Sunshine in Claremont Square

Welcome to the brave new world of Tier 4!

Before yesterday, we in England had never heard of a fourth tier (though Scotland already had one) and, if truth be told, it’s really just our old enemy lockdown in a flimsy disguise. The fake name is another example of this government’s disingenuousness.

The suddenness of its imposition has caught many of us on the hop, especially those who were planning Christmas celebrations with friends and family and who will be bitterly disappointed.

I have said often enough that Sunday is our shopping day. Well, not this Sunday. We had planned to do our Christmas shopping nearer the 25th and have decided still to do so, hoping that this will prove to be a good move despite Tier 4 disruption. Instead of shopping, we went for a stroll around our neighbourhood with a predictable destination.

Long time no see

We hadn’t seen the cats of Myddelton Square for a long time and I was beginning to wonder whether the occupants if the house had moved away. Today, we at last saw one of the pair, sitting in the sunshine, albeit within the room. He deigned to respond to Tigger with an eye-blink.

Chinese style Christmas decoration

In this nearby window, we saw this Chinese-style decoration. In the auspicious colours of red and gold, it makes an interesting contrast with the more traditional motifs around it.

Christmas wreath with cinnamon

Christmas wreaths continue to proliferate and we added quite a few to our “collection”. I’m not going to include all of them (you’ll be glad to know!) but this one caught my attention for being the only one I have seen so far that includes sticks of cinnamon (though whether real or artificial, I couldn’t say).

Myddelton Passage

We crossed the end of Myddelton Passage but didn’t go down it this time. This is one of those corners which I hardly knew before our Covid walks but of which I have become quite fond.

Church and trees

I looked back and saw that the church and its companion trees made a fine sight in the bright winter sunlight.

Luxuriant wreath

The wreaths we have seen vary greatly from the small and sparse to the large and complex. This was quite a luxuriant one and merited special attention.

Luminous reindeer

In the window next door, between the internal shutters and the glass, is this luminous reindeer. With one of these in his team, Santa wouldn’t need Rudolf to guide his sleigh!

Made of felt

I collected this wreath because it was unique. It is heart-shaped, which is already a little unusual but its main claim to uniqueness is that it is made entirely of pieces of felt. I wonder who made it.

And so to…

…Myddelton’s Deli! We bought our usual coffees and a little something else.

New cat on the block
Photo by Tigger

As we made hot-foot for home with our coffee, we spied a dark shape at a window. From a distance, it looked like a cat. We approached and found that it was indeed a cat, one that we had not seen before, a new cat on the block. We shall look out for him/her in future. No eye-blink this time but maybe later when we have become more familiar.

Coffee and custard tart

I thought we deserved a little extra with our coffee in view of Tier 4 and all the uncertainties. (Just an excuse, yes, I know…) So we had Portuguese custard tarts with our coffee. Very tasty and very moreish so we were right to buy only one each!

Including today, there remain five days before Christmas. Let’s hope there will be no more shocks or surprises during this time and that Christmas Day will be calm and peaceful.

Today, we both have appointments with a needle. Both are at the same medical centre but unfortunately at different times – 3 hours apart, in fact.

The medical centre in question is not our usual GP’s surgery but one beyond Archway in Crouch End. To reach it, we have to take two buses. That is according to the Apple Maps app on my phone which has proved accurate in the past. Let’s hope it is correct this time too.

We intend to go there for my appointment, which is the earlier of the two, and ask whether they will allow both of us to go in together. If they will not, then we will have to come back later for Tigger’s appointment.

Though travel is discouraged in Tier 3, especially if it takes you beyond your local area, it is of course allowed for “necessary” purposes such as going to work or attending medical appointments.

In case you are wondering what medical treatment both of us are receiving at the same time, I will briefly explain. Because both of us (for reasons I don’t need to go into) are classified as “vulnerable”, we have been offered Covid 19 vaccination. This requires two injections, three weeks apart, and today’s appointment is for the first of these.

Sunshine in Claremont Square

Leaving a reasonable amount of time for the journey (Apple Maps times the journey) plus a margin in case of delays, we went to the bus stop. We were lucky with the weather because the sun was shining and the temperature had risen to s balmy 11°C.

York Way, King’s Cross

We changed buses in York Way beside King’s Cross Station.

We boarded a 91 bus and I was able to follow our progress on the Apple Maps app on my phone. The last part of the journey was a 5-minute walk to the medical centre. We arrived with about 25 minutes to spare.

