The way snow illuminates things from below is fascinating. Distant views appear closer, especially when the sun catches them. It's as though the landscape has shrunk to an intimate scale. Doesn't seem very long since you were on your midsummer rambles.
I was thinking earier today "there won't be a John Rogers walk this week because of the snow!" Good thing I checked...a truly great video full of lots of information about Wanstead Flats.
Some of my earliest memories are of playing in the snow with my brother on Wanstead Flats - in the early 1950's. Winters always seemed very snowy then. I've even got a photo somewhere of me peeping out of my pram in a very wintery Flats landscape. Thanks for all your wonderful videos, John! I really do feel as though I'm walking along with you - and it's great to revisit my childhood haunts around Walthamstow and Leytonstone, living as I have done for the last 35 years in Berlin.
I thought I knew Wanstead Flats, but I'd never noticed the barrage balloon posts.Over in Roding Valley Nature Reserve you can still see what apparently were the barrage balloon steel hooks, bedded into concrete.The area was Raf Chigwell during the war.Thanks for the video, can't wait for the next.
Thank you. I like the shots of the train and tracks and of course the bare trees, all watched from my warm bed in L.A. My mum made some of those barrage balloons in the 1940s and they used to use the remnant silk/material to make underwear. :)
Many thanks - good to experience the cold from the warmth of LA (I wish I could pop back to Book Soup on Sunset and then visit Canter's). Great story about your Mum and the barrage balloons - nice to know they had a dual purpose
Wanstead is such a magical place, but particularly so when it snows! Looks wonderful! We enjoyed an hour or so in Valentines, which we live next to, which was also looking very festive and wintery that Sunday. :)
hi John as a kid i love going to Wanstead Flats and i enjoy your vids i don't live in the east end anymore and a really good pub on the Flats is the golden fleece
+andy lovejoy thanks Andy, I love it over there. I haven't been to the Golden Fleece for a few years, apparently had a refurb- will have to check it out
When i was a kid i used to love ice scating on the pond when it froze and during the summer we used to get huge blocks of Styrofoam and raft across it. Also those metal stands were actually used as scratching posts by the cows that used to always be present until the terrible culling for mad cows disease.
great video once again gentle relaxing, great ending in the warm café with the empty plate and cup, finished the video nicely thanks john for all the effort you put in to these amazing videos for us to watch
Used to watch the remote controlled planes on the flats by centre road , over the road from the fairground site , and lots of old men with remote controlled boats on the pond at the top of cann hall road , we made up names for all of the areas of Wanstead flats, we didn’t know the ponds , and some parts of the forest there had names!! There was a natural spring on the flats just opposite alders close , maybe the source of the aldersbrook , when we were over there in the middle 60s on a hot summers day we drank the water , from the spring , there weren’t any shops open in those days on Sunday , in fact there wasn’t ship like there was today , the paper shops closed at 2 pm , supermarkets didn’t really exist like they do today , only shop open was the off license from 7pm to 10pm , always run by a grumpy old man , we would collect bottles we found in the forest , which had a deposit on the usually sixpence (a tanner) and usually paid an arrow root biscuit from a big jar on the counter , they didn’t have many sweets, but they were to dear so us , only one type of crisps Smith’s plain crisps with a twisted piece of dark blue paper containing salt , the off licence was in Cheney’s road off of cann hall road . Got a bit side tracked then , anyway we continually exploded the flats , over to the pond with an island that we called the sand hills pond because there were two sand hill next to the pond , it was by wanstead Park Avenue, by the Greater London cemetery , days and days in wanstead Park cycling , swimming in the first pond you come to from Blake hall road , the next big pond with island , we used to wade or swim across to the islands , I think there were 2 islands , then fishing in the next pond , there was a green tea hut there , and through a bit more forest to the ornamental water , and the haunted ruined boat house , I have lots of more things to say about the forest , but it will be sending you to sleep , oh just a couple more things , we used to give names to trees we like to climb in the forest , my friend mark utton fell out of a tree , and said his wrist hurt , we told him to shut up , we were full of human kindness NOT ! Any way when he went home his mum took him to the hospital and he had broken it the clumsy prat! I was in the local paper the guardian and independent , on the front page , because of what I found in the forest by the hollow ponds , just opposite Davis lane , my name was mentioned because I was only 12 but that’s another story .
I was in Walthamstow yesterday watching the snowball fights Oh as an artist I use fingerless gloves all the time, and they keep your hands just as warm as other gloves. I think hands get cold as the blood passes over the veins in the back so keep that bit warm and the fingers stay warm.
