Start as you mean to go on.

I went to bed last night when the rain was lashing against the windows and things, like dustbin lids, were being blown around by the wind. I was so glad I was cosy in my warm bed but it did make me think about how many cancellations I would get for the first East End Girls (EEG)walk of 2009. We'd had to cancel a few at the end of '08 so I was determined to get things off to a good start.


Well only one person didn't make it and having put my order for perfect walking weather in, I we were rewarded, as usual. A cold but sunny day and not a drop of rain.


It was so great to be out there walking and with a bunch of the best women you could ever meet. I truly love these women.






And thanks to Lindsey who sent a text when she was on her way home to Reading saying "It was gr8 getting out with the EEG again".



And we had Nic with us who hadn't been able to walk with us since Sept '06 - see you're always welcome to come back. Here she is leading the way about 45 mins in.



We'd chosen to revisit some of the Capital Ring so started from Hendon Central. It was fairly flat as far as East Finchley and then the hills started taking us into Highgate Woods where in September 2005, the Capital Ring initiative was launched.

If you live in London , enjoy walking and have never done it, get out there and give it a go. It's a great way to find out about your own city and it's well signposted in most areas. There's also a great book on it by Colin Saunders and is part of the recreational path guides. It gives loads of history too and other interesting info.

As you can see from this photo it was indeed a brisk walk but coffee and lunch stops were of course included and the girls like their comfort. We revisited a coffee shop we'd tried last year and ended up with exactly the same table and at lunch in Jackson's lane Community Centre which used to be a church but now houses a theatre, cafe with superb vegetarian food and the must have - toilets.

Here we all our having lunch - what a colourful bunch ...and noisy too from all the chatter.



From Highgate, where we had lunch, we headed along the Parkland walk which is along a disused railway line and takes you all the way to Finsbury Park, site of the sleepover in Pink Tent City on the Aviva walk which brought us together all those years ago.



The path was rather muddier from when we 'd walked this way in June '08

...and just a little reminder girls...

Great first walk and then next one's on Feb 28th. Not sure where we're off to then but better put the order for great walking weather in again.

I feel so good.