On Christmas Day, I decided to have a bike ride, while the turkey cooked. I started with a minor detour, to see whether I could see the kingfishers again. I first saw them about 10 days ago as I rode the footpath from Braintree station to the bottom of Rose Hill. I rode past the station allotments, crossed the stream via the bridge, and turned right. Then I reached the next bridge where there is the weir. And I saw the turquoise back of the kingfisher, as he sat on the white

Gravesend Ferry to Takeley. 38 miles The ferry service starts at 6.45 from the Town Pier in Gravesend and runs to Tilbury Riverside Pontoon. At present, the 50 passenger capacity has been reduced to 20, because of social distancing requirements. For many people emigrating from the UK, between 1945-1972, Tilbury was their last sight of ‘home’. One of my in-laws, Mrs Pitt, a native Mancunian, departed for Australia in 1951, heading for Melbourne. She used to tell my family of

What a fantastic bike ride today! Good weather for early December, and great company. I was leading the 10.00 medium ride from Braintree Railway station. My group was Benita, Claire, Julie and Peter R. We pedalled off down the Flitch Way and immediately following a couple of runners. I saw they had running shirts with a black/white union jack (and without my glasses) I thought I could see a fuzzy blue line across it – probably a police running club, I thought. Then I realise