On Thursday and Friday, Tigger went into the office to work. On both days, I remained at home on my own, a rather novel experience these days. Is it true that “Absence makes the heart grow fonder”? Definitely!

On Thursday we had our evening meal brought in. We ordered dough balls and pizza from PizzaExpress to be brought to our door by Deliveroo.

We know PizzaExpress of old but this was our first experience of Deliveroo. You order online and pay with your card and are given an estimated delivery time. A progress bar appears, showing the meal being prepared and then out for delivery. The delivery time slipped by 5 minutes but that’s acceptable.

The only downside is that whereas in the restaurant, you eat your starter and then they bring you your pizza, still oven hot, with home delivery, both arrive together and by the time you start on the pizza it is already cold. I suppose you could put the pizza in a warm oven – if you have one.

The heatwave seems finally to have abated and not a day too soon. How pleasant it is to feel cool and comfortable!

We allowed ourselves a slow start today and stayed put until lunchtime. Tigger proposed going out for lunch. I wasn’t too keen in the idea at first but then reflected that as our “firsts” so far have included bus rides and train rides perhaps it was time for the “first” of eating out.

Upper Street

We set out to look for a cafe that wasn’t too crowded. Our walk took us along the High Street to Liverpool Road. The above photo shows how busy the main road is. Traffic volume has returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Chapel Market

We turned along Liverpool Road and then into Chapel Market. The most noticeable feature here was the extended empty space along the right-hand side. Usually, there would be stalls side by side along both sides and the empty space seemed rather strange.

Lurker
Photo by Tigger

What’s this? Boris Johnson lurking in an optician’s shop? Ah well, just another dummy among dummies, I suppose.

Sizzle

We found our way to Sizzle, a cafe in Chapel Market that had become one of our favourites because the food is well cooked and the prices moderate. It wasn’t too crowded and the food was as good as we remembered it to be.

Resting moth
Photo by Tigger

The weather was decidedly dull and was threatening rain. Neither of us felt any urge to wander so we returned home. On the front door, this tiny moth was taking a rest. We were careful not to disturb it. It will fly off about its business when it’s ready. Just like us, really!

Charles Baudelaire 1821–67

Note: the figure 89 is of course a reference to the French Revolution which broke out in 1789.

In memory of Brian Juden, a fine scholar of Baudelaire and of much else.

Yesterday, apart from my “quick dash” for coffee, we stayed at home because the heat dissuaded us from venturing out.

Today, Tigger went to work… on the settee. In other words, she was, to use the modern acronym, “WFH”, working from home.

This kept her occupied until 5pm and then we decided it was high time we went for a walk.

Jusaka

We started by going to Jusaka for coffee. As it was late, they were closing up when we arrived but kindly allowed us to drink our coffee on the premises while they were cleaning up.

Chadwell Street

When we emerged to continue our walk, the sun was already low, casting an evening atmosphere over the scene. I took a few photos as we went and though there is nothing here that I have not already shown you before, I am posting them for for my own pleasure at least.

Myddelton Square

We walked along Chadwell Street and into Myddelton Square. There were not many people in the central gardens but the children’s playground was pretty busy. The excited shouts of children were mingled with the calls of parakeets in the trees.

Flushed with success?

Parked in the Square we spotted this plumber’s van. Nothing remarkable about that but note the licence plate: FLU 55H. How long did the owner have to wait for that combination to become available, I wonder?

Cat takes the air

I have already photographed the cats that live in this house and we always look out for them whenever we pass this way. Today, only one was visible, taking the air at the open window. S/he didn’t react to us in any overt way but maintained a lordly detachment as this pair always do.

Looking past the church to River Street

You might be able to make out my “curly tree” despite the evening shadows. It’s so quiet here now that a group of pigeons are calmly prospecting for food in the road.

Claremont Square

This is a view along one of the sides of Claremont Square, in the direction of the setting sun. It looks very quiet and peaceful, enough to make you forget for a moment the changes to the world brought by the pandemic.

Pentonville Road

Pentonville Road was busy as it usually is at this time on a weekday. The buildings on the other side of the crossing are lit by the evening sun.

According to weather forecasts, the heatwave will start to subside from tomorrow. I for one hope they are right. Much as I dislike winter cold, I would welcome some cooler weather now.

