DC Editor Adam writes…
As regular Daily Constitutional readers and some London Walkers will know, on my days off I like to stride out and walk London. I'm a big fan of the Capital Ring orbital walking route and I love to walk the Thames. Many of the pictures and ideas that end up on this blog are born out of my rambles.
On Wednesdays here on The Daily Constitutional, I'll be sharing some snaps, random observations and the odd bit of trivia picked up along the routes of my wanders.
Continued from part one (catch up with earlier post HERE)…
Route: From East Finchley to Richmond.
Date: Tuesday 17th January 2017
Weather: Sunny and very cold
Distance: 20 miles
Ah, lunch…
Picnicking as if it were spring in St Peter's Square, Hammersmith, just a hop-skip-and-a-jump from the River Thames……
Just like in last week's Big Walk Wednesday, that's my Dennis the Menace flask again, this time with my curried parsnip and potato soup. Yum, even if I say so me-self (I really will do a recipes post one of these days). The cheese, the oatcakes, the dates and the grapes all came from Tony's Continental in East Finchley and the containers are a gift, again from my daughter, purchased at Paperchase.
St Peter's Square is a 19th Century garden square…
… and the garden is open to the general public. Peaceful it is, too. The Greek Runner statue (above) is by William Blake Richmond (familiar to many from his work inside St Paul's) and famous residents of the square have included Sir Alec Guinness. I'll be returning at a later date with a blog post on the former home of Island Records in my regular Friday Is Rock'n'Roll London Day slot.
And here's St Peter's, by Edward Lapidge…
… built in 1829 when Hammersmith was a village surrounded by fields and market gardens.
My favorite sign of the day: Operational Instructions For an Intransigent Doorbell…
… "vigorously" mind. No timid callers here.
The river…
Click HERE for an earlier photoblog of the Thames in West London.
Spotted at Barnes Bridge. Seemed appropriate, given the context…
I'd had half a mind to stop at the river. But the glory of the day drove me on. This is London, after all, and with February ahead it may be a while before we see such sunshine again.
I wasn't the only one out for a walk…
But these guys were having the BEST time of all…
They were in my view, over at Strand-on-the-Green for a fair few minutes. And as I walked I observed their intense occupation, lost in each other's company, lost in time, nosing around at the water's edge oblivious to the concerns of the ridiculous world around them.
By this point – Kew Gardens – my walk had gone WAY beyond my intended length. Plus I was on a part of the riverside where the train and tube stations are quite awkward to get to. I was tiring, but the day was so sunny, so fresh and bracing that I kept on. I'm glad I did. I have never known a more glorious January in the capital…
This encouraging Tweet from David also helped to keep me going…
Adam - the Laurie Lee of London Walks (writes beautifully and goes on long long walks) - is right now on one of his London marathons! WTS. — London Walks (@londonwalks) January 17, 2017
Thanks David. I suppose it's better than being the Bruce Lee of London Walks (although that would be quite cool, too).
Syon House, London residence of the Duke of Northumberland…
… like a castle designed by a Minecraft addict. But even the dunderheadedness of its bullish lines couldn't dampen my spirits on such a sunny day.
And there was Richmond…
(Click HERE for an earlier wintry Richmond photoblog from back in 2014.)
A quick shadow selfie on the green…
… and one last snap from the train window heading to Waterloo…
… and home for a long soak…
… the recipe for which you can find HERE.
Here's the step count…
Nice wee stroll #N2 - #Richmond 20 miles gorgeous sunny ☀️ winter ❄️ #London day #stepcount pic.twitter.com/hYwO7G2kVN — Adam Scott (@AdamScottG) January 17, 2017
And here's the route…
Next time on Big Walk Wednesday… East Finchley to North Woolwich
You can book me for a private London Walks tour HERE
Here are few previous Big Walk Wednesday posts for you to enjoy…
East Finchley to Crystal Palace Part One
East Finchley to Crystal Palace Part Two
Old Kent Road to Whitechapel
Cornhill to Camden Town East Finchley to South Kensington North Greenwich to Richmond Part One
North Greenwich to Richmond Part Two
A London Walk costs £10 – £8 concession. To join a London Walk, simply meet your guide at the designated tube station at the appointed time. Details of all London Walks can be found at www.walks.com.