At the centre were a number of people with ready to greet us and send us where needed to go. Inside we were shown to seats while our names were checked against their list.

At this point I wish to say that everyone treated us with great kindness, consideration and good humour. Despite working to a schedule, they took their time over us and did not hurry us. We asked whether Tigger and I could be treated together and this was granted, much to my relief. They then placed two chairs side by side for us while we waited.

After a short wait, we were called by a doctor and taken to a cubicle. She introduced herself, checked our identities and asked a few statutory questions. The vaccination was expertly done and I barely felt the needle.

Vaccination Information Pamphlet

We were offered an information pamphlet and then sent to a seating area where we were asked to wait 10 minutes before leaving, in case of reaction to the vaccination. Once again, despite being busy, everyone was very kind and solicitous of our wellbeing.

Somewhere in Crouch End

As I had “navigated” (with the help of Apple Maps) to arrive here, Tigger took her turn for the return journey. She had noticed that the 210 bus ran nearby and also knew where we could conveniently change to a 43 that would carry us to the Angel. (Did I mention that Tigger carries in her head an encyclopædic knowledge of London’s bus routes?)

Aboard the 210

When the bus came we had to go right to the back to find seats.

Archway

The 210 delivered us to more familiar territory at Archway and here we changed to a 43. This route is fairly busy and I noticed that on couple of occasions, the driver displayed the “Bus Full” sign and did not allow more passengers to enter.

The Angel crossroads

The 43, in its turn, brought us back to our home patch at the Angel.

By now, the weather had turned for the worse and it began pelting down with rain. Happily, we didn’t have far to go but, first, we needed to call in somewhere. Can you guess where?

Saint Espresso

If you said “Jusaka”, give yourself brownie points, but no, not Jusaka which has taken to remaining closed at weekends. Instead, we went to Saint Espresso (just to left of centre in the photo) where they now know us and give us a friendly greeting.

Carrying our coffee, we made our way through the pelting rain to home. Owing to the kindness and understanding of the good people at the medical centre, we will not have to make a second journey to Crouch End this afternoon.

I’m sure we’ll find something else to do with the time if only relaxing at home!

This first injection confers some protection but not complete protection. The second will complete the process but even then, the vaccine is reckoned to be about 95% effective and so one will still have a 1 in 20 chance of becoming infected. Only when a sizeable percentage of the population has achieved immunity will we be able to consider the disease conquered. Until then, we will all, whether vaccinated or not, need to continue observing the social distancing rules, not only for one’s own sake but for that of everyone else.

Today is Day One of London’s sojourn in Tier 3. Less onerous than full lockdown (shops, even those selling “non-essential” goods, remain open, but travel is discouraged unless “necessary”), it still imposes limitations on our movements. This bids fair to be one of the strangest Christmases experienced in living memory.

As though in sympathy, it is one of those dark, damp winter days in which Britain excels. Fortunately, I have Tigger’s company to restore my spirits and make me feel more cheerful. In that happy mood we set forth for this afternoon’s perambulation.

A dark, damp day

As Jusaka has been closed for several days running, we didn’t bother trying them again today and, in any case, we needed butter and as Myddelton’s can supply both butter and coffee, thither we went.

Miniature garden

In Claremont Square, this little garden constructed around the base of a tree always intrigues me. Who created it? Was it made by the Council or is it an individual project by a neighbour? I think the latter is more likely, especially as it seems to be well tended.

Wreath and lion

This basement flat has a Christmas wreath on the door but it also has one of my favourites among the neighbourhood’s house decorations: the lion’s head. This area abounds in lions for some reason, from lion-headed door knockers through lions couchant in front of the door to lions on roof-tops. This one sits above the entrance like a guardian and I always look for it when I pass this way.

Lit with fairy lights
(but you can’t see them)

In Cruikshank Street was this most unusual Christmas decoration. This little garden was all a-sparkle with little lights. So pretty (and cheering on a dull day). Unfortunately, they just don’t show up in the photo.

Door knocker letterbox

I mentioned recently (see Letterboxes) how when letterboxes were fitted to the 18th and early 19th-century front doors, they had to compete for space with other furnishings. One solution is represented here: a combined letterbox and door knocker. This one, unusually, is decorated with the figure of a bat. In general bats are not favoured as decor except perhaps, transiently, at Hallowe’en.

