The day was cloudy-sunny but quite warm.

Baron Street

The surprise came when we stepped outside and found it was raining! We debated whether to fetch raincoats but decided bravely (or recklessly) to continue as we were. In the event, it was just a brief shower and soon passed.

Umbrellas in the Farmers’ Market

As usual I took a photo of the Farmers’ Market though, so far, we have not explored it, much less shopped there.

Sainsbury’s – not too busy

Sainsbury’s was not too busy and we had soon finished collecting this week’s heap of goodies.

Hurrying through the market

As usual, I hurried through the market to pick up our coffees from Mercer’s.

Mercer’s for coffee

For once, I was the only customer and was served quickly. I rejoined Tigger who had caught up with me and we made for home.

Lunch in the garden

For lunch, we decided to buy coffee and food from Myddelton’s deli and take it into Myddelton Square Gardens. We did exactly that and it was very enjoyable. In fact, I would say it was the highlight of the day. There were few other people and it was very calm and peaceful.

Electra flashes past

We spied a familiar figure speeding round the square: Electra aka the Circling Cyclist. I think she has spotted us photographing her (she’s had plenty of opportunities!) and gives us a knowing smile is she passes.

We passed Percy Circus

Lunch disposed of, we set off on the next activity. I wasn’t sure where we were going but I knew Tigger had a plan and that was good enough. We passed the lovely Percy Circus down to the main road.

Aboard the number 63

We caught a number 63 bus that goes to Honor Oak. (In case you are wondering why an English place name is apparently spelt in the “American” way, the answer is that it isn’t: it was spelt that way in Tudor times and has remained so.)

Kinetic art

We left the bus somewhere near Burgess Park and I photographed this piece of kinetic art though it wasn’t doing any kineticking at the time.

Old Fire Station

I also photographed this old fire station now serving as a retail outlet for fireplaces. There’s a kind of logic to that, I suppose, though what with anti-pollution laws, I have no idea what people could (legally) burn in fireplaces these days.

Somewhere in Southwark

We took another bus which deposited us in Southwark (pronounced “suthuk”, please).

Flowers by Tigger

Tigger photographed these pretty flowers though I don’t know where as I didn’t see any flowers.

Housing estate

We visited this newish housing estate. Tigger quite liked it but as it was crowded and busy, I didn’t. In fact, I couldn’t wait to leave.

Gardens and play area

It had gardens and a play area for children. Both were crowded. No social distancing noticeable. The different locations had animal names. For example, the garden was called Elephant Park.

Southwark Memorial
Kenny Hunter

On the way out we encountered this sculpture. It is called Southwark Memorial (memorial of what?) and is by Kenny Hunter. It is also decorated with a rather infelicitous quotation by one Hamish Henderson.

Bridge, Waterloo Station

We caught a bus that delivered us to Waterloo Station where we changed to a number 341 which had the virtue of taking us home.

Back at the Angel

The outing had been interesting in parts but I was quite glad to find myself back on familiar territory at the Angel.

Myddelton Square

It was a beautiful sunny, warm day today as this picture shows.

A squirrel passes
Photo by Tigger

We met a squirrel but the human passers-by scared him and he ran and hid.

Sitting in Myddelton Square garden

We went to Myddelton’s deli and bought our usual coffee. Instead if drinking it there, though, we took it to Myddelton Square gardens and drank it there sitting on a bench.

Spider on my hat
Photo by Tigger

A spider decided to join us and took up position on my hat. He appeared to be planning to build a web and so I thought it best to put him in the garden where he would find more stable accommodations.

Beautiful and shady

The garden is beautiful and on a warm day pleasantly shady. It contains a number of fine, big, old trees.

St Peter and St Paul’s Church
Photo by Tigger

Afterwards, we set out for a walk, starting by following Amwell Street. When we reached the dubiously grammatically named “St Peter and St Paul’s Catholic Church”, we saw that the door was open and went in for a look.

Church interior

Dating to 1835 and originally built as a non-conformist chapel, this galleried church is Grade II listed. Less elaborate and decorated than some Catholic churches we have seen, this one has a plain and uncluttered look.

Stained glass window

I counted four stained glass windows of which the above is an example. Each carries a quotation. The above, in Italian, reads La carità di Cristo ci spinge (“The love of Christ constraineth us”, 2 Cor 5, 14) and the others are in Latin, French and English, respectively. A church for polyglots!

Stations of the Cross

Like most Catholic churches it has a set of icons representing the Stations of the Cross.

Figure of Jesus

It has a couple of figurines, including this one representing Jesus. (It always amuses me how we immediately recognise who is represented by these figures despite the fact the no one can possibly know what their subject actually looked like.)

Flowers

Everywhere we went, there were flowers, some filling the air with perfume. The above is just one example.

Woodbridge Chapel

We passed the Grade II listed Woodbridge independent chapel which incorporates the Clerkenwell and Islington Medical Mission (1833).

Art Deco Gates

I liked these rather Art Deco gates with their geometric but delicate design. They are protected by a modern-style descending bollard.

The old brewery

We passed through Brewhouse Yard which is now filled with disappointingly modern-style buildings except for the old brewery itself that gives the yard its name.

The brewery and its clock

The clock is dated 1875 though I suspect the brewery itself is older than that. Perhaps it was rebuilt in that year.

The spire of St Luke’s

As we approached Old Street, the unusually slender spire of the former Church of St Luke appears over other buildings.

Former Church of St Luke

Here is a fuller view of the church though screened by trees. Consecrated in 1733, the church eventually sank into a ruinous state but has been rescued and is no longer a church, serving instead as the home of the London Symphony Orchestra.

