Misfits Mid-Life Crisis Adventures In Central, North and East London, Kent & Northamptonshire.
Hopefully everyone reading that celebrated last weekend’s chocolate festival had a good one, I did.
If you have read this ramble over the last few years, you will know I love being outside. Regularly I enjoy long walks in the area I live in, these strolls are not pretty because of all the people and traffic of every description speeding by. But I still enjoy the walks while plugged in listening to podcast allowing me to ignore the world around me.
This week I got to spent quite a lot of time amongst greenery in landscape that really exercised my chubby leg muscles. The first was in Regents Park in the centre of town. A lovely park that in parts I have to remind myself that I am in one of the busiest cities in the northern hemisphere. This is a park I visit a few times a year it’s always a highlight to see squirrels, robins, pigeons, lots of other birds and the occasional brave day loving inquisitive fox. Later in the year there are bed after bed of beautifully coloured and scented roses which is always lovely to see during summer. The only downside to this park is the number of wheezing, groaning and moaning meat sacks wondering around. Another reason to plug in and listen to a podcast.
The older I get the more I realise that I prefer to not be in large groups of people. This week I went to visit my Mum and sister who live a couple of hours north from the big smoke of the capital. Normally I drive the 100, but this time week I took the train. The journey didn’t go quite as planned due to London Underground running slow on the two lines I required. Because of these delays I missed my mainline train by minutes resulting in having to purchase a replacement ticket. The funny fact was that my alternative train was faster than my original choice. But this didn’t really matter because the bus to mum’s village is once an hour, arriving early meant I had longer to wait.
One of the first things I did after spending a little time with mum and my sister was visit a local graveyard. I love these places, I read, watch something, or just sit listening to a pod enjoying the beauty of the gravestones. The next morning even though there was rain in the air, I left early for my marathon walk a route I have done three times before. The stroll does include small sections on very busy A roads, but luckily most of the time was spent beside the canal or quiet country roads with no pavements. The most important part of this stroll is being surrounded by field after field some with cows while others populated with sheep including lots a lot of lambs bounding about. I realised this week that the bad weather is good for me, because I didn’t pass a single sole walking the four to five kilometres beside the canal. Usually there is the odd walker with a dog, this week nothing.
A few miles/kilometres before I return to mums I always pop into a pub beside another section of the same canal. I sit on my own with an adult beverage watching a download keeping myself to myself. Once again, the bad weather meant that the drinking establishment was quiet just the way I like it. There have been occasions when the pub has been a little busy for my liking because the fiery ball in the sky decided to show its face. This pit stop prepares me for the final section of the walk which is mainly up hill.
A visit to Mum and my sister Is always fun and special, I last saw them on Crimbo Day this made my trip even more important. I got to spend a lot of quality time with these two very special people. But of course, the highlight was my walk. The next time I am going to shake things up and change the route, I would like to reach 30km / 18.641mls. The 22.87km / 14.211mls of this walk just didn’t feel enough. Next time, I need to push myself a little harder. Until my next visit up north, I will keep walking local roads and parks of London. Stopping to feed monkey nuts to squirrels in the parks as a replacement to seeing farm animals while out.
And Finally…….
A child in Regents Park said loudly as they passed that whatever they were eating was and I quote, “yummy, yummy in their tummy”. Of course, hearing this make me extremely peckish.
Heard someone on a bus in London say that whoever they were talking about was boring in a beautiful way. I thought that was quite sweet, that’s how I would like to be described.
My Mid-Life Crisis Conts……
What I Watched This Week……
“3 Body Problem”, (S1, ep 5 to ep 8). “3 Body Problem – S1”, (“Inside Ep 1”). “Angel”, (S2, ep 15 to ep 20). “Buffy The Vampire Slayer (S5, ep 15 to ep 21). “Clearing Up”, (S1, ep 4). “Daria”, (S2, ep 4). “Dream Academy – “Life In A Northern Town” (Official Music Video)”, (TheDreamAcademy/YouTube)(TX: 29/10/14). “Have I Got News For You”, (S67, ep 1, TX: 05/04/24). “Mandy”, (S3, ep 1 to ep 6). “Peter Kay Live – At The Bolton Albert Halls”, (DVD, 2003). “Pilgrimage: The Road Through North Wales”, (ep 1, TX: 29/03/24)(ep 2, TX: 05/04/24)(ep 3, On BBC Iplayer From 29/03/24). “Renegade Nell”, (S1, ep 2). “Star Trek”, (TOS, S2, ep 6, “The Doomsday Machine”, TX: 20/10/67). “Star Trek Discovery”, (S3, ep 1, “That Hope Is You, Part 1“)(ep 2, “Far From Home“). “Star Trek Prodigy”, (S1, ep 8, “Time Amok”). “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”, (S1, ep 8, “The Elysian Kingdom“)(ep 9, “All Those Who Wander”)(ep 10, “A Quality Of Mercy”)(.S2, ep 1, “The Broken Circle”). “The Apprentice”, (S18, “Week Ten”, TX: 04/04/24). “The Apprentice: You’re Fired”, (S18, ep 10, TX: 04/04/24). “The Dropout”, (S1, ep 1). “The Great Celebrity Bake Off For S2UC”, (S7, ep 3, TX: 31/03/24). “The Walking Dead”, (S2, ep 8). “The Young Ones”, (S1, ep 2, “Oil”, TX: 16/11/82). “Things You Should Have Done”, (S1, ep 5). “Top Of The Pops”, (TX: 30/11/95).
