David Walliams - what a man!

No mentions of Nordic Walking today.  A sporting achievement in Teddington has eclipsed all else!

As some of you may seen, David Walliams swam the length of the River Thames last week.  On Sunday, he arrived at Teddington Lock at dusk after swimming 21 miles that day.  The equivalent of crossing the channel!

 The crowds were so huge, I and many others couldn't cross the bridge to see him arrive at the Lock.  However, David crossed the bridge to the Teddington bank, and got into a waiting car which whisked him to a nearby hotel (the Lensbury?   www.lensbury.com)

Resplendent in his white towelling robe, like a boxing champion, David strolled through the cheering crowds and paused for autographs.

Eventually, he made it to the car and a good nights rest, before starting the next, and last, day's swim at 6.30am!

He swam the 15 miles to Westminster to finish at County Hall in front of more crowds and TV cameras.  What an achievement!!  140 miles in 8 days!

He was doing this to raise money for Water Aid and Sports Relief.  If you want to donate to this cause go here -
http://www.sportrelief.com/whats-on/the-bt-sport-relief-challenges-walliams-vs-the-thames

If you want to see more photos and videos of David at Teddington, please go here -

http://www.teddingtonpeople.co.uk/Teddington-roars-support-David-Walliams-Thames/story-13314484-detail/story.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Peter

Nordic Walking on the Yorkshire Coast

Much of the Yorkshire coast is linked by a long-distance trail - The Cleveland Way.  It covers about 110 miles around the North Yorkshire Moors National Park and then along the coast between Saltburn and Filey.

The North Yorkshire coast

 In a previous trip, I had walked from the start at Helmsley to the clifftop village of Ravenscar, leaving about 20 miles to complete the trail.  The path is mostly on the top of steep cliffs, with the occasional steep gullies taking you down to beach level

Plenty of warnings, but no fences

The scenery is uplifting with views of about 20 miles on a clear day.  Wave action has eroded the cliffs, exposing 200 million years of fossil records.  It's very similar to the Unesco World Heritage site in Dorset - The Jurassic Coast - with much the same chalk and shale rocks, but without the crowds!  Most visitors seem to stick to the resorts of Filey, Whitby, Scarborough and Bridlington.  But there still several tiny, pretty places, like Robin Hoods Bay and Staithes, that have avoided over-commercialism.

Millions of years of history on view.

There's also good public transport links along the coast, so our walk started at the bus stop in Ravenscar.

Ravenscar information    This is a very unusual village - planned by a railway company in the 1900's to become a thriving resort, but never attracting people despite roads, sewers and some houses being built.

You can still evidence of the pavements and drains in the middle of fields!

Ravenscar - a deserted village. Roads built but not used!

Hard to get lost

Our route took us through Scarborough - "The world's first seaside resort".   About 400 years ago, crowds flocked here to enjoy the spa and sea water, and again when the railway arrived in the Victorian era.

So, as well as brash modern seaside attractions, the town also has a large legacy of elegant and historical buildings.  The Grand Hotel was the largest in Europe in its day, but we didn't stay there....

Scarborough Castle with Flamborough Head, in distance

South of Scarborough, a steep path leads the walker up to the top of the cliff, past the massive landslip of a million tons of earth.  The Holbeck Hall Hotel used to perch on top of this cliff, until June 1993 when the land under it moved down to the sea.  The hotel was immediately wrecked, and is now demolished.

Climbing out of Scarborough

Further along the coast, there a few wide sandy bays, near where Billy Butlin decide to build a new destination - the Filey Holiday Camp!   It was used by the Army during World War 2, but reverted to providing holidays for the masses for decades afterwards.  A different era!

Some people put plaques on benches.....

The path continued on grassy clifftop, or sandy beach ....

Scarborough in distance

... until the cliffs at Filey Brigg came into view.  This becomes a very narrow spit of land, jutting out into the North Sea, with marvellous views in all directions.

