It’s another day of rain and sunny intervals, sometimes both at the same time. At an advertised temperature of 15°C (59°F), I thought it would feel cold and put on an extra layer but it turned out mild and muggy, and the temperature rose two degrees or more during our walk.

We again pointed our noses north, intending to loop back down to Amwell Street and Myddelton’s.

The Three Johns

The first of today’s two pubs stands on a corner of Baron Street and White Lion Street. By the look of it, in its present incarnation it is Victorian though whether there were earlier pubs on the site I do not know. This one has changed so many times since I have lived in the area that I can remember only three of them: the Hobgoblin, the Fallen Angel and now the Three Johns.

I have not found a satisfactory derivation for the name of Baron Street. It has been called this only since 1939 before which it was known as Suffolk Street. Why Baron Street? Who was Baron? I have no idea.

Chapel Market

We turned left (west) along Chapel Market which was much more lively than the last time I photographed it. Down at the far end a few stalls were operating. A number of shops were open, both in Chapel Market and in nearby streets. Life seems to be gradually recovering some of its old momentum. Let’s hope there are no set-backs to interrupt the slow regrowth.

Lost front gardens

In Penton Street, I photographed this row of Georgian style houses. They would once have possessed front gardens insulating them from the noise of the street but those gardens have long since been swallowed up by shops and other commercial enterprises. People need shops, I know, and shopkeepers need premises but I cannot help feeling a little sad at the loss of the gardens and the air of gentility that they would have engendered.

Chapel Bar

The second of today’s pubs is the Chapel Bar at 29 Penton Street. I don’t know whether its present name is an ironic reference to the nearby church. The pub on this site used to be known as the Queen’s Arms or Queen’s Head or possibly both at different times. The original pub dated from early Victorian times but this iteration was built in the 1930s.

We crossed Pentonville Road into Amwell Street and turned right into the side streets where we exchanged greetings with one of the locals.

Greeting one if the locals

This was a handsome black, white and grey cat who emerged, at first cautiously, from under a parked car. Invited to make friends, he enthusiastically agreed. First, the traditional finger-sniff and then…

Full-bodied roll

…the full-bodied roll on the ground!

It was only after a few minutes of this agreeable interaction that Tigger remembered – and reminded me – that during the present Covid-19 crisis, we are not supposed to touch animals, even (or perhaps, especially) domestic pets. We bade our new friend farewell and used hand sanitiser pending arriving home and washing our hands properly.

Dramatic sky
Photo by Tigger

In Lloyd Street, Tigger took this photo of sunlit buildings against a dramatic stormy-looking sky.

From here we were soon at Myddelton’s where we made our usual purchase (plus a little extra!) and then made our way home.

Siamese on a window sill

In Claremont Square we saw cat number 2, this one a svelte Siamese, sitting on a basement window sill, perhaps waiting to be let in.

These was no interaction this time and we were virtually ignored but, then, what do you expect from a Siamese? 🙂

Engineer at work

I photographed this engineer at work on what I think is the local telephone system. This is another example of that group of people who have continued working throughout the crisis to prevent our world crumbling about us and maintaining the infrastructure of our lives. I hope our debt to them will be paid but I rather think it will be forgotten as is so often the case.

Coffee and samosa

At home we enjoyed our coffee together with the little extra mentioned above. As we had missed two days of coffee we thought we could stretch to a treat: for Tigger, a Portuguese custard tart and for me, a vegetable samosa. A treat indeed.