RIVER RODING..

     World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I was just looking through some of my river Roding pictures preparing for Sundays photowalk. It occurred to me that I have never shown you this one, it's taken from the bridge between Charlie Browns roundabout and the Redbridge roundabout. Fingers crossed the weather is this fine on Sunday...

THE HOTTEST DAY...

...on record for July or so I'm told...

   World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I thought this explosion of water was a suitable picture for today just to cool you down a little...you can see the culprit of the explosion below charging back to the bank with his ball..

   World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved
..makes me want to dig out my swimming trunks, although I'm not sure the world is ready for that just yet..

A QUIET SPOT...

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I though this would be a nice, simple and peaceful picture for Sunday morning. This path runs alongside the river Roding, I'm not sure who but someone goes to the trouble of cutting this path through the undergrowth. It's a lovely stroll, you feel miles away from the hustle of London with just the sounds of the river to accompany you...I hope you are enjoying the weekend..

FLIGHT OF FANCY..

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

Having shown you a picture of a dummy owl yesterday I thought I had better post a picture of a real bird today. I spotted this egret as I walked along the river Roding the other day, it always seems to hang around in the same area, good for fishing perhaps? I have in my minds eye the picture that I want to achieve but I have a feeling that it will take a lot of time and patience...I'll hang in there though and keep trying.. 

A BABBLING BROOK..

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

Not quite the same as the song title above but I discovered a small weir on the river Roding while I was on my walk. I really like the way the water looks like foam as it bubbles over. I enlarged quite a small section of the original picture which is below, I just like the bubbles..

   World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

WAITING FOR LUNCH..

                             World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I came across this heron the other day as was walking by the river Roding. It was quite extraordinary how motionless it managed to stay as it waited for a fish.  I was hoping to witness the catch but I ran out of time before it's lunch came along. Never mind I'm sure our paths will cross again and in the meantime the fish got home safely...

A QUIET SPOT...

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

Sadly no sign of the eclipse, too much cloud cover but here's a nice picture anyway..

The river Roding forms the eastern boundary of Wanstead. Most people know that it's there but I'll bet not that many have seen it in all it's beauty. Many people may glimpse it as they drive over the bridge near the Redbridge roundabout but it really is worth a stroll along it's banks. This picture shows it passing  through Wanstead Park, see what I mean about the beauty...

A RIVER RUNS..

                      World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

As I have said before, it's funny how moving water in a river, garden or the sea seem's to have such a calming effect. This stretch of water is of course the river Roding that borders Wanstead. I could spend hours just watching leaves floating by wondering where they will end up.

POINT OF VIEW..

                     World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I quite like graffiti in the right place, I know it's not everyones cup of tea. The talent show by some of the artists is amazing, I came across this piece on a river Roding walk, it's on a concrete wall under the A406. It came as a bit of contrast after all that greenery and peaceful flowing water still it's someones point of view. 

JUST LOOKING..

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I thought I would end the week of river Roding photographs with this one. If you stop and look as you walk the river bank there is such a lot to see. So wherever you are take a little time from your day and just observe. Enjoy the weekend.

If you have enjoyed the pictures this week and fancy an amble along a stretch of the river Roding check out our Wanstead Fringe page for full details.

BRIDGE OVER..

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I came across this bridge over the river Roding, it just really appealed to me. The sunlight falling on it, the blue sky with the clouds, the clear waters of the river but most off all the rust coloured metalwork. It just appealed..

ON THE BANK..

                             World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I discovered this lovely vine covered tree on my river Roding walk. It was high on the bank and it was easy to walk past without really noticing, I'm glad I spotted it.

WINDING THROUGH

                             World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

This is another photograph from my river Roding walk. It's a simple picture but I really like the way the river just winds between the reeds. It's taken from a bridge and that little bit height made all the difference. 

RIVER RODING..

     World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

We are so lucky, looking at this picture it's difficult to believe that we are only a few miles from central London. I took a little time at the weekend to walk part of the river Roding, the same stretch that we are having a photo walk along on Sunday Sept 7th. It was the first time I had walked this stretch and it was great, so many picture opportunities and you are going to see a few of the pictures this week. I do hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed taking them.

If you enjoy a walk and fancy an amble along a stretch of the river Roding check out our Wanstead Fringe page for full details.

A STROLL BY THE RIVER..

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

Bright, sunny and a walk by the River Roding produced several good pictures. This one shows the A406 crossing over the river not far from the Redbridge roundabout. It was the rippled reflection in the river that did it for me.

HIGH WATER...

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

Spied this concrete notice on the top of a bank along the River Roding.  Nice to know that the flood defences are in place and ready for action should the need arise.

FLYING HIGH, er LOW ACTUALLY...

World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

Did you see the helicopter on Monday? If you were in the eastern part of Wanstead over by the river Roding it was difficult to miss, if you couldn't see it you would almost certainly have heard it. It hovered in the same spot for ages, at first I thought it was the Police dealing with a problem on the A406. It turns out it was from the National Grid and it spent the afternoon slowly following the course of the power lines that run along the Roding Valley. Just checking I expect.

HIGH TIDE...

                             World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I walked down to check on the river Roding last night. John from the Wanstead Golf Club had been advised by the Enviroment Agency that there was going to be a very high water level in the river last night. I headed back to the same spot where I photographed the river from in December last year, that is the bridge where the A12 crosses the river near the Redbridge roundabout. I have to say that at night everything was a lot more dramatic, the water level was very high and really rushing under the bridge but thankfully no sign of it spilling over. As a matter of local interest John told me that the bridge I was on was the site of the original 'Red Bridge'.

RAIN, RAIN AND MORE...

                            World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I went to see how the river Roding was getting on earlier today. A few years ago there was flooding on Chigwell Road but I believe the flood defences have been reinforced since then. I took this photograph from the bridge where it runs under the A12 near the Redbridge roundabout. It didn't look too bad, flowing fast but not too high, let's hope it stays that way. Luckily, the sun broke through as I was about to take this picture adding a bit of drama to the final image.

CREEPING UP

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved.


Walking past the River Roding, the muddy appearance of the water and the speed at which it was flowing gave me the impression that the river is still inching up. I wish I had shot some video to show how fast it was moving. Another time.