St Augustine's Kilburn

As you know I am trawling around Simon Jenkins 1000 best English Parish churches. Jenkins rates his 1000 churches and there is a separate list of the top 100 churches that get **** or *****.

I have visited all 18 that have ***** and 80 of the **** one of the three I have yet to visit is in Liverpool which given I live in the South East of England is sort of forgivable, one is Wellingborough in Northamptonshire and was locked on my visit,  the other is in London and for which I have NO excuse so off I went

And today I give you

881 St Augustine's, Kilburn.

The church was commissioned in 1871 and built by one of the great Victorian Architect's  J L Pearson. 

From the outside it is impressive and declares itself the Cathedral of North London. Now impressive it may be but it doesn't have that WOW my god is that beautiful factor that some medieval churches have when you see them.

but when you going inside you see the finest the Victorian's could muster!

And a Happy Pete wandered off

A do like this station!

of Maps and phones

I have long eschewed the Sat Nav however when I was in Derbyshire one day I wasn't certain when one village was (it wasn't in my map book) and I thought I know I'll use google maps and it took me straight there on the same day I used it to navigate through Derby.

Now you would think that would be that as I don't need it at home? right? well no! I now use it constantly. Why you ask? Well the other week it warned me of a problem on my route and I cut across country, I later learned that I had missed a couple of hours delay!!

On Thursday as I left work it warned me of a big accident on the M11 as I approached the m11 on the A406 I saw lots of traffic but maps took me up the A406 on roads I have never been on and got me home.

I used it with Dad the other week and he thought it was magic!

Very useful this technology lark, but of course I still make sure I know where I am going but it's a very handy backup.

Audley End

I awoke this morning to find it absolutely chucking it down, some local roads were flooded, luckily this cleared quickly and it has been a glorious afternoon.

I know I go to Audley a lot but it is a very pleasant place for a stroll and at this time of year lots places are closed.

The corvids have decimated the grass in front of the house!

There were well over a 100 Canada Geese by the river...

Strange to see a few apples still about.

and other fruit...