Many and varied are the talents of our ODs.
David Jordan (W, 1962), schoolmaster, headmaster and, he tells me, farmer, is, in his retirement, a certified
London Blue Badge Guide. The rigour and depth of knowledge required for this certification belies the individual and personal passion and energy the badgeholder brings to the job, and David has these in spades.
16 ODs and their family members met at Hampstead Heath on Saturday 8th October for a most enjoyable and informative afternoon of facts and fun. David not only knows the Heath as a guide, but, living in the neighbourhood, he is an active user of it, often found swimming in one of the ponds. He told us of its history, geography, politics, cultures and sub-cultures all the while wending our way to
Kenwood House for a sumptuous tea followed by an illuminating tour and talk on the famous and incredibly valuable paintings. Not all of them, though; David is a man of discernment. A truly fascinating and enjoyable afternoon. We hope this is the first of many guided walks for ODs in the UK.
ODs on the tour were David,
Tim Loughton (G, 1993);
James Deane (B, 1990) and his wife Claire, their two children, and James's parents Richard and Penny;
Peter Arthur (W, 1965),
Humphrey Payne (O, 1961) and his wife Roz,
Haydn Hammond (B, 1990),
Tom McLennan (G, 2009) and
Aarjan Snoek (O, 1997) and his daughter and
Nicky Bicket (F, 1973).
Click on the pictures to enlarge
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| At the start of the walk, at the Magdala Pub, pausing to examine the spot where Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain, murdered her lover. From left: Tom McLennan, Haydn Hammond, Roz Payne, Humphrey Payne, a slightly anxious Penny Deane and David Jordan |
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| David Jordan in front of a (typically) beautiful Heath House and on the right, a plaque remembering one of the Heath's more celebrated locals (although, as David pointed out, there was no such person as George Orwell which was the pen name of Eric Blair) |
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| Listening to David, Tim Loughton, Peter Arthur and Aarjan Snoek |
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| Richard Deane, Haydn Hammond and James Deane |
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| David Jordan, Tom McLennan and Humphrey Payne |
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| Richard and Penny Deane, Tim Loughton, Humphreu Payne, James Deane, David (back) Haydn Hammond and Aarjan Snoek |
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| Roz and Humphrey Payne, Tim Loughton, Haydn Hammond, Peter Arthur, Tom McLennan and David Jordan |
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| Panoramas from Parliament Hill |
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| One of the three Ponds |
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| Tom McLennan, Peter Arthur and Humphrey Payne |
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| Landscapes aplenty on the Heath |
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| In Kenwood House, James Deane, Haydn Hammond, David Jordan and in the background, a slightly irritated Rembrandt (yes, an original) |
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| In the library, Tim Loughton, Roz Payne, Peter Arthur and David Jordan |
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| Finally, tea - and what a tea. In the left picture, Dr Aarjan Snoek explaining to Haydn Hammond the dangers of too much clotted cream. Although this does help restore the pre-walk calorie count |
