Today I went for a “proper outing”. It was only to Sainsbury’s for the weekly shopping run but it is a step back to normality after being unwell and is therefore welcome.

Tailback in Pentonville Road

For quite a few weeks already, gas repair works have reduced traffic flow in Pentonville Road to a single lane. Whether these works are the only reason or whether there are other contributing factors, it causes a continual slow-moving stream day and night. It’s usually not too difficult to cross the road but you have to watch for cyclists, motorcycles and electric scooter riders threading between cars and buses at speed and without due care and attention.

White Lion Street

I took this photo of the eastern section of White Lion Street, not for any reason other than that it part of that Islington that I have come to know and love as my home territory. Vehicles are not allowed to turn left into the High Street at the bottom of Pentonville Road and would-be left-turners are sent down here instead. This is why an apparently minor road attracts a lot of traffic.

I have probably mentioned previously that White Lion Street takes its name from a tavern for drovers that was here in the 18th century. One of the few facts known about the tavern is that it possessed a bowling green, a not uncommon feature of taverns of the time.

The Farmers’ Market

The Farmers’ Market takes place on Sundays and has done so throughout the pandemic. It has always looked busy, as it does again today. We have never bought anything here – perhaps we should.

The stall selling plants and greenery was set up in White Conduit Street, as usual. It boasts a large spread on both sides of this now short street. The White Conduit was a stone water channel supplying various establishments in the 18th century. Whether the source was a well or a spring, I have yet to discover – descriptions of it vary, making it hard to form a unified image. The street used to be longer than it is today, its latter length now buried under Sainsbury’s car park and, possibly, Tolpuddle Road.

Angel Centre refurbished

After our shopping was done, I hurried on ahead of Tigger to Mercer’s. I did stop on the way to take a quick snap of the Angel Centre. Builder’s barriers have been in place for several months hiding the works that have been in progress. The barriers were down today, allowing a view of the results. Not a lot seems to have been done except to add a walkway from one side to the other, passing under the angel’s wings. I will take a closer look another time. The wings, by Wolfgang Buttress, date from 2003. The Council planned to remove them but they were saved as a result of a citizen’s campaign, though I believe some kind of modifications are intended.

Chapel Market

I also took a photo of the street market – such as it was. These days it is but a shadow of what it normally is on a Sunday. What stalls are in operation (and at least one of them is run by the fruit and vegetable shop behind it) seem to be doing good business. A market has been in existence here from the later 19th century but the street has been called Chapel Market only since 1936. Before then, it was known as Chapel Street after the nonconformist chapel, St James’s Pentonville, that was sited here but was demolished long ago.

At Mercer’s, I was the only customer and was therefore served quickly. We had managed to fill up our loyalty card and so received one coffee free of charge. Yay us 🙂

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It was good to have a “normal” outing again. Though I am not fully recovered I think things are moving in the right direction. We have things to do at home today and so that will be our only outing. Tomorrow, though, is another day and we shall see what it brings.