Pilgrimage?

It’s a new year. Christmas is over. But it’s not. Many observe the twelve days of Christmas. On the twelfth day, we take down decorations and put the tree and its pot in the garden. Years ago decided this is Jan 6th.

During the twelve days i like to walk to Canterbury Cathedral to see the nativity scene. Not sure why, but i’ve been doing it for over forty years, except when away or during covid. Not very impressive as a pilgrimage: its about a kilometre to the cathedral gate. Take shortest route because of decrepitude. Picked Jan 2nd cos a dry day forecast.

Wincheap, today A28 from Ashford. Once Roman route, prob older. Little traffic. Today’s a public holiday. Maidens Head pub, 15th cent building. Under railway bridge. Next to Aldi subway under Rheims Way. Murals of Canterbury. Past keep of Norman Castle, reign of Henry II, 1100 – 1135. Along Castle Street. Vinyl Star record shop. Saffron Cafe. Three Tuns, on site of Roman theatre. St Margarets St. If i were a pilgrim i’d have a good choice of refreshments here. Cross main street to Mercery Lane. Cathedral gate (Tudor) Major repairs of upper part just completed. Through shop to cathedral. Founded 597AD by St Augustine, though most of present building is 14th and 15th century. Free admission with my residents pass. Small Christmas tree each side of door. Down steps, across nave. Nativity scene with straw bales, sheep, Mary and Joseph. Baby Jesus. Very rural.

Enjoying walk so made it longer, visiting scenes of Mystery Plays. 1986 to 2004, Kevin Wood productions. Steps where i was a Roman soldier. Through place where Becket killed. Chapter House where i was man taken in adultery. Garden where animal in Noah play. And witnessed very realistic crucifixions. Area of Moses play, where i later played Lazarus.

Through Dark Entry to Kings School. Out into Palace Street, turn left. Past crooked building, now Catching Lives bookshop. Bell and Crown pub. Guildhall Street. Stencilled on a wall: DESPITE THE FACT THAT NOTHING WE SAY MAKES ANY SENSE, WE KNOW AND YOU KNOW ITS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. Right on High Street, left into White Horse Lane. Coffee at Fond Coffee in Jewry Lane. A little notice “our parents think we’re barristers” Enjoyed sitting outside with blue sky. Helicopter. Hope not looking for me. Home via Stour Street, past St Mildred’s church and flinty wall where the Roman wall was..

Two mile walk in all, with hints of 1800 years of Canterbury history. Possibly too short to be a pilgrimage, though effort needed. Why? Because i always do it, if possible. Jesus had some good teachings, a basis of our society. Can’t believe he’s son of god.

A good walk, mostly flat, connecting past, present and maybe future.

Christmas is coming

Christmas, birth of Jesus, celebrated conveniently soon after the (northern hemisphere) winter solstice. After solstice, this year Dec21, we can look forward to longer days. Though probably not warmer. Eventually Spring. Though depth of winter is yet to come.

Christmas customs vary. Seems each family has its own, probably a synthesis of what the parents did when young. For example: we bring tree indoors on Dec 24th and keep it till 12th night. Make this Jan 6th. We have a real tree in a bucket; our parents had artificial ones. Annoying when shops put decorations up in November or earlier. All about money. Stan Freberg’s “Green Chri$tma$” and “Paddy Roberts “Happy Christmas you suckers” sum up monetisation of the season.

Before covid, went to carols in city centre on Christmas Eve. Decrepitude may keep me away this year. I won’t eat a mince pie before Dec 24th, then try to have one each day of twelve. Someone said traditions are what you do without asking why. Remember my dad put a slug of whisky in my tea first thing Christmas morning. Did not pass this tradition to my sons.

One annual task is to deliver local Christmas cards. Saves money. It’s NOT to break the postal workers strike, we’ve done it for decades.

Dec 16th, cold and sunny. Minus 1 Celsius. A bit early but want to do it on a pleasant day, rain forecast soon. Wore three jumpers, windproof coat, hat and gloves. What if it gets really cold? Dusting of frost on pavements. Some patches of refrozen snow. Chat with Nathan, this time not walking a dog. A few people are. Checked hollybush i prune annually. Few berries. Extended walk to firework shop, seeking rockets for New Year. Not open.

