Walk with me

Hello everyone!

This is going to be a bit of a long photo blog showing you the things I see on my walking route. I'm very lucky to live on Epsom Downs and it boasts some spectacular views and history as it's home to the famous Epsom Derby. So I went out with my camera and thought I'd share it with you.

First of all let me show you what I wear to go on my walks.

Below is few pictures of what I wear. Obviously as I try to walk every day I do have variations but I thought I'd show you my favourite.

Sports Bra/Top - Asda £5. Now I have a large chest.....32G and I fit in a size small which is an 8-10 very comfortably and feel supported.






Basic Vest Top - H&M £3.99. Now I have tonnes of these as undertops in many different colours and you can get them anywhere, Primark do amazing priced undertops. So when my day to day wearing tops get a bit ratty or have deodorant marks I use them to work out. No point binning it when it's still perfectly fine.

Hoodie - Primark mens department. Now the neon is pretty intense and I wouldn't wear it on a daytime walk. My friend Daniel gave it to me for when I walk when it gets dark so I unfortunately don't know the price and am pretty sure they don't sell this anymore, but it allows me to be easily spotted by cars. SAFETY FIRST!

Bottoms - Asda £10. These are SOOOOOO comfy! I can wear these all day. It has a hidden media pocket in the waistband and just fits my Samsung S3 mini. Any larger than that and you'd have to go the Ipod route. With these trousers the pockets larger than others I have so can fit my debit card in too.











Socks - £2.50 for a pack of 5 Primark. Absolute bargain and pretty colours and designs. A note to all..... NEVER go on a long walk without socks, blisters suck!

Trainers - Reebok Easytone from Amazon for around £50. These are my second pair as I wore my old pair to death. These trainers have raised sections which make you walk slightly different and helps tones your legs and bum.

Accessories - I pop my house key on a Cath Kidston lanyard and wear it around my neck to ensure it doesn't get lost. Phone/media player to listen to music or the radio. Comfortable headphones, you don't want something too "clunky" on your head. Finally my trustly pedometer to monitor my steps to make sure I'm doing at least 10,000 steps

So lets go! 

I'm going to try and do this in some sort of chronological order but don't worry I won't caption them all and apologies for any dodgy camera work. But I think the stunning weather and everything blooming in spring will make up for it

They're right about the horses. They can be a bit of a nightmare when you're running late for work and trying not to spook them with your car.

Wembley Stadium in the distance

Around the course and look out point is a golf course. I avoid going near the holes in case I get knocked out by a golf ball :-p

Approaching the Grandstand

At the main look out point there is a plaque detailing certain points you can see. Unfortunately as it's from the 80's the skyline has changed and trees have gotten in the way.  Also the details were so tiny I couldn't get a good picture

Central London in the distance. On the right is the Shard

The finishing line for the Epsom Derby held on the first weekend in June. On the left you can see a post with a white dot on a red background, that is where the finishing line is. Also the amazing Rubbing House pub in the background. AMAZING FOOD!

Now at this point I go into an underground walkway which take no more than a minute to be back in the sunlight, but in this walkway is something really inspired. Now I witnessed the pictures below being painted last year so it's exciting to see them all completed and taking time to study each horse and the detailing. I find them fascinating and love how it really evokes the Epsom Derby whist poking a bit of fun at the names owners call their horses. I've given some description but not detailed, I'm sure you can work it out for yourself. I didn't feel right leaving a single one out so I've decided to show them all. The artist has a website so why not check them out.

Walkway Entrance

Ashford Boy and Lilululula Bebob-Blue. Showing the Queen stand and the Epsom Derby logo

Francis Prancer showing Jockey colours and the starting gates

Banquet at Tiffany's, Such a perfect name as it depicts Ladies Day!

Cefyl Ieuen (I think that's right?) and Coffee Bean Caela.These horses show a jug of Pimms, and a roofless double decker. Companies hire them out and people just hang out watch the racing and get smashed.....on Pimms

Sir Dobbin Strummer III, Princess Georgie Girl Walnut Tree and Lord Regent Jonathon Von Copperpot. These horses depict the funfair in the centre of the course and a man who would be in the main grandstand with the usual top hat watching the race through binoculars. *WARNING ARTY COMMENT!* I love that it shows the segregation of the day withthe upper class guests on the grandstand and all other people who would be at the funfair. It's like he's looking down on the "normal" people.

Lady Raquel. This horse shows the 1 furlong sign until the finish and Tattenham Corner which is a spot on the course they always mention.

Princess Meeracle Showing the spectators on the grandstand watching the race

Ash Asington Riviera again showing people on the grandstand watching the race.

Princess Natalie Lalalahola winning the face showing the finish post and a popping bottle of champagne.

Out onto the centre of the Epsom Downs

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On the left is the Queen stand and the new Duchess stand on the right. The roof blew off for the second time during the Christmas storms, hence the cherry pickers

Occasionally the loudspeakers play out music. Last time they played a Maroon 5 Album.......

The balcony where the Royal Family watched the races last year

Horses exercising 

This guy was flying a model plane. Loads of people meet up here on a Sunday to fly their planes

I put this in just for a giggle as this building is toilets and a notorious "dogging spot"

It can get really windy here so you will always find a family flying a kite. I used to be the kid who would fly theirs. Sometimes the professionals bring out the big boy kites but none were out today

Me

The small shack is actually a little food hut called the Lunch Box. They do THE BEST chips ever! nothing quite like sitting on the downs munching away on them.

This is a plaque to remember the Suffragette Emily Davison who on the 1913 Derby jumped in front of the kings horse and died for women's rights.  Sorry about the double vision but it's a floating glass plaque and the sun was just not cooperating.

Tattenham corner hill. If you watch the derby you'll see tonnes of people watching the race from this great vantage point.

This is the notorious Tattenham corner on the course. When I was little I remember my family watching from here the horses bounding round the corner.

This of all things is a button for the crossing. nothing too spectacular but its raised so you can press it whilst on horse back and distanced from the actual crossing so the horses don't have to wait.

I love that they've used horses rather than the "green man"

Due to the rich equestrian history the Downs is surrounded my stables

The small shop parade of Tattenham corner. Also home to my local and favourite sunbed shop  (I know they're bad for you)

This is the other side of Tattneham hill. After taking this photo I found it really interesting seeing the 2 separate relationships where you see a young couple and a man and his dog.

When taking this picture a mother and her son walked past with fish and chips lavished in salt and vinegar. That smell didn't leave me all day and I ended up getting it for dinner :-p

Blossoms all along the road......picture ruined by a speed camera!

I love spring time, blossoms just epitomise spring perfectly

One of the casualties from the Christmas storms

50 meter crane above my head. 

Just over the road is a lovely park I used to go to as a kid

A telephone mast disguised as a tree. This is so ridiculous looking it would have been better as a bare mast!

Just spotted these ivy peeking through a fence

A wall of ivy leading me towards home.

And that was me home. On this walk I did around 9,500 steps so it's perfect to keep to my goal of at least 10,000 a day as I work sitting in front of a computer all day it's the best thing for me to get it all done in one go.

I hope you enjoyed the views of my walk. I feel so lucky to live where I do With such a beautiful surrounding I never find it trying to make myself go out as I can just enjoy nature and the quirkiness of my home town.

Mybs xxx