Bench Monday is back

Bench Mondays are back! Here's a reminder of the rules: The pictures should be taken on a Monday, and show feet and a bench. Faces and views in the background would also be a welcome option. And, even better, a story to go with it, about yourself or the special place. Get in touch at colchesterwalktowork@yahoo.co.uk. We look forward to hearing from you.

Outdoor art

You don't have to go to an art gallery to see works of art. Arts, crafts and designs are all around us. Let us salute the efforts of the road liner in Balkerne Heights, who has very neatly lined round the traffic calming. It must have made a change to his usual work for the guy (and I'm guessing it was a man) who did this. There he was anticipating another week shuffling along the gutter, mile after mile of straight lines, and he gets sent here. Lovely curving shapes round the traffic calming, reminding me of the parallel lines on the canvasses of Bridget Riley, that I had admired at Tate Modern a couple of weeks ago.

Walk to Work Challenge

Walk to Work Week is over, and all my walking trips have been registered on the national website http://www.walkingworks.org.uk/ . I believe we have the rest of the weekend to use the website, before it closes and they share the results - and award the prizes.

We've done well in Essex, and even better in Colchester. I can only give our own results at Colchester2020 Travel Plan Club, where the two of us who jobshare have done 35.4 and 13.0 miles during the week. We've had walks to and from work, walking meetings and lunchtime strolls. When we get more results from Walking Works we'll share them on our blogspot.

Walk to Work Week over - what next?

Walk to Work Week's over, and it's time to put up our feet. Our picture shows the Walking Party last Wednesday. But we rest only until Tuesday, then it's back to the task!

We've had ten events, hundreds of followers, and thousands hearing about walking for transport in Colchester. So what do we do next?

The plan was always to continue promoting walking during the summer as opportunities arise, then have another re-launch of local walking for transport in the autumn.

Meanwhile, please get in touch with your comments on our campaign so far, and keep coming back to our blogspot, there will be new stories right through the summer....

You'll never walk alone?

Thanks to Alan Hardy for his talk today at Castle Park bandstand. A small audience enjoyed his tales of life afoot, starting with his excitement as a young boy, when Everest was first climbed. (1953 for those who want to estimate Alan's age without chopping his leg off and counting the rings.) Young Alan imitated the adventure by putting a stick in the top of a pile of rubble on a demolition site. Alan expressed concern that today's young people are not given the opportunity to explore and play like that, and so may never get the bug for adventure outdoors.

Alan chatted about his hikes across the Scottish highlands, and in the Himalayas. But it wasn't all about walking and fording rivers, it was about people he met on the way, and a bit about food and drink - well you do get an appetite don't you?

The audience were interested in the differences between solo trips, and walking with another person or in a group. Alan had no particular preference; each option had its advantages and downside. Walking alone meant that you would see more of the natural world; groups of people make more noise and smell, which means less animals and birds to see. Besides, some people are driven crazy by their own company after a couple of hours! The audience enjoyed Alan's company for 45 minutes. Look out for him giving illustated talks to local groups after the summer.

Hiking Hardy tomorrow lunchtime, 12:30 Castle Park

A quick reminder for tomorrow's "Hiking Hardy" talk at Castle Park bandstand. It starts at 12:30, will last about half an hour, and we get the chance to ask questions and chat with Alan afterwards. Castle Park is looking great this time of the year, and we're right by the Park cafe, so take in a stroll, a talk and a cuppa tomorrow lunchtime.

Step and Snap competition underway

Entries for our photography comp are coming in. Click on "Step and Snap" at the right for more info about our fun competition. Pigeons optional.