Shoreditch street art

 There's lots of street art in this part of London.

The house is on the site where Shakespeare's plays were first performed . It is painted with words and scenes from Romeo and Juliet.

As I took this photo, a tourist nearby asked if the snake was real.

Kemsing

 I am leading a 6 mile circular walk this week from Kemsing in Kent. I usually do this in Spring because of the bluebells and other Spring flowers making an appearance. I always walk the route prior to leading a group just to make sure I don't get lost as the walks are not signposted. So last weekend I took my daughter with me but halfway through I could not find the correct path. In the end I had to retrace my steps and go back. We still walked over 6 miles just not the route I wanted. I always have an OS map with me but the path that was shown on the map just wasn't there anymore. 

Yesterday I returned, this time on my own to see where I had gone wrong. It seems that a farmer has ploughed over one of the pathways and removed a stile. It took me another hour of going backwards and forwards before I could work out where I was going wrong. I can understand why a farmer would plough over the footpath as it is much easier than stopping to avoid the path. It now needs a number of walkers to go across his field and re-establish the path. Once sorted I was able to complete the walk and feel confident about taking a group with me this week.

The walk starts from the village church in Kemsing, A beautiful church which I will pop into on the way back if it is still open.

I then left the village via the Common Field.

Lots of wooded areas on today's walk. Just caught sight of some deer coming out of the woods. Once they heard/smelt me they disappeared quickly back into the woods.

Bluebells everywhere.

Wood Anemone

I don't know the names of many of the flowers I saw but I don't need the names to enjoy their presence.

Primrose

I wanted a leisurely walk today so took advantage of this seat to have my lunch.

This was the strangest pub I have ever been inside. Everytime I have past this pub it has been closed. I assumed it only opened in the evening  but someone in the car park that I was chatting to assured me it would be open this afternoon.

It looked closed. The curtains were drawn with dried up plants in the window, it looked half derelict. I tried the door and was very surprised when it opened.

It was quite dark and I couldn't see anyone at first so I called out and an elderly lady came out in a dressing gown. I did have a soft drink and made use of the bathroom. I can't say I felt comfortable there. It needed a lot more than a spring clean that's for sure. The smell of cigarette smoke was overwhelming bearing in mind that smoking has been banned in public places since 2007 I'm not convinced it's reached this pub yet.

I welcomed being back out in the fresh air.

My favourite part of the walk. As you go through this kissing gate you are met with fabulous views over the valley.

The village of Kemsing is nestled amongst the trees at the bottom.

The field was full of cowslips.

Once back in the churchyard I had a quick look around this beautiful old church before making my way home.

Diggerland

 At the weekend I took my 7yr old grandson to Diggerland in Kent. This was a first for me so I wasn't sure what to expect.

All the machines are what you would find on building sites and the only difference I could see was the restriction on speed. He was able to drive unaided, dumper trucks and an even larger truck where he struggled a little to reach the pedals.

This was him

One of his favourite machines was this excavator.

This was more of a fairground ride where they were lifted high into the air and swung round and round. I could not be tempted to go on this but he loved it. I have to say it was an excellent day out and for once, worth the money as there was enough here to keep him occupied for hours.

DIY

 The amount of furniture I have had to put together since moving finally reached breaking point this week. It seems that whatever you buy you are expected to assemble some part of it. From just putting the handles on the chest of drawers ( John Lewis product)

to completely building from scratch:

An IKEA purchase. Note there are no handles on it yet as I haven't got a drill or vice that's needed to sort that out. Apparently though Amazon have stick on handles which have good reviews.

But this week I had to put together some garden furniture from B &Q. All the pieces were there. The instructions were in diagram form( saves them having to write in numerous languages) and easy to follow. The problem was that the holes for the screws were not aligned. It took hours with a lot of physical pushing and pulling to finally get the majority of screws in place. There are one or two screws missing but I've had enough. Time for a sit down in the sunshine with a glass of wine.

Exploring a new area

 I'm into my 2nd month now in my new home and almost all the boxes have been unpacked. I've painted all the rooms that needed a refresh and now it's time to explore my new surroundings.  Although I have only moved about 6 or 7 miles I don't know this area at all. I still have to use the sat nav when driving but am becoming familiar with a few routes now. Buses are my preferred method of transport locally and the train for my London jaunts.

Today I checked out a local walk I have found on the internet and discovered that I am a 20 min walk from woodlands.

This is Shirley Windmill, built in the mid 19th century to grind the local grain. Milling eventually ceased here in the 1890s with the introduction of the more efficient steam rollers. The mill has survived the ravages of time and has been  restored to what we see today. I believe it is open on a number of days each year so I will be able to see the inside on another visit.

A five minute walk from the windmill and I am into Addington Hills woodland area.

How this car got here I've no idea!

There is a mixture of heathland and woodland.

Today was not a particularly clear day but I could make out the tall buildings in the City of London on the horizon.

A bit closer were the High-rise blocks of Croydon.

I was very pleased to discover this green area within walking distance of my new home. I wonder what else I will find.