Rainy afternoon

Sunshine then rain then sunshine and rain again! The garden is looking green again after the rain of the past few days - but I would like to see some more warm - not hot - sunshine. The rose is one of the last buds - but autumn may bring some more. The tomatoes are just a few picked today - I will share with friends this weekend. Happy days!

London Bridge to Blackfriars

The second set are from London Bridge to Blackfriars. Angel Passage was a small garden with any others along the way - too small to be named I guess. As I rounded a corner I was shocked to see myself - reflected in a huge mirror. So shocked was I that I clicked the Nikon!

I enjoyed there walk and hope you might too.

London's City Gardens or Pocket Parks

Some time ago I started to visit London's City Gardens - or Pocket Parks as they are sometimes called. My favourite of the Postmans' Park, near St. Paul's Cathedral. A coloured map may be downloaded online - London City Gardens is the link.

Today I resumed the visits by walking from the Tower of London to Blackfriars, along the riverside walk - a distance of about two miles I would guess. I left home at ten when it was a lot cooler than over past days - and the breeze along the river made it even more pleasant as the sun scudded behind billowing clouds.

The first garden was Dark House Walk(I must look top why it is so called), where office workers were starting to eat snacks. The Boot Camp was amusing - with the instructor bellowing orders to the office workers trying to keep fit. Better them than me. Press-ups, jumping onto blocks and running - all carried out in a small space under the sun.

Outside the church of St Magnus the Martyr sat a man barring entrance as a service had just started and "they do not like people walking about". I took the hint and watched office workers sitting on the parched grass in this City Garden.

More to follow!

Sunny day's ride

This morning I went by my mobility scooter to Fairlop Waters via the footpath at the side of Aldborough Road North from St. Peter’s to the Aldborough Hall Equestrian Centre. It seemed from a causal examination from the roadway by car that I might not get all the way there without having to go into the road, but this proved not to be the case. I was able to stay on the footpath all the way. Navigating round two telegraph poles was a little tricky but not impossible - I just went very slowly at this point.  Avoiding stinging nettles was an art.

This will be my preferred route to Fairlop Waters. It is shorter than going via Oaks Lane and  Aldborough Hatch Farm and also avoid any possible encounter with the Tenant or his henchmen.

I called to see Mary Garrett. As I drove up the permissive footpath from the Equestrian Centre I spotted a small group ahead. Who should it be but Simon Treacy of Brett Tarmac, Michael Woodridge, Redbridge Council’s land agent, and Alayna Stapleton of Redbridge Planning!

Alayna shook my hand in greeting, Simon could hardly believe his eyes that it was me and Michael said nowt! I asked if they had been to see the route for the Haul Road and they said that they had. Simon mumbled something about various options. I decided not to engage in any discussion - I am not totally mad - and wished them a cool day before driving off into the sunshine.

I drove on, picking blackberries on the way to the Farm Shop in Forest Road where I lashed out on fresh fruit which later today I will box and freeze. I hope I will have time to make some apple and blackberry crumbles - using apples from the Dick Turpin orchard which I froze last autumn and today’s blackberries. 

But first I need a lie down after all this excitement.

Discussion at Town Hall

Last evening I was invited by Councillor Athwal, Leader of Redbridge Council, to a discussion with like-minded residents and Council Officers regarding the state of the Borough. My concerns are the dirty conditions of the pavements and the general filth in Ilford Town Centre, fly-tipping, litter and untidy and unhygienic front gardens, especially where black sacks are put out overnight for binmen to collect and are ripped open by foxes, with the contents scattered over front gardens and the residents not being bothered to clear up the mess.

The photographs show paving outside Barclays in Ilford Town Centre, Litter collected on Aldborough Hall Nature Reserve observation area, and two gardens near my home which are a disgrace.

The outcome of the discussion was positive with a promise that the Town Centre will be steam washed this month and that other concerns will be looked at. We meet again in three months to review progress. Newly appointed Officers were tasked with coming back to report. I left a series of photographs - including the above.

Perhaps we need a campaign in Aldborough Hatch to get people to tidy their gardens? Some are a health hazard.

It was good to see Councillor John Howard, our Ward Councillor and Cabinet Member for Civic Pride, at the discussion and sharing our concerns.

