On Saturday evening there was nothing on TV Tom and I wanted to watch so we searched through the i Player and decided to watch a couple episodes of Top of The Pops from 1981. This was the year we met when we were 20 and it was very enjoyable to listen to the old songs from the year. Amazingly I could remember all the songs from the two programmes virtually word for word, but then I realised why. At the time I was training to be a nurse and was doing my paedriatric secondment at Queen Mary's Hospital for children. Radio Lollipop was on all the time on the wards and the children would constantly sing along. During the week the children had lessons and the radio started at 4pm. When that familiar tune of Lollipop, Lollipop came on sung by The Chordettes all the children would cheer. It was a really enjoyable part of my training. I also worked there for a year in 1978 with the disabled children before I started nursing in 1979. I loved every minute of my time there and look back with very fond memories.
When we woke up this morning the sky was clear and the sun was shining. The wind had dropped and the rain gone. I knew the weather forcast was for another storm later so we decided we had to take the dogs out to enjoy this calm in the weather and I knew exactly where I wanted to go! After breakfast we walked off in the direction of the old Queen Mary's Hospital site to the park they have made there.
Everyone who had any connection with Queen Mary's was devastated when it was closed down and the land sold off. All the protesting came to nothing. Now it is just a couple of wards at St Helier Hospital and houses stand on the site. There is however a park on some of the land and we often walk up there with the dogs. I can stand and remember the little train and zoo, the cafe we used to take the children to and just the feel of the place. I could be 20 again singing along with the children. Only a couple of buildings remain including the lodge and the offices where I had my interview which are now flats. The other building is the chapel in the photo which is now a day nursery.
Walking past the houses you walk out into fields and you could be in the middle of the countryside not just a few miles away from central London. It was still windy but lovely and bright. The dogs loved it.
We walked right round until we came to The Little Woodcote Estate which has smallholdings and garden nurseries. built for returning servicemen after World War 1 to encourage them to take up farming.
Views across the fields.
Yet just turn the other away and the buildings of London's skyline are only ten miles away.
Rain clouds were starting to gather so we set off back home with an appetite built up for lunch. After an hours walking and over three miles covered the winter cobwebs were definitely blown away.
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