London, the old, the new and the curious

Pugilists

The glorious ruined church, St Dunstan in the East, might have been the highlight of our whistle-stop tour of London back in May, but our visit didn’t end there. We found a path to the River Thames beside the church of St Magnus the Martyr. This church, founded in the early twelfth century, was one of the first buildings destroyed by the Fire of London. Christopher Wren rebuilt the current incarnation. With a little more time on our hands, we might have looked inside. As it was, like Nancy in Oliver Twist, we passed it by. Being in the middle of final edits on Seventh Daughter, the connection with the Dickens’ classic my Nancy had read with Sam seemed fitting.

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The dash for the finish line

Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge

26 April 2015

By quarter to twelve, when I finally made it to Tower Bridge, almost three hours after I’d set out, I’d walked eleven or more miles, rather than the seven I’d planned. The noise of the crowds told me I was there before I even saw it and, once I was on the bridge, they got thicker and thicker until I had to literally push my way through. Once or twice I may have mentioned how much I hate crowds. Being short, I can’t see anything and they make me feel panicked and claustrophobic. By the time I got to the other side I was close to tears and disoriented. Continue reading The dash for the finish line

London, marathon day has arrived

The end is in sight
The end is in sight

26 April 2015

Training for a marathon is a long, slow process. It takes fortitude, courage and a dogged determination to get out and run, no matter what the weather, when your mind and muscles are screaming at you to stop and stay in bed. Running twenty plus miles is never easy, even if you’ve done it before many times. Anyone who thinks it is should go and and try. Sometimes doubts creep in. Why am I doing this to myself, maybe I should just turn for home now moments. Only the determined succeed. On our way back from Portchester, CJ and I bumped into Commando on one of his last ever training runs. The end was in sight. Continue reading London, marathon day has arrived