Tigger had to go in to work today and would not be back until long after the launderette had closed (see yesterday’s post), so I set off bravely on my own to reclaim our laundry.

St John Street

Here I am in St John Street heading to the launderette.

The laundry

This is what the laundry looked like when I collected it. They made a good job of packing it all into the available space, plus an extra bag on top. It may not be obvious but laundry is heavy. Moreover, as I am tall, the trolley tends to catch my feet as I walk.

Missing the bus

I had walked to the launderette and that had taken me about 12 minutes. But that was downhill. Going back, I would be travelling uphill and dragging a heavy trolley. If I had any notion of catching the bus, that was frustrated by said bus reaching the stop while I was too far away to reach it before it set off again.

Besides, what with lockdown and subsequent restrictions, we have become a little lazy and out of condition. I thought that a good uphill walk dragging the trolley would be good exercise. So off I went.

Still spinning

On one of our exercise walks during lockdown (see Along St John Street), I photographed this barber’s shop and remarked on the fact that the sign was still spinning. I don’t know whether they had left it on by accident or deliberately, perhaps as a sign of hope. The shop is now open again, like other barber shops, and yes, the sign is still spinning.

But notice something: the name of the business has changed. Compare the above picture with this one.

Crown and Woolpack

Back in September 2011, I wrote a post entitled A stroll with a purpose and in it mentioned the above dead pub. At that time I said that I knew nothing about the pub, not even its name. Well, that was rather remiss of me because…

Name still visible

…the name is still visible in the floor mosaic at the entrance. Knowing that the pub was called Crown and Woolpack enabled me to find out something of its history.

The pub was already in existence by 1765 and seems to have been a sizeable property with a brewhouse and a bowling green attached to it. Those dependencies were subsequently built on.

The current pub is possibly the version that was rebuilt in 1827, plus alterations made later in that century. It is said that a room in the pub was used in the early 1900s by Lenin and fellow revolutionaries, presumably to discuss politics and their plans for the future.

When the Crown and Woolpack ceased to be a pub I do not know for certain but have seen a suggested date of 1990.

At present it serves as a beauty salon though it seems closed at present. Who knows what its future holds?

Arriving home, I stowed the trolley for now. We will sort out the contents later.

The bus stop at the clock tower

When Tigger let me know she was on the bus home, I went down to the bus stop at the clock tower to meet her.

The bus arrives

Tigger’s bus arrived and we made our way home.