Posted on 4 October 2006
Mrs. Wow was Bromptoning to her yoga class this morning. The weather was beautiful: sunny, crisp and with a light breeze, so I thought I would keep her company and then take the scenic route back.
There is quite a wide choice of rides out, and we selected one involving Leigh Broadway. I think, with hindsight, that this is a mistake at half past nine in the morning as convoys of 4*4s are returning to barracks after active duty on The School Run. I became involved in an altercation with a VW driver, whose idea it was to overtake Mrs. Wow and then immediately stop dead. At the next bottleneck, I overtook the VW and then stopped dead and gave her a piece of my mind. Since I am in the process of losing it, there wasn’t a lot left over.
With Mrs Wow safely(ish) ensconced in her Yoga class, I headed west to Marine Parade, where the views across the Thames are at their finest. Here are a few:-
Looking towards Two Tree Island.
The Sun was shining on the sea…
Municipal Gardens
Who left that bike there?
Shortly I reached the borough boundary and gazed into the Badlands beyond…
All of the land in the foreground belongs to the Salvation Army and just beyond Hadleigh Castle they run an open farm. There’s a restaurant where adults with learning difficulties (residents at the farm) act as waiters & waitresses.
Beyond the ridge leading up to the castle is Canvey Island, with the white tanks on the horizon evidence of the petroleum industry.
Here a C2C train from Shoeburyness to Fenchurch Street can be seen.
And this zoomed shot shows the Castle in more detail and part of the Sally Army Beef Herd. Benfleet Yacht Harbour can be seen in the middle distance.
Moving swiftly on (i.e. pretending that Hadleigh doesn’t exist) we see the start of a recenty refurbished bridleway which is now quite pleasant to cycle. Locally known as “Nutty’s Bane”* it remains to be seen whether it was money well spent.
You can actually pretend you are in a pleasant part of the country when riding along here.
There’s the occasional dez. rez.
and the odd Nice Little Pad…
…and some houses so exclusive that they are invisible.
All too soon the Borough of Southend reappears.
It’s then a fairly easy run home along Manchester Drive.
I turn right here…
and go straight on here.
Shortly afterwards, I arrive home.