Crystal Palace Park and Dinosaurs
While strolling through the park one day, in the merry merry month of May (at the southern end),
I was taken by surprise, by a pair of roguish eyes,
I was scared but I didn’t run away,
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:-).
“Me too”.
El Magnifico.
El Sticko.
“I keep throwing the stick but El Thicko keeps bringing it back. I hope it doesn’t start a trend”.
“Did somebody say stick”.
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“My tongue’s thwollen”. More squirrels here⇐.
Coot Chicks more here ⇐.
This is all at the southern end of Crystal Palace Park.
Heironymous.
“Bosch, got it”.
“Come here, me little Jacky, now aw’ve smoked mi backy
Have a bit o’ cracky, till the boat comes in
Dance ti’ th’ daddy, sing ti’ th’ mammy, dance ti’ th’ daddy, my little man
You shall have a fishy on a little dishy
You shall have a fishy when the boat gets in.”
Near the café at the southern (lowest) end of the park.
This is from the northern (highest) end of the park.
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The upper terraces were once the site of the Crystal Palace. Crystal (Glass) Palace was originally sited in Hyde Park and housed the Great Exhibition⇒ from 1851 to 1854 then the whole thing was moved to Penge and the Park created. The structure was burned down in 1936 but the park remains and, once a year, is used for a race of classic/vintage cars⇐.
On the upper terraces can be found four of these (two at each end). Currently being refurbished they are actually caged to prevent further attacks upon tourists. 😀
If visiting the park it makes more sense to start at the northern (high) end at or the mid area (right next to Crystal Palace station), walk down hill (for the dinosaurs and ponds) and then escape by using Penge West rail station. And, I hope you enjoy your days out.
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Clissold Park, Deer, Goats and Ducks
Clissold Park is one of the most pleasant places I have been fortunate enough to visit. It has lakes with numerous waterfowl, a goat enclosure, a deer enclosure, a small butterfly house (sometimes), a paddling pool (sometimes), a playground, a skate park, a small aviary, tennis courts and an indoor/outdoor café. Please click here⇐ for more information and an expandable park map.
The above view is from near the Green Lanes entrance. Probably the easiest means of travel is to Manor House underground rail station then a bus 141 or 341 (from Stop C beside the shops opposite the Park View Cafe) traveling south and alight at the second stop after passing the large brick-built synagogue with two towers.
Just to the left of the entrance is the first lake (the other is a little further along) where, of course, will be found some of these ⇓.
For more Clissold Park wildfowl including Canada Geese Goslings please click here ⇐.
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And, for still more with Egyptian Geese Goslings, Mallard Ducklings and Coot Chicks please click here ⇐.
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And, there are some ducks here ⇓ followed by some four legged critters and the café with its Wisteria. 🙂
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Which James Bond film does he ⇑ remind you of ?
” I may appear to be a little wooden but the girls are more relaxed” ⇓.
“Oh what bliss, four or five hours to put my feet up while his nibs does posing”
“Oh well, I suppose I could take a break. Somebody peel me a grape”.
Further towards the church steeple and a little to the right are the enclosures..
“Did somebody mention nibbles”.
There is small geodetic dome for a butterfly house but it was not open when I was there. There is also a small aviary but it was not possible to photograph through the complex mesh. So I photographed a flower instead and then on to the deer.
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You cannot enter these enclosure and these photographs were taken with a zoom lens. Nevertheless, it is an opportunity to safely see these animals and without having to travel far out of London.
There are more deer at Bushy Park ⇐, Richmond Park and Hampton Court Old Deer Park. In those places it is possible to roam more freely (with care) although the deer can be difficult to locate in such large expanses. The easiest to find are at Hampton Court Old Deer Park where the deer are either in the open field or somewhere beneath the single line of trees.
A little further on is a view of St Mary’s Church (Stoke Newington). The small footbridge crosses a short section of what remains of New River, which was new in 1613. More of that later.
Moving to the left and going around, there is ⇓.
The Clissold House café with its nearby hedge of Wisteria. At the bottom right can be seen a little of the old New River.
Which also has the occasional duck.
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On the other side of the Wisteria hedge is another area of the café. Such places can be a little expensive, so a picnic is always worth considering.
So as we leave the park, the church is at our backs and will be in another post. Not far off is the Rose and Crown with menus⇒ where the prices are not too unreasonable for a meal and you can get a Sunday Roast up to eight or nine in the evening (probably a good idea to book ahead).
I hope you enjoyed the tour. Next is the nearby St Mary’s Church⇐ and then the slightly more rugged Woodberry Wetlands and New River walk⇐.
Clissold Park Goslings, Ducklings and Coot Chicks
“My name is Pond, James Pond, and ~”. – More here ⇓ and Here⇐.
“Here we come, walkin’ down the street, we get the funniest looks from, ev’ry one we meet.
Hey, hey, we’re the Goslings, and people say we paddle around.
But we’re too busy singing, to put anybody down”.
“Whisper, whisper”.
“You’re kidding”.
“Oh my gosh, he’s right”. “One small step for man, one giant leap for a little gosling”.
“Oh look, I’ve got two of them”.
“See what I have to put up with”.
“Where’s that bus. Looks like we’ll have to swim for it”
“I get around, get around round round, I get around,
I’m gettin’ bugged driving up and down this same old strip, I gotta finda new place where the kids are hip,
My buddies and me are getting real well known, yeah, the bad guys know us and they leave us alone,
I get around, get around round round, I get around”.
“We are sailing, we are sailing, home again ‘cross the sea.
We are sailing stormy waters, to be near you, to be free”.
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Many people think that the expression “bald as a coot” refers to the white featherless shield on the adult coots forehead.
There might be another explanation.
“I saw a mouse, where, there on the stair, where on the stair, right there,
A little mouse with clogs on, well I declare, going clip clippity clop on the stair”.
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“Just call me Slick”.
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“Oh soup. The world is made of soup. Oh frabjous day”. 🙂
“They call me Baby Driver, and once upon a pair of wheels,
Hit the road and I’m gone ah, what’s my number,
I wonder how your engine feels, ba ba ba ba”.
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“This is the river police. We know you’re here somewhere. Stop all that singing and come out with your wings up”. 🙂
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More about Clissold Park and more goslings and ducks here⇐.
Clissold Park Geese, Ducks and Swan
“Announcing the Goslette triblings”. – More here ⇓ and Here⇐.
“Oh dad”. “Honestly, he’s so embarrassing”.
“Where’s Agnes”.
“I’m off”.
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“I say, lets all go see the fountain.”.
Clissold park also has a Fallow Deer enclosure, goats, an aviary and is quite close to the new wetlands nature reserve at Woodberry. More of these things later. In the meantime:-
Charlie is the original “odd duck”.
He leads his aquatic family from the bank side, quacking all the way.
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It looks and sounds very much like a trainer calling instructions to a rowing crew
“Don’t do that when I’m talking to you”. “Really, no manners whatsonever”.
And, off they go again.
“Quackers”. Well one can’t have a post about ducks without it.
“One should be more sedate”.
“And keep up appearances”.
“Oh the stress”.
“Stress ! You should see my bill for neck maintenance”.
“On the other hand”
“I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Watchin’ the tide roll away, ooh
I’m just sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Wastin’ time
doop doo doo, dup be doob be doo doo”.
More about Clissold Park and more goslings and ducks here⇐.