Illuminated Christmas tree

Quite a few houses now have illuminated Christmas trees in their front windows, obviously positioned so as to be visible to passers-by. As they are meant to be seen, I don’t feel shy about photographing them! (At other times, discretion prevails and I avoid photographing inside people’s homes without permission.)

Shutters and stars

When they were first built, I think these Georgian style houses had shutters fitted to the windows as standard. Most have been removed but a few still survive and are even still put to use. Here the shutters have been closed and illuminated stars placed between them and the window glass. No chance of impertinently seeing inside this house!

Festoons, wreath and tree

In this house in Great Percy Street, they have gone the whole hog and, in addition to a wreath on the door and an Christmas tree in the window, have put illuminated festoons in the balcony. These folk take Christmas seriously!

Lost cycle helmet

The lost hat in the railings that I showed yesterday had disappeared, either reclaimed or “re-owned”. In Cumberland Gardens we found another piece of lost headgear, this time a cycle helmet. It looks to be in good, nearly new, condition. Has it been accidentally dropped, or perhaps stolen and dumped? We shall never know.

Wreath among the greenery

In this house, they already have a lot of greenery around the door and the wreath is almost lost among the living plants.

Myddelton’s was nearby and there we went next. Here we bought our coffees and our French unsalted butter.

Will we still be able to find this once Brexit kicks in? I rather think that this, and a lot of things that we are used to, will become hard, or even impossible, to find. What is it about the British that they have this strange yen for damaging themselves for no good purpose? Mystère et boule de gomme, as the French might say.

As we left our flat today, we found a bouquet of flowers beside the door. There was a card inside but as we preferred not to delay, I dumped the flowers in the sink, pending our return.

Lost hat

As we turned into Claremont Square, we spied this woollen hat hanging on the railings. How does someone lose a hat? Quite easily, apparently. Better to lose a hat than to lose a head, I suppose.

Reject bath

The discarded door that I mentioned previously (see Letterboxes), has disappeared, I hope to a better place. It’s mantel (so to speak) has been inherited by a bath. You can perhaps see that there is a white cross on the base of the bath: for one brief moment, I had thought that the object was a coffin!

The Curvaceous Tree

I took the opportunity to check on the Curvaceous Tree that I discovered and come to love during the first lockdown. Winter reveals the curious shaping of the branches, hidden in other seasons.

Tiny letterbox

In the above mentioned post, I drew attention to the tiny letterboxes originally installed after the invention of postal services. Most have been replaced but a few still exist. Here is an example spotted today. Note also that this door has, not one, but three locks. They are all modern, a fact that says something about our contemporary world.

(Incidentally, are burglars and housebreakers still at work during the pandemic? Do they remember to wear a mask while inside the property?)

Man on the roof

In Myddelton Square, a movement attracted my attention to the roof of one of the houses. Someone is repairing the roof, presumably. That would not be a job for me: that protective barrier seems awfully flimsy!

Wreath and candy stick

We started to photograph wreaths on front doors but as we approach Christmas, they are proliferating too fast to keep track of them. In this house, there is not only a wreath but also an inflatable candy stick. Since when have candy sticks become a symbol of Christmas? They never were. I think this is another of those wretched foreign imports like Trick or Treat.

Empty gymnasium</em

We passed by the local gymnasium which has big windows allowing a good view of the interior. The place was eerily quiet. In fact, it was empty, presumably closed. (You get a glimpse of me, reflected in the glass. Yes, I forgot to bring the polarising filter with me.)

Not a “stink pipe”?

In Wreaths and a stench pipe, I identified this feature as a “stink/stench pipe”. Since then, this identification has been questioned on the grounds that stink pipes are taller than this and don’t usually have the sort of top that is present here (though I have seen photos of pipes with similar decorative tops). For now, then, the jury is out, unless and until I can obtain positive information as to what this object is. One suggestion is that it is a disused Victorian street lamp.

Decorative base

The base has some decorative motifs but no maker’s name, unfortunately.

A view along City Road

We crossed City Road and I stopped to take a photo of the view. It’s hard to imagine that there was a time when this road passed through open country and travellers were at risk from highwaymen and assorted other villains. As I continued on, I inadvertently wandered into a cycle lane and was treated to a furious ringing of a cyclist’s bell! Bad Tiger!

