Greenwich Park at sunset

I've written before how special a place Greenwich Park is for me and how just being there can lift my spirits - see A boost of a walk through Greenwich Park. Monday saw me head to the park for a wander, as after a rain-soaked weekend and the forecast for the week ahead looking mostly similar I worked out that Monday was my best bet for staying dry while I was out. So around 3pm, chores and Pilates completed off I set. 

I hadn't been in the park for a while so I was keen to see how it'd changed now that autumn is well and truly here. There's a couple of views in the park that I know are guaranteed to make my heart sing -  the avenues of trees of which there are many and the view down into Greenwich and over to Docklands. And the duck pond, you can't beat the ducks on the duck pond, although I'd set out ill prepared and without any bread. Next time ducks, I promise. 

After breathing in the view above, which is one I get pretty much as soon as I enter the park, I decided to head through the Flower Garden towards the duck pond (despite not having any bread)

No squirrel, I don't have any nuts either

There was still plenty of colour around and this yellow tree (technical term) looked magnificent. And as I stopped to admire it I got a glimpse of what might transpire as the sun peeked through the trees. 

As I got closer, the view became even more magical. 

I said it'd rained a lot and the puddle above beautifully reflected the trees. I reached the duck pond and sat for a while admiring the view and watching the duck's antics. I was briefly joined by a toddler and his grandparents who occasionally quacked at the ducks and surreptitiously stole glances at the lady sitting on the bench on her shopping bag.  Incase you're wondering it was the toddler quacking and not the grandparents and well, what was I to do the bench was wet...

The ducks swum over keenly and hungrily and were quickly disappointed as not only had I not brought bread nor had the grandparents and the toddler. There was much diving for food right in front of us, as if to make a point but the little fella with the fab hairdo was staying strictly above the water. 

These two were going for it.  And yes they bumped into each other shortly after I took this photo...

So folding my shopping bag back up, I moved on and noticed that there was still some colour to be found, and it seems no one told the hydrangea it's November. 

Leaving the Flower Garden I headed past the Bandstand and towards the General Wolfe statue for the view that I rarely leave Greenwich Park without seeing. However the sunset was already building into a beauty.

Ah, and here's that view. I think it was looking especially splendid with the sun glinting off Canary Wharf. It was a popular spot - it always is - and there were a fair few tripods set up to photograph something special. 

I'd been out longer than I thought (blame the ducks!) so I decided to head back and turned to see this tree lit by the setting sun. 

As I walked towards Maze Hill I turned back for a final glimpse of Docklands and couldn't help but admire it with these silver Birch in the foreground. 

So having reached the Bandstand again I stood to admire the sunset, before deciding to head back through the Flower Garden and towards the exit. And I'm glad I did as the mists were much more dramatic there. 

So even in November Greenwich Park is a fantastic place and one capable of lifting my spirits and something I'm glad we've got on our doorstep. Do you have places that you couldn't do without?

This post is also linked to Our World Tuesday. 

The windmill and bakery at Great Bircham

Following Sunday's black and white photo of Bircham Windmill, today I'm sharing more from my visit there back in September. Mum and I arrived just as the farmers market was packing up but undeterred we headed for the mill shop and bakery, before looking into the tea rooms. 

The windmill was built in 1846 and was a working mill until the 1920s when the sails were removed and the tower abandoned. The windmill fell into a state of disrepair and the current owners undertook its restoration with a new cap going on in 1979, followed by the sails in 1981. 

Bircham Mill opens daily from Easter until end-September and each year has a full programme of activities which they publish on their website and they reopen next year on 28 March.  It's a five storey tower mill and the interior was also restored with all the machinery and stones gathered from farm sales and other derelict mills. You can climb to the top and go out on the fan deck - we didn't as I don't have a good history of mills or heights. There was the school trip to Outwood Mill and a trip to the very top of St. Paul's Cathedral, going up was fine - coming down, less so!

The tower is 52 feet high and has a diameter of 25 feet and the walls are 2 feet 6 inches thick.  So I think I made the right choice, I made it to the first floor for a peek and more importantly back down again safely too!

The bakery still has its original coal-fired oven but the bread made today is cooked in the electric ovens. The bakery was operational until the 1950s, 30 years after the mill had stopped and many people used to walk to the mill to collect their bread.

There's some great original signs and artefacts in the bakery, and in the shop next door which sells locally produced products, as well as flour and cakes. I bought cheese on this visit and flour from the mill on a previous visit, and I'd buy them again.  I'd go back though just to admire the enamelware and signs, and to eat cake of course!

So back outside, there was time for another glance skywards and time to admire the Hovis lettering and the old mill stones before heading back to Hunstanton for another cup of tea and a slice of cake...

The mill also has some animals - guinea pigs, rabbits, sheep, goats, ponies and a donkey, which we skipped on our visit. So if you're ever near Great Bircham over the summer and are stuck for something to do then pop along and take a look at the windmill. 

Giant's stride for mankind...

So today we're back at Glendurgan for probably our last visit and I'm ending with something that amuses me greatly. In fact I'm amazed there are any photos to record this silliness as I was giggling so much. So here you have it, MOH and the giant strides at Glendurgan... What would I do without him to test this for me!

Before you get to the photos let me tell you more about the Giant's stride.  It was installed by the Fox family in 1913 on what was previously a miniature croquet lawn, and what a change that must have been!  As you'll see below it's a large pole with six ropes with handles on the ends. You - or in this case MOH - choose a handle and run round the pole until you can swing out and take giant strides. Meanwhile I'll be there with the camera in burst mode saying something like "let's try that again" in between giggles!  

And in case you're wondering MOH approved the use of these photos, I think because he thinks no one will see them... Of course, they won't dear!

You can see my other posts about Glendurgan on last Sunday's black and white photo.