We went for a early outing this morning in order to avoid the expected heat later in the day.

A cloudy-sunny day

The sky was quite cloudy, as this photo shows. Sunny intervals alternated with shady ones.

Myddelton Square Gardens

We bought our coffee at the deli and carried it to the garden in Myddelton Square where we found s bench free.

Free for all

I mentioned the other day that we had bought a bag of bird seed in the pet shop. Today was a chance to try it out. Tigger was hoping to feed the crows but, inevitably, the square’s pigeons claimed their share.

One to one
Photo by Tigger

I noticed that one of the pigeons was missing a foot and wanted to be sure that he had his share. I started by hand-feeding him on the ground but eventually he found the courage to fly onto my knee and I fed him there.

Eating out of my hand
Photo by Tigger

He became brave enough to eat out of my cupped hand.

Using his wings to steady himself
Photo by Tigger

My denim trousers are somewhat slippery for a pigeon and he kept sliding off until he learned to land further up on the flat. When he found himself slipping, he used his wings to steady himself but still fell off several times first.

Interloper!
Photo by Tigger

Another pigeon, a younger one, tried to muscle in. His technique was to perch on my hand. Having two healthy feet, he could get a grip. I accepted him as it was easier just to feed both of them than try to avoid one while feeding the other.

Pigeons in stereo
Photo by Tigger

Once they had gained confidence in me, the pigeons were happy to sit on my knees… as long as they thought there might be food in the offing!

Stroking the pigeon
Photo by Tigger

The pigeon grew confident enough to allow me to stroke his chest with my finger. I’m not claiming that he enjoyed it but that he probably tolerated it in the hope of receiving more food. In the picture, the interloper pigeon arrives, landing on “my” pigeon’s back.

Crows – less ready to approach
Photo by Tigger

In the meantime, Tigger was tossing larger items to a pair of crows. Crows are a lot more suspicious of humans (with good reason) than pigeons are. They would not come closer than a couple of yards or more. We also noticed that they hid much of what we gave them by poking it down among the grass and putting blades of grass on top. I don’t doubt that foraging squirrels and pigeons will find it.

A sunny moment

When the sun shone, the garden looked cheerfully pretty. On the other hand, the cloudy intervals helped to keep the air cool which we appreciated too.

Finishing off the bird seed

We had brought a ration of seed in a screw-top jar and, to finish off, put the remainder in the lid so that the pigeons could enjoy a final feast.

Leaving the garden

Having finished off the seed, we set off for home and lunch. I took the above retrospective photo of the pleasant gardens.

The church amid sunlit trees

After this backward glance, we climbed the hill to home where we had lunch. We may go out again later.

I have mentioned before that I like pigeons and so interacting with them today was very enjoyable. I hope we can repeat the experience again one day soon.

We saw the other day that our nearest branch of Islington’s public libraries, the Finsbury Library, had reopened. As I had not been to a library for a long, long time (since before the start of the pandemic), I thought I might pay a visit to the Finsbury Library today. I hoped I might find some French fiction to read as I haven’t read anything in French for a very long while.

St John Street

I set off down St John Street. This is the most direct route to the library, though not the prettiest. I would reserve a prettier path for the return journey.

The Dame Alice Owen pub

I passed by the Dame Alice Owen pub that I mentioned in yesterday’s post, and…

City University campus

…the St John Street campus of City University with its fine old clock.

Finsbury Library

The library seems coy about announcing its presence. You can tell it’s a library only by looking in the windows. The huge lettering above the door is simply the address. It’s called the Finsbury Library because this area was once within the old borough of Finsbury which was absorbed into the borough of Islington.

Widely spaced bookshelves

I found that the layout if the library had changed. There was more space between the shelves than there used to be. (A precaution against infection?) This means fewer shelves and therefore fewer books in what was already quite a small library.

I found the French books easily enough, roughly where they used to be, in a bookcase labelled “Community Languages”. That French is regarded as a “community language” struck me as ironic somehow. There are precious few of them too: a shelf and a half. I chose two novels without being convinced that I would want to read them.

Clutching my books and with my ticket at the ready, I approached the glass-fronted desk that I had noted when I came in.

