Today is dry but chilly and doesn’t invite to long rambles. Having had lunch we went out for a little walk and to fetch our daily coffee.

There are only so many ways that you can go from a specific point A to a specific point B, however much you may wish there were other possibilities. The trick is to be observant and to spot all the little details and changes in the environment which in “normal” times one is too busy to notice. Because of this, we have made some interesting discoveries and I have deepened my affection for the neighbour in which I live.

Bare – the Curvaceous Tree

We passed by St Mark’s Church where the Curvaceous Tree stands sentinel on the corner. Luscious with foliage in spring and summer, it is now completely bare and skeletal, revealing its tortuous form.

Myddelton Square garden

Instead of walking round Myddelton Square as we usually do, we went through the central garden. Despite the weather, there were a few people sitting out on the benches and discretion was necessary in taking photos!

Children’s playground

In a corner beside the garden and the church is a children’s playground. There are usually at least a few children here but today it was eerily quiet.

Drinking fountain

Because we entered by the gate on the north side of the garden, something we had not done before, we “discovered” a drinking fountain previously unknown to us. It is not dated and I haven’t been able to find out anything about it but I think that, despite its form, it must be fairly modern. The main reason for thinking that is that it still works. You press a button to release a flow of water which shoots downwards, somewhat inconveniently unless you happen to have a cup with you or simply wish to replenish the built-in dog trough at the foot of the fountain. The button slowly returns to its initial position, turning off the flow.

Myddelton Passage

We passed through Myddelton Passage which has the Shakespeare’s Head pub at one end. You might remember too that it is here that are found police officers’ badge numbers, dating from the mid-19th century, carved into the brick wall, a phenomenon for which no definite explanation exists though there are numerous speculations.

Wall of Shakespeare’s Head

Two sides of the yard or garden of the Shakespeare’s Head pub abut onto the passage and there are plants from within that poke over the wall. During summer we had discovered that a grape vine runs along the wall. In due course, this produced bunches of grapes and we wondered whether there were any of these left.

Bunches of grapes
Photo by Tigger

The answer is yes, as you can see. I assume that the grapes have survived and not been picked because they are inedible. Wine grapes are grown in England, however, and wine made from them is marketed, although these wines are not very well known. With climate change, I imagine that the production of British wine is, if anything, likely to increase. (No, I have never tried any myself, not out of wine snobbery but because I gave up drinking alcohol a good few decades ago. I have heard, however, that British wines are similar to white Alsace wines, which is a good recommendation.)

The Shakespeare’s Head

Here is a more conventional view of the aforementioned pub of which I have written many times before. It’s looking a little lonely and sad at the moment, like all of its kin, forced as they are to remain closed during lockdown. They will no doubt burst into life again when the current restrictions end in early December.

Print of a painting, Arlington Way

We walked up Arlington Way where I spotted this picture in a shop window. It is no doubt a print of a well known painting but I don’t know which. Maybe a reader will identify it for me in a comment?

Lunch break!

You may remember me mentioning the road works in progress in Chadwell Street. I was amused to see that the men working on that site have adopted the bench in front of the butcher’s shop as a convenient place to take their lunch break. You can just see the legs of another pair round the corner.

Dispensing our coffee

And so, finally, to Jusaka to collect today’s ration of coffee. We pack the cups carefully in their cup holder in a carrier bag and hurry home to enjoy it. Our daily coffee run provides both a motive and a reward for bestirring ourselves and going for a walk despite the cold and the dulling effects of lockdown on our mood. If it didn’t exist, we should have to invent it!

Yesterday was wet and cold. We made a valiant effort to go out, taking our cup tray with the intention of buying takeaway coffee (the only sort available during Lockdown v 2).

However, once we were outside, what with the wind and rain driving into our faces, we decided that a quick dash to Saint Espresso in Pentonville Road was about as much as we were prepared to do.

In “normal times” (remember those?), we would have found a museum or art gallery to visit or some other such indoor pursuit but none of these are available at the moment. So we grabbed our coffee and scuttled home. Not brave, perhaps, but sensible.

