Mud, mud……and yes, more of the same!! East to North East London.

  • Posted: 11/03/2014
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Steve Forde, lead for the day, had warned us there would be "extensive mud and some surface water"...........and that's what we got!  March 9 was to be the warmest day for nearly 6 months at 20C, endless blue skies, and despite Steve's warnings didn't deter 30 of us to take on the Essex mud in this part of town. We started with a breakfast at a greasy close to Forest Gate Station, headed due North, moving quickly from urban spread into 7 or so miles of (amazingly) almost continuous woodland.  It always surprises me that within London there are so many green spaces, including many linked together to give a feel of almost endless wilderness.  We managed some dry paths, but more than 60 to 70% was muddy to very muddy, requiring lots of skirting around.  But if anything the mud just added to the spirit of the day!  There was lots of good chat, on all sorts of topics from views about the latest gay thriller, "Strangers by the Lake", or the current play at Above the Stag, the political situation in Ukraine, to compost heaps and even bee keeping!  We went expecting daffodils to escort us along the way only to find they were very elusive, though a couple were eventually found, in someone's garden!  With most of the walk in woodland  lacking landmarks, the mud managed to throw Steve a tad and we missed a turn to find ourselves about half a mile in the wrong direction, all fairly easily sorted. Suddenly we were in Chingford and collapsing at the Station House pub for a well earned beverage, a late lunch (roast beef of monstous quanties!) and more good chat. Thank goodness they didn't mind our boots caked in the stuff we'd fought through for 4-5 hrs!

A good, but dare I say it, muddy day!  Thanks Steve!

 

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