Southend-on-Sea and St Katherine Docks

 Southend-on-Sea and St Katherine Docks London

Part One - 23rd August 2024

I've included these two destinations together because they both involve the replica 16th/17th century Spanish Galleon Galeon Adalusia.

When I discovered that this ship was doing a tour around the British coast, stopping off at various ports, I thought it would be pretty good to see it. Finding out it was going to be anchored off the end of Southend Pier was a real enticement for a trip to the seaside.

Have always loved Southend. It's just a typical English seaside resort; nothing fancy, but where we were all went as a family back in the day, usually by coach on the well-remembered Premier Coaches from Watford and once, perhaps twice by train - a very well remembered trip being diesel hauled (always steam previously). We'd lug all our paraphernalia to the beach - well, mud really - and find a pitch for the entire day. If we were lucky and if mum and dad could afford it, we'd visit the Kursaal before heading back to the coach. The Kursaal being the amusement park with a big dipper (roller coaster), a 'wall of death' and the 'laughing policeman' in a glass cabinet. Happy days ....

Even in my teens, Southend was still the go-to place; close enough that you could register at school in the morning, jump on a train from Watford High Street and then from Liverpool Street make it down to Southend in time to run up the pier, grab a sandwich and get home so that mum was none the wiser! Years later I found out my son did the exact same thing!

However, back to 2024.

Me, Sue and Martin travelled from Croxley on the Met Line through to Liverpool Street and got our tickets for Southend. Time for a coffee and croissant before the train and then all aboard for the seaside. It's a nice easy run down and from the station it's a bus hop to town and then a walk down to the seafront and the viewing tower. 

Viewing tower with lift down to the esplanade

Deciding on lunch first, we found a fish and chip restaurant - Alfie's - on the Esplanade and rather splendid the food was too. Then it was across the road onto the pier from where we could see the galleon at the end, checking in with our prepaid tickets and beginning the famous 1.3 mile walk. It was a beautiful sunny day with fluffy clouds and dodgy knee not withstanding it was a fabulous walk, each of us taking loads of photos, watching the pier trains going passed, the sun playing on the water and just enjoying the outing. 

We made it to the end and the knee was holding up (some days it does, some days it doesn't) and as we were a bit early for our timed ticket, we got a tea and then wandered about looking at the ship and taking more photos. Then we spotted a stall selling merchandise and had to buy a T shirt, of course. By which time it was our turn to board so up the gang plank we went and were finally on the ship. What fun it was going from deck to deck. I found it easiest to negotiate the stairs backwards (as I believe the sailors would have done) and explored everywhere. But eventually we had seen pretty much all of it and disembarked (nautical terminology ha ha) took a few more photos and then began making our way back. Fortunately I had included a one way trip on the train with our tickets, so we could take it easy going back and watch the shore getting closer. 

For those who may not know, Southend Pier is the longest in the world at 1.33 miles extending out into the Thames Estuary. Construction began in July 1829 with the railway opening in the 1890s.  It has suffered fires, been taken over by the Royal Navy, suffered decline, been closed, been reopened and renovated and is now Grade II listed. But there is a lot more history so follow this link to read all about it:

https://Wikipedia/wiki/Southend_Pier

Once back ashore, we decided tea/coffee and donuts were in order. Normally we would have had ice cream with Rossi's Ice Cream being extremely well known, especially in Watford, but no, donuts won out.  Then it was a walk back to the viewpoint, lift to the top, stroll up the High Street to the bus stop and return to the station. All in all a jolly good day out. 

End of the pier.  See lots more photos in the gallery

Part Two - 4th October 2024

My friend Vera had seen my photos of the galleon and wished she could have seen it too.  Discovering the ship was being sailed up the Thames to dock near the Tower of London was the perfect opportunity for Vera to do just that and an excuse for another day out. So, we picked a day and then changed it because of the weather and finally decided the end of the week looked best. As Vera doesn't like the Tube, we took the overground to Euston from Watford Junction and then waited for a 205 bus. Can't say I've travelled around London by bus very much, it's always walking, so it was going to be interesting. And so it proved. We were advised to alight at St Botolph Street and the ride getting there took us through parts of London you obviously just don't see when you're underground. We didn't venture on to the upper deck, but could see things fairly well as we travelled, despite the bus being crowded at times. So much diverse architecture. A real treat. 

