Day 24 - Northern Line (Part 3)

The penultimate day of the penultimate line. Words that fill me with excitement, although the end is still a week away. This time next week, if all goes to plan, I will be lying somewhere quietly having drank myself into a merry haze. But not yet...

Today, the task before me was to walk from Old Street up past Euston and Camden along the west branch of the Northern Line, to Edgware. Jonathon Caunt (who else?) joined me at the latest possible notice, for which I was enormously grateful. The early stages of the walk were familiar. Although I am a huge fan of Camden, the stifling heat which continues to warm London combined with a walk that was predominantly uphill created something of a challenge for us. This challenge was promptly lessened by Jonathon's sage purchase of an entire box of profiteroles. Fantastic call.

Long stretches of the walk were green and pleasant, particularly around Golders Green and Hampstead, and even those that were less leafy were mostly aesthetically pleasing. Only as we edged into Colindale and away from Hendon did we enter the more suburban and industrial-centre style areas that have become synonymous to me with north and north-west London.

The walk even came with the standard view of Wembley in the distance. I had totally forgotten that England were playing Mexico there at the time, but as we made it to the pub in Bank on the way home I at least managed to see most of the second half. My feet are getting worse by the day, and the frequent twinges in my left knee still linger as a threat, but I am so close to the end now that I can almost ignore it!

Lynsey has kindly volunteered to accompany me tomorrow, doubtless in view of her poor league table showing... The Northern Line will be complete, leaving me with the 'orrible long red one that seems to stretch on endlessly from one end of London to the other. CAN'T WAIT.

Hope everyone is enjoying the weather! And the imminent end of Workshops for fellow LPCers...

Over and out

The Walking League

I have decided to honour those who have wasted their valuable time by walking with me, by putting them into a league table based on distance. This by no means measures the joy of their company in any way other than distance, and so contributions to witty conversation and food supplies (special marks to Ms Lowe) are ignored.

With one week to go...

1st Mr J Caunt (51 miles)
2nd Mr R Day (12.5 miles)
3rd Miss E Lowe (12 miles)
4th Miss F Ward (11.5 miles)
5th Mr T Wood (11 miles)
6th Mr R Sinclair (10.5 miles)
7th Miss C Hartley (9 miles)
8th Mr M Michalski (6 miles)
9th Miss L Edgar (2 miles)
10th Everyone else (0 miles)

I'm sure people will be desperate to improve their positions with only a week to go...

Cheers to everyone on this list, it would have been a damn site harder without all of you there with me. And apologies to anyone I've forgotten, please message me for the credit you deserve. It really would be inexcusable...

TTFN

Day 23 - Piccadilly Line (Part Four)

The weather today was absolutely stunning, which made the walk both a pleasure and, as it continued, increasingly tiring! My walking companion for the day was Caroline, who met me at Park Royal for a wander that went through some of the leafier parts of north west London. The first half, up Sudbury's rather low hill and on to Rayners Lane, was new ground for me, and very nice ground it was too. The heat precipitated repeated buying of drinks and ice cream, but despite the conditions we made a good pace and admired the scenery. The area around South Harrow was particularly pretty, which made up for the more urban walks I have been on of late.

Caroline stayed with me as far as Ruislip, a very good effort for which I am grateful, and I trudged with increasing weariness the last few stops to Uxbridge. This was a route I had passed before albeit in the opposite direction while walking the Metropolitan Line. Along the way, I passed West Ruislip, ominously the start of my 11th and final line (the Central), to where I will return in earnest later this week.

The majority of the walk was fairly peaceful, a nice way to spend a ridiculously hot sunday afternoon. Another line finished! Nearly there now, the end most definitely in sight. With that in mind, I am still working on my schedule for the last week or so, thus should anyone still be keen to accompany me, let me know soon!

Hope everyone had a similarly nice weekend
x

Day 22 - Piccadilly Line (Part Three)

Yesterday was always going to be tough. If only for the 12 mile walk from Acton Town to Heathrow airport, but then for the crushing possibility that some, if not most of the airport might be inaccessible by foot. The final result was somewhere in the middle, not as good as it could have been but also not as bad...

Accompanied by Jonathon Caunt (as per usual) and Felicity Ward (a newcomer to the world of walking between tube stations) we set off from Acton Town just after lunch. The early parts of the walk were fairly pleasant, but after passing Boston Manor a long dull road stretched out before us and the only thing that kept Flick going was the promise of ice cream at Osterley. Osterley came and went without any sign of an ice cream vendor, but Hounslow was more useful in that sense. A quick stop off at ASDA yielded two magnums each, Lucozade for myself and Pimms for JC and Flick.

The heat was baking, and the road seemed endless, although as we got closer to the airport the planes flying over our heads became lower and larger, and at least that gave us a sense that we were getting somewhere. Finally reaching Heathrow's perimeter road, we wandered along for what seemed like hours before reaching Hatton Cross, and some way beyond it the Heathrow Hilton. They had kindly allowed us to use their walkway into Terminal 4, although in honesty it would have been easy for us to have just wandered through. But manners cost nothing...

