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So I was getting into my car and this bloke says to me: "Can you give me a lift?" I said: "Sure; you look great, the world's your oyster, go for it." Tommy Cooper Success is doing what you plan to do whatever the results. John Watson |
Walking in Petts Wood and The Hawkswood Estate Page 23
Thursday November 3rd 2005 Live and Let Live At last, winter is properly here, thank God. It was wet and very windy today when I parked my car near the Marlings Park Entrance to the woods. When I got out of the car, I met Paul who works part time as a postman and part time as a Paul had just disclocated his thumb as he grounded the rugby ball scoring a try for his team. I commented about his job at the Crofton Halls that it must be quite stressful dealing with the local youth. "Not at all," he said in his usual cheery manner," I tell them that as long as they give me no aggro, I will give them no aggro. If they do cause me trouble, I will cause them trouble!" Paul allows them the freedom to cycle and skateboard round the halls so long as they do not interfere with the attendees at the hall. I can vouch for this as when I arrived there a couple of weeks ago, they were cycling all over the area where I normally parked. I drove in amongst them and said "Sorry, lads, I need to unload my car here" They were mildly upset at having their games interrupted but to my surprise no one complained. I think one of them even apologised for being in the way and they gradually moved off without damaging my car tyres! Most modern kids appreciate fairness and an approach which says clearly what they can and can't do. Paul's attitude is a great example of how to get on with people both young and old. I continued my walk and got a bit of a soaking in the rain and wind but this gave me the motivation to jog along which can't be bad. One man came running after me asking for directions to the The Tiger's head pub. I love giving directions as you can tell from this log. So I was glad to point him back the way he had just come! Monday 7th November 2005 Another Ice Age The weather was bright and shiny but cold and invigorating. I met up with Charles and his terrier, Rosie, near the Willett Memorial. We discussed the importance of plenty of sleep. Charles commented that it would be nice to be able to hibernate like the animals who miss the cold of winter and emerge into the warmer spring. I think I would prefer to hibernate through the heat of summer and emerge in the cold of winter. Later in the day my computer trouble shooter, Danny Burke told me that if the earth did get too hot, it would protect itself by creating another ice age. The last ice age had reached as far south in England as North London. Petts Wood is South of London so there is still hope for both of us! Tuesday 8th November 2005 It's All A Miracle Another fine day in the woods but I met no one. The woods are an unused treasure at certain times of the day. My house too is full of the unused treasure of books I have not read and videos I have not seen. I came across a great quote today which shows appreciation of the opportunity to walk "To be alive, to be able to see, to walk,...it's all a miracle." Arthur Rubinstein (1887-1982) Polish Pianist Thursday November 10th 2005 Seek And You Will Find I nearly sprained my ankle today as I was walking along the smooth path by the gargoyle tree en route to the Willett Memorial. The small hole in the path had been covered by the autumn leaves. I filled the hole with small twigs and branches and tested it for safety. Hopefully, no one else will almost sprain their ankle. Another reason for calling Autumn 'fall' is the number of falls caused by stepping into holes filled or covered with leaves! After making you suffer with the above feeble pun, I will reward you with two puns which are slightly more acceptable and have a vague connection with the woods. I owe David Rosam for these: 1. How do you catch a unique rabbit? 2. How do you catch a tame rabbit? The meeting is yet another example of the famous words in the Sermon on the Mount: "Seek and you will find." Thurs 17th Nov 2005 Words Are Powerful! Today was a real winter's day. The leaves are now thick on the ground and frost is on the cars. However, the day was very sunny. I spotted a sheep lying on its back and waving its legs in the air. I assumed it was enjoying the sun. As I walked on it occurred to me that the sheep was in trouble. It might have problems getting back on its feet. I was not keen to get over the fence and check it out. When I looked back a little later, it was back on its feet. I met up with Bill near one of the stone memorials to the benefactors who had preserved the woods for the public. I mentioned to him and his lady companion the incident with the sheep. To my shame, she described how she and a friend had actually climbed a fence to help a sick sheep. Not many people would have the kindness to go to those lengths for a sheep. I learned for the first time that Bill had been a sergeant in the 8th army in North Africa in World War II He mentioned that he had been demoted to corporal before being restored to sergeant status. I asked if he had been demoted because of his bad jokes. I wasn't far off the mark. He had been demoted for 'speaking out of turn.' Words are powerful! Sunday 20th November 2005 Woods Should Be Wild? Another freezing but sunny day! I came across Sam, the warden, who had been cutting down sycamore trees not far from his house in the woods. Eight volunteers had helped him and the remains of a bonfire were still burning. I suggested he roast some chestnuts. Sycamore trees can take over a wood if they are not culled. They are a form of maple tree and their leaves remind you of the Canadian flag. A little further on, a fence designed to preserve the heather plot created two or three years ago had been kicked down by a 'keep the woods natural' protester. He holds the view that no man made influence should be seen in the woods. These should be wild and free. He has a point but there