Floral Derrangement

I’ve just done the very last two of the reccy walks for the Durham County Councuil winter programme. All I need to do now is fill in the forms to submit them

I also did my around-Crook adopt-a-path thingies with not much at all to report. There’s ten paths involved in this, so its a good walk.

One reccy walk was from Newton Cap viaduct in Bishop Auckland, along the riverside and back along the Bishop-Brandon railway walk. The riverside is interesting – lots of herons and an old mill, plus a chap strimming the undergrowth (bless ‘im), but the railway path is a bit dull. I put this in because its an easy route if it goes dark – important on a mid-winter afternoon stroll.

Reccy two was along the riverside at Durham. This is a great walk, I have to say. Durham’s riverside is always interesting what with rowing clubs and incompetent rowing boats with patient girlfriends, and views of the castle and the Cathedral and statues and bridges and pubs – and eight speakers dangling beneath a bridge playing Brighouse and Rastrick’s version of the Floral Dance slowed down by a factor of 130.

This produces a rather weird and ethereal noise which floats along the riverbanks and, as you approach, gradually seeps into you somehow.

Its an “installation” by one Robin Rimbaud for Durham’s Brass Festival which is on at the moment.

Its an interesting nose to say the least. A lass in a tent beside the bridge gave me a leaflet and explained what it was.

The walk is four and a half miles and will be just before Christmas, if it’s accepted. The other walks are six medium length weekday walks in Teesdale and Weardale – plus one for advent involving mince pies, and six Saturday afternoon walks of four or five miles around Crook, Bishop Auckland, Durham and Howden-le-Wear, Barnard Castle and Wolsingham

And now for something completely different.