As the weather today is rather grey and miserable, we did not wander far but went more or less straight to Myddelton’s and back.

It was Tigger’s turn to notice one of those little details that escape your attention, remaining hidden in plain sight, until you notice them for some reason. They are then so obvious that you wonder how you ever failed to spot them.

Number 80 or ?

What caught her attention was this door or rather the fanlight or, in fact, both!

Does this close-up of the fanlight help to see what I’m wittering about?

Fanlight of number 80 or ?

The number on the door is 80 and that is consistent with the numbers of the other houses in the row. If you look at the central round pane in the close-up of the fanlight, however, you may be able to make out, faintly, the number 35.

When these houses were built (or, at least, when the fanlight was installed), this house was number 35, not number 80. At some point, the houses were renumbered and the old number in the fanlight was scratched out, though not without leaving a visible trace. We looked at the other fanlights in the row but in none of them could we see a ghost number. Either the householders made a better job of removing them or the glass had been renewed – quite likely, given the age of the houses.

When were the houses renumbered? I have no idea. I will try to find out but do not give much for my chances. (See Update below.)

We immediately noticed an important change in Amwell Street. The hitherto quiet street was showing signs of unaccustomed animation.

The pub is open

The George and Monkey pub has been opening lately for take-away service only but today, for the first time since lockdown was imposed, pubs may now open for trade as normal. A glimpse inside showed plenty of customers enjoying the new freedom as well as those sitting outside.

Pennies Vintage

The pub was not alone in its venture into the brave new world: Andrea Hawkes’ designer wedding dress shop on the corner was entertaining a customer and Pennies Vintage had its door invitingly open.

Gents Barbers
Photo by Tigger

Gents Barbers was open and serving customers and so was ELP Barbers at the top of the street. In both, the officiants were wearing transparent visors which extended around their faces.

Perhaps we should be thinking of checking out our cheapie barber in White Lion Street with a view to having our own overgrown locks shorn!

The new dispensation provided a lively topic for discussion when we called in at Myddelton’s for our daily ration of caffeine. As the country takes its new and faltering steps back towards some sort of normality, let’s hope there are no serious stumbles along the way.

Update: I learn from the excellent Streets with a Story by Eric A. Willats F.L.A., that what is now the lower end of Amwell Street was once known as Upper Rosoman Street. In 1936, this was incorporated into Amwell Street. As this was the end of Amwell Street where numbering began, all the houses in the now extended Amwell Street had to be renumbered. I assume that that was when number 35 became number 80.