Today, Sunday, is nominally shopping day. Overnight it rained and there was flooding in some parts. By 10:30am, the stop had stopped and there was even a hint of sunshine. No excuse to put off the shopping, then 🙂

The trick is to arrive at Sainsbury’s just after 10:45, when they open for 15 minutes’ “browsing time”. The checkouts open only at 11:00 so the store is relatively uncrowded at that time. We make a quick dash round the shelves and reach the checkouts just as they open. A few people have caught on to this idea too, but the queues are still short.

Barriers at Sainsbury’s

The street barriers are still in place, of course, designed to make incoming customers form a line that can easily be controlled if the store becomes over-full.

This is just one example of something we could never even have dreamed of a year or so ago. Nor could we have imagined the scene where shoppers, all wearing face masks, would be invited to use the hand sanitisers at the entrance, and where the checkout desks are all separated from one another by transparent barriers and checkout personnel also wear masks.

We arrived at a checkout while another customer was already passing through. We loaded our collection of goods onto the moving strip snd waited patiently.

This customer was slow. First, she fumbled in her bag to find her loyalty card, and then engaged in even more protracted fumbling to produce a set of banknotes for payment. I began to feel impatient with her. Then it struck me: what she was doing would have seemed quite usual even a year ago. In the meantime, electronic payments, encouraged by people’s fear of infection, have risen to become the norm so that it is paying with cash that now seems unusual and archaic. Another indication of how our lives have changed.

Chapel Market

As usual, we passed through Chapel Market on our way home. Once again, the lower end was deserted which would “normally” have been lined with stalls busy with customers.

Some stalls in operation

(Sorry for the wonky photo. I somehow fumbled it.)

At the top end, a few food stalls were in action but nowhere as many as we are used to.

Keys, not food

Usually present on market Sundays is this stall that makes copies of keys and sells related items. Are such stalls allowed to operate under the current rules? I still don’t know.

Open for takeaway coffee

Once again, we stopped here for coffee to take home. Inside, the floor is marked with arrows to show which way you should circulate in order to maintain “social distancing” – something else we could not have imagined not so long ago. I did notice, though, that the staff were not wearing masks.

Escaping sign
Photo by Tigger

In Sundays, in addition to the usual market, there is a “Farmers’ Market” and signs are posted in neighbouring streets. This sign has somehow escaped and fetched up here.

Notice the leaves all along the pavement. They have been accumulating for several weeks. It seems that the streets are not being swept are they previously were. Another sign of the times or has our particular sweeper been withdrawn for some reason? We shall probably never know.

Back home again, Tigger put away the shopping, we drank our coffee and settled down to await lunchtime. I somehow think that we shall stay home for the rest of the day.

SilverTiger – Living and loving in North London

We took just a short walk today, after lunch to fetch our daily coffee.

Claremont Square and reservoir

As you can see, it’s a dull day that does not invite to a longer ramble.

Myddelton Square

We passed through this pleasant square as we so often do. We looked out for the cats but they were not to be seen.

Parcel left on the doorstep

I have seen parcels left on doorsteps before which is surely risky. Perhaps not so much in this case which looks as if it may be a box of flowers or plants.

Works in Chadwell Street

Works have been going on in Chadwell Street for some time. It’s not obvious what is being done. It seems to involve a lot of men in hi-vis garments, only three of whom seem to be involved in actual work at any particular time. I say three, but this seems to consist of one person doing actual work while two others watch and discuss it. Today, involved a large motorised machine.

Three at work

Here again are the Three at work, this time using the big machine.

A big vacuum cleaner

The machine they are using turns out to be in the manner of a large vacuum cleaner that was sucking up the loose rubble around the drill site. I said to Tigger that we could do with one of those at home 🙂

Single file traffic in St John Street

Road works have disrupted traffic flows in St John Street, reducing it to a single lane which the two streams of vehicles take turns to use. Why the blockage? As far as I can see, this is because an area of road has been closed off with barriers. And what is in the screened off area? Nothing: it is empty. But it remains there, holding up the traffic.

