The day before this walk we’d all watched in horror as much of the north of England was flooded after days of the heavy rain we’re becoming used to as our climate changes. Thinking about this and after my standard but understandable rant about our useless govermnent, it’s failures on climate change and its fawning over backwards to moneyed interests, I remembered something George Monbiot has written about many times over the past few years, the importance of reforresting our uplands, the importance of trees and their contribution to slowing down the speed with which our denuded sheep farming hills flash off the rainwater which is then sent gushing down into the streets of Appleby, of Whalley, of York, of Hebden Bridge, of Mytholmroyd and then turn the Kirkstall Road in Leeds into a new river.
Anyway, and fortunately for us all up here, today dawned bright, dry and blue so Sarah and I went out for a walk around our relatively dry neighbourhood in Liverpool.
Hard to know that much of Lancashire and Yorkshire, so close to here, are in such deep trouble.
Though the trees help to stop flooding they can’t stop the climate change emergency on their own.
‘It’s creeping comfrey, usually flowering March to September’ Sarah tells me later.
Then among the diving, screeching, feeding frenzied gulls we see a surprising new arrival on the lake.
And yes of course, I do write up these walks more than once. As seasons change and life in Liverpool moves on no walk is ever the same twice.
Full of new bikes, scooters and happiness.
Everyone so eager to get out while it’s not raining.
And rather than simply walk along the prom, which always gets boring after a while…
Much of Otterspool Prom was formed in the early 1930s with rocks excavated from under the Mersey while they were building the Mersey Tunnel.
And which ends at the Garden Festival site, or Festival Gardens as its remnant is now called.
A few months ago Liverpool City Council announced their intention to take over and revamp the place. So it’s clearly in-between times at the moment.
(If whoever’s running this campaign could tell me about it I’ll publish contact details here)
Where beloved and historic Keith’s Wine Bar looks in need of some tender attention.
It’s closed as we pass anyway.
It’s part of a national chain, which put me off trying it for a long time. But someone else arranged to meet me in there a while back and today was my third visit as I think it’s really good. A good range of food, friendly to all ages and a bustling, interesting place. So more fool me for thinking that only independents work.
Just past here we notice a tree miracle.
And that’s about it. The walk that’s sometimes a 10k run ending as the daylight ends.
And home at five to four, just as the sun is due to set today. We turn to the west and see this magnificence…
And just because Liverpool hasn’t been badly flooded yet doesn’t mean we won’t be. Climate change and what we do about it is everyone’s responsibility.
My father was a keen gardener so when my parents came for my graduation we also visited the Garden Festival. My boyfriend told them that St. Michaels station was named after Marks and Spencer!
My father also called their house Greenbank after the park.
Otterspool was one of my favourite places to visit.