Slightly later start today at 6:30, I had in mind a photograph I had taken a few weeks ago in poor lighting but that stood up compositionally. It was on the other side of the lake and recreation ground so I started walking in the general direction.
The weather was sunny but also cloudy, that sort of cloud where the sun just becomes hazy but is still out, actually quite soft which looks good generally. The first images I shot were by the BMX track, near the lake, I’m not sure when this was built, it didn’t exist when I used to hang around here in my youth, there was just a single half pipe which I was way too scared to try. Pretty much all my friends skated when I was growing up, not sure why I didn’t take it up, it looks great fun, alas I’m too old and scared of breaking something to start now.
BMX Track
There is a large swathe of long grass between the BMX track and the nearest housing on Claydon Road, it was glowing in the morning light and from certain angles you couldn’t see anything man made, it felt truly wild. This location is far enough away from the main roads that all you can really hear are birds. I captured a shot of the prairie grass and headed onwards to Claydon Road. I know Goldsworth Park quite well but sometimes it is hard to recall where I saw a certain house or garage, I was sure it was Claydon Road I wanted! As I wandered in it all felt familiar and I knew I was in the right place.
The houses are actually 1970s bungalows, I’ve become fond of this style over recent years, sort of like a suburban version of the 70’s townhouses near my home in Crystal Palace. The sun went away, I made a recording of what, in my tired state, I thought was a chicken but in hindsight, definitely was not. While over this side of the park I wanted to investigate the Hockey Club, just round the corner.
According to their website: “Woking Hockey Club is one of the largest hockey clubs in the country with ten men’s teams, six ladies teams, a mixed side, a range of youth teams, various touring & summer league sides and Back to Hockey sessions.” It’s huge but kind of tucked away. I’ve never spent much time around here, though I was a fan of hockey at school. My overriding memory of the hockey club was driving past on cold winter nights and seeing a buzz of activity lit up by huge towering floodlights. The pitches make for great photo opportunities, especially if you’re a fan of geometric shapes/patterns and colour as I am.
I continued on towards Roundthorn Way and Oakfield. I'm intrigued by the road names in Goldsworth Park, I’m glad they’re not all named generically like the flower estate in Bisley or where my grandparents lived where every road was named after a bird, that seems somewhat lazy to me. Later today I’m heading to Surrey History Centre and I hope to find out more. I know some are historical such as Slocock Hill (named after the nursery/owner) and Harelands and of course Goldsworth but others seem entirely random, Nethercote (near Banbury), Abercorn (in Scotland!). Perhaps as I’ve heard before the names could be chosen by the architect or someone in the council with a personal connection, we might never know.
In Oakfield I revisited my favourite no parking sign so far, “No Parking. Early Start 4AM. Royal Mail”, it tells you so much, it plays on your good nature that the owner is just a person trying to earn an honest living and doesn’t need your shit at 4AM. It’s polite in the way it gives you additional information but it doesn’t say please or thank you. There’s an instagram account for No Parking signs and it’s up there with the best. I headed on to look at the play park which had a sign attached, it’s going to be refurbished in July, maybe I’ll come back to see the results.
Julian Close
This evening I’ve been to Silversmiths Way and Julian Close, quite a high hit rate of decent shots for a small road. This was the road I contemplated shooting yesterday but decided otherwise. It’s right next to my primary school and I never considered it “Goldsworth Park” mainly as it’s isolated from the park by the canal and Parley Drive. Anyway, it’s a nice road!