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Tuesday 20th February 2024
It was an early start and I left East India Station whilst it was still dark. I finished off the last bases of the Greenwich Meridian : The River Crossing which gave me the coords of the bonus. I signed this one off at 0732 and headed down to the Thames for the East India Dock Basin multi. I solved this but the final stage was in a park which didn't open until 8 so I left it. I found the ST - East India Dock DLR trad and headed over to the New Billingsgate market. There was a trad called Lights Alive on the Traffic Lights Tree which was easily found.
I worked my way around the back streets of Poplar visiting some of sights shown in the Call The Midwife series which feature in the AL series. I was amazed that they were still here in this area of recent development. I ended up near the bridge over the River Lee Navigation where I spotted a cafe. That was breakfast sorted.😀
I dropped down to River Lee Navigation to start on the River Lee series of trads with Willow View at 0854 and took in another six up to Toucans. There were so many static canal boats along the side of the canal but surprisingly there were a few working boats around Bow Free Wharf.
I detoured off onto the North Orbital Sewage Embankment to continue with some of anytar's NOSE series. I solved the NOSE: Outer London Defence Ring multi and spent some time looking at the WW2 defences here. I continued up to the Hertford Union Canal, turning west for the Homerton Footpath Bridge trad, then east to the lock gates to be able to get to the higher level for the very cunning Go Fish (Island) trad.😀
I rejoined the River Lee or is it Lea,🤔 passing the Olympic site and continued north to a section under the A12. There was a lot of imaginative artwork here. It was less than salubrious and a few people were humming the Lou Reed classic whilst waiting around for "the man". However the Karma Chameleon trad was here so I had to see it out. This one was hidden in the artwork but I persevered and eventually spotted the well hidden cache. I carried on past Hackney Marshes until I reached the Green Bridge when it was time leave the river and its tranquility and head west.
I knew that there was a bus route here so I waited for the 425 to take me to Clapton Ponds. I then caught a 253 up fo Stamford Hill Broadway for the next part of my geocaching day. I worked out the coords for the AFP - Stamford Hill multi and then looked for something to eat. Unfortunately the kosher deli was packed as it was lunchtime so I headed over to the CM - Upper Clapton multi. There had been a number of DNFs here but I worked out the coords and set off for the final stage. I eventually found the very well hidden cache and was signing the log sheet when I looked up and saw that a police car with two young police women in it who had stopped to see what I was doing. I said geocaching and one of them had done it before but had only found boxes in trees. They were amazed when I showed them the size of the cache. I set off for the final stage of the AFP multi for a quick find.😀
I was off to Abney Park Cemetery, Stoke Newington next. This was going to be a special visit as my paternal grandfather is buried there but in an unmarked grave unfortunately. However, I was hungry and opposite the Cemetery Gates was a small cafe. On the menu was hot pastrami on rye, the staple meal of Mike Hammer, the fictional New York detective. I'd never tried it before so had to order it. It was good but not a patch on the salt beef special I'd had in Holloway last week.🙁
After being fed and coffeed, I quickly found the ST - Stoke Newington trad and then entered the Cemetery and found so many ornate memorials including William Booth. It was a pity that my grandfather didn't have one. I found all the bases of the Abney Park Cemetery AL series as well as the Abney Park #2: Bird Haven trad and #4: QI Mini-Multi plus the Deep dark wood trad before leaving to go down to the disabled Off Stokie Church Street trad which I had heard was still in place.
It really was time to head for home so I jumped a bus going towards Aldgate. As I was checking my route down the Kingsland Road, I noted that we would be passing the ST - Hoxton Station trad. What could I do? I got off, found the trad and got the next bus that came along.😀
1 Mystery 4 Multi AdLab 10 23 Traditional
#17999