All the union news that's fit to blog...
Off message but another fantastic country walk along the Essex Way (and back to starting point by alternative route). Got a little wet a couple of times but mostly bright sunshine, refreshing breeze and blue skies.
We hardly saw a soul during the…Read more…
Early in 2014 I posted here on a controversy in the village on Shoreham in Kent on whether to add the name of Private Thomas Highgate to its War Memorial. 19 year old Thomas was the first soldier to be shot for desertion by the British army autho…Read more…
The Essex Way is a long distance walk from Manor Park, Newham to Harwich, a distance of 96 miles (you can also start the walk from Epping). Gill and I have been walking in stages along the route (off and on) for a couple of years.
Yesterday, we starte…Read more…
Off message. A glorious circular walk today, firstly along the Essex Way then self guided way back to starting point at Millers Green, Ongar. The weather was warm and sunny but with a lovely breeze.
On way back we saw a young badger running up a ditch…Read more…
This picture college is from yesterday when Gill and I went for our daily exercise by walking around Queen Elizabeth Park in Stratford. This is the former Olympic 2012 Park which I think I have not walked around the park for walking sake since 2012!
For our hour’s exercise yesterday, Gill and I went for a walk in Wanstead Park to see the bluebells in Chalet Wood. They are simply magnificent this year and appear to be at or near their peak.
The park was not crowded at all and the the pathways in t…Read more…
On Sunday Gill and I took advantage of the lovely weather to walk from home for our hour of exercise. We went via Wanstead flats (Epping Forest) past Jubilee Pond into Bush Wood then Wanstead then home. There is loads of beautiful openspaces and parkla…Read more…
Advice on the BBC web page confirms that it is still okay to go outdoors for exercise as long as you follow advice to stay 2m apart from others. This advice may change in the future.
Gill and I took advantage of the sunshine today to walk along the Ro…Read more…
Off message. For Christmas I bought a calendar with pictures each month from the Welsh artist, Kyffin Williams. This is for Chwefror (February). Cader Idris translated into English means “The Giants Armchair”.
In 2013 I walked around Cader Idris …Read more…
Off message but Gill and I went on a perfect little walk today around Little Hallingbury, which is near Harlow, courtesy of Essexwalks.com. The bright winter sunshine and blue skies helped make it special.
The start of the walk is in the hamlet of Gas…Read more…
Off message but went with Gill on a lovely 5.5 mile walk on Sunday courtesy of the free website EssexWalks.Com.
We started off at the RSPB reserve at Bowers Marsh which has a wonderful sense of “Big Essex Skies” and marsh land solitude despite the dis…Read more…
After 4 days of full on #undc19 unison conference, I stop off on way home to #Smoke at #CannockChase #AONB to walk in countryside and enjoy some non union R&R, but what is the 1st thing I come across on a bench!
Well done to the Staffordshire bra…Read more…
(Off message) After Labour Local Government Conference in Coventry, Gill and I stayed over and went for a walk on the Sunday around nearby Warwick. A 5 mile flat circular walk courtesy of the AA, starting off at the racecourse. It rained in the mornin…Read more…
Off message but picture collage from a local winters walk yesterday from Forest Gate to Wanstead and back. It was cold but lots of sunshine and blue skies. We stopped off to feed the birds at Jubilee Pond with defrosted green peas (bread makes their st…Read more…
Mostly off message but Gill and spent new year in Great Malvern, Worcestershire. We had never been here before but I had seen the historical railway poster (see bottom right) and thought it might be a good place to go walking.
It turned out to be a fa…Read more…
I am back in London after spending Christmas with family in beautiful North Wales. On Christmas Eve, Gill and I went for a fantastic 8.3 mile circular walk to the Jubilee Tower at the top of Moel Famau, starting and finishing in Llanbedr village.
The …Read more…
I can’t believe that it was 8 years ago that Gill and I went for a 3 hour walk along the River Roding way (North) from Wanstead to Roding Valley underground station.
For whatever last minute whim reason, we decided today to go from Newham along the Ro…Read more…
Off message: Gill and I went for this fantastic 8 mile autumnal walk last Sunday in the Chilterns. The weather was incredibly warm and sunny for the time of year. Many trees were still remarkably green which I put down to the unusual hot summer we have…Read more…
Off message this was a seriously good Sunday walk that Gill & I did late September which is only a short drive from London (apologies to my fellow Newham Cllr Daniel B for using the “D” word). It was the first walk that I had downloaded from the Ra…Read more…
Off message but another great walk from the free Essexwalks.com site. “Bumbles Green” is within spitting distance of London. It is only 30 minutes drive from Newham and like most walks just outside London, incredibly quiet and peaceful.
King Haro…Read more…