The onboard screen finally flashed up St Botolph Street and we alighted and got our bearings. I helped that I recognised a lot of the tall buildings poking up on the skyline, so knew which way to head for the river. First point of interest was an obelisk standing on a wide expanse of pavement which I later found out was called 'Spitalfields Column' featuring reliefs of animals and people representing the trades that were common in the area and is at the Aldgate end of Middlesex Street. 

Spitalfields Column

From here we made our way down towards the Tower of London and to St Katherine's Dock where we got our first look at the Galeon Andalusia. It was another glorious day and we worked our way around the marina looking at the various boats, taking time to view the Royal Barge Gloriana. Such a beautiful vessel. It was then that we saw a boat - not sure you could call it a yacht - making it's way alongside the galleon towards the bridge across the lock. Realising it was going to be leaving the marina, we moved closer to the other end of the dock to watch the proceedings. The water had already been raised to the level of the marina, but we found out it was going to take about half an hour to empty the dock back to the level of the river for the vessel to leave, so we went and grabbed a coffee and sat near the girl and dolphin sculpture until things began to happen. 

SKD (St Katherine Docks) has a history dating back to the 12th century. In May it hosted the biggest fleet of Dunkirk Little Ships seen in the UK in recent years, an event that Martin and me attended. The Dunkirk evacuation​, code-named Operation Dynamo, saw the evacuation of Allied soldiers during World War II from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, in the north of France, between 26 May and 4 June 1940. A collection of approximately 850 private boats and 20 warships participated in Operation Dynamo and more than 200 ships were lost. Known as ‘Little Ships’, many of these courageous vessels live on, privately owned and exquisitely preserved. It was quite a sight to see so many, to hear the stories of heroism, but equally quite sad to hear some of the stories of those who didn't return. 

The Royal Barge Gloriana at SKD

Yet as Vera and me sat drinking our coffees and soaking up the sunshine, it was fascinating to think about the boats going through the locks on the canal near home, while watching this which was on another level really, seeing as the boat was going to be manoeuvring out from the marina into the River Thames. And eventually it did, the bridge opening, as had the one at the other end and the vessel slowly moved out. And as that one left, so a Thames barge came in. Bonus. We hung around until the dock was filled again and the barge edged into the marina and after a few more photos, went across the bridge for Vera to go aboard Andalusia.

As I'd already been on deck and my knee was beginning to whinge, I sat and waited at the side of the dock, people watching. And with Vera clutching her T shirt and photos taken, we decided it really was time for something to eat. So we wandered round the marina again and eventually decided on Cafe Rouge. And what a lovely meal it was too. We opted for the two course menu, but were tempted by the dessert options and so  'pushed the boat out' with three courses in the end. 

And then it was time to make our way back. So it was up the steps from the marina across from the Tower of London and retrace our route up the A1210 towards St Botolph's street where we found the right bus stop and waited for the 205 back to Euston. By the time we had crossed over the street to the station itself, my knee was really hurting. Trying not to make too much of it, we caught a slow train to Watford Junction and then a W20 bus to the estate, stopping at the shops to pick up a few bits and pieces. 

By the time we got home I found from my app that I had walked over 12,700 steps (my average being between 4 and 6). No wonder I was in pain. But a couple of paracetamols soon put it right and afterall, it had been another fantastic day, with sun, boats, sights and very good company. 

Vera aboard Galeon Andalusia

The Kelpies

The Kelpies and Falkirk Wheel

It's a long time since I last wrote. I've been for many walks and bimbles, some longer than others. Many shorter than before due to the never-ending problem with my knee. 18 months since I had my second knee replacement and the problems are still ongoing. Walking is often difficult and painful, though I soldier on, as one must, take the pain killers and await referral back to Orthopaedics. In fact, I have an appointment in December. Weeks away, but that is life these days. But enough about my wonky knee and to 'bimbles'.