Cliffs at Filey Brig mark the end of the Cleveland Way

This was the end of our trail - The Cleveland Way.  For more details of this National Trail, click here,
http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/clevelandway/

or feel free to get in touch.  

The end of the Way

This was the end of our Nordic Walking.  But, we couldn't ignore the other attractions in the area.  Having walked along the cliffs, we'd noticed the occasional bird, and wanted to see the famous gannet colony at Bempton Cliffs, near Flamborough Head

Gannets nesting, Bempton cliffs

Many of the young birds (and the puffins) had already left the cliffs and had headed out to sea, but there were still several thousands precariously perched on tiny ledges.  An amazing spectacle!

A day out for the ferret

An even bigger surprise awaited us at nearby Bridlington beach.  An animal-loving man was giving his ferrets their exercise on the sand!

Bridlington resident, waiting for chips

All too soon, the ice creams were finished and we had to head home.  Yorkshire is superb for walking, with 2 National Parks, and many beautiful areas.  And the bonus of exploring by Nordic Walking, is that you can sample the local food (and beer), knowing that the extra calories will be used up while Nordic Walking!!

If you'd like to try Nordic Walking or join others in regular forays in Bushy Park, Middlesex, please do get in touch with me, or enter you postcode here to find an Instructor near where you live.
http://www.nordicwalking.co.uk/find

Peter
07703-404-931

Seasons changing...migrating birds...charity walks..

Velvet falling from antlers

After the recent excitement of professional cyclists speeding through Richmond and Bushy Parks, Nordic Walking has resumed its more relaxed pace.  The seasons are changing and the weather has an Autumnal air about it.

Cygnets racing

Walking regularly in London's parks as some of us do, enables us to observe the subtle changes in the seasons.  Young creatures, new to the world this year, are growing up, leaving the nest, or even the country in the case of skylarks, cuckoos, etc

Testing wings

Family portrait, Hampton Court Park

 If you are interested to know where migrating birds go when the leave the UK, then the British Trust for Ornithology has recently tracked 5 cuckoos back to Africa.  You can see their remarkable routes and destinations here -
BTO Cuckoo-tracking

Will they return next year?  How do they find their way here?  Amazing!

Nordic Walkers negotiating deer herd near Hampton Court

Other signs of Autumn include prolific mushrooms, with the recent damp weather.  Also noticeable is the subtle changes in the parks' deer.  The velvet covering the stags' antlers is slowing peeling off, in readiness for the rut!  The stags are bulking up and some are beginning to attract females, which will no doubt be noticed by their rivals....

Velvet on antlers

Watching the walker

If you would like to walk (Nordically or normally!) in the 3 Royal Parks that often feature in this blog, then a local charity, Shooting Star Hospice, is organising several walks around the parks in September.  There are 3, 8 and 15-mile options, so suitable for all.

It's for a worthwhile cause, so if you are interested please go here and sign up!

http://www.shootingstarchase.org.uk/support-us/our-campaigns/three-parks-challenge-and-family-walk%20

If you want to get fit for a specific walk, please let me know.  I have helped numerous people get in shape for the Race for Life (Cancer Research), McMillan's Nurses Walk 10, Princess Alice Hospice Hike the Hill, etc, etc, as well as more famous hikes like Mt Kilimanjaro.

Whatever your health and exercise requirements, Nordic Walking can usually help.  Why not give it a try?  Taster sessions are only £5, and regular sessions usually around £10.

To find a Nordic Walking instructor in your area, go here -
http://www.nordicwalking.co.uk/

Peter
07703-404-931

PS - If anyone is wondering where my brother has got to in the Round the World Clipper race (see "Live the Dream"), you can find out the latest news below.  King Neptune has just paid his boat a visit!

http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/index.php/follow/race-viewer/

Olympic Cycling preparations in Royal Parks

The peace of Richmond's Royal Parks was shattered yesterday as 148 cyclists sped through the area, in a rehearsal for next years Olympic Cycling Road Race.  (Apologies to anyone seeking information on Nordic Walking. This is a slight digression...  Lots of information on other blog entries).

