25 July 2015
Friday’s severe weather warnings came to nothing but steady, all day rain. Mostly I stayed indoors, catching up on housework. On a dash to the bins I passed the new waterbut and could hear water trickling in. On the way to the shops in the afternoon, the trickling had stopped. Lifting the lid I saw water to the brim. It had been empty the day before. Continue reading a break in the rain
22 and 23 July 2015
Walking to work on Wednesday morning I had a spring in my step because I knew it was going to be a very short working week. The sky was trying to be blue, there were swans on the river and I had a few days holiday ahead to look forward to. The early risers amongst the swans looked at me as I passed while others slept on, drifting on the calm water amongst reflected clouds. One swan was having a very through morning wash and brush up, surrounded by an ever growing pile of old feathers while his lazy stay a bed partner snoozed peacefully, neck curled into an s shape, head under wing. Continue reading A very short week
19 July 2015
Commando left the house early on Sunday morning to join his running club buddies. They’d all volunteered to marshal the Southampton Skyride so he’d be standing about most of the day directing cyclists or something similar. After he’d left I sat around for a bit trying to come up with an interesting walk plan. Maybe it was the week of sticky humid weather frazzling my brain but the more I looked at the maps the harder it was to decide on anything. After half an hour I hadn’t come up with a plan so I decided to go over to town and check out what all the fuss was about. Continue reading Skyride Southampton
15 to 18 July 2015
This week was all about humidity and on Wednesday morning that meant hot and wet. A blanket of thick cloud was doing its best to drop rain but not quite succeeding as I walked through the gloom along the Boardwalk. Colour was provided by spiky purple knapweed and a second flowering of ragwort like a tatty bouquet. Near Horseshoe Bridge a patch of pink toadflax stood out amongst the purple. There was a feel of thunder in the air. Continue reading On the edge of thunder
13 July 2015
Back in March I paid my first visit to the viaduct and, as CJ loves all things train, I was sure he would like it. Before long we were walking up the slope and CJ, his walking stick still in his hand, looked ahead and said “cinders and ashes,” quoting Thomas The Tank Engine I believe. We set off across the viaduct with me pointing out the benches and the lovely colourful woodcarvings in the shelters where the linesmen would have stood to let trains go past. Continue reading Viaducts and more dredgers
13 July 2015
Pretty soon we were back to where we would have been without the castle detour, looking over Blackbridge at the wharf that is the start of the Itchen Navigation. The river still looked very low to me and it wasn’t long before we found out why. I’d been hoping to take CJ over the 1760’s built Wharf Bridge, the oldest bridge on the waterway, and onto the Navigation path as far as Tunbridge. When we walked onto Domum Road the gate to the bridge was barred and a sign told us the river was being dredged. I couldn’t help thinking that dredging equipment was going to make a real mess of an already uneven and at times precarious path. Continue reading Plague pits, locked gates and dredgers
13 July 2015
On a bit of a whim I decided to get a train to Winchester on Monday morning. It wasn’t the best of weather but CJ said he’d like to come along too, especially when I said I’d be heading for Plague Pits Valley near St Catherine’s Hill. Maybe if he’d known how much walking was involved he’d have been less eager but I kept that little detail to myself. We were lucky and caught the fast train. Apart from a teeny bit of getting lost when we first left the station, we were soon walking down the High Street in search of a coffee to keep us going for the walk. Continue reading Winchester, weirs and castles
12 July 2015
Commanndo’s running hijacked my Sunday walk this week due to the Wyvern 10k, which was also his first ever event running as part of a bona fide running club. As it happened I didn’t mind too much because I’d heard there were some interesting footpaths around Fair Oak and I fully intended to check them out while he was running. Well, if I could find them… Continue reading The Wyvern 10k And a taster session on the Fair Oak trails
8 to 11 July 2015
The rain had stopped by Wednesday morning for the walk to work and there were swans gathered on the river beneath cloudy skies. As I walked along the boardwalk I looked hopefully for the cygnets I saw last week but they were nowhere to be seen. To tell the truth I felt a little nervous about the week ahead. JR and I were booked onto a three day first aid course. At the end we’d be qualified first aiders, if we passed the exam. Continue reading Accidents and first aid
7 July 2015
It was a disappointingly miserable morning, following a frustrating day where I’d spent precious hours sorting out an appointment that had been cancelled at the last minute instead of enjoying the sunshine. Originally I’d planned a walk along the river but the weather changed my mind. If I’ve learned anything in my years of walking it’s that the river is not the best place to be when the heavens open. Continue reading Woods and rain