To Tooting Common!
…early on Saturday morning. I had arranged to meet up with D as one of the latest stops of his impressive ParkRun tourist trail.
I rolled out on the BTWIN.
“Nice bike!”
…shouted a female cyclist at the South Lambeth Road lights.
Erm, it’s half decent for the price, but I wouldn’t crown it as the King of my fleet.
I had a decent route plotted out on the Beeline Velo 2. Cycling through Clap’ham and then down to Tooting on the main drag is best avoided.
Instead I took the Abberville back route, ending up on a quiet path that ran through the Common. I was on time to meet D - a rarity for me.
Tooting ParkRun was bloody busy. The paths are narrow and there was over 700 runners. I had no idea where to position myself at the start. I was boxed in for the first km.
One plus side of the course is that it is flat. It’s not quite PR chasing heaven like Dulwich down the road. But once you find some space it’s possible to get a shifty on.
The paths were shared with other weekend runners, walkers and cyclists. I wasn’t expecting to see a tandem at 9am in Tooting on a Saturday morning.
I kept it pacy, but under control. A couple of others runners around me headed to a nearby bush at the finish line to chunder their Bran Flakes up.
My final time was 22″10′, 4th in my age cat. I’m very happy with that, especially since I had Covid shit this time last week.
I was back in the flat in time to catch a Euro themed four=fer with Robert Elms on BBC London. Psycho Killer sounded ACE.
Qu’est-ce que c’est? etc.
Shortly after luncheon and out went the shout of To Bankside!
I was booked in on a Liars’ Walking Tour organised by the always entertaining One Eye Grey. D also joined me, along with R.
It was like something of Lido reunion with three other Lido pals plodding along for the fun.
The route was SE1 based, taking in some of the hidden and historic parts of old Southwark. We touched on the site of the original Globe, bear baiting pits and assorted S Ldn piss alleys.
It was ACE.
I was back in Sunny Stockwell a little earlier than anticipated. I fancied a random Brixton walk with no real purpose.
I set off with my iPhone in my hand, happily snapping away at the almost weekly changes around these parts.
The Clap’ham Road and Stockwell Road junction had around a dozen cashless society nut jobs doing their conspiracy thing with some placards.
I felt like dropping 5p their way. Bless.
I headed up Pope’s Road and the loss making Pop Brixton.
See ya!
I dropped in at Lion Vibes to collect the sweatshirt I bought earlier in the week. I had a decent chat with B about the ACE Insta content he’s killing it with right now.
Brixton Hill was on my radar. This was my patch when we first moved to S Ldn almost 30 years ago I haven’t been up here for six months or so.
I then got sucked in to some Clap’ham backstreets. The sounds of the Country Show drifted in and out around various corners as the wind direction changed.
I ended up back in central Brixton, and then back to base along Stockwell Road.
Not a bad place to live.
I caught up with the Leader’s Debate from last night on the telly.
It was a mass debate.