Coastwalk

Gravesend → Greenhithe

Distance: 6.66 miles
Ascent: 29 metres
Duration: 2 hours

Too hot
« Allhallows-on-Sea | The Dome »

My ambitions for today's walk were much higher. I'd intended to complete the longest single day walk I've done so far, but in the end the weather stymied my plans and I ended up completing only a quarter. (My GPS recorded a temperature of 33.3 C.)

I'm walking out another ferry. This time, the Tilbury ferry at Gravesend. I'll be heading up the River Thames and will in time reach a point where I can cross on foot (maybe Woolwich, Greenwich or The City), then back along the other bank. This has the lovely side-effect of bringing another fifty miles of coastline within easy reach of my home, so my goal of completing at least on coast walk each calendar month this year may yet be attainable!

The theme of today's walk is the changing use of the riverside. At each end - Gravesend and Greenhithe - the dominant use is residential. Between the two towns the future use seems undetermined.

In Rosherville, beautiful warehouses with names like "Henley's Cable Works Research Laboratory" lie abandoned with nettles choking the footpath.

Further on at Northfleet the path made its way through the Lafarge cement works, a huge complex on the brink of demolition. (Note to future walkers: the path will be temporarily closed from 1 July 2009. At the time of my walk it was also obstructed by a locked gate which I had to persuade a worker to arrange to open for me.)

After a short section along the A226 I followed the footpath around Botany Marshes. (Careful map-reading would have helped me here; I initially turned too early and headed straight into the marsh on Lower Road, instead of staying on Manor Way.)

The land use has changed here recently: the HS1 railway line crosses the marsh before heading under the Thames, although it was out of site from the route I took.

Then finally Greenhithe and blocks of flats again. An elderly couple shouted a "hello" from their shady balcony and immediately I knew I needed to stop my walk and find a cool place of my own.

North Downs Way

Dorking → Merstham

Distance: 9.67 miles
Ascent: 391 metres
Duration: 3 hours 15 minutes

Stepping out again
« Not walked | Not walked »

We're behind schedule. The original plan was to walk a section of the North Downs Way each month, arriving in Dover in December. That plan fell apart in January. Today we're tackling the third section in a vain attempt to catch up.

But what a change in the weather! January's walks left footprints in the snow; today the ground was baked and cracked. Back then we were on our own; here in mid-summer there were plenty of DofE teams out (including one group of tired teenage girls who were delighted when we confirmed the direction to the Box Hill pub).

We'd stopped in the pub ourselves where a man who looked more like a permanent fixture than a regular provided a guided history of the area. Further sustenance was provided in the form of ice creams from the café on Reigate Hill.

The walk ended on the perfectly named (if a little derelict) Quality Street. I must sadly report that it doesn't look the same as on the chocolate box.

Tech

A phone to love

After nineteen months I've upgraded my mobile. Normally I like to run kit into the ground but this time the shiny goodness drew me in. (My previous mobile lasted four years; my iPod lasted five and my compact digital camera is now six.)

The new iPhone as well as the corresponding software update have got a fair amount of press, but there are still a few features which I've not seen mentioned elsewhere.

1. iPod now lets you listen to podcasts at 2x speed. Perfect for those podcasts which prattle on way too long.
2. The iPhone 3G S adds support for VoiceOver. I think this makes it the first touch-screen phone which can be used by partially sighted and blind people.
3. Built-in compass and GPS - they seemed like gimmicks initially, but they're actually very handy when on foreign territory.
4. Apple's charger-shrinking has probably reached its limit - the new charger is now smaller than a standard mains plug.
5. A headset with built-in volume control.

The big improvements are all hidden though. Once developers have got their heads round the additions we ought to have an exciting year of new apps for this little toy. I'd love to work out how to make my living out of writing software for this thing; feel free to donate to me your app ideas!

Arts , Comment

Two years later

Dear Empire,

I hope you didn't think I was rude when you called just now. I finished our relationship over two years ago and I've not heard anything from you since so was a little surprised. It was fun while it lasted but ultimately you weren't worth the few pounds a month.

Let me tell you now what I didn't tell you then. Back when I first subscribed, you were a great magazine. But somewhere along the line - I think it was roundabout when you span out Heat - you changed. You became more obsessed with celeb than film. The adverts you carried in the last dozen pages became an embarrassment. (Seriously, why are those pages called Movie Marketplace when most of the ads are for adult chat lines and porn?)

Please change - I might come back. Something tells me you won't though; I think you're as "fanatical about film" as Odeon.

So that's why I asked you to never call again. Please don't take it personally.

Website

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