Wichelstowe (31st January 2020)

The trip to Swindon that I abandoned due to road closures was rescheduled for Friday, by which time I had worked out that the bus to Swindon was still running but via a diversion to Chippenham (in the opposite direction) first.

This gave me a unique opportunity to view the scenery from Chippenham through Sutton Benger, Dauntsey Lock and Lyneham, where it doubled back to its normal route. From the upper deck window I saw swans on the Avon, some alpacas near Dauntsey and a red kite after Lyneham.

It was a slow journey, taking 80 minutes, and I embarked from the bus station at 1410 hr. I had two destinations: the Wilts and Berks at Kingshill, and John Lewis At Home where I had a voucher for cappuccino and cake that expired that day.

I crossed Swindown via the appropriate Canal Walk, which traced the path of the lost canal, now gone, to Kingshill where it survives, arriving 1440 hr. The day had started grey and by now had become rainy, but the end of the watered section, at Wichelstowe, was a surprisingly close twenty minute  ramble later. This blip was taken from a bridge that hadn't been built the last time I was there. The area is still somewhat of a building site but the end is in sight. I had a pleasant chat with a couple and saw a cormorant flypast. The boat in the blip is Dragonfly and has been giving boat rides up and down the canal stretch in recent weekends.

Rather than return to Kingshill I found a way to walk directly to John Lewis and got there at 1600 hr looking like a drowned rat, and revived over a complimentary cappuccino and gloriously unhealthy cake.

Things then took a downturn and, long story short, I had another full hour of walking as well as the return bus trip (no diversions) before I got home at 1830 hr, extremely footsore, flagged out and beginning to sneeze a lot. I vowed not to leave home at all for at least 24 hours to recuperate, and am currently having a Pyjama Day.

Looks sharper and bigger in Large.

L.
1.2.2020 (1611 hr)

Blip #3135 (#2885 + 250 archived blips taken 27.8.1960-18.3.2010)
Consecutive Blip #000
Blips/Extras In 2020 #017/265 + #006/100 Extras
Day #3598 (815 gaps from 26.3.2010)
LOTD #2264 (#2105 + 159 in archived blips)


Wilts and Berks Canal series
Canals series
Bridges series
Rain series

Taken with Pentax K-50 (Red) and Pentax HD P-D FA 28-105mm f/3.5-5.6ED DC WR lens

Wilts & Berks In Swindon, 31 January 2020 (Flickr album of 17 photos)

Lozarhythm Of The Day:
Helen Money - Midnight (2020)
This was what greeted me on the radio close to midnight last night after hearing the news. Seemed appropriate.

One year ago:
Bath