A chilled start to Sunday morning with a bicycle ride over to the Serpentine Swimming Club. We’re talking long-sleeves for midsummer - and that’s before a dip in the healing waters of the Serp.
The ski slopes of Vauxhall Bus Station looked magnificent. They glistened in the early morning sun radiating off the Thames.
I confess to having lost track of the current status of the slopes. They’re for the chop, but the delays seem to be building up ahead of the next stage of redevelopment.
Sunday mornings cycling around central London are the BEST. There’s bugger all traffic. It felt good to finally have the freedom of the roads.
Destination Serpentine was reached. There was a lovely Sunday morning feeling amongst the members. Yes - it’s probably the most middle class thing in my life right now. But I bloody LOVE the Serp.
I experimented a little with the swim. I tried one stretch of the water swimming freestyle. I’ve always held off with this stroke at the Serp, knowing that I take a lot of water on board in my mouth.
Ewww.
It was fine. The main obstacle was not having a clear view ahead of me. This is fine in the indoor pool. You can check at the start of each length what the traffic ahead is like. Serp swimmers tend to be a little random.
I reverted to breast stroke for the remainder of the swim. It’s far more relaxing. It also gives you the opportunity to take in your surroundings and appreciate all the nature shit that is around you.
I had a quick turnaround back at base, and then To Herne Hill Velodrome! For the Brixton CC Super Madison!
I cycled through the Railton LTN en route. The old surgery on the frontline has finally seen some action. Having been boarded up for years, it looks like the inevitable ‘luxury’ flats are coming.
Like punk never happened, etc.
Herne Hill Sunday Market was thriving. Some Millennial was talking extremely LOUDLY on his phone as he ploughed through the busy market.
“That’s not my biggest problem.”
My biggest problem right now is you, mate.
Le Velo looked fantastic. The summer racing season always brings out the best of the old girl. The track is booked pretty much every day of the week with either training sessions or invitation meets.
Today it was the turn of Brixton Cycles for what was billed as a Super Madison Summer Season. It was a bit of everything - sprints, endurance and even some derny action. Male and female riders were racing.
The organisation was superb. It’s quite an effort to herd 50 or so track cyclists around a track at specific times. There was a decent vibe at the Velo with a PA man and some top tunes.
I couldn’t hang around for longer than an hour. I had arranged to M for an afternoon at the Lambeth Country Show.
I stopped off first at the always ACE Herne Hill Oxfam. It has one of the best second hand CD selections in S Ldn. I walked out with the Wilko and Daltrey CD for £2.
The Lambeth Country Show was, erm, a little meh. It stopped being the LCS when bloody Brockwell Live swallowed up.
With the Great Wall of Brockwell, the BOOZE ban and the absence of any local stalls, it’s more like a generic show in any major city.
We made a dash for the veg sculptures as soon as we arrived. The queues looked horrendous yesterday. Forty five minutes later and we were in.
These remain one of the few bastions of the old Lambeth Country Show. They’re almost a self-fulfilling prophecy. The more people capture them online, the longer the queues get each year.
The sheep shearing fella with the dancing sheep was staging his show on the plot next door. We then wandered up to main show ground to catch some of the jousting. It was packed, and tricky to get a good view.
M said her farewells. I think she knew I wanted to do my photo thing. I blitzed the site in about an hour.
I then set myself up by the Main Stage for the Sunday roots sessions. Female Roll Call with Lorna Gee was great. It was like a greatest hits of your favourite reggae tunes from the past forty years, all performed by some very powerful females.
And then came Rodigan.
WHOOP! etc.
He played a real crowd pleaser set. I danced along when he dropped some classic early 80’s 12’s. It did get a little chilly.
I had to leave Brockwell with some work commitments. Crowds were still arriving at the main Herne Hill gates at 7pm.
Not a bad day. My total outgoings was £2 for the Wilko and Daltrey CD.
I’m not made for these times.