Despite the heat, Mrs B’s dog Molly was keen to walk but cooled herself down with a few paddles in the river. Never remotely interested in chasing sticks or balls on previous walks, she got very excited about some long, floating sticks: snapping the first one into pieces and then actually paddling out to retrieve the second one a few times, until distracted by a passing poodle.

We also discovered a memorial stone set adjacent to the Thames Path which was flanked by information boards about the old Richmond Ice Rink and Richmond’s Belgium Community. These were in the centre of a rather nice shaded garden walk running between the Riverside Apartments and the Thames Path, a place I had no idea existed until today.

I definitely recommend borrowing a dog as a great way to explore your locale.