“Do you require assistance?” enquired a staff member.

“Er, I just want to borrow these books,” said I.

“Ah, no, please use the machine there,” he replied pointing to the contraption you see below.

A mechanical library assistant

Rather like the self-checkouts in supermarkets, there is a display with the picture of a button labelled “Press to Begin”. Another image then appears with a flashing arrow indicating movement. This prompts you to place your library card in a slot. Then you are instructed to “Place your books in the space below”. Once you have done so, the screen displays details of the books, each ticked with a green tick. I assumed that meant the operation had been successfully completed, so I seized my books and card and made my escape. I wonder how often the process fails and books are not assigned to their correct borrower. There is also the fact that the books are not stamped with the return date. You have to remember this for yourself.

Coman House

For the return journey, I started by walking through the housing estate next to the library. I thought I knew where I would emerge.

Housing estate garden

In fact, I emerged somewhere where I had never been before! I found myself in this small but pleasant garden. If it has a name, I was unable to discover it.

Old Finsbury Town Hall

I soon found myself walking behind Old Finsbury Town Hall and so knew where I was.

Spa Green War Memorial

A few minutes’ walk brought me to where I had expected to arrive, at Spa Green Garden. I walked through the garden to the top end and the gate to Rosebery Avenue.

Flowers at last

I stopped to take a photo of this chestnut tree which was in flower at last. Every time we passed, we looked to see whether there were any flowers but there were none. Everywhere else, the trees had blossom but this tree remained flowerless. It has flowered at last and so I texted a picture of it to Tigger to announce the good news.

Flowers, Myddelton Square Garden

Passing through Myddelton Square, I saw these flowers poking through the railings and making a pretty display.

A view of the garden

I also took a quick photo of the garden as it’s a place I have come to appreciate and enjoy. Perhaps we will bring our coffee here one morning soon on a day when Tigger doesn’t have to go to work.

Mobile phone stall, Chapel Market

Another place I hadn’t visited since the onset of the pandemic was the Oxfam Bookshop in Upper Street. As I was not entirely happy with my selection of books from the library, I decided to see what I could find at Oxfam. I also had a big (and heavy) bag of books to give them. So off I went after lunch, passing through Chapel Market where I photographed the mobile phone stall.

Angel Central

I passed through the small shopping and entertainments mall called Angel Central. The building works are finished and all the barriers and screens have been removed.

The Business Design Centre

I went through Angel Central because one of its exits leads to the Business Design Centre and the Oxfam Bookshop is just round the corner from there, meaning I can reach it without walking along a busy main road.

The Oxfam Bookshop

I had not been sure the bookshop would be open and had therefore brought only a few books to give them. I was glad to find that they were open. The French books had been moved upstairs and, as at the library, there was only a smallish selection. Consequently, I found only one book that interested me. (More about that anon.)

I clambered down the staircase and presented my book… only to be told that the payments desk was now upstairs. Strange arrangement.

Back through Angel Central

I returned the way I had come, through Angel Central and…

Chapel Market

…Chapel Market.

Pentonville Road

I crossed a busy Pentonville Road and was soon home.

So what was the book I bought? It was this one:

Stupeur et tremblements
Amélie Nothomb

I have read several books by this author, Amélie Nothomb, and liked them all, so there’s every chance that I’ll like this one as well. She is Belgian and seems to have a penchant for wearing big hats. You will find more about her (in English) here.

Tigger is back to work today and the rest of the week, so I am home alone until she returns this evening. The day is hot and I was tempted to stay at home but decided I ought to make the effort to go out. It wasn’t until after lunch that I managed to make up my mind to go and by now the mercury had risen to a respectable 25°C.

Slow traffic at the Angel

By the time I set off down Goswell Road, I was regretting not going out this morning instead because it was now uncomfortably warm but I persevered and kept going. (I think there’s a touch of masochism in my nature!)

Dalby House

I passed this fine villa dating from 1803 and built, along with the rest of the terrace, on what was anciently common land. I discussed the history of the house previously in a post entitled Brewers and beer engines.