Inner suburb. Mostly residential. Gordon Road, after General Charles”Chinese” Gordon, killed at Khartoum in 1885. Large Victorian houses on right. 20th century houses opposite, on site of coal yard by railway, called Henry Court. Reference to Thomas the Tank engine series? Lime Kiln Road leads to a former quarry and limekiln at top of hill, now part housing and part left to nature. Heaton Rd after former MP for Canterbury, John Henniker Heaton. Walk along Elham Road, across Valley Road. The Elham Valley Railway passed through here on embankment. Closed 1948. Good to have history marked in the street names. Onto Wincheap, wine market or wagon market, take your pick. View of cathedral tower.

About a mile, fifty minutes. Used to deliver leaflets here for Safeway, my last job.Satisfying to do this annual walk. Good exercise in the sun. A small part of Christmas.

Winter is here

December is a long decline to the solstice, Dec 21, when days get longer and we can look forward to spring. If winter comes can spring be far behind? Here in Canterbury it’s 4pm and almost dark. Sixteen hours to dawn. We’ve had bright frosty blue sky days, good for walking. And damp dull days when it never seems light.

Sunday Dec11, frost and mist. Minus 5 C in night, minus 2 when i started walk at 9am. Unusual for December: we expect cold spells in January or February. Used to be a short walk to do a daily mile. Now an effort. Old age is awful but the alternative is worse. Three thin sweaters, hat, raincoat to keep out wind, Thinsulate gloves.

Powdery frost on pavement, not hazardous. Right onto Wincheap. Traffic noise. Under railway bridge. Misty. Picked up two beer bottles for disposal. Footbridge over ring road more frosty. Caution. Right onto city wall, Roman, then medieval. Restored in 1960s. At Dane John mound, path down to gardens. Across halffrozen grass to sundial. The Weekes sundial, carved by Canterbury sculptor Henry Weekes. Erected by public subscription 1840. Now in city museum. This one is a copy by Tim Lees, 1999. Foolishly it’s on a plinth so high that only a giant could tell the time. Carvings include a bearded male and three females revealing breasts.

Across to St Marys Street. Past rear of White Hart pub garden. Small park, former churchyard. Left into Castle Street. Regal estate agent. Steve James hairdressing for men. Saved a lot of money by not having haircut for thirty years. Coral bookies. Save money by not going there. Leyton Lettings. Rosemary Lane to right is closed for gas works. TaxAccess Accountants in former post office. Pillar box in front of old postbox in wall. Multistorey carpark, with flats. Never understood why high kerb at entrance. Groundlevel carpark opposite. Norman castle behind railings and holly hedge..

Subway under Rheims Way. Murals Canterbury scenes. Some made from locals’ photos of nearby Hambrook Marshes. So far not disfigured by graffiti. Under railway. Another bottle. Past King Barbers. Kiki Grocery store. Recently opened. No parking here. Good luck. BeeTee hair salon. Maidens Head pub, medieval. Cross Simmonds Road. New road scheme will make this difficult for walkers. Clothesline shop: glass panel in pavement has Spiderman beneath. Stevens newsagent, drink and fags. Wood stove and range centre. Cross Wincheap. Heat Design, same kind of thing. Papas Fish and Chips. Hinges and Brackets. Left into York Road. Audi part on pavement, part on double yellows. A short walk, familiar but always something new. A mile in 45 minutes. Connects with bits of Canterbury’s history. Ten days to solstice.

For a while, forget Ukraine war, galloping inflation, bungling government, forget FIFA world cup [ignoring cos of Qatar] Forget this is a taste of winter. Home to coffee and Multan Test v Pakistan. Eng may win this one.

A short walk by the Great Ouse

Great Ouse is one of Englands longer rivers. About 260 km from near Silverstone in Northants to Kings Lynn in Norfolk. In April 2008 i’d driven from Canterbury to Norwich to take youngest son to Cambridge and third son to University of East Anglia. They’re twins. Lunch in Trinity. Stayed at Kings Lynn Youth Hostel. Next day i took my monthly ten mile walk. Always like walking by water. Prefer a circuit, but didnt have an Ordnance Survey map. Keep it simple: walk five miles upriver and return. It’s not the same walk twice. Difficult to get lost.

River is above ground level between high banks. So the whole walk felt like walking in the air, with big Fenland sky above. Busy A47. Past construction site. Sluice at mouth of River Nar. Big flat fields. Past Wiggenhall St Peter, roofless church. Wiggenhall St Germans, intact church. Walked briskly for thirty minutes. Part of research project on effect of exercise on middleaged men. Three times a week walk as fast as possible for 30 minutes, two miles in my case. Tests by man at Christ Church University, Canterbury.

Saw men fishing, one other walker. Windy. Good walk. Main memory is of being high up above flat farmland, walking but making no progress. Like a treadmill.

