Misfits Mid-Life Crisis Adventures in …………..Surrey, Croydon, Essex, North and Central London.

Week 53 (or Week 16 of the new adventure), Saturday 20^th June until Friday 26^th June 2015.

 In Regents Park.

As I said last week the main reason for writing these blogs is that my nephews and niece will one day be able to read about my adventures and read them to me when I’m dribbling out of both ends while sitting in front of daytime TV, unaware I’m actually watching the TV in an old peoples home.

 Big fish at Kenwood House.

Tuesday I played hooky with MOZ, don’t worry I actually had the day off.  It’s such a lovely feeling on a work day to not have to get up at the normal time.  We spent the day back in north London arriving first in Belsize Park to have a look around the very small local nature reserve surrounded by flats we found recently.  But it was padlocked due to a school visit; this was very disappointing but can’t be helped.  Breakfast was in another branch of Euphorium (the lovely little chain of café/bakery).  I don’t normally have breakfast so this was a treat, coffee and cake.

 Breakfast location.  The sign says it all.

The rest of the day was spent walking around North London.  However the best part of the day off was mooching around Hampstead heath, through tall grass.  Because it was a week day the park was quieter than at the weekend.  There were of course still plenty of runners and dogs being walked but there was serenity about the place that you don’t experience during a Saturday or a Sunday.  I got us a little lost, taking us all the way round the heath while we were on our way to the pond/lake with the swans and signets.  Once we finally got there we managed to get up close and personal with this special family, the babies have grown so much in the last few weeks.  There still grey and fluffy but are much bigger am pleased to report that mum, dad and the 5 babies are doing well.  I then got distracted by rats.  Running along the water line were a number of different sized rats, some tiny and other a lot larger all feeding on bread left for the birds.  They scurry about so fast, almost too fast to be seen.  It was fascinating to watch them; I don’t see them very often even though they say that in London your never more than a few metres from a rat. I managed to get some nice pictures. The swan family sodded off to the other side of the pond this might be because they had been upstaged by the rodents. MOZ and I just stood there watching the rats rushing around, yes I wouldn’t want them where I live but seeing them in this natural environment was actually nice, it was a springwatch moment.  At one point I had a tiny baby under bushes right by my foot.

 Sweet.

I spent Thursday night with Moira and ended up on Reigate Hill watching the world below going to sleep.  We came across a memorial to a US air force plane that crash from 1945, I had wondered before about the gap in the trees know I no.  The memorial is wooden and looks like plane wings one had a couple of wreaths of which one had the names of the men who died.  I hope the families know of this tribute to their loved ones.  The grass that the memorial sits in was full of life, there were a number of bunnies running around the small field plus we were buzzed by a large bat.  Through the gap that the plane made I could see Reigate below all lit up, in a strange way the orange glow of the street lights and other town illumination looked almost pretty.  Walking back to Moira’s car we were bathed in moon light our shadows were clearly on view.  I love to be around nature, after spending 8 hours a day 5 days a week tied to a desk it’s nice to be reminded that there are bigger and more important things out there. As Louis Armstrong sang “It’s a Wonderful World”…..

 B-17(G) aircraft memorial on Reigate Hill, the American Air Force plane crashed on 19 March 1945 killing all nine crew.

Spending time in Regents Park feeding Squirrel and Pigeons, as well as looking at beautiful coloured Roses.  Cancelled trains after rushing through London to get home. Trying to get a cab late Sunday night and failing, resulting in having to wait for the next train.  Eating a lot of Oranges and Bananas.  I have noticed a lot of men having a wee in public recently.

 In Regents Park.

The Mid Life Crisis Conts……

 Cute Rat’s.

This week I have been watching: “Graham Norton” (Season 17, eps 12), “Thunderbirds are Go” (Season 1, eps 12), “Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (eps 6), “Game of Thrones” (Season 5, eps 8 & 9), “Gadget Man” (Season 4, eps 4), “Vicious” (Season 2, eps 4), “Interceptor”, (ep 3), “Clangers”, (eps 6 to 10), “Humans”, (eps 2), “The West Wing”, (Season 1, eps 1 & 2), “Glastonbury: The Udder side”, “Dirk Gently” (Pilot and Season 1 ep 1), “Would I Lie to You”, (Season 8, eps 1), “In Conversation: Judi Dench with Richard Eyre”, “My Mad Fat Diary”, (Season 3, eps 1), “Lost Cites of the Ancients”, “The Last Leg”, (Season 6, eps 1).

This week I have mainly been listening to, “Maria Mckee”, Morrissey”, “Lana Del Ray”, “Pulp”, Paul Weller”, “Fleetwood Mac”, Frank and Nancy Sinatra”.

Reading on Kindle……“A Game of Thrones, A Song of Ice and Fire” book 2 “ A Clash of Kings” by George R.R. Martin.