this every day.
Wednesday, 9 May 2018
09/05/18: Totteridge
Three "good morning" greetings, one from my neighbour wearing a Stranglers T-shirt.
Monday, 7 May 2018
07/05/18: Totteridge 4.8-miler
Another scorcher. I put on my silly £1 hat bought on Saturday for Sunday’s Big Fun Walk, and headed up into the village. It was already too hot.
With the roar of traffic passing St. Andrew’s Church I wondered how it was possible for the people buried in the graveyard by the road to rest in peace.
It’s nice when people say “good morning”, especially since this didn’t happen a couple of miles down the road in Finchley. In fact, I got more “good morning” greetings than usual – perhaps a result of the silly hat.
With the roar of traffic passing St. Andrew’s Church I wondered how it was possible for the people buried in the graveyard by the road to rest in peace.
It’s nice when people say “good morning”, especially since this didn’t happen a couple of miles down the road in Finchley. In fact, I got more “good morning” greetings than usual – perhaps a result of the silly hat.
Thursday, 26 April 2018
26/04/18: Totteridge 4.16-miler
Another walk with the early birds. It was freezing in the shade and “scorchio” in the sun.
A man walking his dog wasn’t happy when a nearby woman’s dog came over to be sociable. He yelled at the woman: “Are you gonna f*#%ing call your dog or what?”
A long-haired girl on her way to school used her phone’s selfie camera to check on her looks.
On the cycle path, cyclists zoomed past me with alarming and dangerous proximity.
A beagle called Barney howled at me.
The abandoned car is now upside down.
A man walking his dog wasn’t happy when a nearby woman’s dog came over to be sociable. He yelled at the woman: “Are you gonna f*#%ing call your dog or what?”
A long-haired girl on her way to school used her phone’s selfie camera to check on her looks.
On the cycle path, cyclists zoomed past me with alarming and dangerous proximity.
A beagle called Barney howled at me.
The abandoned car is now upside down.
Tuesday, 24 April 2018
24/04/18: Totteridge 4.74-miler
1. Pigeon
2. Duck
3. Magpie
4. Parakeet
5. Blue tit
6. Robin
7. Crow
8. Blackbird
9. Sparrow
Saw the woman with the sling again. Saw a woman in a straw hat walking two dogs and taking her morning mug of coffee with her. Very civilised.
2. Duck
3. Magpie
4. Parakeet
5. Blue tit
6. Robin
7. Crow
8. Blackbird
9. Sparrow
Saw the woman with the sling again. Saw a woman in a straw hat walking two dogs and taking her morning mug of coffee with her. Very civilised.
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