I Am Only Making One Post Today,

although it is split into two,

for 2 reasons, firstly because there are a lot of photographs of today, which is why I have split the post in two, and secondly because on Wednesday morning we will be up and hurtling on a train towards Hastings, we have booked a hotel there for a few days, so at the weekend I will catch up with our trip to the seaside resort, so on to today, glad rags on, 

and onto a number 54 bus,

Diana enjoying her holiday immensely,

we were soon passing the highly painted building in Catford,

and approaching the cat of Catford,

every time we pass this building I comment on how long it has taken to refurbish it, and work is still ongoing!

we left the bus at Blackheath village, and walked past the flower shop, I almost bought the small lonely sunflower,

as always the shop had a nice display,

and if you ever wanted to know what a kalanchoe is, now you know!

crossing the railway bridge at the entrance to the railway station I expected to see this sign,

but it was gone! I hope for restoration, but I have a nasty feeling it is now in someone's private collection of railway memorabilia,

Diana was looking across the road,

at one of her favourite shops, Oliver Bonas,

nothing in the fruit and vegetable store to tempt us, in the past we have bought both chestnuts and cobnuts there when they are in season,

I still had to look back, just in case,

the book shop on the corner still closed,

we started across the heath,

a quick pose,

from both of us,

there was a tented encampment on one part of the heath,

we were not sure what it was all about, it looked like they were selling tents,

a pose,

and we were back walking past tent city,

news of a fair,

and there it is,

a bit awkward to see anything because of the security fencing,

except where the entrance was,

although bright it was a little chilly in the wind, so no ice cream today,

all set to cross the road,

and pass the gatehouse,

the end of the road is where we are headed, but,

we decided to explore a part of the park that we had not been to before, through the gate to keep dogs out,

and the first thing we saw was this enormous tree,

and when I say enormous,

it was,

chestnuts just starting to form,

looking around,

we almost had the whole park to ourselves,

hardly a soul to be seen,

we both could not believe what was in this tree,

so many pigeons, taking care not to walk under it for obvious reasons,

we made our way to the lake,

I should have brought some peanuts along for the ducks,

on one side of the lake there were some nice bright yellow flowers growing,

I am not sure what they were,

but they did look nice,

we continued our walk,

the berries on this tree,

were such a bright red, the photograph really does not do them justice,

time for a pose,

and a panorama,

everywhere we looked no one to be seen,

which was great for us,

Diana really happy, no work tomorrow!

the grounds were so nicely made out, it really is a wonder why it is not crowded with people,

we walked past these huge hydrangeas I think they are,

it was a wonderful display,

that went on for 30 feet or more,

naturally a pose,

or two,

we came to the end of the gated garden,

and started on our way to the pavilion for a coffee, passing this tented display,

it was a meet and greet for invertebrates, what a great way to show this sort of thing to kids,

we arrived at the café,

so coffee and cake it was,

well for myself just a coffee,

whoever thought this up clearly has not heard me sing!

we were soon on our way,

a look across the green behind the Maritime Museum,

we just had to have a few poses,

as it happens the day by now had really warmed up,

although it looked cloudy in the distance,

we were bathed in bright, warm sunshine,

O2 in the distance,

also in the distance the church tower, on the other side of the heath,

well I just had too!

we started on our way down the hill,

the power station on the river,

as well as the gated garden we also planned to visit the Queen's Orchard,

which meant taking a different route to our normal walk,

past the rear of the museum where a photo shoot was taking place,

looking back to the observatory on the hill,

a panorama of the museum,

and one with Diana in the frame,

this was bringing back childhood memories,

when I was 5 or 6 years old when I stayed with my Grandparents for the summer holidays, my Grandmother would bring me here for the paddle boats, in those days the boats were a lot smaller, just big enough for one or two kids, the blisters I used to get on my hands from cranking the paddles, it seems strange, but I can still remember all of this as clear as day,

what was not there then was this sundial, and today it was 1 hour out!

also not there then was this kids playground,

we walked past the sidewall of the Queen's Orchard,

we walked around the corner and there was the gate, 

and, you guessed it,

having looked on the park website there was no mention of the orchard only being open on Saturdays and Sundays, just our luck,

it was a nice gate, just a shame it was locked!

I took a photograph of the interior, it seems a shame to have to come back when the park will be so crowded at the weekends, but there it is, crowds or no orchard!

we walked towards the power station,

and past the gates of the college,

towards the river,

stopping for a quick pose,

by the Trafalgar,

with some of the decorations on its wall,

looking down river the O2 in the distance,

we starting walking towards the jetty, but first a pose,

or two,

and one of myself from Diana's mobile telephone,

and this is what we will be travelling to London in, 

this was nice, other times we have been here this gate is locked shut, 

but today, whoopie!

and that is where we are headed,

almost opposite us the far end of the pedestrian tunnel under the Thames,

crickey we had better be quick, that is the upstream taxi, to see more of our day out, if you have time click the 'Older Posts' at the bottom right of the page.