Back in September 2023 we (my brother Martin and me) spent a week in Scotland. Edinburgh to be precise. After a problem with the accommodation we had booked, we ended up in a hotel just round the corner from the Royal Mile. More expensive, but wonderfully located. 

The weather was perfect on our first day, so we walked the short distance to Waverley Station and jumped on a train to Falkirk. I had been wanting to visit "The Kelpies" for some time and so we thought that's where we'd start. The journey wasn't that long, but then we had to find our way to Helix Park. A bus took us to the outskirts and then it was a pleasant walk to the Visitor Centre, watching The Kelpies grow bigger with every step. 

The Kelpies are a pair of monumental steel horse-head sculptures, 30 metres (98ft) high. They were designed by Andy Scott and were completed in October 2013 with an unveiling ceremony in April 2014.  They were inspired by Clydesdale (draught) horses and are named Baron and Duke. 

The Kelpies, Duke and Baron

We delayed our excitement long enough to grab a sandwich and a drink before getting up close and you can't help but be amazed and impressed by these two beasties. The closer you get, obviously the larger they seem, towering over you, crying out for photos from every angle. We spent a long time walking around the bases, trying to capture the reflections in the water. You can actually pay to take a look inside, but we didn't bother, peering in through a couple of gaps to get an idea anyway. 

Eventually we agreed we'd taken more than enough photos and decided to walk to the Falkirk Wheel. The route would take us by way of the Forth and Clyde canal which ran alongside.

The canal was opened in 1790, crossing central Scotland and providing a route for sea-going vessels between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde at the narrowest point of the Scottish Highlands. It's 35 miles long, but its usage declined when the size of vessels increased and could no longer navigate the canal. It was decided to close it in the early 1960s and it became disused and semi-derelict. The locks in the Falkirk area on the Union Canal near the connection to the Forth and Clyde had been filled in and built over in the 1930s. But as part of the Millennium celebrations in 2000, National Lottery funds were used to regenerate both canals. A boat-lifting device, the Falkirk Wheel, was built to connect the two canals and once more allow travel from the Clyde or Glasgow to Edinburgh. 

So, as the Falkirk Wheel is considered quite a feat of engineering and within fairly easy reach, and as it was such a lovely sunny day, we felt we needed to see it. And also, as the sign said "4 miles" we thought, no problem. In fact, it turned out to be nearer 6 and I was beginning to flag towards the end. But although the canal went through some industrial parts, a lot of the scenery was quite pleasant with some interesting features along the way. 

Beside the canal

So after a couple of short stops, the Wheel finally came into sight and it was a case of cup of tea and cake before we did any exploring or taking photos. But once we did, the Falkirk Wheel, the world's only rotating boat lift, is pretty impressive, connecting the Forth & Clyde with the Union canal in a half-turn that takes only five minutes. It opened in 2002 and replaced a flight of 11 locks. So whereas weary travellers once had a day's heavy work opening and closing 44 lock gates to complete the journey between the two canals, the Falkirk Wheel allows vessels to transit between the two waterways in just a few minutes by one of the structure's gondolas lowering as the opposite one rises, keeping the 1,800 tonne boat lift in perfect balance.

The Falkirk Wheel

As I said, it is impressive and we wandered about taking photos from every angle until aching legs drew us back to the entrance and we went in search of a bus. Unfortunately, the stop outside the park was not in use, so eventually we had to phone for a taxi which took us back to the train station. A short wait and the train took us the short ride back to Edinburgh. 

All in all, it was a fabulous start to the holiday, of which the Kelpies were an outstanding highlight. It would be lovely to see them again at night, as they are floodlit in various colours.

Please see lots of photos in the gallery which give a much better idea of our day.

