The Lea Valley Walk by Leigh Hatts

A surprise at the Paul Sandby exhibition are three large pictures of Luton Park showing ancient trees, cows and deer.

This parkland is today known as Luton Hoo and Sandby’s snapshots were painted about 1765 when the house was the home of former prime minister Lord Bute.

The exhibition is at the Royal Academy where the latest RA magazine features a Sandby Luton painting.

The show has come to London from Nottingham where it was assembled last year to mark the bicentenary of Paul Sandby’s death. He is best known for precise paintings of Windsor and London’s Bayswater Road which have been lent by the Queen.

The Queen and Prince Philip of course spent their honeymoon at delightful Luton Park which is now the Luton Hoo hotel.

Paul Sandby is at the Royal Academy of Arts, Piccadilly; open daily from Saturday 13 March until Sunday 13 June; admission £9 (conc £8).

See page 31-32.

Forman’s, the smoked salmon firm on the River Lea, has opened a gallery.

It is called the Smokehouse Gallery and tonight saw the launch of the first exhibition. East Meets West is described as “a diverse collection of street and graffiti artists from Eastern Europe and East London”.

H. Forman & Son is a family owned salmon smoker established in 1905. It is now in the hands of fourth generation Lance Forman whose smokehouse was in Marshgate Lane where the new Olympic Stadium is being built.

Fortunately he found this nearby site across the water on Fish Island with a fantastic view of the stadium.

The pink Forman’s building, designed by Phil Hudson is itself now a landmark on the Lea Valley Walk between Hackney Wick and Old Ford Lock. The architect claims that it is in the shape of a fillet of salmon.

This is, like Tate Modern, a gallery where the building is as much an attaction as the art. Tonight’s launch was a delightful evening with smoked salmon nibbles and an opportunity to see the restaurant downstairs which has an even bigger window for viewing the towpath and Olympic Stadium.

The view is obviously better in daylight. The exhibition is open 12 noon to 5pm on Saturdays and Sundays and 5pm-9pm on Fridays until the Sunday 21 March; admission free. The entrance is in Stour Road E3.

See page 114.

The towpath is now closed just south of Old Ford Lock and Bow Flyover.

This is not caused by the Olympics but the construction of Crossrail which will not be ready for 2012.

After Old Ford Lock you cross the Old River Lee and pass under the Northern Outfall Sewer, better known now as The Greenway. As soon as you have passed under this low bridge you now go left away from the river and up a slope to the top of The Greenway.

Turn right and enjoy the view of the Olympic Stadium on your left. Ahead is the excellent Container Cafe (9am-4.30pm). But just before the cafe bear right down a slope to Pudding Mill Lane where the security guard will direct you across the road. Turn left to reach the main road. Go right to rejoin the Lea Valley Walk opposite McDonald’s.

The diversion will remain in place at least until December.

See pages 115-116.

Thank you to the 15 walkers who made it through snow and numerous rail line closures to get to Hackney Wick by 1pm for today’s Walk London ramble down the Lea Valley.

I think most of us had difficulty at Stratford Station finding the bus. I suggest that staff need to be more helpful and have some large notices.

It was glorious sunshine as we left the towpath just after Old Ford Lock to climb up on to the Greenway. We all enjoyed the view of the Bryant & May factory on one side and the Olympic stadium on the other.

The View Tube cafe proved a good stopping point for lavatories and food.

My cheese croissant and hot chocolate were delicious. I think this cafe is going to get crowded over the next two years but at the moment it’s very quiet.

We reached Limehouse Dock at about 3.40pm. Sadly the DLR at Limehouse was not running.

***View Tube cafe is on the Greenway E15 2PJ and open daily 9am to 4pm. Nearest station is Pudding Mill Lane on the DLR. Ask the security guard for directions.

The Olympic Delivery Authority has issued some pictures showing the Olympic Park after the 2012 games.

The Bow Back rivers are lined with wild flower meadows.

It remains to be seen how the towpath will benefit but the area will certainly have a different feel from the 20th century.

News also comes this week of support from the public for a wind turbine on Hackney Marshes. The ‘windmill’ could generate enough electricity for Waltham Forest council buildings and street lights.

Meanwhile, the project further south to create the Lea River Park between the Olympic Park and Bow Creek has won the International Urban Landscape Silver Award.

The announcement was made in Frankfurt and comes with €15,000 prize money for the project.

The ‘Park’ will consist of six new public spaces linked by footpaths and cycleways, new bridges and towpaths. It was one of five international projects shortlisted for the award.

See pages 112-118 and 126-131.

I have been on the towpath alongside the Olympic park today in preparation for leading the walk this Saturday 30 January.

One of the weekend Walk London routes is ‘The Lower Lee Valley: Hackney Wick to Limehouse Station’.

The Greenway will be open for us to look at progress on the stadium and the swimming pool. Open on the path now is the Olympic View Tube where we can stop for refreshments, toilets and the view. This is a little visited spot so it will be good to be there ahead of crowds.

After the future we shall see the past in the form of the tide mill at Three Mills.

The walk is about five miles although there is no need to do it all.

Meet at 1pm on Saturday outside Hackney Wick Station. This is one stop from Stratford.

No charges. It’s a TfL initiative to get us walking.

Hope to see lots of you there.

I shall be leading a free walk down the Lea Valley as part of the Walk London weekend.

Meet at 1pm on Saturday 30 January at Hackney Wick Station to walk south to Limehouse.

It’s  a chance to catch up on progress in the Olympic Park before following the Limehouse Cut from Three Mills to the River Thames.

There is a handy station at the end.

More information on this 5 mile Urban Amble in a few days.

Vanessa Feltz conducted a debate on BBC Radio London yesterday about the spelling of the Lea Valley. She called it a debate “gripping the capital”.

The first caller was Keith from Harpenden who made the very good point that the River Lea rises at Leagrave.

I had a five minute interview with her afterwards when we ranged over the various river spellings in past centuries.

This is what I said in the Daily Telegraph yesterday: “In the 19th century, the Ordnance Survey decided to use both Lea and Lee. In 1967 an Act of Parliament established the Lee Valley Regional Park.

“However, the Lee Valley Park recognises the river’s name as Lea. With the Olympics approaching, I think it is time to accept that the entire valley, extending from Luton to Bow Creek, is now known to most people as the Lea Valley.”