Trees and gardens in June 2019

Play in our Road! April and May

This is Albe, taking advantage of the first monthly Play Street in Ockendon Road in April. He is riding on a tractor which has been passed from family to family in the Road. It was a sunny, quiet, playful two hours in the Road, with the promise of more to come. Many thanks to the …

No place like Dome: New Year 2019

This New Year Ramble 2019 was chilly and curious, and --curiously enough-- much enjoyed by all. These post festive walks often attract a goodly crowd, and 19 of us assembled bang on time at King George V station, one stop past London City Airport on the DLR. The station is named (of course) after the …

Yesterday and Today: Compare the differences on Southgate Road

It's illuminating to look at the same places with one hundred years or so in between then-and-there and here-and-now. Here are some of the historic pictures in the two walks-into-the-past on other pages, juxtaposed with the same view this summer, 2018: LOOKING NORTH TO OCKENDON ROAD (first left after the pub) AT THE JOLLY FARMERS, …

Yesterday and Today: Compare the difference on Essex Road

It's illuminating to look at the same places with one hundred years or so between there-and-then and here-and-now. Here are some of the historic pictures in the two walks into the past on other pages, juxtaposed with the same view this summer: 2018. (In summer, of course, the trees tend to obscure the differences, even …

How the trees got their gardens

Like most things, it was a happy accident..and an awful lot of hard work. In 1992, Romee's sister in Switzerland gave her one or two sunflower plants. Romee's garden faced north, so in a hurry to keep them alive she planted them in the space left around  the crab apple tree in front of No. …

Maytime in the Road

Hot at last, for the late May Bank Holiday, 2018. Here's a walk down the Road: But in the evening, the "Mother of Thunderstorms". More pictures, later in the summer..

A walk through the past: Going westwards to Essex Road

They say the past is another country..and it's often in black and white when you look at the photographs. Here are a few postcards of Ockendon Road and the surrounding area some dating back--what?--100 years or more. Not sure when they were taken but if anyone can add more information, please do. The street seems …

High Summer tree gardens 2019

Hollyhocks fare particularly well in our Road, and they are resplendent. As Louise wrote the other day, many thanks to residents who have shouldered the burden of looking after a neighbouring tree garden, taking over from the founding team who started the whole thing many years ago. As Louise puts it: "Beautiful displays, all along …

Spring 2019: Bulls, blossoms and bluebells

Despite the lack of sunshine, and the lack of our walk organiser Peter (who was fighting off germs), the Ockie Road Ramblers turned out in good number to catch the train from London Bridge, with more joining us on route to Staplehurst.  There we started our hunt for bluebells and it wasn't long before we met …

Can the tree gardens continuue? A message from Tony Campbell

This poignant email was sent by Tony Campbell on 8th November: Dear Ockendon Road gardener. I am sorry to have to write with disappointing news.  I do so on behalf of those who have been helping to look after those tree gardens that are not the individual responsibility of yourself and others. Sadly, advancing age …

Autumn 2018: Up to the Downs

The last weekend in September often vouchsafes wonderful walking weather, but this Ramble was tremendous: sun, big skies, and breath-taking views over Sussex and towards the sea. Two feeder groups successfully conjoined  at East Croydon; the curiously triangular station at Lewes was reached on time. Then a small select group of Ramblers embarked on the …