It is a day of cloud and sun but as warm as yesterday.

As we needed a few items, including for our evening meal, Tigger thought she might have to go to the shops. We therefore decided to go to Myddelton’s, just there and back, leaving time for the shopping expedition. In the event, we found enough at Myddelton’s to tide us over until tomorrow.

Shops – all open

Today more shops were open in Amwell Street than were open on Saturday. The above is a sample of four, including the vet’s surgery, a barber’s, a dry cleaner’s and a home decor shop.

A topic of interest was an old photo of part of Amwell Street that Tigger found. She wanted to take a photo of the same section as it is today. We noticed a few changes. Here are the photos, so you can see for yourself.

Amwell Street, 1961 and today
Lower photo by Tigger

On the left of the 1961 photo, we can see part of a business sign attached to the balcony. The balcony no longer exists and, of course, neither does the sign. The front of the third building from the corner still looks like that of a house (despite a business sign) whereas today there is a shop front, currently occupied by Ground Control, a coffee shop.

Notice, too, that in 1961, that group of three properties still have have their basement “areas” in front of them whereas today, these have been covered over. The two houses nearest the corner already have shop fronts, much as they do today.

The property on the further corner also has a shop front. Today it is inhabited by ELP Barbers but it’s not possible to make out what its business was in 1961.

I expect that if you examine the two pictures minutely, perhaps with a magnifying glass, you will spot other changes. 39 years may not be a very long period but it’s long enough to see how even a relatively static environment such as a back street continually evolves through time. What will it look like in 2059?