SUNDAY 11th June 2006

STRIDING SUMMARY

Route: Starting in the very heart of London, the Lea valley follows the glorious river Lea as it winds its way North out of the industrial reaches of the city, until all that exists are flowers, meadows and happy smiles...

Distance: 33km

Nightstriders present: Ben and Isobel (Ian injured, Aimee very, very busy)

Weather: The hottest and sweatiest day of the year

Synopsis: A brisk 6-hour upbeat stride out of the capital. Slightly and surprisingly boring scenary, alas. To the left, a river. To the right, a reservoir. And that was about it. Yet it meant a 6-hour near-jogging pace was kept up and a sauna-like atmosphere was cut through with liquid aplomb. A solid training performance all round...

Kilometre:0.8 Time:10.50 Location:Tower Gateway DLR Station Description: The Urban Cityscape, about to be escaped

Kilometre: 0.8 Time: 11.00 Location: DLR train, heading towards Limehouse, with no driver! Aaaaargh! Description: Isobel and Ben, despite clearly being in a mood with each other, attempt to do the walk by train.

Kilometre: 1.5 Time: 11.30 Location: Limehouse Cut Description: The train passes the Limehouse cut, adorned with new development, the canal awash with excitement at each twist and turn. Just look at it twist. This sure is gonna be an exciting walk.

Kilometre: 3.0 Time: 12.00 Location: A lock, at the end of the Limehouse Cut, London Description: As the train steams by the lock, Ben manages to capture a shot. Note how the makers of the lock built a model of Canary Wharf on top of it.

Kilometre: 4.5 Time: 12.10 Location: Three Mills Description: These feet were not connected to anything. I repeat, these feet were not connected to anything.

Kilometre: 8.7 Time: 12.34 Location: Under a road Description: Ben and Isobel stumble upon the filming of a ne Dr Who episode. "I think it's going to be a good one", comments Ben

Kilometre: 9.5 Time: 13.12 Location: The River Lea Description: If Bernard Matthews were here, what would he say?

Kilometre: 9.5 Time: 13.13 Location: Beside Lea's River Description: The summer snow adorns the bankside grasses (as the train zooms past at a low trajectory)

Kilometre: 10.7 Time: 13.30 Location: Lee Valley Park Description: Ben and Isobel are baffled by the spelling of the Valley. Had they got it wrong all this time? Anyway, at this point Ben went off to (finally) buy an exotic something, but came back disappointed. Apparently this sign should have been read not vertically (sex beds reserve) but horizontally.

Kilometre: 11.0 Time: 13.38 Location: Near the Leeey Valley Description: I blame the parents.

Kilometre: 11.5 Time: 13.50 Location: By the River Leeeah, looking left Description: We paid some locals to do this.

Kilometre: 11.9 Time: 13.59 Location: Crossing the river Description: A look back at some of the many house boats. This made Ben go all sentimental at his yesteryear life on the river. Blub.

Kilometre: 16 Time: 14.48 Location: The River Lee Description: We had left Toynbee Hall (place of our residence) hours ago, yet it's force was particularly strong here. Examine that blue boat closely...

Kilometre: 18 Time: 15.13 Location: A bus depot Description: Abandoning the train, Isobel and Ben continue to cheat by flagging down a bus to take them the rest of the way. Just as they start flagging, 6 buses come along at once. Here they all are.

Kilometre: 19 Time: 15.19 Location: By the river Description: Now we know why they stopped! It's patriotic Isobel! (Actually she had been proffered this delightful headpiece by a flag-collecting cyclist and duly embraced his request that she adorn herself with it's St Georged delights. She's such a proud Scot!)

Kilometre: 21 Time: 15.38 Location: Unsure, been asleep on the Bus Description: The bus passed by the highlight of the walk so far: lovely houses, pylons and (on the other side of that ridge) the never-to-be-seen reservoir of neverending length.

Kilometre: 21.5 Time: 15.45 Location: Near the corrogated place Description: One second before this shot was taken this man (or should I say acrobat?) had jumped from the top of the corrogated building, holding his items in exactly the same way, and doing the riverdance. The ladies followed suit, doing the riverdance (but seated). It was one of three boats we saw in action during the day, it's not the most exciting stretch of river to boat down. But jumping on and off boats while doing the riverdance? Now there IS excitement!

Kilometre: 22.8 Time: 16.00 Location: Description: And hark! How even more excitement came gushing forth as we realised the Council had made a mistake and built their latest adventure play ground overhead ladder thing over the river! There was a toddler just about to start his first dangling run just behind the tree, bless. We cheered him on, but he didn't quite make it across.

Kilometre: 30 Time: 17.37 Location: 45 minutes away from Broxbourne Description: Isobel does some extremely effective map pointing. Now we knew we'd have to make like the wind to get to the last train!

Kilometre: 31.5 Time: 18.04 Location: On the left of the Lea river Description: We were forced to stop in our tracks because of this unexpected surprise. Along the line where the field intersects with the trees, there is a square-ish object in the middle (and a bit to the left). What do you think this object was?

Kilometre: 33 Time: 18.34 Location: On a train again, heading back home Description: Colour co-ordinated tower blocks, as viewed from our second train of the day.

Kilometre: 33.3 Time: 19.10 Location: The city Description: Welcome back to the Cityscape for another week in the heat.