Coronavirus walk no. 185, Harpenden, 2nd December 2023
Distance
10.7 miles
The season is fading … I had no particular plan today; I just had to get out and go somewhere despite the temperature, which was barely above freezing.
Another post box topper! The post box was decorated on the 30th of November for Christmas 2023. Candy Stuart and Gillian Winkworth provided this topper.
Pillar box manufactured by Carron Company, Stirlingshire, ScotlandPresents!
At this point I discovered that I had, in my pocket, my first ever Charles III coin, a commemorative fifty pence piece:
Reverse (“tails”)Obverse (“heads”)
(I can never remember which side is the obverse and which is the reverse.)
And onto the walk …
Round the bend …Steps into a little wood.The ropes are to stop you trampling over the bluebells. This place is fabulous in the spring.Last vestiges of the autumnMoss growing at the base of a treeFrost on the spider’s web …… and on the leaves
Out of the woods and back to the footpath:
A few leaves remain (compare this to pylon hunt 19)These white flowers caught my eye …Not petals but frost, but still pretty.Obligatory berries! Christmas-time colour. (Actually not berries but rosehips.)Lots of fog today …Muddy of course, but not too difficult to walk alongA passing railhead treatment train, blasting the track with high pressure water jets to remove leaf residue. This shot wasn’t properly prepared!
It took a couple of years or more to come across this tree-lined bridleway:
Back to tree cover, surrounded by one of far too many golf courses in the areaLooking through a gap in the treesSome of the final colour of 2023Bridleway signpost, a little worse for wear …Emerging from the trees onto a road: finally entering the townSome more snake shots …Moss has turned the pavement into a green carpetAn interesting variety of houses here …This is somewhere I would be happy living! (Fits in with one of my more elaborate fantasies)I suspect these are modern builds …Elegant, thoughSome Christmas decorations. The levels are a bit iffy here as my hands were so @$*# cold that I was having to work the camera controls with whichever finger still had any dexterity and strength left! (This is all the fault of SnakesInBowties on Imgur.)
For the post box folks, exhibit 2, an Edward VII era example. The writing at the bottom is a little difficult to read; it indicates that the manufacturer is McDowall, Steven & Co of London and Glasgow.
No topper on this oneEdward VII era (1901–1910), making this pillar box over 100 years old
Onwards …
Still on the footpath, but very pretty.DrivewayBehind closed gatesMmm trees …Gold-edged holly bushMore quaint little cottages, although some appear to be joined to their neighbour to form a double-sized house.The little pink house
I went back to this side road to see the fountains that I discovered three years earlier:
I do fancy the idea of living in a house with a non-rectangular floor plan …The fountains were switched off when I arrived; as if by magic, they started up and the lights came on as I walked up to them.Baby fountain on the far side of the bridge.The bridge itselfYou can come to the bridge, but you can’t cross it!
It seemed to get dark fairly fast!
Walking home along one of several rail trails in the areaLeft or right … I planned to go right, but chose left for a change.The camera doesn’t quite capture the fog that was still lingering. Sadly I missed my one chance at a shot with two cars, one with incandescent headlights and one with LED headlights, which was a lovely visual contrast.In an era where technology is becoming less and less humane, I appreciate the fact that LED street lights fade on.Looking cosyLights in the night …Impossible to show in a still image, but the fog was swirling spectacularly past the street light.A Christmas tree, bright, but a bit lacking in colourIlluminated snowman decorationNow this was a surprise, and another delight: a double-size post box with another Christmas topper!Someone has gone to a lot of trouble over this!Wait, don’t witches live in houses covered in candy? Don’t go in there!Even a little Christmas train. Claire Toms provided this topper.
The last bit of photography, on the edge of town: after this it’s nothing but my own torchlight.
Possibly the most outlandish decorations around23 more sleeps until Christmas. (I don’t celebrate anything, but this household’s decorations are impressive.)Finally, their neighbour’s house.
I hadn’t the faintest expectation of seeing so much, or being out in the cold for so many hours, but having a less terrible camera makes capturing the fading beauty worthwhile. (After the sun set it did warm up, which was a relief.)