Later listened on car radio to BBC play about Jet Morgan. Forgot i’d arrived in twilight with headlights on. Flattened battery. AA needed next morning. Kings Lynn has a statue of George Vancouver, several museums and churches, and a pub called Wenns. Fellow visitor at the hostel was touring places connected to poet John Clare.

Here in 2022 Canterbury i intended to lament damp dull days of November and December when it never gets properly light. In summer, at this latitude, twilight makes the days longer. In winter, shorter. Result: gloom. High air pressure brings different weather. Today is sunny and frosty, minus 3 degrees Celsius last night. A short pleasant walk to post presents to sister and second son. Result: euphoria.

Whatever the weather, walking is good.

NOTE on place names. Kings Lynn was Bishops Lynn before Henry VIII dissolved monasteries. Lynn Celtic for pool. Ouse: Celtic or preceltic for river. Wiggenhall: nook of land of man called Wicga.

References: AD Mills, Dictionary of English Place-names OUP (1998) J Ayto & Ian Crofton, Brewers Britain & Ireland (2005)

Royal Military Canal

Unusual, maybe unique, canal in Kent and east Sussex. Not built for transport, nor to provide flat rural walks. RMC was made to defend against Napoleons army. Under cliffs on north side of Romney Marsh, it is 28 miles long from Seabrook [Old English Sae broc, sea marsh] to Cliffsend. The marsh was long ago drained and is mostly farmland. Completed 1809. With hindsight, invasion threat ended with battle of Trafalgar.

Canal wasnt a simple ditch. Excavated soil made embankment on north side. Every 500 yards a stagger allowed guns to point along each stretch of water. Seven martello towers protected sluices. Three remain. Sometimes wish Napoleon had invaded, to see how well the defenses worked.

Canal was later used for transport, gravel and farm materials. And to control smuggling, which failed because of corrupt officers.

Features include Cinq port of Hythe [landing place] which has a Venetian fete, this year in August. Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway is close to the canal for a while. Terminus station by the canal in Hythe. Remains of Lemanis, Roman fort above canal. Port Lympne wild life park on slope above. [Lympne seems to be an old name for the river Rother, or Limen. Where did the silent p come from?] 12th century St Rumwolds Church. Cinq ports of Winchelsea [Island by river bend] and Rye [Island in marsh]. Wildlife includes dragonflies, kingfisher, loud marsh frogs.

Saxon Shore Way covers much of the route. Lambert & Cann “Heritage walking trails” book 2. Walks 10 and 11 include sections of the canal.

Normally i’d describe the walk. Took few notes at the time. Mostly 1981 to 1992, more recently 2012 with youngest son. My vague memories would be misleading because of recent improvements. “explorekent” says its good for walkers and cyclists and well furnished with picnic tables.

Remember walking from Ham Street to Rye, largely along canal. Completed Saxon Shore Way. Celebrated with pint at Royal Cinq Port pub. Later colleague Llew Williams told me the Way had been extended to Hastings. More walking, which included rest of the Canal.

Enjoyed walking below the old shoreline, connected with history.

References: Wikipedia; explorekent.org;

Judith Glover Place names of Kent. AD Mills Dictionary of English placenames. Bea Cowan The Saxon Shore Way 1996

Oxford Canal

The Oxford Canal opened 1790 between Hawkesbury near Coventry and the river Thames at Oxford. Made a rambling link between Brum and London. A route made shorter by the later Grand Union.

Walk from Oxford to Banbury took three instalments. Did lot of walking in Oxford in the sixties, often in sleepless nights. About 1968 fancied a longer walk, 27 miles to Banbury by canal. The former Oxford canal basin had become a carpark; canal is linked to the Thames by Isis Lock. Past Worcester College. Behind Walton Street. Under bridge where Lucy’s Eagle ironworks was. Railway between canal and Port Meadow. Another connection with Thames via Dukes Cut. Drizzle. Ran out of enthusiasm at Kidlington and took train back.

In Feb 2000 arranged a short break. Involved Youth Hostels at Charlbury and Stratford. Visits to North Leigh Roman villa, Belas Knap longbarrow, Edge Hill and Cropredy. And another walk by Oxford canal.

Parked in Kidlington, no longer has a train station. Sunny. Navigation easy; just follow towpath, now Oxford Canal Walk. Follows River Cherwell through green farmland. At least twice river is part of the canal. Lift bridges like seesaws. One barge slowly overtook me. Left canal at Heyford. Thought buses would run on main road, A423. Pint at Hopcrofts Holt. Buses follow minor roads through villages. Had to walk back to Steeple Aston.

