take me to the river.....

so, it's friday morning, i'm awake just after four in the am, cup of char and i cadge a lift into the fair city of derbye with the boy jack, he's working today, i'm not, got a day's annual leave to listen to the senior tt, me and the boys are walking home, following the course of the river derwent, ten after the hour of six and we are on the riverside path, it's a beautiful early summer morning, cool but sunny, into derby, passing the abandoned magistrates court, [i've had a few 'appearances' here in the past, nothing major, trespassing on the railway when we got caught jumping into the river off the old railway bridge at wilmorton [fined forty quid] and a couple, well, maybe three count's of football hooliganism back in the '70's [a couple of probation's and fines and the threat of 'a custodial sentence if you ever appear before me in this court again'] nowaday's, the building is being reclaimed by nature as it waits for demolition and being developed as part of the 'derby riverside project' in other word's a load of riverside shops, bar's and restaurant's, onwards, past the famous silk mill, the site recognised as the world's first factory,'oi, oi, watch 'yer dog's' i'm startled by a cyclist coming up fast on the path, 'oi, oi 'yer fucking self mate, it's a footpath as well as a cycle path' he mutter's an oath and proceed's on his way, mr's b reckon's i could have a fight with myself if their wasn't anyone else around, there's only a  few people around at this time in the morning, i try and engage them with a cheery 'morning' no-one replies, i just get that 'nutter on the bus' look from them, i'm used to people having the crack where i live, but, i forget, this is the inner city and people are wary i suppose, [especially of a heavily tattooed skinhead with two jack russell terriers in tow] onwards, past the river gardens, past the 'social housing' waiting to be demolished, but, not a lot left of it to knock down to tell the truth, i stop to get a photo and realise the irony of the cctv camera and 'anti-vandal' notice, brilliant, a lady stops and look's at me, 'i'm glad you get it' she say's 'i titter to myself everyday when i pass it'  past the 'handyside' and 'exeter' bridges and onto the flood plains of darley abbey, founded in 1160, [yeah, we got some heritage here you yank's and aussies, what you got? oh yeah, mcdonald's and fosters lager, warning! warning! irony approaching] i cross the river at the mill, [yeah, another one, water power was absolutely essential back in the day homes] i can't follow my planned route as the pathway's are overgrown at this time of year, mostly stinging nettles, i'm wearing short's and the last time i got severley stung i was verging on anaphylactic shock, so, i zig-zag my way home, following the old north bound packhorse route across the tops, i find a pagan offering of a woven heart and buttercups in the wood's and as i near home, i walk across a meadow, full, hot sunshine and not a breath of wind, the only sound the dogs identity discs chinking, bird song and the grass and wild flowers under my feet.....