Missing letters

This shop in Pentonville Road opened a few years ago. Unfortunately, it did not prosper and closed down. Nothing has come in to replace it. Since it closed, we have watched with amusement as the name has gradually been losing letters. Can you guess the original name? If you watched that TV series, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, you may remember something similar happening to the sign outside Sunshine Desserts.

This shop was called Heritage but only the word RAGE now remains. What happened to the H, E, I and T? Has someone stolen them to reuse or did they simply fall off and, if so, who picked them up? We may never know… 🙂

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We thought we were at home for the rest of the day until a phone call necessitated a trip to the doctor’s surgery.

The light was fading
Photo by Tigger

By now, although it wasn’t late, the light was beginning to fade, making vehicle lights and traffic lights seem so much brighter.

Path between gardens

We come this way that goes along this path between gardens. They are community gardens not open to the public but it is pleasant for all that.

Another give-away?

Our business transacted, we made our way home and spotted this book left on an illuminated bollard. Is it another example of items no longer wanted being left in the street for people to take?

A wise monkey
Photo by Tigger

On the way, we passed the George and Monkey pub in Amwell Street. It is currently closed, of course, except for takeaway sales. Tigger spotted something inside: the figure of a monkey, seemingly one of the Three Wise Monkeys. I wonder whether they also have the other two.

Even though we had had one ration of coffee today, being in Amwell Street, we couldn’t resist visiting Myddelton’s for some more. Call it s reward for good behaviour during lockdown!

Tigger had an errand to run in Amwell Street and so we went there first.

Amwell Street

For once, we entered at the top end rather than cutting across Claremont Square as we usually do. Although the sky was fairly bright, it was dull on the ground with a wintery feel.

Windowsill decorated for Christmas

We noticed that in this house they have discreetly decorated the windowsill for Christmas.

The front door too

The same house also has a neat star-shaped wreath on the front door.

While a few pumpkins, real or pretend, can still be seen here and there, most have disappeared, though a few linger on like the ghosts they represent. I must say I prefer cheerful Christmas decorations to the lugubrious dark-humoured Hallowe’en variety.

Closed shops

While Tigger masked up and went into the pharmacy to transact her business, I waited outside and took stock of the surroundings. All the shops in this row were closed, as is only to be expected. The shopfront on the extreme left belongs to the vet who is accepting clients by appointment only, as indeed are doctors and dentists, etc, for humans.

Barbering is not essential

Next to the pharmacy, this barber’s shop is also closed. Barbering is not an “essential”, in lockdown terms. If you need a haircut or like to be shaved by a professional, you are out of luck. Once again, more by luck than judgement, Tigger and I had our hair cut just before lockdown so we are in no hurry for a repeat.

Squirrel in a tree
Photo by Tigger

We passed through Myddelton Square and its garden. There were a few people sitting on benches or walking their dogs but it was quiet enough for the squirrels to be busily active. This one had found a morsel and had run up a tree to perch on a branch to eat it. Beyond a cursory glance, he evinced no interest in us, safely ensconced on his high branch.

St Mark’s, side view

This side view of St Mark’s Church made me think of a Sphinx, for some reason: the feline body couchant and the erect head and neck. A bit of a stretch? Oh, well…

Squirrel enquiring

We stopped to observe this squirrel. He was perched on the narrow top of a stump. Not at all nervous (no doubt understanding that humans, unlike him, cannot pass through the railings), he looked us boldly in the eye, no doubt hoping for a handout. Unfortunately, we had nothing for him.

From here, we passed through to St John Street and then to Jusaka where we picked up our daily coffee and then made quickly for home.

Once again, here are some flowers from Tigger:

Today I had an appointment and I was not looking forward to it.

It started with an intermittent toothache. At first it was nothing very serious, just a little annoying but by Thursday was painful enough to make me think I should do something about it.

My usual dentist didn’t have an appointment in the near future so I called another dentist further along the road. I had been to them once before in similar circumstances. They gave me an appointment at 2pm today.