Walton-on-the-Naze

 Walton-on-the-Naze

Walk to the Naze Tower - 12th July 2023

The week of 10th July saw us head to Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex for a short holiday. It's a nice old fashioned seaside resort. The town is a little run-down, caught in a bit of a time warp, though there is a bit of redevelopment happening. The pier is in need of some TLC - though the arcade was humming - but the beaches are fantastic, bounded as they are by the sea walls and, on many stretches, the colourful beach huts and it suits me fine. 

Midweek, while the rest of the family were having a more relaxed day, I decided to take a walk along the front towards the Naze Tower. I had no intention of going all the way, still wary of over-working the knee, having already played on the beach with the kids and walked up and down the pier, as well as around the site we were staying out, so I started out fairly sensibly. 

The weather was perfect; sunshine, fluffy clouds, glistening sea. I left the road, took the few steps down to the prom that ran in front of the colourful beach huts and began a leisurely bimble towards the cafe in the distance. I met a lady sitting outside one of the huts who was only too happy to pass the time of day and then I ambled on, the cafe getting closer. 

Hipkins cafe top left of photo

There was a slope up to the cafe itself, Hipkins, with tables outside and again a rather old-fashioned interior. But that's what so nice. I ordered a tea and found a seat looking out to sea and relaxed in the sunshine. 

Looking back towards the pier

Somewhat refreshed, I decided I may as well walk on a little further. The sea wall was higher along this stretch and there were more numerous groynes into the sea. And to the left, the under-cliff began to rise up, the slopes covered in brambles and other wild flowers, with a few hollyhocks that had seeded themselves, along with red hot pokers. There was a profusion of butterflies. And then the Naze Tower could be seen some way above on the skyline. Shortly, the path ahead became host to what looked like virtually a whole school descending, the pupils carrying rucksacks and clipboards and some with striped metal poles. I discovered they were doing a project on coastal erosion. On my first day in Walton I had been approached by a trio of schoolgirls who were conducting a survey on the same subject and wanted my opinion on the town's sea defences, clearly an important subject these days. I waited for the last of the students to pass and decided I had come this far, I may as well go up to the Tower itself. What I hadn't bargained on were the five or six flights of concrete steps that led up to it. But I made it and took some photos of the tower before going inside. 

I didn't bother with the cast iron spiral staircase that led to the upper floors, but did buy a rather nice painting of fishing boats before walking across to the Essex Wildlife Trust Discovery Centre where they had a shop and cafe. I bought a cold drink and sat outside for a much needed break. 

So, again rested, did I go to the main road and catch a bus back or walk? Considering the fine nature of the day, I decided to keep walking. A cut across the grassed car park led to a little private road with some very picturesque houses. A couple were busy in the garden and I asked if the path continued on at the end. Yes it did, so I soon found myself walking across the cliff tops, once again surrounded by butterflies. There were paths intermittently leading back down to the beach, but I kept on for a few minutes until one path in particular took my fancy. 

There's nothing quite like ambling down to the sea between hedgerows and I was instantly reminded of such a path at the Lizard on Cornwall. Happy memories.

Once back at the sea front a retraced my steps, pausing to sit a while on some steps down to the beach and watch the clouds sailing and musing on the rather large phallic symbols the boys from the school had drawn in the sand, probably after the teachers had passed ahead, before finally making my way back to park site and meeting up with the family again. 

A beautiful day and a beautiful walk.

More photos, as always, in the gallery

Stratford East London

 Stratford and the Olympic Park

Thursday 6th July 2023

Well hello there. It's been quite a while. A frustrating few months when the walks got shorter and the knee more painful. But, we finally have a new one, which is something of a double-edged sword at the moment. Yes, it has to be better than the old one (eventually) but it is taking a while to settle and be less troublesome. Knee replacements are painful. And I mean painful. They can take months to heal and, in the healing, cause as much frustration as before you had it. 

However, we're now four months post op and hopefully getting somewhere. Exercise and pain relief is the key. And patience, which is something you tend to run out of quite quickly when all you want to do is get out there and walk! 

