Sponsored walk for Parkinson's UK

Sunday 2 August 2015

I hope you can support my sponsored walk for Parkinson's UK.

With a family member and three friends whose lives are affected by Parkinson's, I now know how important fund-raising is for Parkinson's UK. Our target is to raise £1,000 - enough to fund a cutting-edge research project for a week. If you would like to make a donation, please go to my Just Giving page  - and add your own cheering message.

Join the sponsored walk. It couldn't be easier! Everyone's welcome. It's a roll-on-roll-off walk, joining the walkers where it suits you.

No need to let me know that you're coming. Just turn up on 2 August, and surprise us!

Start: 10.45 assemble at Tottenham Lock, 11am depart.
Distance:  8 miles on smooth surfaces. Walking pace will be steady rather than fast.
Route: just follow the canal tow path down to Islington. It's impossible to get lost!
Finale: about 5pm, Islington Tunnel, Regent's Canal.

Getting there: by tube on Victoria Line; from King's Cross it's 10-12 minutes to Tottenham Hale. Even on a Sunday morning, there's a tube train every 5 minutes! But worth just checking with TfL the day before.

At Tottenham Hale:  turn left out of tube station, then left again. It's a 5 minute walk down the main road (Ferry Lane) over the River Lee, then immediately down onto the canal.

Meeting point: tow path at Tottenham Lock. The canal's called the Lee Navigation.

Start time: assemble here at 10.45 am for photos, blowing up balloons, handing out small Parkinson's UK banners…. 11 am set off southward.

What to bring: snacks, water and picnic lunch (food to share?)

Looking back to Tottenham Lock

1) Tottenham Lock to Walthamstow Marshes.

After about 20 minutes, pass Markfield Park (Beam Engine Museum & café), then after another 20 minutes Springfield Park (small café) & play areas.  Cross over canal (at Horseshoe Footbridge) to Springfield Marina.

Lea Valley Marina, Springfield

2: Walthamstow Marshes to Lea Bridge.

Now walking on the east side of the canal, enjoy Walthamstow Nature Reserve, home to great crested grebes, yellow wagtails and herons. Then cross the canal again (Wilton Point Footbridge) & on down across Lea Bridge (A104 road).

About 12.15: immediately after Lea Bridge, the waterside Prince of Wales pub is a good spot for a snack (as it's still 2 miles to picnic lunch at Victoria Park).

3: Lea Bridge to Victoria Park.

Follow the towpath for about 2 miles down via Hackney Marsh and Hackney Wick. The landscape now grows distinctly more urban. Don't miss Hackney's mind-bending graffiti.

At Sweetwater, the canal forks (straight on goes down to Bromley & Bow).

Branch right here, taking bridge over canal - to join the Hertford Union Canal. And enjoy both Hackney's imaginative houseboats and sight of the Olympic Stadium.

4. Break for picnic Lunch at Victoria Park.

After about ½ mile along Hertford Union Canal, Hackney's enormous and impressive Victoria Park opens up, so turn right to enter.

About 1.30 pm - picnic lunch by adventure playground area (toilets nearby), which is just a few minutes' walk into the east section of the park.

I suggest 1½ hours for lunch (unless weather is horrible).

For an excellent map, google Victoria Park (Tower Hamlets).

Victoria Park is in two halves (divided by a road). We'll leave from the smaller west section of Park (there's a boating lake, fountains, strange sculptures…)

3 pm:  depart from west-end (Canal Gate) onto Regent's Canal. Near the gate is moored a 'Time to Enjoy A cuppa' barge offering TEA (geddit?) and chocolate fudge cake.

5: Regent's Canal to Islington.

We pass some social housing, then on via Haggerston and Hoxton, skirting Shoreditch. The canal-side bars now have names such as 'The Proud Archivist'. Look out for Kingsland Basin (on right) and then (on left) Wenlock Basin and City Road Basin. An eye-watering juxtaposition of houseboat-living and metro-sophisticates.

About 5pm: arrive at Islington Tunnel (just after City Road Basin) - and finale!

Finale: an elegant glass of fizz (& canapés) to celebrate all walkers completing the whole route.

And welcome and congratulations to everyone who has supported Parkinson's UK!

Getting home: from Regent's Canal (Islington Tunnel), walk up slope and bear left into Duncan Terrace Gardens. Walk to end, turn right into City Road, and along to Angel Islington tube ~ about 5 minutes' walk.

Note: all times are approximate.

Map design: Mike Barrett at Frogs Design.