Slow traffic and fumes

Goswell Road here was filled with slow-moving traffic disgorging fumes into the air I was trying to breathe. Fortunately, the vehicles thinned out along the road.

Residential block for students

The building of residential blocks for students had become, pre-Covid, a growth industry in London. They were springing up everywhere, to the point where I wondered whether they could all find enough takers to survive. Covid must have hit this industry hard though I expect demand will pick up again as things return to normal.

Looking along Moreland Street

This view is typical of today’s London: everywhere you look, your eye meets an over-tall building shutting out the view and stealing sky.

King’s Square Gardens

I reached King’s Square, which I had set as my destination and entered the gardens. I had had some idea of sitting for a while in some pleasant shady corner but found the park quite busy and so I simply walked on through. At this point, I didn’t have a particular route in mind and just followed my nose.

Portico, St Barnabas with St Clement and St Matthew

I stopped to photograph the imposing portico of the Church of St Barnabas with St Clement and St Matthew. This church was built in the 1820s and is now Grade II listed. It is very tall and you need to distance yourself if you want to include the whole of it in a photo. I had to make do with a more restricted view.

I made my way round the square and walked along this street though, to be honest, I don’t know which one it is. I eventually found my way back to Goswell Road.

Spencer Street

I took along Spencer Street which these days consists entirely of post-war buildings as the area was badly damaged by bombing. In fact, Spencer Street and neighbouring Wynyatt Street were hit on June 18th 1944 by a V-1 flying bomb, which killed 13 people and injured 83.

Dame Alice Owen pub

I wasn’t sure where Spencer Street was taking me so I was quite pleased when it led me to this pub on a corner with St John Street. This pub has had three names in the relatively short time that I have lived in Islington. Maybe this one will stick. . Alice Owen, born Wilkes, was, you may recall, a local philanthropist in Tudor times. She famously had a lucky escape when an arrow, loosed by a practising bowman, pierced her hat without harming her.

Spa Green Garden

Not wishing to traipse up St John Street, and preferring to keep to quieter paths, I crossed through back streets and found myself in the pleasant greenery of Spa Green Garden.

Rosebery Avenue

From Spa Green I crossed Rosebery Avenue, named after Liberal politician Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery. If you followed previous posts of mine, you can probably guess where I went next.

The Shakespeare’s Head

I entered Arlington Way and, under the benevolent gaze (at least, I think it is benevolent) of William Shakespeare on the sign of the Shakespeare’s Head pub, turned into Myddelton Passage.

The pub vine

The pub vine, visible along the garden wall, is flourishing and was today even bushier than when we last came by.

Grape clusters

Its little clusters of grapes have also grown and are now quite noticeable whereas before, we had to search for them. I don’t suppose they will ever become edible but I shall continue watching their development with interest.

Looking back along Myddelton Passage

I left the intriguing Myddelton Passage, albeit it with a backward glance, and entered Myddelton Square.

A beautiful tree in the gardens

For a change, I photographed this tree instead of the Curvaceous Tree. This one too is beautiful in its own way, as indeed are all the trees in the square’s garden.

Where I like to be

Before turning for home, I took a last photo of the Square, the heart of the district I have learned to love and where I like to be.

We planned to take our coffee into Myddelton Square Gardens again today but, first, we had shopping to do in Chapel Market.

Chairs and tables outside

The pub and the cafe next to it had tables outside, making the most of the warm, sunny weather. This habit, initiated when eateries were allowed only to serve customers outside, seems to have have become permanent.

Chapel Market

Chapel Market was fairly busy and you might be able to see that the cafe on the left (beyond the covered stall) also has tables outside in the street.

In the gardens

After visiting the deli, we carried our coffee into Myddelton Square Gardens which were busier today than on previous occasions. We found a bench from which I took this photo.

In Chapel Market, we had visited the pet shop and bought a bag of bird seed. We had become familiar with the local crows to the point where we could recognise certain individuals. Tigger wanted the seed for them. Unfortunately, although we heard crows calling when we arrived, we didn’t see any in the garden.

The pigeon colony

The fact that we had food did not escape the attention of the local pigeon colony. It seemed only fair to give them some. We also saw a squirrel who, to my surprise, seemed nervous of the pigeons. We did manage to direct some food to him.

