After lunch we went out for a gentle walk whose main goal was to call in at Myddelton’s deli for coffee. In the interests of healthy exercise, we did at least go the long way round!

Looking down Arlington Way

We went via St John Street to Chadwell Street and thence into Arlington Way where I took the above photo. It shows, inter alia, the undertaker’s whose clock, I was glad to observe, was still showing the correct time. (Clocks, you will have observed, are one of my obsessions.)

Call in for an opinion
Photo by Tigger

This notice in a shop window amused me. It has been corrected, unfortunately, but originally advertised the shop’s “opining hours”, suggesting that customers lacking opinions of their own could pop and ask the owner to opine for them.

Shakespeare’s vine

We entered Myddelton Passage where we of course monitored the progress of the vine in the garden of the Shakespeare’s Head pub. It’s doing well and preparing a bumper crop of grapes.

Here we are walking through Myddelton Passage which was once a property of the New River Company, as plaques on the building façade testify.

Myddelton’s deli – closed

We had of course made a fatal error in our plans. Myddelton’s closes at 3 pm on Sundays and we were too late to buy coffee there.

Walking through Exmouth Market

Instead, I suggested we go to Caffè Nero in Exmouth Market where we could sit inside on comfortable chairs.

Preparing our coffee

We did just that and found Caffè Nero open.

Coffee in proper cups
Photo by Tigger

At least when you drink “in”, your coffee is served in proper cups, not paper ones.

Inside Caffè Nero

We sat for a while in the comfortable chairs and I started composing this post there. Then we decided it was time to head for home.

Antique shop front in Easton Street

Quite a few small shops in the neighbourhood were originally dwelling houses which were at some point, usually in the 19th century, converted by rearranging the ground floor as a shop front. In the fulness of time, many have been converted back into dwellings. In some cases, the shop front is still discernible simply because it was cheaper to leave it but in a few cases it has been deliberately preserved for its historic interest. I think this one belongs to the first category.

The Easton

This pub, currently called the Easton, is on the corner of Easton Street. I don’t have any information on the derivation of the name “Easton” or the history of the pub. I would guess that in its present form it dates from the late Victorian period but that is only a guess.

We met a cat
Photo by Tigger

A little further along, we met a three-legged cat. He seemed healthy and happy despite his disability and was happy to come and make our acquaintance.

Walking up Lloyd Street

That was our final encounter of the walk and we now made for home, albeit taking a slightly roundabout path so as to add convincingly to Tigger’s daily minimum mileage.

Tigger is working all weekdays except Wednesday in the coming week. After a week together, I shall feel bereft but will bear up bravely 🙂 If I, or we, have any adventures, I shall be sure to let you know.