Doctor Who Watched This Week……
“Skyfall (Pt 2)“, (S12 (S38 Since 1963) ep 2, (TX: 05/01/20). “Orphan 55”, (S12 (S38 Since 1963) ep 3, TX: 12/01/20). “Nikola Tesla’s Night Of Terror”, (S12 (S38 Since 1963) ep 4, TX: 19/01/20). “Fugitive Of The Judoon”, (S12 (S38 Since 1963) ep 5, TX: 26/01/20). “Praxeus”, (S12 (S38 Since 1963) ep 6, TX: 02/02/20). “Can You Hear Me?”, (S12 (S38 Since 1963) ep 7, TX: 09/02/20). “The Haunting Of Villa Diodati”, (S12 (S38 Since 1963) ep 8, TX: 16/02/20). “Season 1 Trailer 2 – Doctor Who”, (Doctor Who/YouTube)(TX: 31/03/24).
“Doctor Who In Studio: The Ark In Space CG Set Tour”, (Andrew Orton/YouTube)(TX: 26/03/24). “Doctor Who In Studio: The Five Doctors CG Set Tour”, (Andrew Orton/YouTube)(TX: 20/03/24). “Doctor Who In Studio: The Tomb Of The Cybermen Episode 1 CG Set Tour”, (Andrew Orton/YouTube)(TX:03/04/24).
What I Listened To This Week……
“Angel On Top: Angel Rewatch”, (S1, ep 7, “The Bachelor Party”, 22/08/18). “Being James Bond”, (ep 005, 10/12/06). “Brian & Roger”, (04/04/24). “Braving Babylon 5”, (ep 49, 22/05/17). “Broadcasting House (With Paddy O’Connell)”, (BBC Radio 4/Sounds)(31/03/24). “Buffering: A Rewatch Adventure”, (ep 1.07, “Angel”, 02/11/16)(ep, 1.08, “I Robot… You, Jane”, 09/11/16). “Clinton Baptiste’s All-New Paranormal Podcast”, (05/04/24). “Counting The Earth”, (ep 5, 27/03/24). “Doctor Who – Toby Hadoke’s Time Travels – Happy Times And Places”, (77.1, “Sleep No More”, 01/04/24). “Exocast”, (ep 47-b, 26/10/20). “Explore Exoplanets: The Discoverers”, (ep 10, 04/04/24). “Hard Boiled Eggs And Nuts A Laurel And Hardy Podcast“, (ep 42, 30/06/18). “Hello From Pale Blue Pod”, (07/11/22). “Liza Tarbuck”, (BBC Radio 2/Sounds)(30/03/24). “NASA Curious Universe”, (S7, ep 2, 02/04/24). “NASA Houston We Have A Podcast”, (ep 330, 05/04/23). “Nick Abbot Whole Show”, (LBC)(30/03/24)(31/03/24)(01/04/24)(05/04/24). “Now Playing Presents – You Only Live Twice”, (21/08/12). “Pale Blue Pod”, (“Trailer, Hello From Pale Blue Dot”, 07/11/22)(2 × eps 21/011/22). “Radio Astronomy (Sky At Night Magazine) Star Diary”, (“1st to 7th April”, 31/03/24). “Random Movie Generator With David Earl And David Edward’s”, (S3, ep 14, 03/04/24). “Random Trek”, (The Incomparable)(ep 9, TOS, “Errand Of Mercy”, 24/07/14). “Rylan On Saturday”, (BBC Radio 2/Sounds)(30/03/24). “Sicker Sadder World: Rewatching Daria”, (S1, ep 6, “This Year’s Model”, 11/04/17). “Smersh Pod – Superman Returns”, (Pt 1, 01/04/24)(Pt 2, 02/04/24). “Space And Things Podcast”, (STP188, 04/04/24). “Space Rocket History”, (ep 188, 07/12/16)(ep 189, 14/12/16)(ep 190, 21/12/16)(ep 191, 04/01/17)(ep 192, 11/01/17)(ep 193, 18/01/17). “The All-New Angelos And Barry Podcast”, (04/04/24). “The Marx Brothers Council Podcast”, (ep 10, 27/12/18). “The Mystery Hour With James O’Brien”, (LBC)(04/04/24). “The Nick Abbot Habit “, (LBC)(02/04/24). “The Rewatcher: Buffy The Vampire Slayer”, (ep 7, “Angel”, 07/11/22)(ep 8, “I Robot…. You, Jane”, 14/11/22). “The Skewer”, (BBC Radio 4/Sounds)(S11, ep 8, 03/04/24). “The Space Shot”, (ep 322, 01/04/18)(ep 323, 02/04/18)(ep 324, 03/04/18). “Twenty Thousand Hertz”, (07/07/21)(16/02/22). “Two Watch Who”, (S23, Story 1, “The Trial Of A Timewarp – The Mysterious Planet”, 01/04/24). “Universe Today Podcast”, (ep 321, 17/03/17)(ep 322, 21/03/17)(ep 323, 22/03/17)(ep 324, 25/03/17)(ep 325, 11/04/17)(01/04/24) (02/04/24). “Very Nearly An Armful A Tony Hancock Podcast “, (“Trailer”, 30/03/24). “What’s Your Problem With Nick Abbot And Carol Mcgiffin”, (LBC)(02/04/24)(05/04/24).
I Enjoyed Music By This Week……
“Morrissey”, “Babybird”, “Babylon Zoo”, “Cream”, “Doris Day”, “Dream Academy”, “Frank & Nancy Sinatra”, “Klaxons”, “Radiohead”, “Santigold” , “Sophie Ellis-Bextor”, “The Bluetones”, “The Cranberries”, “The Delays”, “The Kooks”, “The Mamma’s And The Pappa’s”, “The New Seekers”, “Wilson Phillips”.
MisFits Mid-Life Crisis.... 