The dire warnings of the weather forecasters of “100% probability” of snow once more proved false, at least for London. Not that I am disappointed by that, of course.

Sunshine in Pentonville Road

When we came to cross Pentonville Road, I took this photo to show the pale winter sunshine illuminating the buildings. More of the same, please!

Market stalls in Chapel Market

When we crossed through Chapel Market, I saw that the Farmers’ Market (not photographed) was in full swing and that the regular market was operating though with what looked like only a small selection of stalls.

I wonder how the “non-essential” stallholders are faring and whether this second lockdown will force some of them out of business. Even big companies are feeling the pinch, despite an upsurge in online buying, and closing branches. It must be even more difficult for smaller traders.

We usually go to Sainsbury’s “round the back”, through the car park, because we know that if there is a queue, we join it in Tolpuddle Road. (This branch has a bad record of late openings.) Today, a shock awaited us.

Queueing for Sainsbury’s

We are used to the queue turning the corner into Tolpuddle Road and even stretching past the bus stop but today it went much further, right into the car park!

The longest queue we have seen – so far

It extended along the wall of the store, then along in front of parked cars. Within seconds of us joining, more people took up position behind us. As Sainsbury’s now counts customers entering the store so as to avoid overcrowding (something I approve of in principle), I was worried that when the queue did start to move, we would be stopped at the door. In fact, all went well and we were counted in, like the sheep that we have become, thanks to Covid.

Busy Sainsbury’s

As was to be expected from the long queue, it was a busy scene inside Sainsbury’s. We knew what we wanted and each sped off to collect a share of the goods. This enabled us to complete the work in a short amount of time and to reach the checkouts while there were still relatively few customers. As we left, security staff dutifully counted us out!

The next port of call, as you have no doubt anticipated, was Mercer’s in Chapel Market. Tigger took charge of the shopping trolley and bag while I grabbed the cup carrier and hurried on ahead, fraying a passage, like an ice-breaker, through the crowd in the market.

On my way through the market

When I reached Mercer’s, there were already customers ahead of me and, while it is annoying to have to wait, I stifled my impatience by telling myself that it was better that they have plenty of customers as this enables them to keep on trading and staying in business to sell us our coffee!

In Mercer’s, I was amused by the music which was a song in French with the repetitive refrain “Où t’es, papa?” (“Where are you, daddy?”). In general, I find background music in shops and restaurants (not to mention films, where it often drowns out the dialogue) very irritating. I have no problem with peaceful quiet and deplore the apparently widespread addiction to noise.

One of several wagtails
Photo (clipped) by Tigger

The sad decline of the sparrow population seems to have created an empty ecological niche in towns which is gradually being filled by these little fellows, wagtails. They are very quick-moving and fun to watch with their signature wagging tails. Birds are sensitive to being stared at by humans (can you blame them?) and this one took flight on seeing that we were interested in him.

When we reached home with our coffee, we found Ari taking a nice long walk around the wall-ceiling join. As I write, she is in the diametrically opposite corner to where she started and is, like us, taking a well deserved rest!