I don’t normally get upset when someone famous dies but I was sad to hear about the death of this towering presence during my formative years. I first came across Maradona when I saw a clip of him as a child. His control of the ball was mind-boggling. I’d never seen anything like it. Growing … Continue reading Goodbye Maradona
Tea and bikkies
I had two cooking firsts this week. Like lockdown 1, when I learnt to make sourdough bread, there’s going to be a lot of cooking this time. On Shrove Tuesday in February, I tried to make vegan pancakes for the first time and found a recipe on the internet. I mixed the batter and put … Continue reading / view photos Tea and bikkies
London Loop – sections 20, 21
Ela and I squeezed in two more legs of the London Loop just before Season 2 of Lockdown started streaming across England. We had to limit our walk to two people because of the two-household rule. This walk started at Chigwell and went to Harold Wood via Havering-atte Bower. All were new to me. It’s … Continue reading / view photos London Loop – sections 20, 21
Once in a blue moon
We spent the last weekend before the second lockdown in England doing normal things. Saturday started with some breadmaking (not sourdough this time). Avoiding the tube, we travelled to Greenwich Market on the Thames river bus. This service has been rebranded Uber Boat by thames clipper. Greenwich Market was quieter than normal. There were fewer … Continue reading / view photos Once in a blue moon
Kew and Camden
These are not ordinary times. I was glad, however, to have a weekend that was mostly normal. I was in Kew Gardens and Camden Market. Nowadays, even members can’t rock up to Kew Gardens and waltz in. You must book a slot in advance. Our plan was to go to Kew on Sunday but everybody … Continue reading / view photos Kew and Camden
Tarzan, trees and me
Nature has many splendours. Three that come to mind are mountains, trees and the many forms of water (lakes, rivers, oceans, snow, ice). Of these, I find mountains frightening. No matter how many times I walk up them, apprehension overrides the veneration I feel at the foot of a mountain. Rivers and vast expanses of … Continue reading / view photos Tarzan, trees and me
London Loop – sections 10, 11
We started this week’s section of the London Loop from the same place as last week: Uxbridge. This time we went south instead of north, taking in Harefield West, Hayes & Harlington, and Hatton Cross. The contrast to last week’s walk was immediate. The Grand Union Canal led into the lusciously green Colne Valley Park … Continue reading / view photos London Loop – sections 10, 11
London Loop – sections 12, 13, 14
Yesterday, we tackled three sections of the London Loop since they were all fairly short. Section 12 started in Uxbridge, which has brightened up since my last visit a few years ago. The station itself has stained glass windows near the entrance. There’s also a fine vintage cigarette machine in the station. From Uxbridge tube … Continue reading / view photos London Loop – sections 12, 13, 14
Steve Jobs, Pixar and Disney
I’ve just finished reading The Ride of a Lifetime by Bob Iger, the recently retired CEO of Disney. Part of his story with Disney is his relationship with Steve Jobs. Today, nine years ago in 2011, Steve Jobs passed away. Probably the most well-known book on Steve Jobs, with its white cover, is Steve Jobs … Continue reading Steve Jobs, Pixar and Disney
London Loop – section 15
For the section from Hatch End to Elstree and Borehamwood, our group expanded from two to four hikers. This walk was quite something. For the first quarter, we had cloudy weather but it soon picked up and the sun came out to shine on some lovely views. The group was still small enough to make … Continue reading / view photos London Loop – section 15