My first morning out for ages .It’s weird but I needed to see water .I know I’m not the only one as even during lockdown people have flocked to the beaches .My local park which I have visited only once is mobbed with people circling the lake like zombies from a syfi movie. The atmosphere at the moment is not good for mindfulness. As a bird watcher and very amateur photographer  I need calmness ,I need to hear the birds sing and water lapping on the shoreline and immerse myself in the moment.

Its not the threat of covid 19 that has kept me in the garden it’s the attitude of people towards you. People cross the road rather than keep a distance or refuse to make eye contact, and I can’t be bothered with all that shit .The tennis club I belong to have opened up the club to arranged fours and singles but no social and as I have mentioned in a previous blog it’s about the interaction.

The stone barges

At the beginning of my walk its good to look out on the Thames and ponder ,why barges made of stone? Apparently the barges were built in a time of war when steel was too valuable to build barges. There is also some debate that they were used as part of the mulberry project in the war and later for flood defence. Mind clearing already.

Flocks of ferral pigeons rest on the barges and starlings perch on the fence behind. This is the first time I have taken the river walk as I normally park and head to the marshes. The entrance was a surprise and I can only describe the totem pole like post as a folly of some kind.

Entrance from the car park

AS you pass through the entrance you get a better view of the barges and the Diver .Sculptured by John Kaufman it weighs three tons and is buried in twenty six feet of mud.

The Diver

As you can see the tide was out so I continued my walk along the pathway stopping to listen to the whitethroats in the bushes .

The pathway continued to throw up the pirate theme and I have to say I have still not found out the origin .A mystery. Although someone suggested it was done by someone with a great sense of humor

Pirate tombstones quite amusing

The pathway is an easy walk with factory sirens and ships bells breaking the silence, which strangely is not that distracting .Cycling is encouraged along the walk and occasionally there is a ping of a cyclists bell alerting you to their presence .People are friendly , they make eye contact and say good morning .Happy days

The River is the draw

There is plenty to see on this walk and time flies by ,don’t forget to take refreshment and there are no toilets .towards the end of the walk it becomes more industrial and at this point I turned back after all it was a mindfulness walk.

The Thames is a working river

On the walk back really pleased to see a kestrel and more whitethroats rubbish shots .Nice walk and it clears the mind.

Whitethroat and Kestrel

To visit look up Stone barges  Rainham on the internet.