I Was Out Early,

but first I posted yesterdays blog,

there were here again,

three ducks today on the roof, it seems strange, there are so many parks and ponds in the area where they could rest, why then should they choose the roof?

on my way,

the trees in full foliage now,

the rhododendron in Foxgrove Lodge in flower,

further along,

one of the peonies,

just starting to flower,

first stop Beckenham Junction,

the footbridge still needing its floor,

change at Bromley South 

to Rochester,

whilst waiting, 

a quick photograph of the castle and cathedral,

and some work going on next door to the station,

25 or so minutes or so later and I was back crossing the bridge, but on a different line,

arriving at Gravesend I noticed this,

platform 0, I can not recollect ever seeing a platform 0 before,

opposite the bus stand where several busses stop, the Somerset Arms,

10 or so stops and a long walk later, (the directions from the lady at the home sent me in the wrong direction), and I was here,

at Duncan's new home,

which unlike the previous home had a nice view, we chatted away, before it was time for me to leave,

the good news was that I now knew where the bus stop was to return to the station,

the the bad news I had just missed the hourly train to Blackheath Village, and I did not fancy the almost hour wait, so I had two choices go to Dartford and change trains to Blackheath and wait for a number 54 bus, or stay on the train another 4 stops and the catch a 54 from Woolwich, I decided to stay on the train,

in the distance the Dartford bridge crossing,

I arrived at Woolwich,

the stop is on one corner of the square,

in the distance,

one of these shops used to sell live eels which were gutted and cut up before your very eyes back in the 1950s, when people were not so squeamish, the front of the shop was open, inside cauldrons boiling away where the eels were put in jelly, one day there was great fun for my grandmother and myself, a tray of eels had slipped and eels were all over the pavement, the shopkeeper said to us "if you can pick 'um up you can keep 'um" he knew that to pick up a live eel was next to impossible, but he did not know my grandmother, quick as a flash she reached into her shopping bag and gave me a piece of newspaper, as soon as an eel touches newspaper it is easy grab hold of, in no time we had so many eels, great fun,

the bus arrived and I was soon going past the water feature in the square,

turning left,

past Gordon Square, heading towards home, on the way passing Maryon Park that we visited way back in January 2019, where parts of Blow-Up were filmed,

onto Blackheath,

on the right the park we often visit,

the church on the heath,

we do not normally see it from this side,

through the village,

past St. Margaret's churchyard,

and Lewisham market,

it seem strange coming home this way, normally when we go to the heath and park we take a water taxi to London and come home by train,

the never completed building, still behind shutters,

nearly home,

the Beckenham Hill entrance to the park,

I stayed on the bus and went into the Foxgrove Lodge entrance,

the flowers in the lodge looking nice,

the trees full of leaves,

arriving home it was soon time for my evening read and sherry,

a chicken curry for tonight,

'Cheers!',

I had another look at the succulent flower, it seems to be doing quite well, feet up until Diana arrived home then a coffee and a chat before a Midsomer Murder and a New Tricks, rounding off the evening with a Silent Witness before we were off to bed.