The formal launch the floating towpath near Bromley-by-Bow is planned for the week commencing Monday 19 September.

The London Thames Gateway Development Corporation with its colleagues at British Waterways are aware that this floating construction is part of a seamless north-south walk where walkers do not now have to take their lives into their own hands by crossing over the fraught A11.

This is a massive improvement for the Lea Valley Walk as well as local people.

LTGDC and British Waterways are wondering if there is any keen walker who would be prepared to walk the Walk from somewhere in the north down to Bow and to coincide their arrival with a media launch at Bow.

There would be support for any expenses incurred during the walk such as bed and breakfast accommodation and refreshments.

If anyone, especially someone living on the line of the Lea Valley Walk, is interested they should contact LTGDC.

Walkers living at the start in Luton or one of the historic towns such as Hertford, Ware or Waltham Abbey might wish to be part of this important moment.

A walk from Waltham Abbey to Bow would link the two main Olympic sites in the Lea Valley.

Contact Patrick Edwards at LTGDC if think you can do it.

There will be an attempt to clear the Floating Pennywort which is covering the water around Tottenham.

The plant can reduce water oxygenation levels and even cause flooding.

On Sunday morning 3 September volunteers working with Thames 21 will gather on the towpath by Tottenham Lock to manually remove the plants from the water.

Those who wish to join in should contact Thames21.

The first Great British Cucumber Festival, supported by the salad growers of the Lea Valley, takes place at Waltham Abbey on Saturday 17 September.

It also has the support of the National Farmers’ Union and aims to highlight the Lea Valley Growers’ contribution to the local economy.

At least 62 million cucumbers, as well as peppers and tomatoes, are grown each year in the Lea Valley. Most British cucumbers come from the Lea Valley.

Organisers are promising “stalls, tastings, Cool as a Cucumber music stage, Little Italy, Abbey Pride local businesses and organisations, cooking, health and beauty, entertainment, crafty cucumbers and entertainment area for the children”.

The festival is in the Abbey Gardens on Saturday 17 September from 12 noon to 4pm; admission free.

The Lea Valley Walk now passes under the Bow Flyover Junction.

A ’suspended’ pathway alongside the River Lea will be officially opened later this year but the route can be used now.

This means that walkers approaching the end of the Olympic Park boundary from the north will cross a new wooden bridge to go under the road junction on the right hand (west) side. You will emerge to join the existing towpath which after a short distance reaches Three Mills.

“We’re overjoyed to have completed this project which will make a real difference to thousands of journeys in the area every year and even more in the lead up to the Games in 2012,” said British Waterways enterprise manager Mark Blackwell last week.

“As well as being a functional route for local people this scheme improves access to the 28-mile Lea Valley Walk from Hertfordshire all the way to the River Thames which is an excellent way for people to explore the Lee Valley.”

This is just the first of many improvements planned for the Lea Valley Walk in time for next summer.

So successful has Folly for a Flyover been on the towpath just north of Hackney Wick that it is still open.

The cafe will be open from 12.30pm on Saturdays and Sundays until Sunday 21 August.

Then it will be dismantled.

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.