Drove on to several English Heritage sites before Charlbury Youth Hostel, once a glove factory. First stay at an English hostel. Australian under18 basketball team staying there.

November 2000. Drove second son and belongings to Coventry. Lots recent rain. Visited canal at several places to assess flooding. Oxford Youth Hostel in Jack Straws Lane. Full veggie breakfast. Frost. Drove to Lower Heyford. Towpath gravelled, some mud. Grassy meadows. Sunshine. Lots flooded meadows. One place a few cm of water flowed over towpath into canal. Traffic noise from M40. Photo of lift bridge contrasting with concrete motorway bridge. Four hours walk. Photo of Banbury Cross. Pint of Bombardier at The Banbury Cross pub. Passed no travelling boats. Few people. Three anglers. One birdwatcher. Several dogwalkers.

Ride a cockhorse to Banbury Cross, to see a fine lady upon a white horse, Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, she shall have music wherever she goes

Train to Lower Heyford £3.80. Pints at Britannia and White Horse in Headington.

Enjoyable day and target reached.

Why do pointless achievements give meaning to life?

Canal walks

Have been watching repeats on BBC4 tv of Canal Boat Diaries, by Robbie Cumming. Reminded of pleasure of walking by canals. Canals have towpaths because boats were pulled by horses. Now used by walkers, runners and probably cyclists.

For my first twenty odd years lived about a mile from Tame Valley Canal in Birmingham. Recall two walks from there. Back in early sixties was trespass, though don’t remember being challenged.

Tame Valley Canal opened 1844, late in canal era. Early canals often followed contours, avoiding costly earthworks. This one more direct, with deep cuttings and high embankments.

First walk was westward from College Rd. Rely on memories of sixty years ago, old map, modern A-Z. Up past Perry Barr locks, a total of 13, rising 106 feet. Can remember few details, partly because i probably marched steadily towards destination. Uphill past the locks, though not steep. Past Perry Barr park, its large canal reservoir used for boating. Canals need supplies of water: every boat passing a lock sends thousands of gallons downhill. Deep cutting under Tower Hill. High embankment with aqueduct over Old Walsall Rd. Past Hamstead Colliery. Left canal, prob at Holloway Bank, Wednesbury. West Bromwich bus to Soho Hill. Birmingham bus home via Perry Barr.

Second walk southeast from College Road, between Lucas’s sports ground and the river Tame. Past ICI at Witton. Salford Junction, continuing on Birmingham and Fazeley Canal. This was opened in 1789, principal engineer John Smeaton. Built to connect Brum with the Coventry Canal and hence London. Now goes on to join the Trent and Mersey Canal. Salford canal junction is underneath Gravelly Hill interchange on M6, Spaghetti Junction.

Nowadays Salford Junction has Tame Valley to northwest, Grand Union south to Birmingham centre and on to London, Birmingham & Fazeley to east. East is where i walked. Next to Kingsbury Rd. Huge sewage works at Minworth, luckily on other side of Kingsbury Rd. Then rural. Must have left canal near Fazeley for Midland Red bus home. Remember bottle of “pop”, maybe Tizer the appetiser.

Time of decline of canals. Little commercial traffic. Before the rise of leisure/pleasure cruising. Long isolated walk.

Canal towpaths are mostly flat. Pleasure of walking by water. Generally, roads and rail take city into country. Canals bring country into the city. Looking back am amazed at lack of preparation. No water bottle, no food, no backpack with waterproof and first aid. Had learned to wear two pairs of thin socks to avoid blisters. Didn’t tell parents where i was going. Folly of youth.

Thanks to Birmingham A-Z, Ordnance Survey, and Wikipedia of course

Not a wasted walk

Wednesday Nov 10th, a week after wasted walk to dentist. Papers late: couldn’t wake brain with Guardian crossword. Forecast dry, 13 deg. Wore thick yellow jumper. Raincoat in backpack with library books. Thought of repeating previous route. But needed to visit Nationwide. Shorter to go there first. Subway under Rheims Way. Past castle, needing repair. City Council, or its leader, fond of costly schemes to alter Canterbury. Money should be spent on maintaining what we have. Norman castle and Dane John mound for example. Stour Street. This was my regular route into town before retirement. Now usually take scenic, less crowded routes. St Margarets Street. Left. Nationwide straightforward. Library. Chose two books. Found i had old lib card. Senior moment of the day. Poboy for double espresso. Entered to Dylan’s Tambourine Man. Amazed to hear favourite song. Those empty ancient streets too dead for dreaming could only have been Oxford in the sixties.