Saturday mornings

I enjoy Saturday mornings for the GUARDIAN produces a bumper issue, including WEEKEND, a glossy magazine. I read Tim Dowling first; he is American married to an English wife with three sons - the oldest, the middle one and the youngest. Their exploits at hilarious. This week two ladies appeared to cut the the families' hair - only the oldest was missing.

Then I move swiftly to the Q & A page where someone famous is interviewed. This week it was actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers. One question asked each week is: 'What song would you like played at your funeral?' This week's answer made me smile - having sat though the piece in question: 'An incredibly long one - maybe the entire St Matthew Passion - just so everybody would have to sit in the church for hours'.

Next I move the Blind Date page where two people are invited to a dinner date. This week it was a production assistant of 22 and a nurse of 23. And they got on very well indeed! In fact, I think they may well stay friends or even become a couple. Some weeks things do not pan out very well - which is always a disappointment. But today, all was well!

The I move to the paper and read all the bad news about BREXIT and such like! But the day started well and will go on in the same way.

The campaign to save Fairlop Waters local nature reserve is just beginning

The following is the text of a Press Release issued to national and local media on Thursday 2nd August. So far the ILFORD RECORDER has picked it up and featured the story and photograph on its website. The campaign is only just beginning for we have both a major battle and a war to win!

Please share with your friends - we need as many residents as possible to write to the Council.

Redbridge Council greed will trash

Country Park putting wildlife at serious risk!

When Redbridge Council’s Planning Committee approved application 2089/16 in June 2017 to extract sand and gravel on Aldborough Hatch Farm, members did not ask for, nor were given, details of the route for the haul road connecting the extraction site with the works in Hainault Road.

The only information in the public domain was a very poor diagrammatic plan for vehicle movements and a statement that the haul road would run to the north of the Aldborough Hatch Farm. At no time were we aware that the roadway would run partially through Fairlop Waters Country Park and the Local Nature Reserve registered with Natural England.

To the members of the public who attended the Planning Committee in June last year, it was obvious that income to the Council was in the forefront of some Councillors’ minds. There was a total lack of probing questions to Council Officers and public speakers. No one knew the exact route of the haul road.

Recently a plan dated October 2016 has come to light which shows clearly that the haul road will follow the boundary of Fairlop Waters Country Park. It will run adjacent to the golf course at the start of the Local Nature Reserve boundary, enter the LNR and carry on behind the Lagoon area, before crashing through the hedge on the boundary of the Aldborough Hall Equestrian Centre, where it progresses tightly along the boundary hedge with the LNR to the feed hopper on the conveyor line.

The road width will be approximately 13 metres with widening for pullover points, plus ditches and fences, bringing overall land take towards 18-20 metres at minimum point. The Brett Tarmac Ltd (BTL) Environmental Statement has a paragraph that states this eyesore of a roadway will be left in place to serve as another bridleway which would be parallel to the existing SUSTRAN bridleway in places. This is only to save finance for BTL on restoration. It has no value to the LNR, in fact it will be in our opinion quite detrimental.

Jenny Chalmers, Chairman of the Aldborough Hatch Defence Association, said: “This is deplorable. Redbridge Council has tried to hide this from the public. The Council is the land owner and we are calling on the Leader of the Council to put an immediate stop to this development. The bottom line is what is more important – financial gain to the Council or the ecological future of Fairlop Waters in London’s precious Green Belt!

The ADHA and the Fairlop Birders with the support of other local conservationists are joining forces on this campaign and are calling on the Leader of the Council Councillor Jas Athwal (who also take cabinet responsibility for Parks and open spaces) to stop this development immediately. We want all the members of the public who share our concern to email Councillor Athwal (jas.athwal@redbridge.gov.uk) and their local Councillors to that effect.

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Ron Jeffries, PRO, Aldborough Hatch Defence Association,

37 Spearpoint Gardens, Aldborough Road North, ILFORD, Essex IG2 7SX

Tel: 020 8599 7250; Mobile: 0797 488 2724; Email: ronjeffries@live.co.uk

Photograph Caption: Members of the Aldborough Hatch Defence Association, Conservationist and residents at the point on Fairlop Waters where the proposed haul road will crash through mature trees and the habitat of protected wildlife species.

Photograph: Ron Jeffries