The hot spell continues and has brought life to a virtual standstill, at least for us, as neither of us fares well in the heat.

Around mid-morning yesterday, Tigger bravely made a quick dash to Saint Espresso in Pentonville Road, to buy our daily coffee. Apart from that, we spent the day in front of the electric fans.

After lunch, as we had not done this week’s shopping, we fired up the Sainsbury’s Chop Chop app and ordered our permitted 20 items. In due course, the doorbell rang and I was handed our two bags of groceries by a cheerful young man wearing a motorcycle helmet. I don’t give compliments easily but I have to say that this is a really good service and I think it worth the £4.99 fee.

This morning, it was my turn to perform the quick dash coffee run. By the time I had bestirred myself, it was after 10am and 10am is when Jusaka opens these days. (During the pandemic, trade has fallen off somewhat and they have restricted their opening times to match).

At that time in the morning, it was quite pleasant outside and I enjoyed my little walk.

That is probably the extent of our activities for the day and I expect we will spend the rest of it estivating.

This post follows on from yesterday’s Visiting Apple.

I had hoped that public transport would be less crowded around midday on a Sunday. The bus I took at the Angel to King’s Cross Station seemed to confirm that this would be the case but it was the only one. Both the tube and the bus back to the Angel were uncomfortably crowded.

At Leicester Square, for a change, I avoided the main road and walked up Floral Street. This is a quiet street with a few prestige businesses, among which is the Tin Tin Shop. It leads to St James Street in Covent Garden.

I reached the neighbourhood of the Apple store 15 minutes before 12 and, having been turned away yesterday because I was too early, I sat on a handy windowsill to await noon.

When the time came, I presented myself to one of the waiting staff, recognisable from their dark blue teeshirts and the iPads they carry. As usual, I was asked my name and business. Frantic searching on the iPad and consultations with colleagues failed to find any mention of me. Oh, dear. I was told to wait in the corner like a naughty child, pending further investigation.

After what seemed a long time but was probably just a few minutes, I was informed that they had passed an enquiry to the repairs section and were awaiting a reply.

After more waiting, during which I managed to partially rest my old bones by leaning against the masonry (at no point, despite all the waiting, whether inside or outside, was I offered a seat), I was informed that my iPhone was undergoing Analytics. Progress of a sort, I suppose.

At last I was called forward for the ritual taking of my temperature and squirting of disinfectant foam on my hands. I was then told to walk ahead. I went, assuming I was being accompanied, but I wasn’t, so, on reaching the door I was at a loss to know what to do next.

A somewhat tetchy security person waved me inside and another sent me to the famous glass-stepped spiral staircase. At the top, I stated my name and business yet again and was instructed to wait at “the middle table where a colleague will join you shortly”.

“Shortly” was not the adverb I would have chosen but eventually a colleague did appear, carrying a box. The box was not for me (I felt irrationally glad about that, for some reason) but she produced a slim plastic envelope wherein lay my iPhone. Reunited at last! Well, almost, as there were a couple of formalities to complete. First, please open the iPhone and examine it. Is it to your satisfaction? Then please sign this electronic receipt.

Asked if there was anything else, I suggested that she might like to move the SIM from the iPhone 6 to the iPhone 8, which she did, willingly enough.

This done, I enquired, half humorously, half ironically, whether I was now free to go.

Yes, came the answer, but please use the back staircase to leave.

Despite taking the back staircase, you still have leave the building by the front door and make your way through the gaggle of customers and blue-clad Apple personnel milling around under the arcade.

I paused briefly at the windowsill to send Tigger a text and then set off to the tube station.

The train was fairly busy but I walked down the platform until I spotted a carriage in which there was a reasonably clear corner.

I boarded a bus at King’s Cross Station which, again, became full because the driver was not limiting numbers as they are supposed to do. I was glad to leave the bus though to do so, I had to push my way between passengers standing at the exit, So much for “Please keep your distance”.

As for my iPhone, should you be wondering, it seems fine. I cannot tell yet how the battery is faring but the next few days will reveal that. There is no longer the bright mark on the display and everything seems to be as it was before I left the phone with Apple but for one detail. Touch ID seems to have been turned off. I had to reinstate it which in turn required me to reinstate it again with all the apps that use it. Still, looking on the bright side, that’s a small price to pay for a new battery and a new display.