Something of a breakthrough came a couple of weeks ago when my brother and I decided to take a train trip to Stratford in East London to do some shopping. Not usually the first thing on our agendas, but he had a few days off and wanted to do something and by taking the Metropolitan line to Finchley Road we could hop on the Jubilee Line straight through. So it was that we found ourselves in the Stratford Centre, which was somewhat disappointing as we had expected a large shopping mall. Before we discovered we were on the wrong side of the station, we took a little bimble out into the High Street and there was some interesting architecture overshadowed by all the high rise blocks going up. At least some of them had something to recommend them - if huge apartment blocks can have recommendation - in that the designs were rather more interesting than what is currently being shoved up in Watford! But, as I said, we discovered that the Westfield Centre was on the other side of the station (told you we weren't really into shopping), so we crossed over and began our trawl around the shops. I was actually looking for a particular brand of shoes, but was disappointed to find a very small collection in one of the stores. So we went for a bite to eat and then decided to take a walk into the Olympic Park, somewhere Martin hadn't visited. 

By this time my knee was starting to twinge quite a bit. I'd already taken a couple of pain killers earlier, so I persevered and we first took a look inside the enormous aquatic centre, where we were told Tom Daley had just turned up for a practice. Sitting alongside the pool sweating in the 'swimming pool heat' we finally spied Tom emerge on the far side with a few other divers and they walked round to the begin their practice, climbing up to the boards, diving, climbing out and doing it all over again. I took a few photos as no one said we couldn't and there were no signs and then we thankfully made our way outside into the fresh air. 

Martin then decided he wanted to take a closer look at the Orbit, or the ArcelorMittal Orbit to give it its correct name. Having walked all around the outside, we decided we wanted go up to the viewing platform and take some photos, but having stood in the queue for several minutes, we found out there was a private function being held and the platforms were unavailable that afternoon. 

"The Orbit"

We took a detour around the aquatic centre and came by a sculpture "Since 9/11" by Miya Ando. It was created using steel columns from the World Trade Centre recovered from Ground Zero in New York, commissioned to teach students about the events, causes and consequences of 9/11, so that by living together in peace, harmony and tolerance, such events can never happen again. 

'Since 9/11' by Miya Ando

It was time to head back to the station. By now the knee was becoming really painful and I was getting slower and slower. But we got there eventually and a couple more tablets washed down with a bottle of water and the long train ride home helped to ease the discomfort. 

It wasn't until I checked my phone App that I realised I'd walked about 13,500 steps and just over 6 miles. No wonder my knee hurt!  It would take a few days' rest and some care to recover. But it showed that I could begin to do my walks again, if I was sensible.This time I had probably overdone it.

More photos in the gallery

 Another Zoom Talk by me - Paddington to Regent's Park

Wednesday 30 June 2021

To Book and join in, please email Virginie at the address on the poster

I've been suffering from a bad knee for a while now, so any walks have had to be much shorter than usual and not so far afield.  However, I have been asked to give a second talk on Wednesday May 12th. So I am still able to showcase my photos and join them together with a bit of chat about the places visited and a little bit of local history along the way.  If you'd like to view and listen, just contact Virginie via the email address on the poster, to join in with Zoom on the day. 

I was asked to do a talk, via Zoom, for our local West Watford Community Centre, who have been doing a splendid job keeping activities going during successive lockdowns.  As I have quite a vast collection of photographs, rather than just show some of them as a slide-show, I chose "A Walk Along the Canal. A Talk by Lynda Bullock with photos". 

So we started at Iron Bridge Lock in Cassiobury Park (Watford) and finished at the M25 bridge over the Gade Valley at Kings Langley. It was only about 15 - 20 minutes long, but was well received and I have been asked to do another, going in the opposite direction. 

Here's the poster that the Centre put out to advertise it. 

The Elan Valley 2015

 The Elan Valley, Dams and Reservoirs, Sunday 13th September 2015

Our 2015 holiday was in a converted water mill in the middle of a field in Brilley, Herefordshire. It was a fantastic place. Away from it all, surrounded by beautiful countryside, the only noises coming from a few sheep, a trickling stream and, at night, one or two owls. 

