Winter's here again

Saturday lunch time and the snow started to fall. Takeley didn't grind to a halt; the roads had been gritted and a steady flow of traffic kept the roads clear. This is still the case but leave the roads and this is what you see. The lakes are beautiful again with this new covering.
This all adds to the excitement. Will Christmas be white.
Everywhere carol concerts will be happening this weekend. The Takeley Church one is tonight at 6pm. But off the roads it's a bit slippery, and the church is peripheral to the village, standing as it does in a field outside the community. Will people brave the inclement conditions?
I've always thought this to be sad. Hopefully it is not a reflection on the culture of Takeley, as there are many good people engaged in many good works and the attendees of the church are big hearted and welcoming.
Families are so important this time of the year and the village is very much an extended family but looking for a focus. There doesn't seem to be any one local pub or club; there is a football team and a cricket team. There is a chapel and there is the church. Takeley Silver Jubilee hall and its club is a sort of focus, with scouts, cubs, brownies and guides meeting in a modern scout hut next to it and a nursery using the hall in term time. The local shops and bus stop see people meeting and stopping to chat. Smiles and hellos are exchanged.
The local primary school provides the focus for young families for a while and many of the people who work there are local and engaged elsewhere in the community. The parish council meets and works hard to build community. There is a weekly farmer's market where community organisations provide breakfast. A lot going on really. Fiendly.

Autumn is in the air

This old concrete road runs along Pincey brook and gives access to the balance pools. The autumnal sky and leaves just begining to turn contrast with the just growing autumn sown fields. Lots of depths and contrasts.

Canfield angel emerging

The weather cleared and as we approached Canfield dump this piece of possible community art loomed on the horizon.

Autumn has really set in now

It's raining and it's cold. Takeley's not at its best but the farmer's market will offer\some warmth tomorrow. The Christian School Takeley are preparing the breakfasts and there will be many a smile. I do hope the weather doesn't stop people coming along.

A walk to Macdonalds and back passed the balance pools

This is one of the balance pools. one of our favorite walks is down here and if you walk towards the airport you hit the roundabout over the A120 which gives you access to the service area for a coffee.
Afterwards we generally walk down passed the balance pools looking out for ducks, shell ducks sometimes and if you are really lucky ring necked plovers (I think). Sometimes there are some migrants on passage but its always good in sumeer for swifts, martins and swallows. Basically it is an area of peace smack bang under the airport.

One of the treats this time of the year are the meadow flowers; on this walk we saw loads of cornflowers, ragwort, eggs and bacon and frogwort as well as the rose bay willow herb and bladder campion and other campions. Another treat is lady's beadstraw with its great smell.
We also saw some cinnabar maths with their striking red and black colouring

You join the road again by walking down and along Pincey Brook past the motorcycle repair and disability vehicle garage. This is always interesting; look out for crayfish and here is a a picture with meadow sweet.

And then its across the road to Hatfield Forest and up onto the Flitch way to walk back towards Takeley Station

Our entry in the RHS school competition

Rough but beautiful

The days have been quite balmy but the evenings have been sweet.

Just looking out into the garden gives fresh colour.

Take your eye down and what you see is beauty

Tomorrow it will be mown but for now it is rough but beautiful.

Perfect

Perfect

It's Freezing!

Seem to have experienced every weather possible. Walked across to MacDonalds on the other side of the A120. This is a good quick walk with a warm drink in the middle. You head off down towards the Street from Brewers End, past the turning to the Church and Millers and take the footpath waymarked between some beech trees. You can skirt the balance pools or follow the tack through the trees. There is a lovely view of the church; I might post a photo on a warmer sunnier day.
It's easy to climb the embankment taking care to close the gate to stop the deer getting onto the road.
Suddenly you are in another world with the roar of the traffic and the ever present view of the airport.
I can remember catching crayfish in Pincy brook where this road now runs. I can remember taking my class for walks into what seemed to be the middle of nowhere. It's all changed; I remember seeing the men banging the sticks in. We wondered what they were doing now we know.

May bank holiday 2010

It's Monday and I 've just dodged the showers and been for a walk in Hatfield Forest. The sun shone but the ground was very wet. We followed a mistle thrush through the trees, heard a woodpecker and while drinking our coffee watched the swallows skim over the lake.
It was heartening to see how many people were out for the morning many with dogs. There is a real sense of community amongst the dog owners and open and cheerful greetings and conversations.
I was surprise at how much had changed at the forest as I haven't been there for a while. They are opening out the ground cover and removing a lot of the scrub. This gives a heathland feel to some of it at the moment and it will be interesting to see what grows up in the newly cleared areas.
I was also impressed by the long overdue yellow lines along the road. At £4.60 to get in, membership of the National trust seems a bit more reasonable. Or even better a walk down the Flitch Way or even a cycle. But dodging showers and a general spring weariness saw us going in the car.