The weather continues cold and, as Tigger is at work today, it was hard work persuading myself to go out. However, I had ordered a repeat prescription from the doctor’s last week and reckoned it should be ready for me at the pharmacy by now and that provided the necessary motive to venture into the cold.

Lights on in the Castle

Passing along Pentonville Road, I noticed that the lights were on inside the Castle pub. This is no doubt because they are preparing themselves for April 12th. On and after that date, pubs and restaurants will be permitted to serve food to diners but only outside (see their website). Presumably, for the Castle, that means using their terrace. It remains to be seen whether the weather will be suitable.

Work in progress

Repair work on the leak in Claremont Square continues. I do tend to be critical of the slow progress of such works (a little unfairly, perhaps?) so I will just note that…

Nearly finished

…this repair is nearly finished and only requires the making good of the surface around the access point.

Hello, tree

I had intended to go straight to the pharmacy but now I was out, I decided to visit the Curvaceous Tree and say hello because seeing it always cheers me up. I am waiting with interest to see it recover its green dress in due course.

Why not walk around the square?

And, seeing as I was there now, why not go for a walk round Myddelton Square, a place that I have become fond of through our lockdown outings?

The Circling Cyclist

Just then, guess who I saw speeding past – yes, none other than the Circling Cyclist doing her daily routine of powering round the square!

Sunny interval

I had gone but a little bit further when the sun came out and transformed the scene. I thought I should photograph it while I could and it was just as well that I did because it was the only sunshine I saw.

Myddelton Square Garden

I walked through Myddelton Square Garden and, although there were a few people there, it wasn’t as crowded as it has been recently – understandably, in view of the cold.

Myddelton Square pigeons

I almost convinced myself not to photograph the pigeons but when I saw them the “almost” evaporated. I am endlessly fascinated by pigeons and their communal activities. Perhaps I was a pigeon in a previous life. (No, I don’t really think so 🙂 )

Leaving the garden, I encountered another feathered personage.

Busy crow

It is unusual to be able to come so close to a crow because they are extremely wary of people – and with good reason because throughout history, people, including some who should know better, have treated them abominably and continue to so so. Perhaps it was because this crow had found something unusually good to eat that he was less cautious of me than he would normally be. I wish it were possible to wear a sign that birds can understand that says “Harmless” so that I could approach them. Eventually, some people emerged from the garden with a dog and that finally scared the crow away. Guess my uncharitable thoughts!

Flowers in the garden

Before leaving the gardens altogether, I took this photo of a flower bed. I have come to appreciate the garden more and more as I have come to know it. Perhaps when the weather improves we will come here again with our coffee, as we did once before.

I went to the pharmacy where I endured the “pharmacist’s twitch” and picked up my prescription. The “pharmacist’s twitch”? Ah, you observe that when they hand you the goods and, no matter how well they know you, they ask you to confirm the address on the prescription.

Someone’s missing a shoe

A small citizen is missing a shoe that some kind person has recovered and placed on the railings. Perhaps the owner (or the owner’s agents) will recover it. One shoe, after all, is almost as useless as no shoes at all.