Tottenham is a large place and many see Tottenham High Cross as its centre.

The eastern boundary is the River Lea and it was on Ferry Lane Bridge, just below Tottenham Lock, that Mark Duggan was shot dead on Thursday evening.

The looting which followed 48 hours later was at Tottenham Retail Park near Tottenham Hale Station as well as on the High Road.

See page 104.

I think it was somewhere south of Ware last week that I saw an angler with a giant crayfish on the end of his line.

Monster crayfish are a huge problem in the Lea Valley where they have been illegally introduced to the detriment of the more familiar small crayfish.

See story here.

Rye House Gatehouse is to be open Sundays & Wednesdays from Sunday 24 July to Sunday 28 August except on Wednesday 10 August. Admission is now £1.95 (conc £1.40).

The excellent tea hut at Carthagena Lock is now open weekdays 9am-6pm and Sunday 10am-4pm.

See pages 77-79 and 81-83.

How far south do you see deer in the Lea Valley?

Despite the Olympic Park last night a deer was seen in the Limehouse Cut.

The East London Advertiser has a report.

See page 121.

Good to see that Prince Charles went along to Trinity Buoy Wharf last Wednesday afternoon.

This is at the confluence of the River Lea and the River Thames where there is a lighthouse which the Prince visited. He also went into the Driftwood Cafe which has organic food.

A cafe visit is a perfect place to relax after completing the Lea Valley Walk but note that it is only open Monday to Friday 8am to 3pm.

See page 130.

At weekends from Saturday 25 June to Sunday 24 July there will be a café under the bridge just before the start of the long Olympic park fence.

This temporary facility is part of the Folly for a Flyover project occupying the space under the Eastway flyover and alongside the towpath.

The café’s daily changing menu will include smoked salmon from Forman’s on nearby Fish Island, bagels and ice cream.

There will also be boat trips from the towpath.

The café is open 2-6pm.

See page 113.

Great Amwell Church has confirmed that its doors are open every Sunday afternoon 3-5pm until the end of September.

Tea and biscuits are available.

See page 71.

The Lea Valley Walk really now ends at Hackney Wick due to the closures caused by the Olympic preparations.

There is even a diversion to the diversion at Hackney Wick which is enough to make you go for the train.

However, it’s worth pushing on south a little bit further.

The current route south from Red Post Lane bridge, where the path is blocked off, is:

From the towpath go up on to the bridge and cross the water. Keep ahead and take the second turning on the left. (Or go right for the station.)

Go right and left to follow Wansbeck Road. After a junction keep on to a bend and go right up steps. At the top turn sharp left on to the Greenway which gives the best view of the Olympic Park.

At the far end is the View Tube cafe. And nearby is Pudding Mill Station on the Docklands Light Railway.

See page 114.

Opposition to flats being built on Essex Wharf at Lea Bridge is continuing to gather strength.

Essex Wharf is opposite Middlesex Wharf where the Lea Valley Walk leaves Walthamstow Marsh to the cross the river and pass the bottom of North Mill Fields.

Four blocks across the water from the Fields would spoil the rural feel of the area.

The Lee Valley Park Authority is opposing the planning decision.

The latest is here.

Ses pages 108 and 109.

The amount of weed in the Lea in Hackney as you approach the main Olympic site has caused comment long before the Olympic Games were known to be coming to the Lea Valley.

Now a study by Thames21 and University College London suggests that this is caused by a very high level of phosphates. A clean up is suggested.

Further south there is good news about the revived reed bed at Cody Dock.

See pages112 to 115.