+Painting & Drawing do you the image I had was of an artist using them to paint in a freezing cold studio. Good for me also as the Record button on my camera is really small
I always knew it as "If you see a rook on it's own - that's a crow. If you see a load of crows - them's rooks". Totally agree about the Essex Serpent - fantastic book
Hi John. Many years ago the bunker had an open day. From memory it was all on one level and I don't recall going down into the bowels of the earth. More of a really heavily reinforced building with blast doors. Quite different to the three level one at Kelvedon Hatch. Best, Richard
I walked last week from Thames River Lea mouth under district line bridge its an experience when the train passes above, then through 3 Mills film Studio very interesting grade 1 Tidal Mill lovely old buildings, nice café for coffee break there then along canal to Stratford Olympic Park to Hackney Wick just on Bridge by canal you can see remains of GHQ line WW2 pill box and tank traps graphiti tagging painted but still interesting then one stop over head back to stratford, well worth the walk if you in Bow area
sounds like a cracking walk His Lordship. Didn't know about the pillboxes and tanks traps at Hackney Wick - will have to go for a look, thanks for the tip
Just google hackney wick pill box and you will find it on images just on public foot bridge on walk to north hackney only short walk from stadium. in fact you can see on a second bridge more tank traps when passing by the cement factory closed off to public when on TFL train line, most commuters look out of train window on train into and from work don't notice these important archaeology things which reflect a time in 20th century history
I sat by Alexandra Lake watching the birds and suddenly a tufted duck disappeared underwater as if grabbed from below. In the Summer, during a drought, the water level was low and the lake was separated into two sections by a huge submerged tree trunk: I saw an eel or pike - maybe 4 or 5 ft long and 1 ft thick - slide and splash over the log. Monster. Thanks John; much appreciated :D
Thank you john for another great video, Wanstead flats and park is a special place for me as I grew up and live there, you are a trooper for doing the video that cold sunday! btw the over ground bulit nuclear bunker was at the bottom of empress ave by horse stables but got knocked down about 20 years ago to build flats sadly, wish they didn't as could of made a great museum
Thanks His Lordship. I rarely miss a snowy day on the Flats, I've got footage from 2009 when Alexandra Lake was completely frozen. Also last year the Perch Pond made an amazing sound when people threw stones on the frozen surface. Thanks for the note on the nuclear shelter - I'll have to go and look for the site
I remember when the sand hills by pond were a lot higher i'm only 35 years old but still seen changes over many years and have very happy memories of the flats a lovely place indeed
I said to my better half - I bet that John Rogers does a snow video - and she says if he does he better add music with jingly bells - so thats a fail! However the learned mentions of the topogeometry of the metallurgy balloon inserts satisfied my academic interests - ta!
Damn I knew I missed something. Oddly I nearly included a short bit of Hank Wangford but then cut out the relevant anecdote (I saw him play at the Birkbeck last time it snowed heavily in Leytonstone)
I love your videos...despite living in NZ. If I (hopefully) return to London soonish. I'll use your book and trek about. Great photography,commentaries and accompanying music . All the best for 2018.
The cafe at the end - is that the Egyptian / Moroccan / Turkish place where they do great sandwiches ? Next to a chemist ? What's the name ? Give them a shout out they make very good sangers fresh 4 da ladies and there's big discussions .Maybe pkk freedom fighters ? Maybe just blokes , but like Evin in dalston and Boscanova in boscombe ( home of the mighty cherries ) it is a great cafe full of regular people needing snacks and drinks, and people and friendly staff . I loves me a good caff ending knowing you've treated yourself to sumfin tasteeeee, gawd bless ya and merry Christmas John ! Hope your family has a great Christmas
That's the place See Safari - it's called Horizon, fantastic place, been going there for 11 years, lovely people. Thanks for the Christmas wishes, hope you have a great one too
Hey John you are tremendous in your videos, it's like walking with a friend...Hey you.. have you done gypsey rod Smith stone yet in south woodford...It's very calming with a beautiful setting, yet makes you feel such mystery and wonder!
Thanks so much Peter, really appreciate it and love making these videos. Good question about Gypsey Rod Smith stone, I've passed it many times on walks but not sure if it's in any of the videos, I'll have to check, thanks for the tip
Great video as always, The Bunker you mentioned was a surface block house in Westmorland cl it was demolished in June 2000 to make way for Mark Wade cl. I have some photos of it being demolished.