are arguments on the other side. Without man management, for example, the sycamore trees would take over large chunks of the woods. If there were no control, motorcyclists and cyclists might well be roaring up and down the paths. Fires, lit by bored youths, could well have destroyed many trees. Muggers and rapists might be using the cover from overgrown paths to ambush their victims. The woods would, indeed, become the wild woods. The warden has enough to do coping with problems like the above without having to redo the hard work he has put into measures designed to improve the woods. Unilateral action to damage what he puts up is not the way to go. He deserves the support of all those who use the woods. He is happy to discuss any issues with those who don't like the woods to be managed. Monday 21st November 2005 Today I met Ian, one of the volunteers who helps look after the woods. He knows a lot about trees and pointed out a rowan tree to me. I thought they were all up in Scotland. Ian had just returned from fixing the damaged fence. The protester had been around but as the volunteers appeared on the scene he had disappeared into the woods. Monday 5th December 2005 Anyone can be brave from behind a fence! Yesterday, I was walking by the Royal Victoria Dock alongside the Excel Convention Centre in Docklands. It was six in the morning and fairly cold. Several planes were flying overhead with their lights flashing. There were warning notices saying that the water was deep and swimming was not a good idea. I was at an internet marketing conference run by Derek Gehl who had worked with the late Corey Rudl for eight years in Vancouver. The conference was well worth attending but I was still glad to get back to the familiar surroundings of Petts Wood. Today, I met up with Paul who was taking his daughter's lurcher for a walk. As we talked the lady farmer drove near and her great dane was with her. The lurcher ran along barking furiously at the great dane who ignored her. Paul commented that it was easy to be brave when you had a fence between you and your opponent! The lurcher clearly enjoyed hurling abuse at the great dane and returned to Paul as if she had just won a great victory. Friday 9th December 2005 Is It Winter Yet? You probably know that winter officially starts on December 21st, the winter solstice. That's when the sun reaches its lowest point over the Northern Hemisphere. It was cold enough for winter today. I headed into the woods at about 3 p.m. I went in a clockwise direction for a change. As I neared the end of my walk I came across the fence that had been the target of attacks recently. The fence destroyer had struck again. One stretch was completely destroyed and another partially damaged. The fence protects an area where heather was completed two or three years ago. The heather is now taking hold. Saturday 10th December 2005 Zero Mistakes I met Bill Gilkes today - an engineer and birdwatcher. He had his binoculars round his neck so I asked him if he had see any birds worth a look. He had seen Golden Crests, a nuthatch, jayhawks, crows magpies and parakeets. I mentioned that green woodpeckers flew around near Soldiers Field where we were talking but I usually mistook them for parakeets. He said that the woodpeckers dip in flight unlike the parakeets. I told him that my dad had been a civil engineer. His last job was working on the ground nuts scheme in Tanzania. He had died aged 48 after a game of rugby in the hot climate. Bill's company had been involved in space work. They were very conservative because you can only use what is tried and tested in space. Any errors and vast sums of money are wasted. It is also hard to correct mistakes when your work is miles away in space. Monday 12th December 2005 "One Day Free Of Pain" Today the leaves were falling like snow from the trees. I met Bill and Pam with her two labradors at Soldiers Field. As we talked a riderless horse passed. There was no sign of a rider. Pam mentioned that a rider had suffered a broken back after a fall not far from there. Later I met up with T. She is one of the bravest people I know. She has been in pain from multiple sclerosis for 40 years. She still manages to be cheerful and to take her terrier, for walks in the woods. She uses two walking sticks to help her along. T has students to stay regularly and loves having them but the work involved must be huge if you are having to cope with the ravages of a severe illness at the same time. People like myself who are free from pain don't realise how fortunate we are. T would "give anything for one day free of pain." Wednesday 14th December 2005 Wasted Efforts The leaves were thick on the ground today and the air seemed to hold snow ready to fall. I met Darren, the volunteer who can do a great imitation of peacock cries, on the path near the warden's house. He was looking upset to put it mildly. I asked him if he was alright. He had just seen the damage done to the fence that he and others had spent hours putting up. The fence destroyer had been at work again and more of the fence had been broken down. Apparently the destroyer does not object to the fence so much as the fact that the fence is designed to keep people from walking over the heather patches. One or two users of the wood object strongly to the fact that some trees had been cut down to make space for the heather. I mentioned the ironic fact that my inventor grandfather had wasted the family fortune in Scotland trying to grow grass instead of the native heather. It was reckoned that each blade of grass he succeeded in growing cost him £5! Thursday 22nd December 2005 Flasher In The Woods Today was a mild one for winter. I took the short route again and was passing the monument to the donors of the woods when a man warned me that there was a flasher about and the police were searching the woods for him. "Not much chance of finding him," he said. The flasher had been operating on the main road between Chislehurst and Petts Wood. The road was only a few hundred yards away. The main danger would have