The sky was grey, it was spitting with rain and the temperature was hovering around 15°C (that’s 59°F for you recalcitrant Fahrenheiters) – all in all, not conducive to a long ramble. But at least there was no wind threatening to blow our hats off as there was yesterday.

“Once around the church?” enquired Tigger.

I agreed.

In the event, though, we went a little further than that, but not nuch.

Along the way, we spotted this

Left on the doorstep
Photo by Tigger

Someone has ordered groceries but not been available to take them in when the delivery person called. With rain threatening this is a risky proposition.

Bring and swap?

On June 20th, I described a couple carting away items of furniture (see Give-away day) and suggested that they had found these in a heap of abandoned belongings in Milne Street (click for photo). I suggested that in addition to people taking items, they might add more. It seems I was right because if you compare the photos, I don’t think any of the items in the above were present in the first photo. This piece of pavement hasd turned into a “Bring ‘n’ swap” shop!

Turning into Myddelton Square, we captired today’s cat photo. (Everyone likes cat photos, remember!)

Two cats

What do you mean, “What cats?” They are definitely there, in the room. Look harder. They are the same pair that we have photographed before – see Cold enough for trousers,.

Grape vine

Passing the Shakespere’s Head pub, I photographed this grape vine that is apparently making a bid to escape from the pub garden. You can probably see that it bears clusters of tiny grapes, though these look unlikely to ever produce wine. Then again, with global warming, perhaps a time will come when British pubs start producing their own vintages.

Latest arrival

Since the first public hire bicycles (called “Boris Bikes” after Boris Johnson who was Mayor of London at their launch), we have seen a number of firms joining the party until London is now littered with bicycles waiting for riders. This was a new one to us, supplied by Human Forest. All bike companies need a gimmick to attract the notice of potential customers. This one comes with a sanitizer spray, chained to the basket on the front. It presumably allows you to spray whatever parts of the machine you think ought to be sprayed in order to avoid infection. Is that enough to give Human Forest an edge over the competition?

St Mark’s Church amid trees

I took the above photo as we passed by St Mark’s Church. You might compare it with this one, taken from a similar angle on April 9th, to see how much the foliage has increased in the meantime.

Coffee and Portuguese custard tart

At Myddelton’s we bought our usual coffees and, in addition, as compensation for the weather, Portuguese custard tarts. I doubt whether these tarts have ever been anywhere near Portugual but, never mind, they are delicious!

The objects in the title are some of those that we saw on today’s walk. With clouds and sunny intervals and a temperature of 20°C, conditions for rambling were pleasant except for a gusty breeze that ever and anon posed a threat to hats.

What are these openings for?

Being interested in architecture makes you notice odd things that might otherwise escape attention. An example is this vertical row of four plaques, three of which have openings. What is their purpose? We have exhausted our capacity to guess.

King Square Garden

We entered this small park called King Square Garden. It is divided into a common area and a dog-free area with a children’s playground. Though plain, it makes a pleasant green place among tall buildings.

Dog with “snake”

We were amused by this dog who, after playing with sticks thrown by his owner, discovered what looks like a discarded hose from a vacuum cleaner and started playing with it. Perhaps he was imagining fighting a big snake.

St Clement’s Church
Photo by Tigger

Exiting the garden at the far end brings you to this church. Built in the 1820s and rebuilt in 1953, it is quite impressive with the broad columns and tall spire.

St Clement’s, side view

Here is another view – from the side. The church is hard to photograph because of the narrowness of the walkways around it and foliage which delights in blocking your view!

Squirrel raiding the bin

A little further on from the church, we spotted a squirrel raiding the rubbish bin. He would drop down inside and reappear with something to eat which he would consume delicately while perching on the opening. Each time he disappeared, we took a step forward in order to have a closer view when he reappeared. Eventually, we took a step too far and he took refuge some feet away on the grass. We then left, so that he could continue his search of the bin undisturbed.

Triangular building

We entered City Garden Road where I was intrigued by the shape of this building which was obviously designed to fit the awkwardly shaped site. What must the rooms be like – triangular? Imagine trying to fit carpets to such a room!

Old Paper Mill

Also in City Garden Road is the first of our mills, which is an old paper mill. I have not so far nanaged to find its history and will keep looking.

Dieseker & Co Ltd

And here is the second mill, that of Dieseker & Co Ltd which sports a fine chimney in addition to the factory building. Dieseker was founded, I believe, in Hamburg in 1881 and supplied marble and stone goods, but I don’t know when they established their business here or when it closed. The building had been repurposed as a mix of office and residential accommodation.

Regent’s Canal and Tunnel

On previous walks we have reached the Regent’s Canal but not managed to have a clear view to photograph it. Today, we arrived near the road bridge which provides this view. In the background you might be able to make out the entrance to the Islington Tunnel. As there is no towpath, any craft without engines has to be “walked” through.