Tigger came with me and, anxious not to be late, we arrived before 2pm and needed to fill in a little time because I had been told not to come early.

Garden of St Mary’s Church
Photo by Tigger

The dentist’s surgery is almost opposite St Mary’s Church whose burial ground, like so many in London, has been turned into a public garden. We went there and sat on a bench for a few minutes until it was time for me to present myself at the surgery.

Reaching the door, I found that I was one member of a small crowd of patients waiting to be admitted. Every few minutes, the door opened and two of us were admitted. There was no order to this: if you were bold enough you thrust yourself forward and went in.

Inside, we were asked to treat our hands with sanitiser gel and then answer some questions as to whether we were, or had been, infectious or in recent contact with an infected person. My temperature was taken by scanning my forehead. Having completed these formalities and paying the standard NHS fee of £22.70[*], I was led upstairs to a consulting room.

The young dentist was pleasant and reasonably thorough. He took an X-ray, poked and prodded around the area from which the pain seemed to emanate and found… absolutely nothing. He thought that an adjacent tooth possibly needed some attention and that I should bring this to the attention of my usual dentist. Otherwise…

I did what was obviously expected of me: I thanked him and departed. Not that I was allowed to see myself out, of course. I had to be escorted to the door and seen safely off the premises. We can’t have patients wandering around loose on the premises, can we?

Outside, as arranged, I sent Tigger a text: “I’m out”. Tigger joined me and together we started for home.

Camden Passage

We went back by way of Camden Passage, once a paradise for antiques buffs and now a place of miscellaneous shops and eateries. It was eerily empty. Perhaps the antiques market that operates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays had been suspended during lockdown and the closed shops left people with less incentive to come here.

A few shops were open
Photo by Tigger

There were a few shops open, all of a kind that could reasonably claim to be purveyors of food.

Pierrepont Arcade

This is called Pierrepont Arcade. It’s not obvious from the photo but you can walk right around the central building. This contains small lock-up shops selling antiques, vintage items and collectibles. The open space accommodates stalls on market days. It was sadly silent today.

Islington High Street

Camden Passage leads you here to what I am tempted to call “the other High Street”. In the distant past, both parts of the High Street, the section that today forms part of the busy main road, and this quieter side street, were simply and obviously “the” High Street. Time and road planners have led to this section becoming something of a backwater. I suspect that many people are not even aware that it is part of the High Street.

Here is the screen…

We came out into Upper Street where this now famous small cinema stands. Its name, Screen on the Green, reflects the fact that it is just opposite Islington Green, a pleasant small park.

…and here is the Green

Islington Green, as I think I have mentioned, is all that is left of what was once common land upon which all could freely graze their cattle. Now they can walk their dogs instead. There is also a hint that beneath it lies one of London’s plague pits, a circumstance which, for all I know, might have contributed to its survival as open land. Puzzled by the sign reading “Giddy Up”? See next picture.

Coffee in the park

There are a number of small roadside coffee stalls in Islington. While the coffee shops are closed during lockdown, meaning that you cannot sit inside to drink you coffee, an alternative is a stall in the park with its convenient benches!

Islington Green War Memorial

We stopped to have a look at Islington Green War Memorial. Its design has raised some controversy and the ground underneath it needed work to stop it sinking but it is here to stay and has become an accepted part of the scenery.

We continued along Upper Street into the better known part of the High Street and thence to the Angel Crossroads and our friends at Jusaka. We bought our coffee and hurried home with it where it formed part of our late lunch.

My toothache has subsided for now and I hope it stays that way until whatever is causing it can be dealt with. I have had toothaches before that have melted away as mysteriously as they arrived. Perhaps this will prove to be another such. We can but hope.

Finally, here are some pretty flowers from Tigger.

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[*] Dentistry is the only NHS service for which the patient is required to pay part of the cost. The exact reasons for this, I do not know, but I consider it a blot on the otherwise splendid reputation of the NHS. I might add that even this payment is waived for certain low income categories.