I came downstairs for breakfast amongst considerable activity. I noticed that there were many young ladies of a slim build and they looked very athletic types. Little did I know that there was going to be a preparation and final selection for the Paris Olympics with respect to the 10,000 meter runs. This was to take place at Parliament Hill with the best  athletes from the country competing. The proceedings started at 2:30 with the first 10,000 meter race for men and then proceeded through the women and under 13 boys and girls though they only had to run 800 meters.

Regrettably I could not stay for the whole thing but I was very inspired by the enthusiasm and the combination that I experienced. The title of the event was rather mysteriously and imaginatively the night of the 10,000 meter PB’s (personal bests). It was but a short walk from the hotel to Parliament Hill Fields

On the way I had one of these weird events that seems part of my guidance system. Someone has left  it’s more number of books outside their property. They were just sitting there. One of them called me. It was a book written by a Roman Catholic writer called Lost Souls?

I picked it up at glanced at it and realized that the style, direct and personal, was exactly my type of book so I took it. Thank you god for guiding me in this direction. As if I haven’t got enough books to read already but I’m obviously ready for this one.

Those who live around Hampstead Heath are very proud of their heritage and there is great emphasis on rewilding or restoring the heath to what it was. The pictures above illustrate this.

Sellers of food were setting up for the day for what were obviously going to be large crowds. I know that prices have gone up but I thought these prices which you can see if you look very carefully were towards the exploitative end of the spectrum

It’s difficult to capture the whole event without having a wide angle lens but these were the key runners being prepared or shall we say psyched up by the promoters and going for short runs around the adjacent field. I only wish I could have stayed longer but my three pm coach will not wait

The journey home

A few final images to end what has been a very successful time. Thank you Gregory my host for making my stay possible and for inviting me to the wonderful meal on the Thursday night.

The area adjacent to Euston Station has been purchased at great expense and used for HS2 building. If this white elephant ever comes to into existence I shall be surprised.  I think it is slated to start running in 2034. The talk is that the last stage right into the center of London is too expensive to complete and so the service will start at Old Oak Common so people have to trek all the way there thus cancelling out any savings in time. Who has the courage to scrap something which is already over budget and consumed millions of pounds.

I love it. A mural going up the whole height of a building

This is the snuggest car parking I have seen for many a year. It JUST about keeps to the right side of the law.

This looks very suspicious to me. It’s one of these ideas that may sell to American tourists but I don’t know how they can maintain themselves over the lean period in the winter.

Our Homeward journey was eventful, let’s put it like that. We were due to leave at 3 o’clock and actually left out 10 minutes past three and were warned that there would be delays due to a closure on the M4 between junctions 12 and 13. We had to do a 40 mile detour which I laughingly called a free tour around the countryside. We actually went via Basingstoke. We arrived an hour late but then with the M4 closed there’s not much the driver could do.