Here's a link to my photos also a link to the Sub Brit report on the bunker. www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/w/wanstead/ photos.app.goo.gl/am7E3Vg7m0SM06FH3
Love this John would have been great to know we're the house stood very interesting history to wanstead house supposed to be modelled on palace of Versailles
Was a bit gruesome what I found in the bushes behind the tea hut at the hollow ponds . It was the head of a murdered woman !!!!! She had been cut up and disposed of in different parts of the forest , I was about 12 years old at the time , and my name “wasn’t” mentioned in the papers , I had to go home and tell my dad , who told the police
John Rogers the selling off of social housing combined with the none replacement of them was one of the worst housing disasters ever. Today I feel we’re going back to the evil days portrayed in “Cathy come home” a shocker of a film produced by Ken Loach...I assume you’ll have you seen it?
i always find it comforting when you are enjoying a beverage at the end of your walk
The way snow illuminates things from below is fascinating. Distant views appear closer, especially when the sun catches them. It's as though the landscape has shrunk to an intimate scale. Doesn't seem very long since you were on your midsummer rambles.
+Borderlands that's a beautiful way to describe it Borderlands. I know what you mean about summer, seems moments ago
I was thinking earier today "there won't be a John Rogers walk this week because of the snow!" Good thing I checked...a truly great video full of lots of information about Wanstead Flats.
thanks Voxley - I felt a responsibility to the TH-cam community to get out there in the snow
Lovely video! Thanks for taking me along on your winter wander!
Some of my earliest memories are of playing in the snow with my brother on Wanstead Flats - in the early 1950's. Winters always seemed very snowy then. I've even got a photo somewhere of me peeping out of my pram in a very wintery Flats landscape. Thanks for all your wonderful videos, John! I really do feel as though I'm walking along with you - and it's great to revisit my childhood haunts around Walthamstow and Leytonstone, living as I have done for the last 35 years in Berlin.
My pleasure Douglas - thank you for sharing your memories too. 35 Years in Berlin - that sounds like the title of a great story
I thought I knew Wanstead Flats, but I'd never noticed the barrage balloon posts.Over in Roding
Valley Nature Reserve you can still see what apparently were the barrage balloon steel hooks, bedded into concrete.The
area was Raf Chigwell during the war.Thanks for the video, can't wait for the next.
+Little Acorns Landscapes ah thanks for that Little Acorns - I see a field trip coming on to Roding Valley Nature Reserve
I love that shot of the kid's bright yellow trainers amongst the monochrome waterfowl.
yeah that was priceless - he was dishing out full slices of bread too
The snowball fight looks like a flicker book animation in the real - love it. Another great video.
+Redford Grange that's a great observation Redford - thanks
Thank you. I like the shots of the train and tracks and of course the bare trees, all watched from my warm bed in L.A. My mum made some of those barrage balloons in the 1940s and they used to use the remnant silk/material to make underwear. :)
Many thanks - good to experience the cold from the warmth of LA (I wish I could pop back to Book Soup on Sunset and then visit Canter's). Great story about your Mum and the barrage balloons - nice to know they had a dual purpose
The final couple of shots of the tower blocks were great! Another lovely film John, thanks!
thanks Jonny
Wanstead is such a magical place, but particularly so when it snows! Looks wonderful! We enjoyed an hour or so in Valentines, which we live next to, which was also looking very festive and wintery that Sunday. :)
Ah, yes Valentines Park is one of my favourite in London - haven't been for a few months, must go back soon
hi John as a kid i love going to Wanstead Flats and i enjoy your vids i don't live in the east end anymore and a really good pub on the Flats is the golden fleece
+andy lovejoy thanks Andy, I love it over there. I haven't been to the Golden Fleece for a few years, apparently had a refurb- will have to check it out
When i was a kid i used to love ice scating on the pond when it froze and during the summer we used to get huge blocks of Styrofoam and raft across it.
Also those metal stands were actually used as scratching posts by the cows that used to always be present until the terrible culling for mad cows disease.
JOHN SNOWS YOU KNOW THE BEST LOCATIONS WITH THE SNOWS.
AN INTERESTING VIDEO WALK AS ALWAYS FROM THE LEYTONSTONE LAD !!!.
Fantastic John just so fantastic!
great video once again gentle relaxing, great ending in the warm café with the empty plate and cup, finished the video nicely thanks john for all the effort you put in to these amazing videos for us to watch
Used to watch the remote controlled planes on the flats by centre road , over the road from the fairground site , and lots of old men with remote controlled boats on the pond at the top of cann hall road , we made up names for all of the areas of Wanstead flats, we didn’t know the ponds , and some parts of the forest there had names!!