Bushy Park resident

Deer drinking, before the crowds arrive

As crowds gathered in Richmond and Bushy Parks, and in the streets of Twickenham, Teddington and across Surrey, an army of workers had overnight built roadside barriers, and removed road humps and pelican crossings.  Roads were closed.

Warning of one of the few remaining pieces of road furniture

 Thousands of spectators flocked to parks to cheer on the athletes.   Picnics were consumed, and the best vantage points were grabbed.

Heading for the race

Either way round Diana fountain!

 Many people, including myself, had also gathered to cheer on one of England's greatest ever cyclists - Mark Cavendish.  A superstar in world of professional road racing, he has been relatively unsuccessful at the Olympics, despite being a member of the all-conquering GB team.  Next year, Cavendish hopes to remedy that gap in his CV, and is preparing seriously for victory in the Mall.

Just a blur...

 With the help of 4 colleagues, Cavendish did win this rehearsal, but next year's race will climb Box Hill 9 times, rather than just 2 for this year.  And Cavendish is not renowned for his climbing.....

Entering Richmond Park for the second time

 The organisers will have learned valuable lessons from this rehearsal, and next year's events will include a women's road race (on the same route) and an individual time trial, along 21 miles of roads around Hampton Court Palace.

The chase is on

 So, expect some more traffic disruption next year, but also enjoy the spectacular, close-up Olympic action which is FREE, and on many Londoners' doorsteps!!

80 miles in 3 hours takes its toll

Peter

Live the Dream! ... with help from Nordic Walking

Have you ever wanted to sail round the world?   Or climb the highest freestanding mountain in the world? Or cross a vast desert?  Nordic Walking could help!

Edinburgh sailing past HMS Illustrious

My brother, John, has recently set sail for Brazil on the racing yacht, Edinburgh Inspiring Capital.  It's one in a fleet of ten which is racing around the globe over the next 12 months.  The skipper on each boat is an experienced professional, but the crews are all "ordinary" people, with little or no sailing experience - just a desire and determination to enjoy this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Jostling for position

Like many of us, John has long harboured thoughts of doing something out of the ordinary.  In his case,  sailing beyond the routine weekend trip, or gentle Mediterranean escape.  But without a boat or a crew, ocean-going was out of his league, until he heard about the Clipper races, devised by Sir Christopher Knox-Johnson, the first man to sail solo, non-stop around the world.

The start of a 40,000 mile race

John had always kept fit - mainly by badminton or squash, and mountain-biking.  He knew he'd have to be fit to enjoy the rigours of a 6-week crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.  The crew work a 4-hours on, 4 hours off rota, so there's no time for a relaxing doze as you surf the waves!  However, during the 18 months of preparation, John cracked some ribs after his bike made sudden contact with a tree.

The boats head for the Channel

So, in order to keep exercising, he took up Nordic Walking in the hills around his home.  When his ribs healed, he was able to increase the intensity of training and found it as good as any regime he'd used over the years.  He also noticed that it was gentle on his knee joints, unlike the running he'd tried for a while.

So, a couple of weeks ago, I (and several thousand others) watched the fleet set off down the Solent, for the start of a BIG Adventure.  They are now somewhere off the Canaries, after surviving the Bay of Biscay.  If you want to follow the race, the Race Viewer is updated every 3 hours.

http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/index.php/follow/photo-galleries/?start=36

As to the highest freestanding mountain, that's Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

 Many people attempt to trek up it every year, and Nordic Walking is an ideal preparation for the climb.

And recently, another of our Nordic Walkers crossed the Jordanian desert, using Nordic Walking as part of a training regime.  Obviously, successful people have determination and talent, but Nordic Walking has contributed to achieving their goals.

