May's EEG walk

May 14th 2011

This walk was an historic walk as for the first time I brought the East End Girls and the Athena Angels together - the Athena Angels are the group that I am training from my Networking groups and we are aiming to do Maggie's Night Hike in September. The girls, who have been training since the start of the year are now up to 10 miles ish so it's easier to put the groups together than to plan more than one walk....and they get to meet each other and network. We also had Mel (in the foreground) join us for the first time.

What's also amazing about this walk is the fact that at last we are going to be able to walk that bit of the London Loop between Moor Park and Stanmore, only 9 miles!! It'e been so long in the coming due to engineering works which mean we can get there but not back or vice versa. There is also an opt out at Hatch End Station after 4.75 miles for those doing the 10 mile Night Hike (Athena Angels) or of course, those people can keep on going if so inspired.

The hardest bit of this walk is getting out of the station as there is a need to double back and lots of instructions saying 'don't go here, don't do that" but we made it so onwards .... and almost immediately onto a golf course. Walking on golf courses always makes me uneasy but this one was much better than the one in Hainault, thank goodness.

Once through that the walk then took us through Oxhey woods so lots of greenery but on this walk there were times when the signposting let us down and we had to back track and at other times we found ourselves more or less walking in a hedge!! Of well, all pert of the fun I suppose.

The fingers are poised on Carol as she was, in fact the only Athena Angel who made it, brave women but she has eturned again since so a good sign.

Here Teresa attempts a conversation with the local animals. After a rather enjoyable lunch, I think she was biding her time as we started to climb!! We were heading for Grimsdyke and before that fabulous views across much of London. That was well worth a stop and it was easy to spot harrow on the Hill in the distance because of the church spire.

Grim's Dyke is an ancient earthwork probably dated back to AD 100.

Sue and Lindsey enjoying the walk

Grimsdyke House, designed by Norman Shaw is in the vicinity and this house was bought in 1890 and restored by W S Gilbert the literary half of Gilbert and Sullivan. Lots of history here.

The photos above illustrate the variety of terrain within this walk and having not done it before this was all new ground. Where it did start to look familiar was when we came close to Stanmore where we recalled taking photos by the ponds at Stanmore Little Common.

Another great day out.