Downstream

the banks, but it also feels
like a river in a city; I’ve long
left the countryside behind.
At the Fulham end of the
bridge I walk down steps to
Bishop’s Park. The noise of
the traffic is suddenly
silenced and all I can hear are
birds. The recently renovated
park has its roots in Victorian
times and its facilities now
include an ‘urban beach’ for
children to play on, although
not on the river itself. I stop