We gathered in the concourse at Oxford Street station. The station layout is complicated and some people were in different places. There were rumours of Poly Ramblers being seen in the vicinity but eventually we got together and set off. In Argyll St, home of the Palladium, we saw plaques commemorating Sir William Roy and Washington Irving. After crossing Regent St we made our way to Hanover Sq for Prince Talleyrand and were joined by the 26th member of the party at the Hanover Sq exit from Bond St Elizabeth line station.
In Brook St we saw Jimi Hendrix and G F Handel on adjacent buildings, then went up New Bond St for Lord Nelson. Returning to Brook St we saw Sir Jeffrey Wyatville before going to the far end of South Molton St for Ernest Bevin, not to be confused with Aneurin Bevan. It was pointed out to me that I had missed William Blake in South Molton St. I don’t remember seeing him on by blue plaque map or seeing him on my walkover. Anyway, my apologies to William, sorry I missed you. Continue reading Plaques and Parks Walk, Sunday, January 15th →

Seventeen members met at Tower Hill station on Tuesday 27^th December on a mild and sunny morning for a walk alongside the Thames to Greenwich. Skirting the Tower of London, we had a look at the execution site where Thomas More amongst others met his end and then the low-tide beach which was popular with East End kids before the War. Leaving the tourist crowds behind, we passed St Katherines Dock and joined Wapping High Street with its historic pubs the Town of Ramsgate & the Prospect of Whitby. We resisted the temptation of sampling their wares and carried on past Shadwell & Limehouse Basins to West India Quay where we had our lunch stop at the Ledger Building. Refreshed we walked through the Canary Wharf complex with its assortment of skyscrapers reminiscent of a Batman movie. Views of the South Dock and the Millwall Dock followed before we entered Mudchute Park which was formed from the spoil excavated from the adjacent docks in the 1860s. We had a look at some of the animals in London’s largest city farm before heading to Island Gardens with its fine view of Christopher Wren’s Naval College and the Royal Observatory on the high ground behind. The foot tunnel took us to Greenwich town centre and the finish of the walk. The group went their separate ways including a few who had coffee in the Gate Clock hostelry enriched with a tot of whisky!

Danny

Photos courtesy of Ida Kwan 

Ten members met up at Manor Park station on Sunday 27^th November for a figure-of-eight pleasant meander along the borders of Epping Forest. Initially, the route skirted the perimeter of the Grade-1 listed City of London Cemetery, one of the largest municipal cemeteries in Europe. It was established in 1826 and covers 200 acres. Bobby Moore amongst many others is buried there. The River Roding then came into view and the group followed it until we reached the entrance to Wanstead Park. Soon the welcoming sight of the Tea Hut appeared where we stopped for some refreshment. The park was a formal landscape surrounding Wanstead House but now only contains fragments of the estate. These include two follies. One called the Temple which is now a visitor centre. The other is a grade 11 listed building called the Grotto which was patially destroyed by fire in 1884. It is now being restored along with its landing stage. Both were seen before we passed the Tea Hut again and continued our walk alongside Heronry Pond. Leaving the park, we soon crossed Wanstead Flats to the Golden Fleece pub where most of the group had an excellent late-lunch. It was the venue of the Club’s Xmas Lunch in 2011. A short walk then took us back to Manor Park station.

Danny.  Photos courtesy of Fiona Thomson

Twenty-four Poly Ramblers braved the cold weather and train strike to meet at Sloane Square Station for a short walk to Battersea Power Station. We struggled our way through the Christmas shoppers to pause at all the glitz outside the Saatchi Gallery. Shortly afterwards a turning down Cheltenham Street led us towards the Chelsea Pensioners Hospital followed by the Army Museum which I was told houses the skeleton of Napoleon’s horse! We continued our way to arrive at the Chelsea Embankment to cross the Albert Bridge and the gate leading us into Battersea Park. The walking group stopped to admire the London Peace Pagoda unfortunately it was too slippery for us to walk all the way around it, this was followed by a short exploration of the Festival Gardens also rather slippery. We arrived at Battersea Power Station passing under the bridge with yet more ice! The Power Station, all lit up with a fairground and ice rink, was a magnificent sight. We just had time to visit the exhibition of the history of the Power Station before there was a rush to catch trains home.

On arriving at Northwick Park Station my heart sank to discover the toilets were closed due to a blockage. We set off, walking through Northwick Park with the hospital on our right. Turning right we followed the path between the golf course and hospital to Watford Road and along Pebworth Road. Continuing behind the farm, past the playing fields of the Harrow School, to St. Mary’s Church. Poly Ramblers dispersed into the church and back courtyard as there was the Christmas fair, a chance for tea, cake and a comfort stop. After taking in Byron’s grave and views from the viewpoint we made our way to the Ballot Box Pub, passing John Lyon School, and Perivale station, a drop off point for some, after lunch. I had not booked the pub as I was assured it should be ok. On entering, the barman was a bit cold but once the orders were placed, our food & drinks arrived quickly with good service. On leaving the Barman said ‘enjoy the rest of your walk’, and we did. We went to the top of Horsenden hill and viewpoint. Horsenden Hill: 2,500 years ago, Iron Age people settled on the hill, leaving behind large amounts of pottery. The Iron Age settlement is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument. During WW1, the summit came to the fore with a sighting of an anti-aircraft gun pulled by a horse- a defence against German airships.  Today at around 84 meters (275 feet) it provides a natural viewpoint in London & is a popular kite flying spot.  A stop at the farm provided another opportunity to buy cakes and drinks. From here we followed the Paddington Arm of the Grand Junction Canal: In the 1800’s the opening of this junction enabled hay, the area’s main product, to be shipped into London in great bulk. In return London sent Horsenden ‘Mack’- an unpleasant mix of street sweepings, fish, meat offal & horse dropping – to be used as manure for the fields. The final stretch along the canal led us through woodland to Greenford Station.

Carol & Sunita.  Photos by Stuart