It’s been a couple of weeks of wall-to-wall sunshine here in London Town, and it was positively hot today. It’s also been a couple of weeks of itchy eyes, streaming nose and sleepless nights. Apparently tree pollen is the culprit this early in the year, and this year it is particularly severe. Hey ho, life is all about balance, right? Can’t have it all sunshine and rainbows!
As I was suffering from tree pollen allergy, we decided to take a walk in a wood. Highgate Wood, in north London, is a beautiful area of woodland with lots of trees, a cafe, big grassy area and kids’ play area. Here is a photo of lots of trees.
None of these seemed to be releasing any pollen, and in fact my tree fever was not any worse in the wood – happy days.
Lots of joggers out and about. I also spotted and avoided one of the children in my class.
Next week it is due to cool down and get a bit cloudier. Looking forward to that.
It did not seem “incredibly popular” at 9:55am this morning. The sun whimpered blandly down on the churned up turf as I turned up my collar and made for the cafe in the middle of the rec. A few dog walkers were out and the local football coaches were setting up for the Sunday training session.
Give it its dues though – there are a few facilities. Tennis courts (which are actually incredibly popular, usually), basketball courts, football pitches (not looking their best on a bleak February morning, but they have seen plenty of fantastic times), a couple of table tennis tables, children’s play area (under construction, a sign informing us that it is due to reopen in January, in minus a month) and a cafe serving scalding lattes and defrosted pastries.
Turning back, an interesting view up the hill to Alexandra Palace. Rows of suburban terraced houses cluster together, separating the rec from the lofty heights above.
I paint a dismal picture. But, 15 minutes after taking these photos, the atmosphere shifted “incredibly”. The football training sessions started, people turned up for their 10am tennis coaching sessions, and a group of kids started playing on the basketball courts. Even though the weather remained stubborn, the ambiance of the place transformed as people started to mix and interact with each other. What a difference a few minutes make.
PS. The ground was named after Oliver Tambo, an anti-apartheid activist who lived, in exile, in Muswell Hill for 30 years. What a life story, contrasting interestingly this morning with my musings in the recreation ground that bears his name.
