Mick Hartley

It's not what I planned when I set off, but that's the way it turned out.

The tossed-aside dog (?) on the towpath has moved, but still looks a little….confused:

 

No time to hang about though. It's a warm sunny day. Sights to be seen and streets to be cycled down.

The old brick factories by the Lea – the ones that haven't yet been knocked down and replaced by blocks of flats – look more colourful by the week:

 

Further down, and the Olympic stadium is coming along nicely. According to diamond geezer they've been careful to build the south side first - on the left here – facing the Greenway and the official webcams:

 

And next door in Stratford they're building another bright shiny future:

 

 

Though there are still isolated bits of old Stratford left – like the Carpenters Arms here:

 

Left past Stratford tube station, and up Angel Lane towards Leyton, round the back of the Olympic site:

 

 

Through Leyton and on to the playing fields at Marsh Lane:

 

Then back to the Lea at Walthamstow Marshes, above Springfield Park:

 

A look-in at Markfield skateboard park:

 

 

A young guy arrives on one of those special small-wheeled bikes, takes off his top, and starts doing fancy moves over the concrete bumps. I'm thinking of a photo maybe, but I've left my bike lying on the grass, and need to check it out. It's lucky I do: a guy is walking along the path towards it. Without looking like I'm rushing I get over to it just before he arrives. He gives me a leer: "Nice bike. You wanting to sell it?" Eh? "No". He gives it a kick as I'm wheeling it past him. "You're lucky there, man. It was nearly gone. Nearly gone." Hmm.

Back through South Tottenham; not, perhaps, one of the more elegant London districts:

 

And, gratefully, home.