During our second week we decided to drive across the border (some way across the border, in fact) and up to the Elan Valley. 

The following is once again from my journal notes ~

"I think we might call today 'Super Sunday'. Woke at 9 and felt better for the lie-in (think we'd had a very busy day in Hay-On-Wye the day before). Martin was outside, as usual, with a coffee and a book. The weather looked promising. Retrieving the road atlas from the car, we perused the map and Martin suggested a drive up the Elan Valley to the reservoirs. So that we didn't dither, I said 'yes let's go'. So we made probably our fastest getaway from the mill and headed for Kington and the A44.  Very quickly we were in Powys with sun breaking through the clouds. We managed a photo stop and then drove on to Rhayader, turning into the Elan Valley and pulling up at the top of the dam. Some photos taken, we drove back down to the visitor centre and had coffee and a bite in the cafe before starting on a walk. A path took us back to the top of the dam. From there we were able to cross the dam to the other side and took a short walk around the edge of the reservoir. The walk back down was one of the most beautifully wooded walks we've taken. The sun was out, everything was very verdant and lush. The oaks and ancient birches were hung with moss; the ferns were catching the rays of light and toadstools appeared amongst the clumps of moss, the red-capped spotted Fly Agarics giving an air of Faerie. It was just lovely. 

An hour or so later, with photos galore taken, we reached the foot of the hillside and then made our way down to the river's edge. It was actually blue as it tumbled over the rocks and the river bank was soft with mosses. We picked our way up-river for a short distance, around odd-shaped fallen trunks and then ambled back to where two bridges spanned the water. One earlier bridge was now blocked off at either end, clearly no longer fit for purpose, so we crossed using the one next to it and slowly came back to the visitor centre. 

It was very warm and the clouds were sailing above the surrounding Cambrian mountains. Purchases made in the shop, much needed drinks drunk, we got back to the car and headed up to Garreg-Ddu reservoir for another quick photo stop. The road meandered around the foot of the hills, the waters of the reservoirs blue as the sky, the wooded slopes of pine and hardwoods marching down between the still purple heather. 

In a bend in the road we came to Pen y Garreg, another reservoir and another dam. We were lucky to have chosen this day to visit because the dam was open to the public and we couldn't pass up the chance to look inside. 

Entrance fee was via a donation to Water Aid. That made we went down some steps and faced a very long, dark, damp tunnel lit only by window embrasures at certain intervals. At least it was flat! In the middle, steps led up to the central tower, the reservoir behind it and the massive wall of the dam before it with a thickly wooded gorge and river at the bottom. There was an exhibition in the tower with photos of the dam's construction.  Soon we were back down the steps and along the tunnel to the further end, coming out onto the hillside to look across the brilliantly engineered face of the dam. Considering the dams were constructed in the 1890s, they are a feat of Victorian engineering and endeavour and worth taking the tour to the reservoirs to see them. Not just that, but the Elan Valley is beautiful; majestic mountains guarding the wooded valleys. 

We trekked back to the other side of the dam again and then drove down the valley a short way before coming across Penbont House, a pretty tea room and guest house on the hillside. We parked and walked up the path through the garden, where chickens roamed freely on the lawn and around the flower pots and where hanging baskets and window boxes of blue and white lobelia and red begonias adorned the verandah. 

A cream tea was definitely in order, surprisingly the first of the holiday. Martin opted for plain scones, while for me I had lavender ones. They were served on a Welsh slate platter with a pot of clotted cream, pot of jam and a fresh strawberry. I had a pot of Darjeeling, Martin Russian Caravan. It was delicious.

Suitably refreshed and after Martin having made friends with one of the hens, we continued our journey back to Brilley via Rhayader and Builth Wells and Kington. 

Too late to cook the roast dinner we had planned, we settled on an 'end of day breakfast' before a bit of TV and then bed. 

A good day. Super Sunday."

~ oOo ~

Photos to follow when I can locate them!