There was a natural spring on the flats just opposite alders close , maybe the source of the aldersbrook , when we were over there in the middle 60s on a hot summers day we drank the water , from the spring , there weren’t any shops open in those days on Sunday , in fact there wasn’t ship like there was today , the paper shops closed at 2 pm , supermarkets didn’t really exist like they do today , only shop open was the off license from 7pm to 10pm , always run by a grumpy old man , we would collect bottles we found in the forest , which had a deposit on the usually sixpence (a tanner) and usually paid an arrow root biscuit from a big jar on the counter , they didn’t have many sweets, but they were to dear so us , only one type of crisps Smith’s plain crisps with a twisted piece of dark blue paper containing salt , the off licence was in Cheney’s road off of cann hall road .
Got a bit side tracked then , anyway we continually exploded the flats , over to the pond with an island that we called the sand hills pond because there were two sand hill next to the pond , it was by wanstead Park Avenue, by the Greater London cemetery , days and days in wanstead Park cycling , swimming in the first pond you come to from Blake hall road , the next big pond with island , we used to wade or swim across to the islands , I think there were 2 islands , then fishing in the next pond , there was a green tea hut there , and through a bit more forest to the ornamental water , and the haunted ruined boat house , I have lots of more things to say about the forest , but it will be sending you to sleep , oh just a couple more things , we used to give names to trees we like to climb in the forest , my friend mark utton fell out of a tree , and said his wrist hurt , we told him to shut up , we were full of human kindness NOT ! Any way when he went home his mum took him to the hospital and he had broken it the clumsy prat!
I was in the local paper the guardian and independent , on the front page , because of what I found in the forest by the hollow ponds , just opposite Davis lane , my name was mentioned because I was only 12 but that’s another story .
great memories Richard thanks for sharing - intrigued to hear what you found near the Hollow Ponds
I was in Walthamstow yesterday watching the snowball fights
Oh as an artist I use fingerless gloves all the time, and they keep your hands just as warm as other gloves. I think hands get cold as the blood passes over the veins in the back so keep that bit warm and the fingers stay warm.
+Painting & Drawing do you the image I had was of an artist using them to paint in a freezing cold studio. Good for me also as the Record button on my camera is really small
I always knew it as "If you see a rook on it's own - that's a crow. If you see a load of crows - them's rooks". Totally agree about the Essex Serpent - fantastic book
+mark williamson so that's confirmation then Mark, thanks. Probably finish the Essex Serpent tonight, then an absence.
Crows and rooks wear different trousers - apparently.
Hi John. Many years ago the bunker had an open day. From memory it was all on one level and I don't recall going down into the bowels of the earth. More of a really heavily reinforced building with blast doors. Quite different to the three level one at Kelvedon Hatch. Best, Richard
Thanks for that As & Embers - I'll have to go searching for the site
I walked last week from Thames River Lea mouth under district line bridge its an experience when the train passes above, then through 3 Mills film Studio very interesting grade 1 Tidal Mill lovely old buildings, nice café for coffee break there then along canal to Stratford Olympic Park to Hackney Wick just on Bridge by canal you can see remains of GHQ line WW2 pill box and tank traps graphiti tagging painted but still interesting then one stop over head back to stratford, well worth the walk if you in Bow area
sounds like a cracking walk His Lordship. Didn't know about the pillboxes and tanks traps at Hackney Wick - will have to go for a look, thanks for the tip
Just google hackney wick pill box and you will find it on images just on public foot bridge on walk to north hackney only short walk from stadium.
in fact you can see on a second bridge more tank traps when passing by the cement factory closed off to public when on TFL train line, most commuters look out of train window on train into and from work don't notice these important archaeology things which reflect a time in 20th century history
I sat by Alexandra Lake watching the birds and suddenly a tufted duck disappeared underwater as if grabbed from below. In the Summer, during a drought, the water level was low and the lake was separated into two sections by a huge submerged tree trunk: I saw an eel or pike - maybe 4 or 5 ft long and 1 ft thick - slide and splash over the log. Monster.
Thanks John; much appreciated :D
+Arthur Stone wow Arthur that's quite a beast - almost our own Essex Serpent
Thank you John !
a pleasure Dj Aja
I went to high beech at the same time plenty of snowmen plus dogs playing the snow...
Really enjoyed the walk and information. Thank you for sharing John, Take Care.
