Week 4 – 02/05/26

The weather was once again very kind to the group for the fourth weekend walk, with sunshine, bright blue skies & a light, refreshing breeze.

This week, the group ventured into more unfamiliar areas, along the riverbank towards the Leicester Line railway bridge. They set off at a relaxed pace, concentrating on their senses, what they could see, hear & smell etc. The first thing they noticed was the colourful flowers around a bench outside the library, all pinks, purples & whites, delicately swaying in the gentle breeze. Behind the flowers was a pretty bench with two white doves built into the pattern of the backrest. It looked like a peaceful place to sit & relax, but as the walk had only just begun, the group left it vacant, free for other people to enjoy. Walking on & noticing the freshly cut grass around the paths, lots of tiny, shiny metallic green dock beetles were spotted. They shimmered radiantly in the sunlight as they gorged upon the dock leaves.

The next sense to be noted was that of sound, with a wash of music floating on the breeze, booming from the rider of a takeaway food bicycle. Someone was about to receive some delicious food, but the bicycle passed by so quickly that the group couldn’t smell the tasty treats.

As the group walked under St. Peter’s bridge & towards the countryside, the noise of the hustle & bustle from the traffic began to fade away into the background & a salty seaside smell wafted in the warm air. A gaggle of four Greylag geese were spotted foraging on the grass. The group stopped briefly to watch them, observing how animals appeared to live solely in the present, concentrating on the task in hand.

One member kindly shared how they had been surprised earlier in the week to have been offered a role which would enable them to help others & give back to the local community. They mentioned that at first they had been uncertain but that having taken more time to think about it, they had decided, ‘what had they got to lose’. Everyone feels unsure sometimes, but what a fantastic way to look at the situation. They were prepared to give something new a try & if it didn’t work out, at least they had tried.

Moving further along the river bank, the magnificent Leicester Line railway bridge came into view, where ducks were seen flying overhead & then landing on the river, some more elegantly than others! The water swished from the oars of the rowing boats & the chatter of the coach relaying instructions over the megaphone from the small powerboat alongside was heard over the gentle hum of the motor.

Whilst walking alongside the railway bridge the group commented on the many different shades of green they could see & how peaceful it was. With a bench in view, it seemed to be the ideal spot to take a refreshment break & discuss what everyone had noticed so far & to enjoy the soft breeze grazing lightly against everyone’s skin. Reorienting themselves to where they were in relation to local landmarks, the group appreciated how lucky they were to have nature on their doorstep, at just a stone’s throw from the busyness of the town.

After the rest stop, the group set off again & soon spotted a yellow dragonfly, darting around & then hovering above the leaves of a bush & settling for a few seconds as if to take a short break of its own, before darting off again. Behind the bushes, cows were seen in the field, some grazing & some snoozing in the warm sun.

Coming to the end of the path, a tractor & scarecrows were seen at the edge of a field & the group learnt about the Watchman’s cottage, which was originally built to watch over the Bass Brewery pump house, where gypsum-rich brewing water from deep wells was highly guarded in years gone by.

On the final section of the walk, some members noticed the waxy touch of the reeds growing beside the path; they were popping up everywhere there was an opportunity to thrive! Next came unusual lemon coloured butterflies as the group approached the large metal statue of St. Modwen, the Patron Saint of Burton, which then prompted a chat about Art & everyone’s likes.

Before returning to the library a majestic tree, full of pinecones, was noticed, stretching up high into the sky, followed by what appeared to be a gate to nowhere at the side of the Andresey Bridge, protecting a plaque on the wall, possibly a special coat of arms. With this, the final discovery of the week, the group were once again surprised by how far they had walked & how many thousands of steps that encompassed. Everyone wished each other well for the long bank holiday weekend & the group dispersed to activities including coffee, a Blues festival & shopping.