Walking in the dark

The main reason I go on history walks is because I love history. But local history walks are also a way of getting a sense of place, of connecting with the streets and other spaces around my home. I also meet people on the walks I've met before, another way of being connected, of feeling part of a community.

Yesterday I went on a walk following the route of a Zepplin raid 99 years ago through Leyton and Leytonstone.

We started at 7 pm in the evening, due to finish at 9 pm. David Boote, our walk leader, times his walks and then times by three for the time he expects the led walk to take. Yesterday's walk took longer than expected,

We were expecting some people to leave early, especially as some people wouldn't manage the distance. So at 9.50 20 people had reduced to David and 3 followers, walking in the dark across Wanstead Flats. The ground was very uneven. I have problems going downwards when I can't see where I am placing my feet, so on the dips in the ground, David stopped so I could put my hand on his shoulder before I stepped down. We found one dip with reeds in, but luckily as I was wearing my work shoes, partly thanks to the quick draining surface of that part of the Flats, it was dry.

At the end of the walk one of my male companions praised me for coping without making a fuss. It would seem rather sexist, but, if he doesn't know hikers, etc, all the women he knows could easily be the type who couldn't cope with rough terrain in the dark.

I was brought up in the country so used to rough ground. And little light. The village I was brought up in had only 3 street lamps (according to my mother - I can remember only one). In winter I used to walk along an unlit, mile-long lane with my head in the air, following the light black of the sky against the dark black of the trees on top of the Cornish "hedges".

We then had a quick drink and caught the 58 bus home. A bus home at that time of night is one of the advantages of country living in the city!

No bees this morning

I was out working in the garden this morning. It was overcast but dry. As I packed up to go in to get ready to go out I realised that I hadn't seen any bees or hoverflies, not even on the marjoram which is usually a favourite.

A little while later when I looked out of the bedroom window I did see two bumblebees. But having had bumblebees and hoverflies earlier in the season it is a bit worrying about their scarcity now.

Sorting t-shirts by joy!

I've just been reading The Life-Changing Magic of  Tidying by Marie Kondo. One of her methods is to sort through ones possessions, handling each one, and asking oneself "Does this give me joy?" and getting rid of everything that gets the answer "no".

One should start with all one's clothes tipped out of the wardrobe, the cupboards, and anywhere you have stashed them. I am doing section of clothes by section of clothes, and got rid of 10 scarves to the charity shop this week. Today was the turn of my t-shirts.

I had 4 caches of t-shirts - and later realised I had forgotten the cardboard drawer on the top of the wardrobe with black and white t-shirts in.

I have to also consider usefulness when deciding what clothes to chuck - I don't think a single pair of trousers give me joy!

I was amazed by how many polonecks and rollnecks I had in t-shirt type material. They're all too short for me to wear them on their own (with my tummy I prefer long tops) but I have kept them to wear under cardigans and jumpers and will watch carefully over the winter to see which ones I actually use.

I've discarded a lot of the long, round-necked t-shirts with short sleeves but kept those with long sleeves. Again these must be watched carefully to see if they really are 'useful'.

I have 14 for the charity shop and 2 for recycling. A little disappointed but a far greater get-rid-of rate than my normal sorting efforts. Also I've now got similar t-shirts together so they should now be easier to find.

Jumpers and cardigans next.