Wander on Hackney Marshes

Famous for having more than 60 marked football pitches, which provide the venue for up to 70 amateur football matches each week, Hackney Marshes is an area of grassland - formerly a marsh - which is part of areas of similar grassland which stretch along the River Lee, forming the Lee Valley Park.


Originally drained during Medieval times, the site became a dumping ground for rubble from buildings destroyed during the Blitz. Nowadays, it exists in the shadow of the Olympic site, and the East Marsh is set to close for football in May 2011, when it is being tarmacked over to become a temporary coach park for the Games.

For now, though, it remains the venue for amateur football and nice walks by the river, and should be taken advantage of. God knows how long it will take them to reinstate it, and what state it will be in, after the Olympics.

For more information, see http://www.hackney.gov.uk/cp-hackneymarsh.htm

Buy books at Pages of Hackney

Located on Lower Clapton Road, a short distance from Hackney Central station, Pages of Hackney is an independent bookshop which opened in September 2008.


Whilst upstairs is always an excellent bookstore, filled to the brim with excellent fiction, children's , politics, environment, art, cookery and second hand books, the basement gallery doubles up as a space for regular events and monthly exhibitions. Your author was there only last week for a fantastic talk on the history of Blue Plaques with the Hackney Society.

The shop is open Monday to Friday from 11am until 7pm, Saturdays from 11am to 6pm and Sundays from noon until 6pm. For more, see http://www.pagesofhackney.co.uk/