Tag: Northam Wharf

Mixed blessings

Northam Road, Southampton early 20th century

Those of us born in England after the middle of the last century have been privileged to live in relatively prosperous and peaceful times. We may have had our trials and tribulations and seen many changes but, until COVID19 arrived, our lives had not been touched by famines, plagues, or world wars. For most of us it came as a shock to realise that we were not immune to such events, our science and technology was not invincible. Each of us had to cope as best we could. For me, the writing project I’d begun in 2019 helped keep my mind occupied but, in some ways, it was a mixed blessing.

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Rights of way

10 July 2019

One of the great joys in my life is walking in the quiet places. I am a connoisseur of secluded little cut ways, hidden footpaths, trails and walkways. Finding a way to get from a to b that doesn’t involve walking along a road makes me smile, especially when it is beside a river. On my walks I’m always on the lookout for these hidden gems and the ones I know I use regularly, even if they add miles to my walks. Today I chose a route bursting at the seams with away from the road delights for my early morning walk. Unfortunately some of them are not as accessible as they should be though.

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Northam bound with aching feet and blisters – first published 8 May 2014

May 2014 and the end of my epic walk was almost in sight. As I stepped onto the final stretch of the Navigation my feet were protesting. There were more than eight miles to go if I was really going to walk the whole thing right to Northam and I could feel the tell tale burning of emerging blisters. This was when I realised I didn’t even have any blister plasters in my bag. They probably wouldn’t have stuck anyway seeing as my feet, socks and boots were wet. It reminded me of some of those long Moonwalk training walks except my legs didn’t ache too. Small mercies and all that. Continue reading Northam bound with aching feet and blisters – first published 8 May 2014

Searching for the start of the Navigation – First published 8 January 2014

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Day two of my 2014 exercise program and I’d progressed to the second, tough Pump it Up section, all star jumps and elbow to knee stuff. Just when you think you can’t do another one it changes to something else, which is a relief until, shortly, you realise you can’t do another one of the new thing either. It made me wonder how I used to manage the whole thing from start to finish and then go off to work? I was shattered. What I wanted was a little nap, my eyes were actually closing. Still doing it for two days in a row was just a start, if I could stick at it I’d soon be watching those muscles tone up. Continue reading Searching for the start of the Navigation – First published 8 January 2014