The Mount Pleasant footbridge featured in my first novel, Plagued, and I often cross it on my walks. Despite recent makeshift repairs, it has become alarmingly rickety of late, so it was no great surprise to learn it was due to be replaced. Precisely what this entailed wasn’t clear, but I’d heard work would begin in February and involved closing the road. So, on 1 February, I went for one last look before it was too late.
Continue reading The cycle of change
One of the first things people notice when entering the Old Cemetery’s main gates is the Cross of Sacrifice. It stands alone, in front of the Church of England chapel, signifying that Commonwealth War Graves are present. In fact, the cemetery contains 127 graves from the two world wars and others from earlier wars, including the Battle of Waterloo, the Charge of the Light Brigade, the Indian Mutiny and the Boer War, along with many Titanic graves. It was also the reason I chose the Old Cemetery as the halfway point in my morning walk with CJ on 11 November.
Continue reading Silence, sacrifice surprises and swans
26 October 2017
Once upon a time the Boardwalk and the river path were part of my daily walk to work. Often I’d look through the wire fence into the old television studio site and wonder when someone would build something there, what it would be and how it would impact on the path. Now the new houses and apartments are finally being built. As I go back and forth across the bridge I often look over and remark on the progress but I still wonder what will become of the path. As it’s a public footpath the builders shouldn’t, in theory, encroach upon it but you never can tell. Continue reading Changes afoot