The Long Walk.

So, tomorrow I'm back up at hospital to get the results of the first dose of this last batch of chemotherapy, which I started 6 weeks ago. It's quite possibly going to be more bad news, so today we went to Windsor Great Park to do a bit of The Long Walk.

As we walked from the car park, we got a first glimpse of the castle through the trees;

And I couldn't resist taking some shots of the deer; the males have got their horns but they aren't yet fighting each other,

They've been here as long as time but these days they are so used to people that they let me get close enough to take their pictures.

Then we got to the copper horse;

But this was why we came - Robyn wanted to do 10km and I'd told her it was 3 miles each way.

We weren't planning to do the whole walk today, just a try out.

Me, I just wanted to stick two fingers up at cancer.

We set off on a really, really hot day;

We actually made it to the white gate in the distance but even so there's still a good way to go to the castle;

It was still a lot further than we'd intended. Here's the view back to where we came from;

By the time we got back I was absolutely exhausted, I even needed to sit down on a wall before I could get back to the car.

Robyn had a look on the map and we think we made it about two thirds of the way. As it's around 2.65 miles each way all the way to the castle, we may have done about 2 miles each way, which together with the journey to and from the car park is quite long.

I reckon we did about 4 miles altogether- mind you I have no idea whether I'll be back to do the whole 10 Km!

Anyway, it's a good two fingers worth!

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Claiming Date: 7th June!

Last weekend we had a visit to Windsor in the drizzle but we weren't there as tourists, we were there to check out our wedding plans!

As we got into town, the police shut the road on us.

We'd bumped into The Changing of the Guard!

A full scale military band and guard;

Not really my thing but quite a sight all the same.

We were actually there to check out the registry office and very grand it is indeed.

Our wedding is now set for 1-45pm on 7th June and we are claiming the date.

We'd welcome anyone who wants to come along to get in touch - it's a big venue and there's likely to be room for everyone.

The reception may well be just for family......not least because we haven't actually booked anything yet or even agreed on what we are going to do.

Gulp!

Time is short and we're still deciding things, so it's going to be very hectic and last minute.

Whatever we do, it will be lots of fun and (I hope) there'll be a few surprises too.

Well, I'm not going to miss it.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

The Jubilee canal.

I've been wasting time and days recently, it hasn't been the best of times.

Today was still cold but it was sunny and we went out, with no idea where we were going.

We ended up driving though Eton and Eton Wick and over the meadows to Dorney. We parked up by The Jubilee Canal and had a walk.

Maidenhead, Bray and Windsor (where the rich people live) used to flood regularly while we didn't. So, they built a canal which was designed to take the flood waters away them.......and drop them a bit further down stream to us.

That's why we keep getting flooded now.

The canal still looks man-made even though the trees have started to grow up these days. You might even have got a false idea that spring was near;

It isn't!

We watched the water flowing, which meant they opened the canal recently and that's why the Thames was so high, so quickly last week.

We climbed one of the little hills of spoil and got a good view of Slough and it's sewage farm as well as this;

Windsor castle dominating the landscape as it has for over a thousand years.

Nearby Dorney Manor boasted a fine Cedar of Lebanon - I really must research that properly! 

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Christmas at Windsor.

After half a day at Charing Cross Hospital we went to the movies to see 'Christmas with the Coopers' - a pleasantly funny Christmas tale for grown-ups.

Perhaps the ending was a little too happy for me but then it is Christmas after all.

Afterwards we went out of our way to go home via Windsor to have a look at the lights;

 

 

As you can see, my camera was struggling a bit in the dark. They've rigged up a projector to put a light show against one of the towers;

It's an ever changing display of snowflakes, heraldic symbols, sheets of music and royal coats of arms;

It's quite dramatic although royal themes do nothing for me.

Windsor was quiet late at night, the tourists and shoppers tucked up in bed and only a few guests sitting up over a late night drink in the hotels.

There's a Christmas tree too;

A quiet, crisp December night.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)

Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

In the Gardens.

My trip round Saville Gardens wasn't really my kind of thing - I'm not a plantsman and I prefer wild places.

The gardens are fairly formal and we only got in for free because at this time of year the plants are hiding from the weather.

The Camellias were in flower despite the rain and the cold;

And every so often you caught a gleam from the Witch hazel which is one of the few plants to flower at this time of year;

There were some exotic scents from plants flowering when they would have done at their home on the other side of the world.

There's also a small greenhouse and this is a Tree Fern from New Zealand....this is a tender one;

 

 

 There is one variety that can almost survive our winters if it's protected and there were a few outside. They are a protected species now; they take a long time to grow.

 

There was some clever modern planting...here are snow drops amongst an almost black grass. 

 

 

 

 

 

I wasn't convinced by it; as I said I prefer the wild places. I was glad I saw it though and we had a really nice day. Not sure I'd want to pay £9-50p each to see it.

 

Neil Harris

(a don't stop till you drop production)

 

Home:  helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com

 

Contact me:  neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

Neil Harris



Saville Gardens.

Saturday morning and the sun shone long enough for us to decide to go out.....and then it went back to being cold and wet. Winter is just never going to end.

We meant to go for a long walk around Windsor Great Park but as we got near to the Saville Gardens we went in to the entrance building. I hadn't meant to as it was a place my parents went to a lot and it has memories for me.

But it is amazing architecture.

 

I remember it being built - it seemed to take forever. There are gardens that are quite expensive to see. You would really want to be a plant person to get something out of them - but the entrance building is free, there's a car park and you can get a coffee or look at the shop.

The building is ecological - on one side the earth is piled up against the walls for insulation and it is made entirely out of wood. While it is very modern it's also very traditional - they used 'Green Oak'; oak before it is seasoned so that there is inbuilt shrinkage.

The techniques were developed on medieval oak barns and continue to this day.

Except this is something that could only have been built in the age of computer aided design; take a look at the inside of the roof;

 

 

 

There a massive structural steel framework but the roof is self supporting and is just a network of interlocking oak beams. Built in the green, as the oak dried out it shrank, giving the structure it's strength. It's all about inner tensions.

 

It's also very beautiful.

 

And then we discovered that as it's still winter and no self respecting plant would be putting it's nose from out of it's warm comfy duvet; the gardens were free for the day.

 

So we took a look!

 

That's for tomorrow.

 

 

Neil Harris

(a don't stop till you drop production)

 

 

Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com

 

Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

 





In the sun.

Monday and it was warm and sunny but as that was never going to last we went out in the morning.

This is the distant view of Windsor Castle, down the 'Long Walk';

We sat in the sun by the statue of mad George III, watching planes taking off from Heathrow and flying off to exciting places;

But I couldn't resist having a closer look at some of the Queens deer;

I have two cameras - one cost me £11-99p in a charity shop, this time I was using my £19-99p pawn shop camera.

I like this shot - I have no real zoom so I got this by stalking my deer.

Very slowly, tippee-toed, creeping up ever so quietly;

It was a lovely morning out there in the sun;

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)

Home:   helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com

Contact me:  neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Windsor in the rain.

 

 

On Thursday, Me and Robyn were getting stir crazy and we escaped to Windsor for the afternoon.

 

It poured with rain on us.

 

Sigh!

 

 

It's very historic although as I am anti-monarchist, it's not really my kind of place.

 

Although if you look hard enough;

 

 



This is The Crooked House. It's main clam to fame is that it's, well......a bit crooked;

 

                                                 

We spent a lot of time hiding in shops - looking at really important things like hats;

                                               

 

And I don't know how I got through life without one of these;

                                  

This is from the toy shop - a life size soldier made out of lego.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)

Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com

Contact me:  neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com