+Darrell Eidse thanks Darrell - it was beautiful over there, washed away by the rain today
beautiful
Another great video. I was more of a Hollow Ponds and Eagle Ponds Kid.
thanks john learnt a lot watching that top stuff as usual have a great christmas mate
many thanks Steven - same to you, have a great festive season
Thank you john for another great video, Wanstead flats and park is a special place for me as I grew up and live there, you are a trooper for doing the video that cold sunday! btw the over ground bulit nuclear bunker was at the bottom of empress ave by horse stables but got knocked down about 20 years ago to build flats sadly, wish they didn't as could of made a great museum
Thanks His Lordship. I rarely miss a snowy day on the Flats, I've got footage from 2009 when Alexandra Lake was completely frozen. Also last year the Perch Pond made an amazing sound when people threw stones on the frozen surface. Thanks for the note on the nuclear shelter - I'll have to go and look for the site
I remember when the sand hills by pond were a lot higher i'm only 35 years old but still seen changes over many years and have very happy memories of the flats a lovely place indeed
I said to my better half - I bet that John Rogers does a snow video - and she says if he does he better add music with jingly bells - so thats a fail! However the learned mentions of the topogeometry of the metallurgy balloon inserts satisfied my academic interests - ta!
Damn I knew I missed something. Oddly I nearly included a short bit of Hank Wangford but then cut out the relevant anecdote (I saw him play at the Birkbeck last time it snowed heavily in Leytonstone)
I love your videos...despite living in NZ.
If I (hopefully) return to London soonish.
I'll use your book and trek about.
Great photography,commentaries and accompanying music .
All the best for 2018.
+nobbilc thanks nobbilc- enjoy your time in NZ
Capel road now gone was a decent pond with s bandstand...
I live really close to we're you were filming!
Just after ww2 were prefabs on flats which were removed.. underground bunker is opposite Aldersbrook Estate by bus stop..
The cafe at the end - is that the Egyptian / Moroccan / Turkish place where they do great sandwiches ? Next to a chemist ? What's the name ? Give them a shout out they make very good sangers fresh 4 da ladies and there's big discussions .Maybe pkk freedom fighters ? Maybe just blokes , but like Evin in dalston and Boscanova in boscombe ( home of the mighty cherries ) it is a great cafe full of regular people needing snacks and drinks, and people and friendly staff . I loves me a good caff ending knowing you've treated yourself to sumfin tasteeeee, gawd bless ya and merry Christmas John ! Hope your family has a great Christmas
That's the place See Safari - it's called Horizon, fantastic place, been going there for 11 years, lovely people. Thanks for the Christmas wishes, hope you have a great one too
Hey John you are tremendous in your videos, it's like walking with a friend...Hey you.. have you done gypsey rod Smith stone yet in south woodford...It's very calming with a beautiful setting, yet makes you feel such mystery and wonder!
Thanks so much Peter, really appreciate it and love making these videos. Good question about Gypsey Rod Smith stone, I've passed it many times on walks but not sure if it's in any of the videos, I'll have to check, thanks for the tip
Great video as always, The Bunker you mentioned was a surface block house in Westmorland cl it was demolished in June 2000 to make way for Mark Wade cl. I have some photos of it being demolished.
+Graham Smith thanks for that info Graham - are the photos online anywhere? Would love to see them
Here's a link to my photos also a link to the Sub Brit report on the bunker. www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/w/wanstead/ photos.app.goo.gl/am7E3Vg7m0SM06FH3
I've always had fingerless gloves...we've had no snow up here although it's been about -6.
+Jag Betty Minus 6 Jag, that's intense
Love this John would have been great to know we're the house stood very interesting history to wanstead house supposed to be modelled on palace of Versailles
+Norma Thomas yes I must do a video on Wanstead Park, it's in my book, great history
John Rogers thankyou for your lovely walks mean so much to so many people
+Norma Thomas that's very kind of you Norma
Quite unexpiring, well, that's until John walks it and wakes it all up.
Was a bit gruesome what I found in the bushes behind the tea hut at the hollow ponds . It was the head of a murdered woman !!!!! She had been cut up and disposed of in different parts of the forest , I was about 12 years old at the time , and my name “wasn’t” mentioned in the papers , I had to go home and tell my dad , who told the police
Did those private flats ever get built?
not yet, I think the plans have been revised
John Rogers the selling off of social housing combined with the none replacement of them was one of the worst housing disasters ever. Today I feel we’re going back to the evil days portrayed in “Cathy come home” a shocker of a film produced by Ken Loach...I assume you’ll have you seen it?