I had a short walk to the Thames to start the day. The first chap I met cheerfully informed me the path went through numerous industrial sites and was tricky to follow. On the good news front he said they held raves down there. Unfortunately my chances of catching the tail end of a rave were curtailed by the path being diverted from the industrial area due to it being blocked.
Then it was walking along the Thames bank along the flood defences again.
Even here there was industry and I spent half an hour walking through a quite active gravel digging facility.
The path took another diversion where the sea defences had been realigned letting the Thames form a new bay. Here the England Coastal path just didn’t put any new markers up and relied on you following a track for 2 miles watched by some suspicious sheep.
As I made my way to my campsite I did what I do occasionally to pass the time which is sing, using sing in the very broadest sense of the word.
I was just finishing off a rendition of “Ernie the fastest milkman in the west”. when I came upon a chap crouched on the bank with his phone pointing at the river.
I asked what he was doing.
It turned out he was making a YouTube video of a relaxing river rippling with the restful babbling of the river on the shore. These are popular to help people sleep.
I apologised as I felt a relaxing river with babbling water overlaid by an off key rendition of “Ernie” wasn’t going to aid restful sleep.
He was very good natured about it and wished me luck on my walk. I proceeded quietly to my camp site.