been to distracted motorists who might have crashed into each other. It struck me that there is much hypocrisy about flashers in the UK. The media love them and everyone loves to talk about them. They don't seem to do much harm in my view. They might frighten a few people but he who shows his weapon is unlikely to use it. We should start worrying when the weapon is hidden! Tues 27th December 2005 Do Not Stand Close To An Aggressive Man Today there was a little snow for five minutes in the morning. I rushed out with my camera to record the snow in my garden. I was just in time. The short burst was soon over. Later I walked through the woods but there was no snow - just bare trees without leaves. I met a friend who had been considering a teaching career. He had by now decided against it. Teaching, these days, is a profession only for those who are sure they want to teach. He mentioned that his son had been punched on the nose some while ago by someone who walked into the pub and asked him if he wanted a fight. Apparently his attacker had done the same thing before. He was obviously an aggressive type looking for people to challenge who clearly did not want to fight. I suggested that my friend's son had allowed this man to get too close. It is very difficult to block a sudden, unexpected attack from close range. Pearl Harbour was an exception in so far as range goes. On second thoughts, it was not really an exception. The Japanese fleet had managed to close the range without being spotted. Eventually, their attack came from close range and was sudden and unexpected. Thursday 29th December 2005 "Living On The Edge" There was no snow today but plenty of frost lay around. I hadn't gone far into the wood when I heard loud shouts. A family had been cycling through the woods 'illegally' as they were not on the bridle path which is designated as the area for both horses and cyclists. They were clearly not bothered about this. However, the mother had been shocked into an angry mood by her husband and son cycling down a slope without protective headgear. She was yelling at her husband for being reckless. "Cycling down a slope without headgear is hardly living on the edge" he shouted. "Yes, it is," she replied forcefully. Technically, she was correct. You could quite easily break your neck if you fell off your bike heavily. She was also politically correct. Every one these days must be sure that they do not infringe the rights of others, including their children, to a safe life. However, my sympathies were with the husband. My family cycled for years up and down the hills of the Isle of Man in strong winds for many years without headgear. My mother, even balanced my younger brother on a tiny chair at the front of her bike. Perhaps the traffic was slower in those days but we didn't feel like we were living on the edge although occasionally I thought my little brother was close to death! Later, as I walked alongside Soldiers' Field, I saw a doberman and a labrador trotting towards me. The doberman licked my hand and then came up behind me nuzzling my backside. I hoped he was not about to take a good bite. The owners made no attempt at an apology. They probably knew he was unlikely to bite but I had no way of knowing that. My previous experience of doberman's has not been pleasant and their image in films is not a happy one. At the other end of Soldier's Field a fairly large dog of uncertain breed started barking at me. I moved fast towards him and he stopped barking and pretended to be distracted by something to the side of the path. This time the owner apologised. "He never learns!" he commented. Several people wished me a happy new year and I responded with enthusiasm. Saturday 31st December 2005 Grasp The Puddle Today I made the ill-fated decision to take the long route through the woods. I hadn't been that way for several months and it seemed as if I was coming home. At the start, en route to the tunnel under the railway, I met up with a young couple sitting with a huge black dog at their feet. It was on a lead. I asked what make of dog he was. The owner replied that he was a naughty dog and we all laughed. I should have quipped back:"Naughty dogs usually have naughty owners" but I am not that quick witted. Eventually he told me the dog was a Newfoundland. I wished I had brought the camera. We wished each other 'Happy New Year' and I moved on little knowing what was ahead. I hope I am building up suspense here. It was good to see the path along the railway and Tong's farm. No sign of the peacocks but at least 4 parakeets were in residence at the oak tree half way up the hill. It was leafless but they still looked on it as home and were making cheerful sounds. I turned right into the pathway alongside Coopers school. I was meditating on the events of 2005 and the fast approach of 2006. Half way along I came across a large puddle with slippery sides. I decided I would get least wet by going round to the right of the puddle next to a thick and thorny hedge. My right foot slipped on the edge of the puddle and I hurtled accompanied by my large frame of about 19 stones, full of good Christmas food, into the thorn hedge. I crashed backwards through the twigs and branches and landed on the muddy ground beneath the hedge. I lay there for a while and slowly realised that apart from a scratch or two, I was unhurt. If I had gone in face first I might have have damaged my eyes. No one was in sight, so I slowly eased forward into the puddle I had been avoiding, pushed forward on to my left knee and stood up. I was shaken, wet and muddy but unharmed A hundred yards or so further on I warned a man of equal girth to me, to take care when he reached this puddle. He said that he always walked straight through puddles. It was safer. Today's lesson then: "Grasp the nettle or the puddle and you may well pain and hassle." I jogged part of the way home to keep warm and had a shower and applied plenty of antiseptic. Maybe I should have stuck to the shorter route! Home
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