Friday 9th May 2025

Oh yes please, what fun!! A nice easy start, catching the regular train from Thorpe Bay station into Benfleet and from there a 200 yard walk to the path onto Canvey Island.

Neither of us had any idea of what to expect and we were both immediately struck by the organised signage, the well maintained paths, the incredibly stylish houses and the general neatness …. I’m talking Stepford Wives neatness. Nothing out of place and signs saying ‘not to do this and not to do that ..’ – we felt we needed to be on our best behaviour.

It was mostly sea defence wall walking but with pleasant views of the island itself and also across the water we could enjoy the spectacle of the Kent countryside. The sky was so blue today, practically cloudless, the sun was shining although a little breezy too. We rambled on quite contentedly, lapping up the flat and easy terrain. We came across Shell’s Marina Tearoom after 5 miles and treated ourselves to an early break – Steve had a mid morning snack of bacon and cheese toasted flatbread and I resisted, just had a caffeine top up!

There was a more touristy section of the island with bars, cafes, amusements and funfairs – I’m sure this is popular in the summer months. And there is a man made beach and promenade which made for a pretty stroll, plenty of people about. At said beach, 6.5 miles in, we considered stopping for our picnic lunch but then decided to get a little further. Of course, big mistake, hindsight and all that … it was another 3 miles before we found a suitable spot to stop. The main reason being that we hit a stretch of industrial eyesore with an unpleasant stench of gas, not conducive to tucking into sandwiches and fruit.

Feeling replete once again, we headed on, leaving the heavy industry behind and enjoying an area of countryside. Some beautiful birds today and wild flowers but a noticeable lack of butterflies. Sadly, this is where the day’s enjoyment took a bit of a turn. We came across one of those gates with the dreaded ‘beware of the bull’ warnings! My anxiety immediately went up a couple of notches while Steve came out with his typical country boy confidence, saying “well, do you really want to turn back!? After 11 miles of walking you find you don’t give the response you think you might!! I stayed close on Steve’s heels for the next couple of miles, constantly scanning the area and trying to come up with a contingency plan. I’d seen a solo magpie earlier and, although I’d said “Good morning Mr. Magpie,” I just felt there was an element of sorrow looming. Suffice to say, no bull showed up and we lived to tell the tale.

Then, after a mile or two of that angst, the coastal path turned into the narrowest of high paths that became increasingly overgrown the further we went. There was nothing we could do, we just had to suffer it in silence, I absolutely hated it. You have to close your mind off to what might be lurking below and tread carefully so that nothing trips you up. Eventually, after what seemed like hours, we broke free and made our way to the road and off the island.

So a day of mixed terrain and mixed emotions … but we did complete the 14.5 mile loop. It certainly hasn’t shifted this illness that I seem to have so, change of plan – I am now going to rest for a few days … apart from an easygoing Parkrun tomorrow.

Saturday 10th May 2025