Despite the fact that I live in the middle of nowhere in the north of England I had my best view of a fox as I exited the London Underground at 10pm one summer's night. Reynard and me walked down the street together, me on the pavement and he in the middle of the road, completely nonchalant, as if he too were returning from a night at the theatre! Earlier that day I had visited the nearby Ecology Centre at Gillespie Park Nature Reserve where there are meadows, woods, ponds and hedgerows full of birds, apparently. The annual Gillespie Festival was in full swing so I didn't see much nature. How strange then to find it on the other side of the fence? We humans need our defined spaces for nature but wild things will not be contained!

191 Drayton Park, London, N5 1PH
+44(0)20 7527 4374
www.islington.gov.uk/environment/sustainability/sus_nature/islington_nature_reserves/ecology_centre.asp
Google map: bit.ly/l4gc9l

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The hidden gem that is the Regent's Canal goes from Angel right out to Limehouse.

The western end of the canal gives you Camden and Little Venice... the eastern end gives you London's industrial heritage, the amazing Victoria Park, Bow, a quick detour for the Colombia Road flower market on a Sunday and Broadway Market on a Saturday.

But now I'm having second thoughts about posting this because it's a rare treat and we don't want too many people bounding down the tow path...

Angel Tube, then turn down the street next to The York pub. Walk as far as you want...

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