Once in Terminal 4 we quickly found the underground, and then tried to plan our next move, originally to Terminals 1/2/3. Given conflicting and fairly hopeless advice, we resorted back to JC's iPhone, and decided to change tack and head for T5 instead. Here, Flick gave in to heat, tiredness and boredom and went off in an ultimately failing search for a McDonalds in Terminal 4, before heading off back to London. Abandoned, we pushed on through the heat, around the entirety of Heathrow's perimeter, finding a road into the Terminal, and again finding the Tube station. Hopes were high at this point, but alas they were about to be shattered...

On the way out, we stopped at the info desk to ask if it was possible to walk to Terminals 1/2/3. A BAA employee informed us that no, it was not, as the only access involved a tunnel from which pedestrians were banned. Tempting as it was to try to flout this rule, it might well have ended up in another 90 minute walk in the baking sun which would prove fruitless, followed by legal action. As frustrating as it was, it just wasn't possible to walk any further, and so JC and I wearily climbed onto a tube and, making sure to pass through T1/2/3 and therefore complete that part of the line by tube, headed back into London.

It was a real shame not to be able to go any further than we did, but it was still a massive achievement to visit Terminals 4 and 5. Had it been possible to do more, we would certainly have done so, but alas it was not. In any case, that part of the Piccadilly Line is now complete, leaving only the Uxbridge branch to be finished over the weekend. Another day closer to walking the tube, only 8 more days of effort to go.

Cheers

Day 21 - District Line (Part Five)

A day of walking that never seemed to end... whenever we reached one end of the tube, we had to turn back and head to another.

Luckily, it was a warm day and the surroundings were very pretty indeed, highlighting starkly the contrast between the east and west ends of the District Line. With Barking and East Ham on one end, and Earl's Court, Richmond and Kew at the other, the difference is truly spectacular.

I was also lucky to be accompanied by the lovely Emma Lowe, who in contrast to former walkers didn't complain once (not mentioning any names...), and brought flapjacks. A very hard act to top, although I'm more than happy for others to try...

Heading out from Earl's Court, the first destination was Ealing Broadway. Further familiarity, as the walk covered the same path as the Piccadilly Line had a couple of weeks ago, but very pleasant it was and so I could not complain. From there, a quick tube back to Chiswick Park was followed by a beautiful walk via Kew to Richmond, probably the nicest of London's surrounding areas that I have yet encountered.

Wearily we climbed back on and tubed back to Earl's Court for the short walk to Kensington Olympia, the District Line's last terminus. Excitedly, we then found a pub.

On the way home, I completed the first of a three part journey the details of which will be highly confidential until it is finished. Well, as confidential as showing the photos on facebook. Never mind.

I will sleep soundly tonight after a LOT of walking!

Night all...

Day 20 - District Line (Part Four)

A very grumpy, tired body almost fell off the train at Wimbledon this morning, on what was to prove a hot, humid day in London. Picking itself up, said body proceeded to walk from the home of wombles, of which there were none that could be seen, through Putney, Chelsea and Kensington into central London and the destination of Edgware Road.

Hand-made maps again showed me the way as I tore through the capital in a desperate bid to make it to my Public Companies workshop on time. As you might imagine, with such a carrot in front me, I made good pace. The highlight of an efficient walk was Putney Bridge and another Thames crossing, although other sights of note included Parsons Green, with many a familiar pub, and Chelsea FC, the third football club (and almost certainly the last) I will be passing. That is if you don't count Barnet. And let's not...

Along with such moving highs was an irritating low. With the walk all but completed, halfway between Paddington and Edgware Road, I felt a familiar twinge in my right knee which hinted at trouble. This combined with a spectacular blister made for an uncomfortable afternoon, albeit one made all the better by a trip to see the filming of QI. Stephen Fry = Legend.

Resting up now with the last day of District Line (hopefully) to come tomorrow. A trip to Boots may be on the cards...

Ttfn

Day 19 - District Line (Part Three)

Faithfully accompanied by my flatmate Robert Sinclair, who did not complain once during the entire walk about his feet, we set off from East Ham to Bromley-By-Bow to complete the short part of the eastern District Line that had been left over. Short of stopping to buy a belt and diverting from the route to have a quick look at West Ham FC, the walk was brief and uneventful, no doubt in some part due to Rob's determination to hasten away from east London asap. And to get onto a tube before his feet fell off, presumably... The area and route was largely as it was for the H&C line, mostly urbanized but with a few parks and other spots of green here and there.

This was followed by the far more attractive (although clearly just as demanding on Rob's feet) walk from Aldgate East to Earl's Court. Again, the route was in repetition of the Circle Line for the most part, but so scenic are the spectacular views of the city and the Thames, dotted with London landmarks, that I was grateful for it. Again, a pleasant and uneventful walk, finishing in the (personal) familiarity of the Gloucester Road/Earl's Court area. Much political and philosophical debate was had by all (the both of us, and anyone unfortunate enough to be walking close enough to listen...), and I'm grateful to Rob for making familiar ground more interesting.

Off to Wimbledon tomorrow, in the hope of seeing Wombles. Fingers crossed.

Alex