06/10/06
Blue sky and blustery

Today there was a strange odour lurking in the air around the Docks of L3 and L20. Nosing the air whilst evaluating a plot near the Tate and Lyle storage drums, I was getting whiffs reminiscent of the bottom of a bird cage mixed with a little syrup and a dash of fish sauce; not pungent, nor unpleasant, just a dull, dusty, slightly sweet and fishy aroma. The plot, a disused car park, had a thicket of brambles in one corner, but I think you would have to be very hungry to want to eat these…

Today was dominated by sites evaluated in the ‘White category:
• Small plots
• Surface sealing of concrete, tarmac or building rubble
• Sparse or no vegetation cover
• Unwelcoming and/or inaccessible
• No features e.g. water, different levels, structural phenomena

It is on the “White” sites that you can see the first stages of nature’s reclamation process, this is what makes these sites so exciting - they offer a unique value for experiencing nature.
It is such a shame that so many “White” sites are inaccessible - fenced and locked, and often with razor wire, barbed wire, and “Keep Out” signs. Through my eyes, it is not the disuse of the land that is unattractive, but the way in which the land is ‘protected’. Security measures, screens of grey galvanised steel visually dominate and give the false impression of a place void of nature.

During the past few days, even though I have been keenly watched, no one has been curious enough to speak to me, so no interesting anecdotes or observations by locals to report.

Summary
5 miles
5 sites - 4 White, 1 Blue
No conversations
And think I’m coming down with a cold