A welcome break in a glade at the Welsh Harp
Bringing the group together with a song
Lunch on Barn Hill
Arrival in Kenton
I joined the 'Camino to COP' walkers on the second of their 48 day climate justice pilgrimage to the COP26 in Glasgow today.
It included people from several faiths and no faith, all committeed to do something to save our planet.
The walk started at West Hampstead and continued along Kilburn High Road towards Staples Corner, a salutary reminder of traffic and air pollution. There was much relief when we turned off to cross Cool Oak Bridge to arrive at the Welsh Harp.
At the Brent end of the Harp we walked suburban streets before entering Fryent Country park and walked through meadows and woodland to reach the top of Barn Hill.
As we walked we talked quietly, hearing about each other's lives and concerns about the climate. For many the two open spaces completely changed their image of 'Brent' and they expressed amazement that such beautiful places existed so close to urban London. 'It's as if we are in the countryside already,' one person remarked.
It was just 8 and a half of the 483 miles that the pilgrims are going to walk and it left me with a great deal of respect for their commitment and stamina.
Brent is of course no strangers to pilgrims having had Kilburn Priory as a stopping place and pilgrimages to St Mary's Church in Willesden until the Reformation. Today's pilgrims received a warm welcome and aroused much interest from St Gregory's College students who were just dispersing for home as we walked by.