Squirrel on a tree
Photo by Tigger

People with dogs came by and the squirrel took refuge by clinging to a tree as though glued to it.

We moved to another bench

The sun was creeping in on us on our bench so we moved to another bench that was more shaded. We stayed here for quite a while as it was pleasant though we did not see, much less manage to feed, any crows.

Myddelton Square in the sunshine

We walked round the square which was looking cheerfully beautiful in the lovely sunshine.

Sunshine in the treetops

I looked back at the gardens and took this photo of the sunshine in the tops of the beautiful trees.

The Curvaceous Tree

I photographed the Curvaceous Tree and, for the first time, reached through the railings and touched the trunk of the tree, making contact, as it were.

We returned home and had lunch. The temperature was steadily rising and so we preferred to stay at home and perhaps go out again later when it is cooler.

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In fact, we allowed ourselves to be lazy and spend the afternoon at home.

Myddelton’s deli

Today is another warm day though cloudy-sunny. Tigger wanted to visit John Lewis to look at computers (she is thinking of replacing hers) but we also had an errand to run at our GP surgery. Before all of that, though: coffee!

Myddelton Square Gardens

As the tables at Myddeltons were all occupied, we took our coffee along the Myddelton Square Gardens where it was pleasantly cool and we could watch the antics of the birds.

Roses round the door

We set off to the surgery and, on the way, admired this house in Lloyd Baker Street with roses round the door and, in fact, all across the ground floor.

Lions lurking in the garden

We also saw that there were lions lurking in their front garden. Rar!

Path between gardens

Our way led along this path between community gardens. I have passed along here many times but I always enjoy doing so.

Sloane Square

After visiting the surgery, we caught a bus which took us all the way to Sloane Square. This is an affluent area and the streets are lined with expensive shops. We, though, were interested in only one shop.

In John Lewis

The John Lewis store is one of a chain whose motto is “Never knowingly undersold” – though I am not sure that is strictly true these days.

Looking down the light well

This store extends over many floors, as this picture, looking down the light well, shows.

Plying the vacuum cleaner

There is housework to be done even in a store!

A view from the top floor

The windows of the top floor give you interesting views of London.

Lunch!

We paid a preliminary visit to the computer department and sought advice from an assistant. He was terse to the point of discourtesy and so we retired to the store’s cafe to calm down over lunch.

Soft furnishings

During lunch, we did some research on the Internet which answered some of our questions. We then returned to the computer department and looked at the machines on display. This gave us some idea of the choice available. We will give the matter further thought before making a final choice.

Piccadilly

We now took a bus to Piccadilly and went for a little walk along that famous street.

Burlington Arcade

We photographed Burlington Arcade but didn’t visit it on this occasion.

Piccadilly Arcade

Though Burlington Arcade is the best known of the Piccadilly arcades, it it not the only arcade in Piccadilly. There are several others and Piccadilly Arcade is one of them.

The Royal Academy
Photo by Tigger

Another well known inhabitant of Piccadilly is the Royal Academy of Art. We have been to many exhibitions here and hope we can do so again in the not-too-distant future.

Looking in Fortnum and Masons

We passed in front of the celebrated store of Fortnum and Mason, whose open door allowed a glimpse of the luxuries within.

Church of St James Piccadilly

We passed by the Church of St James Piccadilly but didn’t go in. There is sometimes a market in the forecourt but not today. The church dates from the 17th century but was damaged during WWII and extensively restored.

Eros, Piccadilly Circus
Photo by Tigger

After all this, I was quite glad to catch a bus for home. Earlier in the day we had passed the statue of Eros and seen that it was being lavishly decorated with flowers. We hoped to obtain a photo on the way home but were disappointed to see that most of the flowers seemed to have disappeared.

The lanterns of Chinatown
Photo by Tigger

The bus carried us pass several streets leading into Chinatown and from the bus Tigger took this photo of a street of Chinese lanterns.

On the way home

Here we are, on the bus to the Angel. What with all the walking and the warm conditions, I was glad to reach home and make a nice cup of tea!