This could be a post about my years as a pogoing punk rocker and the glories of Dr Feelgood circa 1979.
It’s not. It’s about art. Specifically something called strava art.
I’d not heard about this until a WhatsApp from No. 1 son. He’s in the midst of a fitness january organised by some friends. Every run, bikeride and swim gains various points allocated according to strict criteria. Ish.
‘I need points.’
‘Okay…’
‘Any chance you can come up with a strava art walk?’
We looked it up. This is an example
As you can see it is a mapped walk on these strava gizmos that creates a picture.
‘It has to be at least 5 kilometres. And the more complicated the better.’
No amebos then.
So she with two left brains and me with my map fixation had a ponder.
By Thursday we’d sketched this on our OS map that covers South London.
The questions were:
– would it look like this
– could we link some parts together
– and how long?
We guesstimated 15 kilometres and a close study of Google maps suggested it should be possible…
So on Saturday the Broker and I met up at Brockwell Park in Herne Hill a stone’s throw from his flat.
It was cold and gloomy but we pottered about carving the head and eye and ear before heading into the mean streets…
It was fun. I’d plotted each road and turn. He had his strava on, I had Google fit on my phone.
We visited some bits of South London we’d never seen before, such as the alphabet streets around the Church of Queen Mary in Streatham, built in the 1890s amongst early social housing (‘homes for tradesmen and artisans’).
And eventually we returned to Brockwell Park where, nervously we checked the apps.
Cool…
And if you don’t know those doyens of a melodic pop song…
… it’s not this.
Maybe next week it’ll be a fish.
TanGental 
Reblogged this on NEW BLOG HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Oh my, the inventions are becoming more and more crazy. Lol But indeed a very interesting idea to get the duty of dog walking done, too. Thanks for sharing, Geoff! Enjoy a beautiful rest of this Tuesday. xx Michael
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Thank you Michael. I’m not sure he appreciated the effort that went into it?!
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Excellent. Dog would be delighted
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Most happy!
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I can well see that most doggies would be delighted, but it would have to be a fair-weather pursuit for moi…. Put your best foot forward and the best of British x
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Thanks Joy. We were doing it for Queen and Country!
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What a clever way to get in a 15 km walk. You should take a photo of the map, make it an NFT, and sell it! Not sure I could do 15 km. My stravart would be a circle or a figure 8.
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One commentator here said she’d managed a bottle of wine!
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What a treat. I had never heard of such a thing and am unlikely to do it but I am glad to see the fun you and your son had.
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It was excellent. We’re hopeful of finding some more.
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I reckon Wilko Johnson was probably the first to create strava art every time he performed! Well done the two of you.
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So true. Did you see them? I was in Bournemouth at the Winter gardens and Wilco was utterly manic. Goodness knows what he was on. I think my ears are still ringing… the other day I saw my vinyl copy of Stupidity. A bit sticky – goodness knows what’s on it!
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I never saw them live but always enjoyed their TV appearances. He says Speed was his go to drug but also LSD and the worst abuse was alcohol. Considering that he had a 3kg tumour removed it is amazing he’s still around. As for the sticky – clean it before anyone tests it!
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Ha, good advice! I’d not heard about the tumour. It amazes me how some of those rock stars survive given what they ingested.
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It is a dog’s life, after all. Well done.
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He does dictate the mood music…
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😊
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What a cool idea. This is too funny!
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It is great fun.
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LOVE it! This is brilliant Geoff! I tried this too, but the roads here are mostly in a grid, so it was really hard to make good’uns. I only managed to draw a bottle of wine…
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Why am I not surprised. Mind you, Josy yours would have to be fairly 3D what with all the involuntary jumping….
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Hehehe! 😀
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Now that’s what I call giving your walks a purpose!
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Other ideas are in the pipeline!
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This looks really fun, and you get to plan the shape. What a hoot. AND your participation gave Sam his longest walk yet…. 😉
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The planning was probably the most fun. London and its ancient curvy streets, little footpaths and passages sort of cries out for this if you have the eye (and, happily, Mrs LP has just that)
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A creative way to get the miles in! Were any dogs walked in the creation of the Strava dog?
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He did half.. he’s getting a bit old for the whole thing
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How clever! Never saw Dr Feelgood, but have seen WJ twice with his current band, once after he had more or less come back from the dead as alluded to in a previous comment.
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What a neat idea! 😀 … well done.
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Bravo, Geoff, you did a great job with this.
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It was splendid fun
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