Today’s outing was mainly a bus ride to Muswell Hill, a district of Haringey in North London. To reach it, we took a number 43 bus from The Angel.

Front seat, upstairs

We managed to have front seats upstairs from where you have a good view of the landscape you pass through.

Pausing at Archway

The bus pauses briefly at Archway, a district that is still within the Borough of Islington.

The road bridge
Photo by Tigger

The name of the district comes from the “archway” formed by this bridge carrying one road over another. The current cast-iron bridge dates from 1900 when it was built to replace an earlier brick structure of 1813.

Muswell Hill Broadway

We left the bus here, on Muswell Hill Broadway. The name, by the way, comes from Anglo-Saxon times. There must have been a mossy or boggy area with a spring because the name derives from moes (“moss”) and wella (“spring”). The second word, Hill, was added in the 17th century.

W. Martyn’s
Photo by Tigger

This was our intended destination, W. Martyn’s, tea and coffee specialists and delicatessen. Tigger had a few purchases to make.

Old church now a steakhouse

After the shopping, we crossed the road to a cafe that was serving coffee through a window. While Tigger was buying coffee, I photographed this striking building. Built in 1902 as a Presbyterian church, it is now occupied by Carter & Miller’s Steakhouse. I wonder what the original founders would have thought of this change of use? Perhaps it is as well that they do not know.

A view from Hillfield Park

We went for a little walk and were impressed by the view from this street appropriately called Hillfield Park. Incidentally, this view of the terrain shows plausible reasons for the addition of “Hill” to the name of the district. It is indeed atop a hill.

Roundabout or circus

Continuing our walk, we passed round this feature which no doubt has a name though I haven’t been able to discover what it is.

We walked past at least two bus stops both in order to have a walk and to give Tigger time to finish her coffee. (I did not have any.)

Here comes the bus

We missed a couple of buses but that didn’t matter. When we were ready for a bus, we had to wait only 5 minutes for one.

Aboard the bus

We sat on the lower deck for the return journey. The red stuff on the front seat is from a notice telling people not to sit there. Keeping this seat vacant is supposed to help protect the driver from infection. Whether it really helps, I cannot say, but I hope so, because 51 London bus drivers have died from Covid-19 so far.

Door no more

I took this photo from the bus because I was intrigued by the doorway in the wall that is no longer a doorway. To where did it lead and why has it been closed off? The decorative arch and the engraved name suggest that it was once an important entrance.

Phone box greenhouse
Photo by Tigger

A number of phone boxes have been decommissioned and some of these have been taken in hand by street artists or other people with inventive minds. This box has been turned into a greenhouse and its inhabitant has already spread out through the gaps where panels have been removed.

Back in familiar territory

We left the bus here, once more in familiar territory, and made our way home.

Skyscape
Photo by Tigger

And to end with, here is a dramatic skyscape taken by Tigger.