See, I wasn't the only one!! They were all heading to the same place!
It's hard to believe this place is in the heart of the City. We used to walk past here every day to and from school. Alongside was the old Nottingham Canal and further down was Wollaton Colliery, long disused but I do remember a massive slag heap that we tried to climb up. The canal had been drained a long time ago but the locks were still in place and we used to climb up and down into the old canal bed. No fear here! Alongside was an old cottage and I remember a little old man that would sell flowers from his garden in the summer. This was also a great place for blackberry picking. Sadly all gone now, ploughed down, filled in and redeveloped into a housing development BUT this special place still exists!
This is now a designated Nature Reserve and is under the auspices of the Wildlife Trust. This is Raleigh Pond (yes, named after the Raleigh of the world renowned Raleigh Bicycle Company, which is based in Nottingham) and is also home to the Wollaton Piscatorial Club which is a posh name for fishing club!
Down the path:
Over the footbridge:
Past a not-so-babbling brook!
No one out fishing today, way too cold!
Crossing the footpath to Martin's Pond:
I love the phrase "fish in distress"! It's a good thing my friend Phyllis isn't around! They really would be in distress!!
I used to bring my kids here to feed the ducks. I was totally ignored until I took my bag of bread out and they heard the rustling:
All of a sudden I was every bird's favourite person:
This swan came closer and closer, not shy at all! He (or she) wanted the lion's share of crumbs. I think this is a mute swan, any offers?? There were also lots of mallards, brown ducks, coots and the big white duck is an Aylesbury duck which I haven't seen here before. This one was the splitting image of my favourite story-book duck, Jemima Puddle-duck of course!
This bunch was not shy at all:
I'm not sure what this bird is in the centre of the photo:
Brown feathers, grey underbelly, yellow feet, red and yellow bill. Any ideas?
So, after getting decidedly colder by the minute and no more bird food to be had, I said goodbye to my feathered friends and headed home where I googled the Wollaton Piscatorial Club. Who knew!!!! I will NEVER walk so close to the water after seeing these monsters. I don't want to end up as fish food!
A monster carp!
And more carp!
And loads of bream, all caught at Raleigh Pond! I had no clue at all that the waters were teeming with so much fish! And because this IS a fishy tale, I have to show what my friend, Phyllis, caught in Alberta last week, on a hot date with a 90 year old fisherman:
Whitefish!
Phyllis, this is a member of the Wollaton Piscatorial Club with his 50lb ghost carp, I kid you not, check the site!
Maybe I should take up fishing again!
Talk soon
Zoe
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