A walk in the park

Next weekend I am starting a three week photography course at Southend College. I got all the details through on Friday and as I wasn't exactly sure where I was going we took a drive into Southend this afternoon to find out! It seems that I am actually going to the University building, which I hadn't been to before, so it was just as well that we went on a reccie! I am really excited about the course - I've had my DSLR for quite a while now and although I have moved off 'Auto' I am self taught. It will be really great to actually learn from the beginning how I should actually be using my camera! It is only a three week course, but there are more that I can join once I have finished this one.

To make the most of the journey we decided to go on a walk on the way home at Watt Tyler Country Park in Pitsea. It is a place we have visited before and is lovely for a Sunday afternoon walk.

Although it was overcast and pretty chilly we had a lovely walk. Penny is keen for me to take a photo of her every month, so that she can join in a MEME at the end of the year. So, here is her photo for March:

She wears her sunglasses a lot, even if it isn't sunny, as with her Aspergers she can't cope with glare/brightness very well. If she doesn't have them on then she tends to walk along looking at the floor all the time which is not very good for her posture or for her social skills as she is not looking at other people.

I like this photo of the two of us that Hugh took, although I have to say that my woolly hat makes me look like Madame Defarge (not sure on the spelling!) who sat knitting at the guillotine! I think I will get a new one for next year!

Yes, Hugh had to be silly! This was what looked like a large metal woodlouse and Hugh couldn't resist playing on it!

There is a very interesting trail to follow round the park telling you the history of how explosives were made there. You can see the foundations of some of the buildings, or if there are no foundations you can still see from the landscape where they would have been. This is one of the tunnels that led to a building where they did some of the processing.

As we were nearing the end of our walk, a tree reached out and grabbed the hat from my head!

Perhaps I should have left it there! Just before the end of the walk there are some very bright sculptures of 'people' enjoying themselves in a little dell. As one had lost its head Penny went in as replacement.

We must go back in the summer when it is warmer and the flowers are out as they have a sensory garden, but we have never seen it in full bloom as we nearly always seem to go there during the winter months!