A walk is a walk. Routine walk can be made interesting. Tue July 5th i had appointment at Kent &Canterbury Hospital to give a blood sample. Had to collect duvet from laundrette. Hoped to collect annual from Kent County Cricket Club. Because of bulk, duvet comes last. Part of the fun is devising a route, preferably a circuit, maybe shortest: travelling salesman problem. Simple with three places to visit. Like to make a circuit.
So a route emerges, about two miles. Even a short walk becomes a major expedition.
Sunny morning. Good for mind, but. Took years to realise that things i enjoy, such as walking and cricketwatching, best not done in dazzling sunlight. 13 degrees, cooling breeze. Short sharp hill up Guildford Rd. Left on alleyway between Martyrs Field Rd and Oxford Rd. People on way to Wincheap primary school. Holly tree, useful for berries at Christmas. Up Cambridge Rd cos i dont often go that way. Wide road, wide pavements. Left on Zealand Rd, former council houses. On left, Pewter Court, houses where bowls club used to be. Hello to former Labour council candidate. This ward has Libdem councillors. City Council is Tory, though we have Kent’s only Labour MP. Up Nunnery Road, smooth pavement of small slabs. Place of worship, Plymouth brethren or similar. Later found the meeting hall is for sale. Where did the brethren go?
Used to run up here. Don’t look back. South Canterbury Road. Big houses, gardens. Students on way to boys Langton. Tall green hedge, holly, ivy, hawthorn. Some haws. A bungalow with neat lawn and two trees, one green one coppery. The present Canterbury Bowling Club. Wide Road. Here was Canterbury south station on the Elham Valley Line, closed 1948.
Hospital entrance. Too early. Sat on bench in memory of Oakley O’Connor. Through hospital corridors, wondering why not all staff masked. Waiting room had about six masked people, unmasked man came in and coughed. Covid hasn’t gone away. Bloodsample painless.
Out through carpark, along avenue of chestnuts to oldest building. Road next to cricket ground to Nackington Road. Nackington, said to come from “Nata’s Hill”, is a hamlet 2Km away. Big trees on left big houses on right. Left on Old Dover Road. Route of Roman road to Dubris (Dover), later called Watling Street. Into St Lawrence cricket ground. Coffee in Lime Tree cafe, enjoying view of green playing area. Man watering square with hose. Bought the club’s Annual in shop. A few words about Kent’s poor start to season. The man was optimistic.
Out to Old Dover Road. Bat and Ball pub now l’Hote, boutique hotel bar and grill. Downhill past old fire station. Left to laundrette, collected duvet, chat with a Stour Valley conservation volunteer. Home via Lansdown Rd, Station Rd East and Wincheap.
Two mile walk, useful exercise, home in time to hear England beat India in Trent Bridge test.
Rambling Brummie 