The River Wandle as it flows through Grove Park, Carshalton

The River Wandle as it flows through Carshalton.

The River Wandle as it weaves through Grove Park in Carshalton. It brings back happy memories of fishing with a net on a bamboo stick and playing with our Star model yachts, made in Birkenhead, but probably not any more. I've still got one in my attic.

The River Wandle will always bring back happy childhood memories for me; Dad used to take us fishing for sticklebacks with our bamboo fishing nets and I remember sailing many a model boat here too. Just down from where this shot was taken there is a gushing waterfall and an old mill where it is rumoured that a small boy, died; but that story is as old as the hills, although probably true. The mill used to have – probably still does, I haven't looked for ages – a mill pond covered in a green algae of sorts. Looking at it gave the illusion of solid ground, it was that still, but throw a stone into it and the 'plop' told the truth – it's water! Just down from the old mill used to be a mortuary. It was used during the war and closed down shortly afterwards, but that didn't stop Graham Knowles and I from venturing inside when we discovered it was fairly easy to gain access. I had a large remote control Tiger Tank at the time (what a great toy!), which we sent in first, like one of those remote control robots used in bomb disposal and about the same size. I cannot recall if I had the bottle to go inside the mortuary, but others did and found old shrouds and coffin lids and some dried-up blood on the old slabs. Not nice. My dad called the council and got it closed down. Today there are new houses in its place – now there's got to be a plot for a story there, a brand new house, haunted, but why? And then someone digs up the history of the mortuary – spooky!

Jack Shit handle grips...

My Kona Scrap, complete with Kona's Jack Shit handlegrips, leaning against a tree in Grove Park, Carshalton, Surrey.

Mine were getting a bit worn and full of holes, so when I took the bike in to have the hydraulic brakes made safe, I bought some Jack Shit handle grips. The bike, incidentally, needs a service.

Over to Carshalton, supposedly to fix Jon's puncture

Top shot: a milk float similar to this one accompanied 'Dynamic Norman' and myself on a milkround in the Woodcote area of South Wallington.

Larger photo shows All Saint's Church in Carshalton taken from the Grove Park and looking across one of two lakes; the other one is to the right of this picture and is separated by a road bridge, over which that rather ugly bus (the 157, which, apparently, the singer Matt Monroe used to drive, according to my mum). The two lakes aren't actually separate at all as the water flows under the road bridge making it really just one big lake. The water, incidentally all forms part of the River Wandle, which joins the River Thames at Wandsworth.

Mild rain yesterday, unlike today's torrential downpour, which has led to an 'abort' text to Andy. The plan was to head out to the Tatsfield bus stop, but the rain is still hammering down on to my conservatory roof as I sit here in the halogen glow of the computer writing this blog.

Andy wasn't cycling yesterday (Saturday 27 February) so Jon and I decided to cycle to mum and dad's and fix his puncture. When we got there, having met halfway along the road towards Woodmansterne Green (I was running a little late) we headed down through South Wallington in the heavy Saturday morning traffic towards Carshalton but then decided to veer left and follow the quieter roads where, many years ago, I used to do a milkround with a man known as 'Dynamic Norman', probably because there was nothing dynamic about him. He was, I recall, a film buff, but that was all I knew about him, apart from the fact that he had a son who he took the movies at the weekends. These were the days when it was always summer. I can't remember doing the round in the rain ever.

There are some nice 'gaff's' at the top of Wallington and riding down Boundary Road towards the mini roundabout at the end, memories of my time working for the Express Dairy from their depot in Shorts Road came flooding back. I'll always remember how mum used to ask me if I was going to be doing my round that morning to which I would always reply, 'might, I dunno'. It became a family joke.

We rode through Ruskin Park, otherwise known as the 'dip park' because of these huge craters where I remember cycling as a kid. Jon and I considered going down the dips again and stopped to prepare ourselves, but I knew (and so did Jon) that coming up the other side would be an effort so we didn't bother. Instead we pushed on: across the Ruskin Road, down past Carshalton Library, along West Street past the Racehorse pub and then past Dog Shit Alley and up Colston Avenue, past Audrey's (which is closing down) and then up Rossdale to mum and dad's.

Dad was on his way out for a haircut down at Scissors in the village but we stayed and had Shredded Wheat and and a mug of tea before heading our separate ways: Jon to Epsom and me to Croydon, via Wallington in the traffic.

Woke up this morning (Sunday 28 February) and realised I hadn't yet bought Jon a birthday card for tomorrow. Oops! Better stop writing this blog and do something more constructive. It's still pissing down outside, has been since I was rudely awoken by the alarm on my mobile phone. It's now 0731hrs and it looks as if cycling is going to be the last thing on the agenda today.