Revived by caffeine. Oxfam bookshop. Seeking Dune, by Frank Herbert. Copy at home is missing first few pages. Hard to follow movie. Bought Heinlein’s Job, not in collection at home. Dentist. Right day this time. Apparently cheerful Irish woman. Think of her as the singing dentist. Brief and reassuring. Detour via North Lane by river. Into Westgate gardens. New bedding plants, many with silvery leaves. Hugged fir tree. You’ll be here when i’m gone. Three people on mobility scooters feeding mob of mallards and pigeons.

Moorhen (or cock) Only two mile walk but slow especially at end. Slight rise to Rheims Way. Wincheap. Relief at end of dentistry for a while. I hope. Missed most of T20 world cup semifinal at Sydney Cricket Ground. Pakistan beat New Zealand.

Another wasted walk

Actually think no walk is wasted. Exercise, good for mind and body. At the time felt different.

Wed Nov 2. Dental appointment 1145. Built my day around it. Bath and clean clothes. Part of T20 cricket, on radio: Bangladesh v India. Snack at 10. Sunny, 13 deg. Jumper. Did without raincoat. Walked via Tannery estate, City Wall walk, Creine Mill Lane S and N [don’t know where that name comes from], Old Watling St. St Peters Grove. Cross St Peters St by St Peters church. Told appointment for next week. . . Annoyed. My diary had today. My error or theirs? Still think i was right, but no use arguing.

Need to calm self. Excellent coffee from Cafe San Pierre. Noticed lettering on wind vane above Westgate tower. Binox revealed WH 26M46 or similar. Chose scenic route home. Graveyard by Guildhall, unlocked. Westgate gardens. Lots bedding plants and gardeners preparing to plant them. Group of possible rough sleepers singing to Radio Gaga on radio. During lockdown government provided money to accommodate them in a hotel. What help now for the increasing number? Left to charities i expect: Catching Lives and Porchlight.

On through Toddlers Cove. Short walk between Bingley Court housing and river. Through tunnel into trading estate, cross Simmonds Rd to Spring gardens and across Wincheap to home. City Council plans to put all inbound traffic on Wincheap onto a widened Simmonds Rd. How will that affect pedestrians? Generally thought to be an ill thoughtout scheme. Paid for by developers.

India beat Bangladesh in rain-affected match in Adelaide.

Count positives. Walk in Sun. Havent fallen while walking for ages

A Wednesday walk

This blog is about walking. Keep telling myself “its not about me” Of course it is. But its not meant to be about illness, infirmity or mental state. Except where decrepitude affects walking. Three miles in two and a half hours seems to be limit. Routine trip into Canterbury city centre is a major expedition.

Like this one: last Wednesday, Oct 26th. Had to visit surgery for routine B12 injection, 850 appt. For nearly 25 yr this was my journey to work, at Canterbury College opposite in New Dover Road. A mile, maybe 15 min. Now allowed 50 min. Sunny. What to wear? Sweater. Raincoat to keep out the wind, later put into backpack. Remember list of things to do. School halfterm, less traffic. Took a route different from either route to work, via Station Rd East, footpath to Lansdown Rd. Partly because easier walking than the uneven pavement of Oxford Road.

Early. Sat on bench by road.. Then in waiting room. Why NHS appointments never on time?Quick and almost painless.

Then across two roads to Waitrose. Big Issue from John, cheerful as usual. Looked at list. Am forgetful. Quiche for dinner. Steradent for false teeth i got on Monday. Vanity: wish i’d kept the gap and saved money. Choc buttons in case anyone trick-or-treated on Halloween. Looked at list. Wholefood. Across carparks to Longport post office. Posted birthday presents to sister and second son. Forgot major work on Lower Bridge Street, repairing water main. Good to see privatised water company doing some maintenance. Crossing diverted few metres. Burgate to Wholefood. Flaxseed. Baguette. Pleased to see member of staff not seen for a while.

Need replacement for grey sweater now on allotment scarecrow. Primark. Sometimes lucky. Up escalator. Turn right, wondering where sweaters are. Saw one on rack, labelled L, £10. Label on garment said XL. To tills, no queue. Asked where i got it. (why?) Said by escalator, gesturing. Cost £3. Bargain.

Remains to plod home. Too many people, lots behaving as though covid had gone. Coffee at Don Juans in Dane John Gardens. Weary by now. Ate apple. Hugged yew tree.

Home. Rain in Melbourne helped Ireland beat England in T20 cricket.

Warm feeling of achievement.