Messing about...

...on the river - part 2.

Get those kettles on as here are the rest of the photos.

The Olympic stadium is now the home of West Ham United football club...

 ...but it remains one of the big venues for a variety of events held in London - there are a few BIG name concerts being held there over the Summer months as well as numerous sporting events.

 

Elsewhere in the park there is a lot of building going on...

...some is 'repurposing of buildings used during the Olympics...

 ...and much is new build.
The team were amazed at how much was going on...

 ...right on our working doorstep.
The river is beautifully maintained...

 ...which is a very different story to how it was found when development started...

...as this whole area had been a dumping ground for centuries due to its closeness to the City of London. Thousands of tons of contaminated ground had to be removed & cleansed whilst the river itself had to be cleared of thousands of shopping trolleys, cars and numerous in-exploded bombs from WWII.
Construction around the park is moving at a pretty rapid rate...

 ...and cranes  are everywhere on the skyline.
The Orbit was the end marker of our tour...

...and we headed back to the moorings. The park has a large number of sculptures...

 ...these are called "The Pencils" and mark the side of the waterway.
Back on the jetty we made sure we had details about coming events...

 ...and took a last few photos...

...and bid farewell to our guide...

 ...and skipper.
The Orbit was constructed especially for the Olympics and is a prominent feature in the park...

...it is one of the largest free-standing sculptures.
The edge of the park is still a massive building site...

 ...and this area is known as the International Quarter - many large businesses will be re-locating here from the City of London.
The Aquatic Centre is now a busy part of the community...

 ...standing next to the walkway that takes you into the par.
The view across the park towards London...

 ...is ever changing as new buildings join the skyline.
Everywhere is being maintained beautifully...

...and even the entrance into the Westfield shopping complex is beautifully planted.
The is "The Street"...

...original open to the sky, it has now been covered over so that folk can make use of the outside space despite the British weather.

We had a fabulous afternoon and we're all looking forward to the new tours that will be starting later in the year............................................................

Continuing the...

...Wat Tyler tour.

Following on from yesterday's photos, this tiny stable is located between the 'station' and...

...Holly Cottage. It really is only small...

...and doesn't have a traditional stable door.
Holly Cottage is also tiny...

...and the chimney seems so out of proportion to the rest of the building...

...a lot of restoration has been done to the inside...

...especially the staircase...

...this cottage is also open occasionally so visitors can see the full extent of the restoration...

...and at the end of September there will be someone demonstrating country crafts at the cottage.
Back on the 'green' is one of the larger cottages...

...from this view you could almost imagine this to be at the centre of a small village (if you ignored the picnic benches of course LOL)...

...the cottage looks wonderful compared to the state it was in when acquired...

...so much work has been done to make it safe and a lasting bit of history...

...it would have been interesting to see the process of bringing these properties back to life.
Seeing these pictures on the information board...

...you wouldn't have thought there was much left to save...

...but in fact some of the timbers were still in good condition and this is the result...

...a large thatched barn which is often used during various events that are held at the park during the year.

I didn't wander much further as it was still rather hot & sticky (despite the breeze) and my battery on the camera also decided to give up the ghost.

Not sure how I will spend the rest of my break as I really need to sort out about a new car - have you seen the prices these days ***gulp*** even with all the promotional adverts offering super discounts.

Anyhoo, the camera is now charged.....................................................

More colourful...

...planting.

This was one of the first raised beds to receive attention - it had become just a piece of packed dirt because folk had trampled through it. The addition of the large planter has certainly deterred folk...

...and with a bit of mixed planting (shrubs & bedding)...

 ...it looks wonderful next to the pedestrian crossing outside the Old Regent Ballroom.
Although Stanford-le-Hope was technically a small farming town, many of our older residents (born & raised in the area) refer to it as 'the village'...

 ...this building covered in ivy & Virginia creeper, is the pub that is directly across the road from the church at the end of my road. This section of the town is called "The Green" but in all the years I have lived in the area, there hasn't been a blade of grass to be seen. When I first moved here, the pub was called the Village Inn but when it was renovated some years later the name was changed to "The Inn on the Green" - namewise, technically correct but there hasn't been a green there for many, many moons.
The Green, King Street and the High Street all benefit from hanging basket posts that were installed a number of years ago...

 ...they all have varied coloured baskets which help to brighten the area and if you are wondering what those balls are...

...they are plastic topiary balls that contain fairy lights. They put in an appearance last Christmas but the lights weren't very bright. My photos don't show it but someone has crocheted woollen sunflowers (about 4" in diameter) and there are a couple tied around the hanging basket posts at about waist level - someone has obviously been very busy trying to add a bit of colour to the plain black post.

So there you have it, a bit more of the planting that brightens up my home town

There is a lot of history connected with this part of Essex. Much of the land that was turned into an oil refinery and is now part of the new Gateway Port development once belonged to the Boleyn family (the family of King Henry VIII's 2nd wife - Anne) and was part of an extensive deer park - perfectly located for the King to enjoy a ride down the Thames on the royal barge and then participate in some deer hunting.

A lot of our historical buildings were lost during the 1960s when little thought was given to history and heritage but if you take the time to have a wander round you can still locate a few gems. I love history and despite the continuing development of the area there is still a lot to appreciate (although there are times when this can be forgotten - especially when you see some of the eyesores that have been given planning permission). There are fields & woodland all within short distances and the Thames can be seen from the park just across the road.

So what do you like about where you live?...........................................................