Beautiful trees, from Colebrooke Row

As we entered Colbrooke Row, the sun charmingly illuminated these beautiful trees. (Am I becoming obsessed with trees? What if I am? They are a worthy subject for admiration 🙂 )

Plant pot for a motor enthusiast

We entered Elia Street where this plant pot attracted my attention. Perhaps the owner is a Volkswagen Beetle enthusiast.

A fruity wreath

Though not collecting wreaths, I had to have this one because it is unusually fruity! Almost mouth-watering, in fact!

A public street privatised

In Quick Street is to be found this mews. A mews was originally a street giving access to stables belonging to the nearby houses. More recently, the buildings within have been converted into dwellings but the street normally remains public access. The presence of gates suggests that in this case the mews has been privatised, something I deplore. What is public should remain public and not be taken over by private interests.

St John the Evangelist

We worked our way back to Colebrooke Row from where we had this view of the towers of the Catholic Church of St John the Evangelist which were shining prettily in the late afternoon sunshine.

Another bath

Here we found another discarded bath. Is it open season on baths all of a sudden?

We crossed back over City Road (where I avoided trespassing in the cycle lane!) and made our way to Jusaka. It was again closed. Has it closed permanently or what?

Saint Espresso

Once again we availed ourselves of the services of Saint Espresso. I find I quite like their coffee, fortunately. We hurried home with our coffees and thus our outing cane to an end.

But wait! You will be wondering about the flowers. It turns out that they are from Mr Upstairs and were accompanied by an apologetic mea culpa and a promise to take more care in future. Do we believe him?

Tigger suggested I send him a text to thank him but that means I have to think up a suitable message. What about:

Happy Christmas H₂O! H₂O! H₂O!

Seems to fit the occasion!

When Lockdown v1 was declared, we had serendipitously just had our hair cut, meaning that we could ride out the “confinement” (as the French call it) without needing to buy a bunch of blue ribbons to tie up our bonnie black hair.

The same thing happened, again by chance, in November: just before Lockdown v2 was called, we had paid a visit to the barber’s.

Luxuriating in the post-lockdown atmosphere, we had let things slide somewhat though we had tentatively pencilled haircuts into our diary for later this week. However, hearing that an announcement is to be made this afternoon that will probably shove London into Tier 3 added sudden urgency to the matter and we thought it best to dash out straight away to our local, friendly “Cutting Bar”.

The “Cutting Bar”
Photo by Tigger

We go to the cheap “cutters” in White Lion Street. At £9 each for a no frills but efficient service, it can’t be beaten. Especially as they now know us and how we like our hair cut. (Yes, I’m aware there are cheaper ones still, but we know these folk and that they do a good job.)

Ironically, they told us that even under Tier 3 regulations, hairdressers will be allowed to remain, open so we could have kept to our original plan after all. Not that it matters – a day earlier or later doesn’t make a difference.

Christmas trees at Bill’s
Photo by Tigger

Opposite the cutting bar, Bill’s restaurant has a pair of prettily decorated Christmas trees out in front. Most businesses are preparing for Christmas, striving to make it as “normal” as possible when it is in fact far from normal.

Turning to another matter, Tigger has for some time been interested in polarising filters for the camera. She recently took the plunge and bought one.

Clip-on polarising filter

As you can see, it has a clip to hold it in place on the iPhone and had a cover to protect it when not in use. An important feature is that the filter can be rotated to match, or cancel out, the light polarisation of the scene. This can be useful when photographing subjects behind glass or in water, etc.

As yesterday, it was raining again today and despite taking the Big Umbrella with us (the Big Umbrella covers both of us and is reserved for serious weather conditions, having clever vents to prevent it being blown inside-out in windy conditions), we decided to take our new haircuts straight home, pausing only to pick up takeaway coffees from Saint Espresso.

Having ordered the coffee and while waiting for it to be prepared, Tigger took two photos of the cake display case to test the filter. Here they are:

With the filter set vertically

With the filter set horizontally

I’ll leave you to examine the pictures and spot the differences. There is one quite noticeable difference and this suggests that the filter could certainly be useful in certain situations.

In case you are wondering (see previous post), the flow of water from the ceiling eventually stopped and we were able to empty the bin and remove Tigger’s hydro engineering constructions. Our neighbour downstairs has again contacted the Council about Mr Upstairs and his aqueous misdeeds but I do not have much hope that any effective steps will be taken. I am, though, always ready to be happily mistaken.