We took another longish walk today with a bus ride part of the way.

It started with a visit to Myddelton’s in Amwell Street where we bought our usual coffees – a black americano and a latte, please! – and the makings of a picnic.

From there we walked to our picnic spot. On the way I took just one photo:

BT Tower

Looking down Wharton Street/Lloyd Square, we can see the BT Tower (aka the “Post Office Tower”) in the distance. Tigger is fond of this landmark so I photographed it for her!

Percy Circus

This is where we came for our picnic: Percy Circus Garden. The weather was already quite warm and sunny and it was pleasant to sit in the shade under the trees.

Pleasant under the trees

Except when another person came and sat for a while on the bench across from us, we had the place to ourselves.

Having finished our picnic, we set off on the next stage of our expedition. This took us through the quiet streets of this residential area though we did come upon one slightly unexpected sight.

“Help yourself”

Someone had put out a table laden with pastries and a notice that passers-by should help themselves. An interesting exercise in recycling! Some homeless or hard-up person will be glad of the bounty.

Building with date

In King’s Cross Road, we spied this building. It is Victorian and looks as if it was intended as a commercial property of some kind unless the ground floor was altered later. However, what piqued our interest was that the building bears a date. Can you see it?

Date in wrought iron

The date is at the end of the building in a blank façade, in whimsically designed wrought iron. On the left ‘A’ and ‘D’ are interlaced and on the right are superposed the numerals 1888. The date, then, is AD 1888. The Victorians used to love putting building dates in complicated designs like this. This one is not very difficult to work out but sometimes the result is a real puzzle.

A symbol above the door

A little further on, this symbol above a door caught our attention. What does it represent? We thought about it and my best guess was a microscope. Perhaps there was once a research or analysis laboratory here, using a microscope as an indication of its business.

I went a little closer and the truth was revealed: it is a bent arm, clad in armour, holding up a dagger! What its meaning could be escapes me unless it was the trademark of some product made here on the premises. It seems likely that the symbol and the date 1890 are contemporaneous and that might give some knowledgeable person a clue as the what it represents.

King’s Cross Laundry

In Caledonia Street, we found a monogramme worked into the fabric of a building and also incorporated into the design of the iron railings. Again, it was Tigger who deciphered this as KCL – King’s Cross Laundry. It must once have been an important company to have been able to build its own premises and display its initials in the fabric. Unfortunately, I know nothing about it. Perhaps something will turn up later.

Building works all around

We walked up York Way which runs beside King’s Cross station and its railway tracks. Everywhere you look there are tower cranes and the skeletons of new buildings rising up. And not just ordinary buildings, either, but great tall ones that close in the view and clutter the skyline. Such tall buildings, of which the monstrous Shard is a dreadful example, are a modern plague but there seems to be nothing we can do to halt the encroachment.

Reflections

This is an establishment called King’s Place which describes itself as “Home to music, words & comedy” and sustainer of its arts charity. We visit sometimes to have a cup of tea in its cafe and to visit its artworks and art exhibitions. Today I was amused to see it reflecting the blue sky and clouds of this hot autumn afternoon – a natural work of art.

Chapel Down – closed

I wasn’t sure what this place was when I first saw it though I realized that it had been built inside the remains of an old gasholder. It turns out that it is – or rather, was – a restaurant belonging to the company of the same name, manufacturers of wines and spirits. Perhaps, like so many other businesses, their restaurant has fallen victim to the Covid-19 crisis or has failed for other reasons. Either way, it will be interesting to see what, if anything, succeeds it.

Regent’s Canal

This is the Regent’s Canal, which one keeps coming across as one explores Islington. The view is from a bridge leading to the newly arranged Granary Square, where in the past grain was brought by rail from various parts of the country and deposited in tne grain warehouse.

Granary Square fronts a large area, once of warehouses for the commerce of grain and coal but now given over the entertainment and the arts. It is an area that draws people in large numbers.This in turn leads to a topic that is important but too often glossed over.

I speak of public toilets. Local councils have closed many public toilets and the Covid-19 epidemic has made things much worse because businesses that previously provided toilets for the customers have now closed them.

Relief is at hand

We asked several people who gave us, at best, but vague directions. Happily, Tigger’s “inner pigeon” came into play and she led me unerringly to Coal Drops Yard where there was indeed a public toilet thsat was open. Relief, indeed.

St Pancras Lock

This is the St Pancras Lock on the Regent’s Canal. Today, it was strangely quiet, especially for a weekday. On previous visits we have found it busy with barges queueing to go through. Its deserted state seemed very strange.

Hard hat flower basket

As we approached Camley Street, beside St Pancras Station, we saw building works were in progress. There were temporary huts and on one of them an unconvential hanging flower basket – made of a workman’s hard hat! A good example of recycling!

Camley Street Natural Park

We passed in front of Camley Street Natural Park. I saw that it was closed and that building work was in progress inside. I hope that this it for the purposes of improving the park and not replacing it with buildings.Time will tell. I have already written about this wild life oasis – see An urban wildlife park.

Aboard the 214

From Camley Street it is but a short walk to St Pancras Station where we could catch the 214 bus for home. My first post-lockdown trip on a bus (see Bus to Tottenham Court Road) made me feel a little nervous but I have become more used to it and this is my fourth ride. Next may be a journey by train but I will recount that if and when it happens.