Autumn – Page 16 – I Walk Alone

The secret of the other side of the river

15 March 2015

The weather was a little disappointing on Sunday morning, one of those grey days with a hint of drizzle that make walking a chore rather than a pleasure. Even so, after a little grumbling and wavering over whether to go out, I set off for the river. For a long time now I’ve been looking at the opposite bank as I walk the second half of Riverside Park. Once in a while I think I’ve seen people over there walking but I’ve never been able to work out how to get there. After a lot of map looking, I thought I might have found the secret and I was keen to explore. Continue reading The secret of the other side of the river

Mini Moonwalk training to Millers Pond – first published 30 November 2012

For my last Moonwalk training walk of November 2012 the training plan threw in a nice short walk to give me a break from the long walks. Either that or it was lulling me into a false sense of security. As the weather was decidedly cold and icy I can’t say I was disappointed. After a bit of map looking I decided to revist an old haunt from my childhood. In the thirty years or so since I’d last been to Millers Pond things had changed a little.

Continue reading Mini Moonwalk training to Millers Pond – first published 30 November 2012

Sea, sand and pebbles – first published 30 October 2012

At the end of October 2012 I had much better weather for my walk along the shore. In fact it was prefect walking weather, cold and bright without too much wind. Back then work had not long begun on painting the tall flats and the whole of the Itchen Bridge could be seen across a sea of rubble on the old Vosper Thorneycroft site. So much has changed in just over two years but so much remains the same. Continue reading Sea, sand and pebbles – first published 30 October 2012

Job hunting, walking and weirdos – first published 26 October 2012

Oddballs, people who don’t quite fit in or seem, at first glance, a little strange are everywhere, I might even be considered as one of them. Without them the world would be a far less interesting place in my opinion. After all, the oddballs and weirdos are often the artists, poets, writers, inventors and the people who have ideas that change the world. Ok, so being odd isn’t always good and some weirdos are probably best avoided but a post from the end of October 2012 celebrated some of them. Continue reading Job hunting, walking and weirdos – first published 26 October 2012

disappointments and good friends – first published 16 October 2012

Some days it seems as if all that can go wrong does go wrong. You make all the right plans, do all the right things but, somehow, everything conspires against you. Those are the sort of frustrating days that can leave you feeling frazzled, cross and as if the whole world is against you. If you’re very lucky though, you will have friends who know just how to make you feel better. This post is about some of mine. Continue reading disappointments and good friends – first published 16 October 2012

memory, happiness and being creative – first published 27 September 2012

You may have worked out by now that I have a shockingly terrible memory. It’s something I wish I could change but I can’t so I’ve learned to live with it or work round it. Back in 2012 I saw a TV programme that got me thinking that having a poor memory might not be as bad as I’d thought. Thinking about this somehow got me thinking about happiness and what I could personally do to make the world a happier place. Continue reading memory, happiness and being creative – first published 27 September 2012

Bonjour Paris

22 November 2014

On Saturday there was a plan, of sorts. This involved finding our way across the city armed only with a map and three separate objectives. We emerged from the hotel to wet streets and sunshine, it had obviously been raining at some point but the sky looked reassuringly blue. We got off to a good start, we knew which direction to go to start out. Continue reading Bonjour Paris

Under the sea to gay Paree

21 November 2014

Friday morning began with a latte in Costa Coffee and a long wait on the cold platform of Southampton Central Station. We’d arrived way too early. The lesser of two evils, it was that or leave later, get stuck in rush hour traffic and possibly miss the train. In my time I’ve spent many hours on platform one of this station. As a teenager I worked in the offices above and caught the train to and from work every week day for five years. On Staurdays in the summer I helped out on the platform, guiding people to their connecting trains. Some of the announcements are imprinted on my brain. Continue reading Under the sea to gay Paree

common land and hidden gems

20 November 2014

After such a warm, wet autumn my little garden is in need of some tender loving care right now. Unfortunately, the need of the garden in Commando Senior’s crooked little house was greater. This meant a little morning walk across Freemantle Common with my folding secateurs in my rucksack. Thankfully it wasn’t raining and it certainly beats walking to work. Continue reading common land and hidden gems

a walk through the New Forest

18 November 2014

Now I’d visited Alice in Wonderland’s grave and quenched my thirst in the Mad Hatter’s Tea Rooms it was time to go back to the real world. What I’d really have liked to do was walk up to Bolton’s Bench and over White Moor to Matley Wood and then through the forest to Deerleap. This is a boggy walk at the best of times though and with all the rain we’ve had it wasn’t one I dared attempt. Continue reading a walk through the New Forest