Sailing around the world...climbing the highest mountain...walking the Great Wall of China...getting into that new outfit for the wedding next year....!

Whatever your aims are, Nordic Walking can help you achieve them!

Live the Dream - try Nordic Walking!

Peter
07703-404-931

Summer Nordic Walking, and the Green Jersey!

Summer weather in the south-west borders of London has been patchy of late, but Nordic Walkers in Bushy Park have rarely had to rely on rain-wear to keep dry.

In fact, last week, there was more danger of suffering from heatstroke and sunburn!

However, the enthusiastic walkers enjoyed an energetic walk, keeping mainly to the shade.

The park is in full foliage, with bracken above head height in many places.  This also has the effect of hiding the deer.

The park also has a number of activities during the summer.

As well as open air films   (for details, go here > http://www.whereisthenomad.com/royalparks/ )
next Sunday (14th August) will see a full-blown rehearsal for the Olympic cycling road race.  It will come speeding through Bushy Park and on surrounding roads, down to Box Hill, before returning through Richmond Park to finish on the Mall.

There are many traffic restrictions over that weekend, and Bushy Park and Richmond Park are particularly affected.

Several sites have information about the impact on road users, but few places with comprehensive details.  These sites should give you an overview -

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/20027.aspx

http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/bushy_park/event.cfm?id=2349

One late piece of news is that Mark Cavendish, the recent winner of the Green Jersey in the Tour de France, should be competing in the cycle race.  Mark is the first Briton to win this coveted jersey, which signifies that most consistent finisher.  He is the supreme sprinter, and is on track to win the most number of stages, by any cyclist, in the sport's most prestigious race.   If he can keep up with the climbing specialists going up Box Hill (9 times!) next Sunday, he may have a chance of winning the sprint outside Buckingham Palace!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Cavendish

In step at Diana fountain

But whatever the weather or other activities, there are no plans to curtail Nordic Walking.  If you would like to try the sport, please do get in touch.

It's a fun, relaxed way of keeping, or getting, fit and staying healthy.

Peter
07703-404-931

Kestrel, cuckoos, "King's Speech" and ferrets

Nordic Walking in the evening in Bushy Park is a small luxury, enjoyed by a few who can afford (or make) the time.

Why is it different from Nordic Walking at other times?  Well, it just is - the light is lower; there are fewer people around; the animals more relaxed, and the sights can be different.

I wish I was this flexible!

This week, for instance, our group of Nordic Walkers came across an infestation of Cinnabar moth larvae.  These are really striking creatures -
Cinnabar Moth photos

A few moments after the moths, we caught sight of a kestrel watching us.  Only the second kestrel I've seen in the park.   If you want more information about Kestrels or other birds, please look at the BTO site below.   It also has a unique tracking of 5 cuckoos returning to Africa after breeding in the UK.  If you have ever wondered where these amazing birds go, then this is the only place to find out!

http://www.bto.org/science/migration/tracking-studies/cuckoo-tracking

The birds below are the young Egyptian geese that hatched around March this year.  It will be interesting to see if they all stay in the park as they grow older.  Could they become as common as the parakeets?

Eye, eye, eye.  Egyptian geese, and fallow stags.

 Talking of birds, there was a showing of Hitchcock's classic film, "The Birds", last night in Bushy Park.  Nomad Cinema has a programme of film showing in many London locations this summer.

What about "Raiders of the Lost Ark" in Richmond Park, or "The King's Speech" at Hampton Court Palace.  More details here -
http://www.whereisthenomad.com/royalparks/

Glowing Nordic Walkers

What these happy walkers, above, realise is that not only do they keep fit by Nordic Walking but they also catch up with local events; find out what are the hot tickets in theatres or which pubs or restaurants are worth visiting.

If you want join us, please do call or email me.  Oh, and the ferrets were on a lead, being walked in Bushy Park, but I didn't get close enough to stroke them!

Peter
07703-404-931