Glorious Thames

I'm about to get into a bath filled with Radox. I don't really know what Radox is but I know it's something you're meant to put in the bath when your legs hurt. It smells rather nasty. There's a hint of ammonia. It may be good for my legs but I reckon the environment is screaming no! My legs feel like little stumps. I reckon I've walked ten miles today. Maybe fifteen. Essentially the distance from Canary Wharf to Soho via the longest most winding route.

The weather has been glorious. Properly wonderful. There are flowers everywhere at the moment. The verges at the side of Southwood Lane are a riot of colour. There were even some flowers blooming this morning which I've never seen before. Dark purple things like paper tulips hanging from their stems like harebells.

The day started with a car journey to Beaconsfield, wherever or whatever that is! Nathan has a series of gigs with the Westenders across the North this week, and I was dropping him off at a service station where some of the other performers were picking him up.

I returned home and immediately headed off to Canary Wharf to visit the London Docklands museum, working a little on Brass on the journey there.

Meriel and Raily met me at the museum which is a rather lovely boutique of a place. There's lots of interactivity, some really interesting exhibits about slavery, and an entire space decked out to feel like a riverside slum, which we found particularly exciting.

We had tea and cakes before embarking on our epic walk, all the way along the river, which was shimmering like glitter in the bright sunshine.

The only issue with the Thames path is that it keeps becoming a dead end. We spent much of the day retracing our steps, and being forced to take routes further away from the river. I think it would be lovely if Tower Hamlets council could tidy things up a little and make it relatively easy for people to walk along this beautiful river's length within their patch.

We talked non-stop, bought ice lollies, took photographs, and explored tiny little beaches and twisting alleyways running down to the water.

We spent some time staring at the Traitor's Gate at the Tower of London. It's quite moving to imagine the people who floated into the complex via that particular entrance. The thoughts which must have rushed through their minds.

We made it all the way to Covent Garden before our legs started to give out on us, so I declared it fish and chip o'clock and we went to the Rock and Soul Plaice on Endell Street. Classic pun! Why is it that chippies always have these pun-like names?!