Julie's Jabber - This week with London LDWA


Julie's Jabber - This week with London LDWA
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London LDWA

 

cormorant in ladywell

Spotted in Ladywell, South-East London - a cormorant. We're getting some interesting wildlife around this area at the moment - this morning we were treated to a fly-past of geese and ducks! 

 

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Volunteers wanted!

Beach of Dreams

...is a collaborative 500-mile walk from Lowestoft to Tilbury, taking place this summer from 26 June to 1 August. The object of the exercise is 'to discover the hidden gems of the East Coast of England, inviting collaboration from communities and artists along the way in Suffolk, Essex, Southend, and Thurrock.' 

Kinetika’s Artistic Director (and London LDWA Chair), Ali Pretty, and Guardian journalist Kevin Rushby are walking the entire route, joined by artists, writers, scientists, and local residents. Together, guided by strong environmental themes and the challenges of our current time, they will consider the question “How can we creatively reimagine our future?”

The LDWA is a partner in the project, with Peter Aylmer plotting the route, with support from Colin Saunders. The team are looking for walk leaders from Suffolk, Essex and London to assist with recces in April of the daily walks and to attend as leaders and backmarkers on the walk itself in June/July. 

If you’d like to get involved please email ali@kinetika.co.uk

We won't expect recces to be done until April when the stay local restriction has been lifted.

 

 

 

 STATEMENT FROM THE NEC 09 March 21 - EASING OF COVID RESTRICTIONS, ENGLAND


Following the statement by the Prime Minister covering the Roadmap out of Lockdown the NEC has been working with partners and Government bodies to agree our approach to restarting activities in England.   Providing these proposals are accepted by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)/Sport England AND the Government Roadmap stays on track, the phased return for organised walking will be as follows:

No Earlier Than Monday 29 March:

While two households or groups of up to six people will be able to get together for informal walks, LDWA organised activities will remain suspended in England.  Everyone is still encouraged to minimise travel.  

No Earlier Than Monday 12 April:

Social walks will be able to resume across England in line with National Governing Body Covid-19 compliant guidelines.  At that time full details of the requirements will be circulated as a reminder.

The NEC is exploring opportunities to use the various LDWA communication tools, such as email, Facebook and Twitter, to help facilitate the return to group walking once this is allowed.  

Challenge Events

The holding of challenge events is being discussed and we'll provide further information in due course.

Scotland and Wales

We are also keeping a watching brief on the situation in Scotland and Wales and will provide further updates as details become available.

Thank you for your patience and understanding during these fast changing and difficult times.

 

Julie Cribb

Chair, LDWA

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Something to look forward to

A nice email from Rod Smith , who comments; 

 

'Gavin's June walk sounds rather like the 'Tiger Mammoth'. That starts at the Tiger Inn, East Dean, and traces the outline of a woolly mammoth by heading south to Birling Gap (down a hind leg), east along the cliffs before turning north (up the hind quarters), then west to Alfriston, and on to Firle Beacon (the tip of the trunk). Thence back south to what was The Galleon pub, and further south to the beach (down the front legs), before climbing the cliffs and heading east, then north back to East Dean.

It visits Trig Points en route to trace the outline, with the object of completing the route within 10 hours, for a certificate from the Tiger Inn (having had a stamped card from the Inn before setting out !). My recce in 2018 took 9.5 hours, and I then led for the Kit Tarka Foundation's fund raising efforts
in 2018 & 2019. The Group took 11 hours in 2018, and 12 hours in 2019 ...;

 

Rod is aiming  to offer 'SoDNaP30' in July, starting from Petersfield at 0830 (0730 train from Waterloo), subject to a recce. 

 

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What a coincidence...

In his email, Rod mentions in passing a recent visit to St Bride's Church, also known as the journalists' church. It abuts Fleet Street, boasts a crypt containing Roman remains, and - more to the point - has plaques on the seats in the main body of the church in memory of donors. 'I'm sure,' continues Rod, 'you know many of the names - which for me included Marcus Morris of The Eagle fame!' I

As a one-time Fleet Street hack, I do indeed know many of the names, Marcus Morris being one of them. This is because my first boss, Clifford Makins, succeeded Marcus Morris as editor of The Eagle before becoming sports editor of the Observer. Clifford was - how shall I put this - 'quite a character'. In an era where workwear for men was suits and ties, his trousers were held up by a string or a  pyjama cord and he had a baggy tweed jacket which sometimes started smouldering because absentmindedly he'd put his pipe in a pocket while it was still alight. My colleague Hugh McIlvanney described him as being 'kitted out by Oxfam'. Clifford had all sorts of famous friends, including the England cricket captain Ted Dexter, with whom he wrote a couple of thrillers. The first was called Test Kill and had cricketers being bumoed off all over the place. The second had a Western setting, hence the puclicity photo below.

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clifford and ted dexter

Clifford (left) and Ted Dexter. Clifford was not normally as well-dressed as this, and Mr Dexter didn't usually go around in leather trousers

 

If you want to know more about the fabulous Mr Makins and other journalistic legends (and see a few venerable pubs), I'm leading a Fleet Street History walk for the new LDWA History Group in July. 

 

 

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Happy birthday to our Walks Secretary Marie. Pete, her Other Half, popped round to Jabber Towers yesterday with one of her birthday presents for me to sign (at the risk of accusations of relentless self-promotion, it was a copy of The Fleet Street Girls). It dawned on me that Pete is the first London LDWA person I've actually seen since last September. Here's hoping it won't be so long before we can all meet again!

 

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And finally...

Below is what I regard as one of the finest football photos ever. It's around 1971-vintage and a lovely bit of social history, football as it used to be before all the hype. What I love about it is the two White Hart Lane tea ladies, having finished their shift, leaving the ground via the edge of the pitch, nattering away. completely oblivious to the Spurs v Manchester Utd duel going on beside them. The Spurs player is Roger Morgan, but do any of our more mature football buffs know the identity of his opponent?

 

tea ladies the lane

White Hart Lane tea ladies

 

London LDWA - http://www.ldwa.org.uk/London