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The excellent Matt, raising a chuckle as always. Many thanks to Paul Lawrence for pinging it over
It's good to have to find something to laugh at in times like these. Last week's fashion section of The Times was a bit of a side-splitter too. Under a headline 'Fab fleece or posh puffer? How the style set stay toasty', the article averred that 'Now that our social life revolves round walking, it's no wonder the hiking look is peak fashion,' and went on to eulogise a jacket filled, instead of down, with 'biodegradable wildflowers and polymer'. It will set you back £585. Don't all rush.
In one of those rare periods when I was awash with cash, I once splashed out on an eye-wateringly expensive but very fetching powder blue gilet from the adidas sports range designed by Stella Macartney. It lasted for two outings before the zip broke irrrepairably, and that was the end of my venture into haute walking couture. And in the - fingers crossed - not too yawningly distant future when we can get back to walking together again I'll probably be in the usual 2008-vintage North Face jacket, the running tights that I got as a freebie in 2004 when I was working on the Independent on Sunday (in reasonable nick apart from the hole above the left knee when our cat mistook me for a scratching post), and the very cosy 'smartwool' polo top, a 2012 Christmas present from one of my stepsons, which is fine apart from one or two places where the moths got at it during an infestation of the wardrobe in summer 2015. And if you're looking for socks that are comfortable, hard-wearing and guaranteed to stop blisters, I can recommend the Falke brand I'm wearing right now. Mind you, it's early days yet. I've only had them seven years.
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Inevitable correction: I was a couple of years out with last week's photo taken during 'Escape From Romford.'. Ron Wiliamson comments: 'You probably wondered why we look so young in Raphael's Park. That is because the picture was taken in Septenber 18 pre Covid times therefore no worries!'
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Another contribution from Paul Lawrence who emailed to say:
'There's a couple of things on the Beeb that may interest our walkers. Our LDWA President had a cheery brief cameo appearance about her passion for wild camping, on the Helvellyn - Life of a Mountain TV programme recently, now at A Year on Helvellyn
Her bit is at about 15 mins in. This week the Clare Balding Ramblings series will feature the Thames Path in London with Annika Rice, also a keen walker, and this is at Ramblings
This goes out on R4 on Thursday 11 February at 3pm.'
Paul's missive also included the tempting photo below. It's from his pre-lockdown 3 walk up the Thames Path top end that is a do-able walking project for Londoners once lockdown is eased.
Bring it on!
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Roundhouse Farm
PHOTO Paul Lawrence
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