The Plaquemine Lock

Near the bridge is a pub with an unusual name, the Plaquemine Lock. This takes its name from a historical site in the USA and was chosen to fit its current role as a restaurant serving Cajun food. Founded in the 1850s and rebuilt in 1938, the pub was previously known as the Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales. While I am in favour of people being able to make their own choices in life, I am always a little sad when a traditional pub is given a whimsical name especially one that has nothing to do with its history or the locality.

From here, we wended our way through the back streets to the Angel and Jusaka for our coffee. So here is today’s entry in the Most Often Featured Angel Landmark stakes (drum roll): The Angel Building!

The Angel Building

It started with Tigger asking, innocently, “Are you ready for an adventure?”

In the “old days”, I would have said “Yes” and put my shoes on but the Covid-19 pandemic has made me cautious, not to say a mite timorous.

“What kind of adventure?” I asked, suspiciously.

“Taking a bus to Tottenham Court Road,” stated Tigger boldly.

My silence prompted her to ask, “You don’t want to, do you?”

The truth is that I both wanted to and didn’t want to. I had lately found myself thinking of our days out with nostalgia and a trip into town would be a move towards that. But the idea of going on a bus posed anxieties of its own.

“We have to get used to travelling again soon, anyway, and today would be a good time to make a start,” said Tigger, reasonably.

Half-convinced, I put on my hat and shoes and stepped out into the street.

Masked

Transport for London requires passengers to wear masks on public transport and to limit numbers on each vehicle. So we obediently put on masks.

Masks cause me problems because their ear-loops are apt to tangle with my hearing aids, risking pulling these out. This mask is a bit tight and you can see that it is twisting my left ear. Ah well, no one said it would be easy… 🙂

We walked to the stop for the 73 bus in Pentonville Road and waited for it to appear.

On the bus

The bus arrived and we boarded. I almost forgot to pull out my travel card – forgetfulness through lack of practice! There was only one other passenger on the lower deck and we found seats half-way back in a pair of seats facing another pair of seats. Sitting on the bus generated a strange feeling of familiarity.

Keep clear

The seats opposite ours, and some other seats, bore an ahesive notice barring their use in order to maintian some semblance of social distancing. That’s all very well on a day like today with few people travelling but how well it works during the week, with many people anxious to go to work, remains to be seen.

Passing St Pancras Station

The bus sailed past several stops without setting down or picking up passengers. We passed King’s Cross and then I managed a quick snap through the bus window of St Pancras.

University College London Hospital

We srrived at University College London Hospital, known to its fans, for obvious reasons, as UCLH. Tigger calls it my home from home because I have been here so often as both an in-patient and an out-patient. We were not going here today but it was where we left the bus.

Goodbye, bus

We waved goodbye to the bus and continued along the pavement in the same direction, towards the corner. But first, Tigger removed her mask and handed me her hand sanitizer. So I removed my mask, also cleaning my hands. Did I feel better now I was off the bus? Er, maybe…

Warren Street Station

At the corner, we turned left into Tottenham Court Road. Opposite us was Warren Street tube station.

Crossroads

Looking back at the junction, I could see traffic and people but not as many as I would expect on a “normal” Sunday. One reason might be that, as we discovered, most shops, pubs and cafes were closed so that there was nothing much to do here.

Keep Left!

As we started walking along Tottenham Court Road,, we saw that all along the pavement were two rows of arrows, indicating that pedestrians should keep left to aid social distancing. Did everyone follow the arrows? Some did and some didn’t…

The BT Tower

Here we find ourselves within sight of a famous London landmark, the Post Office Tower. It was built for a specific purpose (see here) and in additiion had a revolving restaurant at the top. The restaurant was closed because of security fears and the tower’s original purpose has been outgrown so that the tower is now more or less redundant. It can be visited for guided tours, I believe.

Quiet Tottenham Court Road

This view along Tottenham Court Road shows how quiet it is. The reason is no doubt that which I already suggested, namely that very few businesses are open. More alarming still, many have closed down completely and are boarded up or empty. Others are activertising sales with huge discounts, suggesting that they too may be facing a rocky future.

BT Tower behind American International Church

Here is another view of the BT Tower visible behind and above the American International Church. (No, I don’t known anyting about this orginzation, either.)

Goodge Street Station

Goodge Street tube station is about halfway along Tottenham Court Road. The station that bears the name of the road is right down at the end (or the beginning, depending on your point of view) of the street. If you don’t know London you might be tempted to think that you could measure the distance you have walked by the number of tube stations you have passed but it ain’t necessaerily so.Tube stations vary greatly in their distance apart. Generally sppeaking, they are closer together in the centre of town than out in the suburbs but even that does not hold true in all cases.

Old Goddards Store

This handsome building was built for Goddards but closed forty-odd years ago and now serves other purposes. I wrote about it previously, see Brunch in Fitzrovia.

