Twenty-six members were in attendance at Westminster station for the start of a pre-Xmas Lunch walk on . We headed across Westminster Bridge and joined the Thames Path by the old County Hall building. We avoided the temptations of fairground rides and mulled wine stalls as we walked in an easterly direction to the Millenium footbridge, now no longer wobbly. Crossing to the north bank of the Thames, we made for Blackfriars Bridge where we left the riverside to walk to the Middle Temple. However, the plan to go through the gardens to Fleet Street was thwarted because the exit gate was closed. A diversion brought us back enroute at Temple Bar and then onto Lincoln Inn Fields. There, we passed a small classic car rally before crossing into Covent Garden and finishing at our lunch venue, the Freemasons Arms. Twelve more members joined us there and the new management at the pub provided an excellent repast in the upstairs function room. After our chair Hilary spoke about the Club’s past year and thanked the staff, we headed home in a festive mood.
Despite the rail and tube travel disruption and threats of stormy weather, sixteen hardy polyramblers were waiting for us when we arrived at West Harrow station at 1:30pm for our West Harrow and Harrow on the Hill walk. We set off through the tree lined streets of West Harrow, passing through West Harrow Park, past the many school owned cricket fields and the former semi-mansion home of Clare Raynor before embarking on the steep ascent of the hill through the graveyard to St Mary’s church. We looked at the Peachy grave, Byron’s favourite place during his time at Harrow school. Just beyond, the grand Harrow Old School, War Memorial building, Chapel, Speech room and Vaughan Library.
On a drizzly Saturday 10th July 25 polyramblers and guests assembled at Epping station and took the Green Heritage Bus number 339 to North Weald Station. The bus conductor was very friendly and gave a commentary on the journey and we were all issued authentic tickets from his Gibson ticket machine ( Danny is this the right one?). It took many of us back a few years to our younger days. At North Weald we seemed to enter the world of historic re-enactment with all the volunteer officials in period costume, resonant of Wallace and Gromit or Thomas the Tank Engine, to reflect the heyday of the steam train and some of us bought refreshments for the journey or for their lunch. As a bonus we had a quick trip in and out of Epping Forest on a small diesel train before proceeding to the main journey on the shiny black and brass steam train which took us to Chipping Ongar.
I was joined, alphabetically, on the walk by Anna; Harriet; Irene & Les. Having taken a very slow train out of Victoria changing at Sittingbourne, we set off from Swale station with a scramble down a bank onto the fore-shore of The Swale. A drowned valley, which in Roman times would have been twice as wide, separating the Isle of Sheppey from the mainland. A cable Ferry operated for centuries from here. We were treated to the sight of the 1960 road/rail vertical lift bridge being raised to allow the passage of a yacht, and Continue reading 10th October Saxon Shoreway→
The Polytechnic Rambling Club – Walking with friends
