The World’s End

Don’t panic, it’s a pub. Where else would you think I’d be.

Mrs W and I like walking, and pub lunches. But some while back her feet started playing up [arthritis] and the walks got shorter and slower, and then stopped. So, I haven’t been pounding the Public Footpaths for a while. But a couple of Sunday’s ago I was back in my walking boots. I dropped off Mrs W at her mates in East Tilbury – they were going to some garden thing in Orsett.

So while they were off, I walked from Coal House Fort to Tilbury Fort along the north bank of the Thames, I wanted to see the BNP’s gun emplacements. It was a nice sunny day and not having Mrs W with me to fuss I forgot to put the sun block on and got well and truly sun burnt where I don’t have any hair anymore. It took and hour and 10 minutes so it is around 3-4 miles.

Coal House Fort itself is a really pleasant family spot. Lots of families there having picnics and playing cricket, and a really nice children’s playground. Once past there I was pretty much on my own. Except for the steady stream of container ships overtaking me on their way to Tilbury Docks bringing lots of stuff for the shopaholics regular fix.

The tarmac path gave way to a rough track and then moved inland a bit. Here a stretch of bank about 30 feet wide had been cleared of vegetation by some sort of mechanical bulldozer. It looked like a ploughed field, except there were about a dozen human heads peeking above ground level at various intervals. They were all digging holes – big deep ones. I had to ask. They were looking for bottles. Ah well.

The path then dropped back down to the river with a huge concrete wall to my right and every so often there was a ladder. I popped my head over the wall from time to time so see what was there – a flood plain. Sort of makes sense that doesn't it? Along this stretch there was lots of flotsum and jetsum including millions of little straws about 3 inches long and either white or blue. At first I though it was stripped wiring insulation but no, they were the middle sections of Q-Tips or cotton buds. The two cotton bits had presumably disintegrated. A most inappropriate use of plastic I’d say.

Past what is presumably a power plant and a sewage works and I get to Tilbury Fort and sure enough the BNP are ready. I didn’t stop there, I was straight on to The World’s End for two pints of Abbotts and an environmentally friendly Tuna Baguette. It must be the most blatantly sexist pub I have ever been to. The sign on entry was "no shirt no beer". There was no requirement for "no blouse no gin" not that anyone seemed to be taking advantage.

I had a snooze in the Fort and took a photograph just outside the main gate to illustrate just how high the flood defence wall is above ground level.

On the way back I spotted a really good piece of Reuse, and old railway rail being used as a fence post, and the holes had been partially filled. I didn’t check to see if they had collapsed with someone still in it.

Photos:

The World's End Pub
No Shirt No Beer

Stuff arriving.

Sewage and Power

Reuse.

Infilled hole.

The BNP are prepared.

The flood defence wall.