Artwork

At the end (or beginning) of Tottenham Court Road, we turned left into New Oxford Street. Across the road we could see a large shiny object. “Is that rubbish, abandoned furniture or art?” we asked one another. It looked as if it might be a large settee or a heap of things. So we crossed the road and went for a closer look. It turned out to be this curious work of art. It was the furrows, representing ribs, that from a distance suggested upholstery.You probably could sit on it if you were so minded. So, who is it by? I have no idea. There was no label or plaque that we could see and so the artist remains, for now, anonymous.

On the 38 bus

Crossing back to the other side of the street, we were in time to catch a number 38 bus where we occupied our favourite seats on these three-door buses – right at the back. If you can’t see where you are going, at least you can see where you’ve been!

The 38 takes us back to the Angel by a different route from the 73. This suited us because of where we were going next.

Stopping at Sadler’s Wells Theatre

Eventually, here we are back in the ‘hood, that is, our part of the world. This is the last stop – Sadler’s Wells Theatre – before the Angel.

At the Angel

We dismounted at the Angel, in St Jhon Street. If you look in the centre of the picture on a level with the retreating bus, you might recognize Jusaka on the corner. But we were not going there today.

Instead, we turned back the way the bus had come then entered Chadwell Street which, as you may recall, leads towards Myddelton Square and St Mark’s Church.

Myddelton Square Gardens and St Mark’s Church

Reaching Myddelton Square, we decided for once to enter the gardens instead of going around by the road. The atmosphere was calm and relaxed though there were not many people about.

St Mark’s from the rear

I thought that while I was there, I might as well take a photo of St Mark’s Church from a slightly unfamiliar angle, so here it is.

Our next port of call, as you have no doubt guessed, was Myddelton’s deli where we bought our usual coffees. So ended our “adventure” and first bus ride since lockdown.

When we left the bus in St John Street, we removed our masks and cleaned our hands with sanitizer, and Tigger asked me whether I was now happier about travelling on the bus. I said to wait until next time: then we would see.

Mario Benedetti (1920-2009)

Although the promised thunder storms did not arrive, there has been rain and this has lowered the temperature to more reasonable levels – around 20°C. We went out at 2:30 when the sun broke through briefly but for most of the walk the sky was cloudy and the air humid.

Cloudy skies

This photo will give you an idea of the conditions. Happily, it didn’t actually rain while we were out.

We called in at Jusaka (yes, they were open today) and left our cups pending our return and then crossed the road into Colebrooke Row. This is one of the oldest streets in the area, having been built in 1768. At the main road end it runs beside Duncan Terrace Gardens which was established over this section of the New River. The name comes from the Colebrooke family who owned the land in which the street was laid.

Vincent Terrace

We crossed the end of Vincent Terrace which also runs beside a waterway, this one still open and in use: the Regent’s Canal. With only trees and shrubs facing the houses, this looks like a pleasant place to live though I doubt whether I shall ever verify this from personal experience 🙂

Duncan Street

This view is along Duncan Street, which runs from Colebrooke Row to Upper Street. What caught my attention today, though, was that when we walked here in the early days of lockdown, these streets were virtually empty with just the occasional passer-by but look at it today: alive with people. In the minds of many, lockdown and social distancing are already a dead letter.

Duncan Terrace

We entered Duncan Terrace which is parallel to Colebrooke Row on the other side of the gardens and which leads back to the main road and, ultimately, our coffee. What claimed my attention here were all the leaves on the ground, making the scene reminiscent of autumn, rather than summer.

The streets with “Duncan” in their name were given this, you may recall, in honour of Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan of Camperdown (1731-1804), a British admiral who defeated the Dutch in the battle of Camperdown (1797).

Duncan Terrace is narrower than Colebrooke Row, lending it a more “cosy” feel, though whether that’s how the inhabitants view it, I couldn’t say.

Lantern in the fanlight

We have already “collected” a number of different designs of fanlights but today, in Duncan Terrace, we became aware of a variation on the theme. A number of houses had a lantern actually integrated into the structure of the fanlight. This no doubt sheds useful light both on the doorstep and in the entrance hall. These would presumably have originally been fuelled with oil and only latterly with electricity. In some houses, the lantern is missing, its emplacement filled with plain glass.

Old bell pull

This front door sports a lion-head doorknocker but, more interestingly, still has the old bell pull. Does this still work? Probably not. The mechanism has probaby broken down after all these years, along with those installed in the family rooms for calling the servants. I was tempted to try it but thought better of it as we already cause suspicion by the close attention we pay to people’s houses, not to mention all the photographs we take!

The J. Smith & Sons Clock

We crossed City Road and prepared to cross Goswell Road. Tigger innocently enquired whether I was going to photograph the clock. I wasn’t sure whether to or not but her challenge tipped me over the brink. So here, for your delectation (and more to the point, mine), here is another photo of the Smith & Sons clock. Unfortunately, as you can see, it is not working at present and I hope that will be remedied soon.

A few more steps took us to Jusaka and thence to home, to enjoy our coffee and sort our photos.

Here’s hoping that the cooler weather will endure for a while, making for more comfortable walking.