"The Reeds Are Growing Out Of My Fingertips"

I read Neil McCormicks's five star review of Adele's new album this morning. It included this quote, "When I was a child I grew up by the River Lea/There was something in the water and now that something's in me." It's from River Lea, the track that he thinks is the highlight. 

Lea or Lee, one and the same, I spend a lot of my time by the river too. It flows through North East London, Adele lived in Tottenham on one bank and Walthamstow, E17, on the other was home to the eponymous boy band and one of her influences. Its valley in the lower reaches once had the largest concentration of glasshouses in the world. My father travelled from the Dengie Hundred to purchase second-hand greenhouses from the area when I was a child. My parents and I used to visit the Lee Valley Horticultural Research Station, I even got a job there. I married a Lee valley nurseryman. My pic that was chosen for The Countryfile calendar was of the river.

It has been a vile day weather wise. I went to Fishers Green in The Lee Valley Park because I wanted to shoot my title, which is a line from the song. The heron in my pic took off and I captured it calling but the light was really poor. I've included it in extras. 

I'll be getting Adele's album tomorrow. :) 

PS Five years later I've added the song.