City Road

Here we are crossing City Road, today a busy thoroughfare carrying traffic to and from the City of London and anciently the road by which visitors, having been deposited by stage coach at the Angel, made the last, dangerous journey into London along a routed infested with highwaymen and footpads. Today, a 205 bus carries you safely along here to your destination!

The Shepherdess

Having negotiated the busy road, we made pause for refreshments at the Shepherdess. If the name seems unusual for a cafe, more suitable, perhaps, for a pub, it comes from the name of the street – Shepherdess Walk – on whose corner it stands.

We could have returned to the Angel by bus as several that serve our destination run along City Road but, for the sake of exercise, we decided to walk. Unfortunately, it is not a very interesting route to walk and I took few photos.

Cattle Trough now a planter

This is an original cattle trough by the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association. Many of their installations were financed by individuals, whether as a philanthropic gesture or a memorial and bear an inscription to that effect. This one is inscribed thus:

THE GIFT OF
MRS LEIGH
SUMMERVILLE
HALIFAX 1899

The Pixie House

Someone has made this whimsical addition to a front garden.

A fine snail
Photo by Tigger

My last photo is this one by Tigger of a snail climbing a window of an office block. I have no idea where it thought it was going or what it hoped to find. Such are the mysteries of the animal world.

William Blake, 1527-1827

From Songs of Innocence and of Experience

Blake’s hand-coloured edition

• The Tyger
•  
• Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
• In the forests of the night,
• What immortal hand or eye
• Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
•  
• In what distant deeps or skies
• Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
• On what wings dare he aspire?
• What the hand dare sieze the fire?
•  
• And what shoulder, & what art,
• Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
• And when thy heart began to beat,
• What dread hand? & what dread feet?
•  
• What the hammer? what the chain?
• In what furnace was thy brain?
• What the anvil? what dread grasp
• Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
•  
• When the stars threw down their spears,
• And water’d heaven with their tears,
• Did he smile his work to see?
• Did he who made the Lamb make thee?
•  
• Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
• In the forests of the night,
• What immortal hand or eye
• Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

It’s another warm day today, warmer than yesterday with a projected maximum of 25°C. Once again, we went out in the morning for coffee, intending to spend the middle of the day at home and go out again in the evening when, all being well, the sun will have lost its sting.

Myddelton Square, west side

We walked round Myddelton Square, staying on the garden side of the road where there was shade.

Myddelton Square Gardens

I took a photo of the gardens over the railings. The trees are now more or less fully clothed in their green robes of summer.

Myddelton Square and River Street

Here we are progressing along the south side of the square which leads to River Street. The river of the name is of course the New River which is unfortunately no longer visible here.

Another view of the gardens

We went slowly so as to make the most of the scenery.

At Myddelton’s deli

At Myddelton’s deli, the tables in Lloyd Baker Street, where we usually sit because it is in the shade, were occupied so we had to make do with a table in Amwell Street in direct sunlight. This meant that we didn’t stay very long.

The George and Monkey

We walked along Inglebert Street where I photographed the pub, still quiet at this hour.

In Myddelton Square Gardens

On reaching the square again, we decided to sit in the gardens for a while. We found a bench in a shady corner. It was cool and pleasant and we must have spent about an hour there.

The kitten in the window

In Claremont Square we were rewarded with a sighting of the kitten-in-the-window. Seeing us taking photos, he gave us a thoughtful stare. We continued to home where we will have lunch and perhaps venture out again this evening.

——————————

As planned, we went out again at 5 pm. In a repeat of yesterday, it was still warm but a breeze had sprung up helping to keep us cool.

The Harlequin, Arlington Way

We walked down Arlington Way, staying on the shaded side of the street. The Harlequin had tables and chairs outside. It looked inviting but we continued on.

Looking back along Arlington Way

Arlington Way is quite a pleasant street with dwellings along one side and shops along the other. On a corner is Saddlers Wells Theatre but the street seems never to be busy, remaining quiet – as I like it 🙂

Gardens at New River Head

The gardens on the New River Head land looked peaceful in the evening sunshine.

Spa Green Gardens

We walked through Spa Green Gardens, that pleasant green oasis in Rosebery Avenue.

War memorial and pigeons

The resident pigeons were socialising on the grass and on the war memorial.

Exmouth Market

We made our way to Exmouth Market which is a market street like our own Chapel Market. It seems a lot livelier, however, and contains a large number of cafes, restaurants and bars, many of which had tables outside. We went along, looking for somewhere to have coffee, but all the seats were occupied. Then…

be-oom tea shop and garden

…we happened upon this establishment called be-oom (no capitals), offering a tea shop and garden. We ordered tea and sat outside on the stools you see in the picture. I didn’t retain the name of the tea. It was of a kind hitherto unknown to me, subtle tasting and quite pleasant.

A different tea for each of us

The tea is served in tiny glass teapots with infusers. The cups, also of glass, are almost spherical and tiny too. There is a flask of hot water for topping up your teapot. An interesting experience. Maybe we will call in again one day, as it makes a pleasant destination for a walk.

Church of the Holy Redeemer

The tea shop is opposite the Italianate-style Church of the Holy Redeemer. The street was quite busy and we had plenty to watch as we drank our tea.

Old Finsbury Town Hall

We returned along Rosebery Avenue and I photographed the beautiful old Finsbury Town Hall, although this is not a good photo because it’s hard to get a good view of it because of its size and the relative narrowness if the street.

Myddelton Passage

We passed through Myddelton Passage, another of my favourite quiet streets.

The pub vine

This gave us the opportunity to check on the vine in the wall of the Shakespeare’s Head. It is flourishing and has grown bushy in a remarkably short time.

Tiny grape clusters already

It already has tiny clusters of what will one day be grapes.

Electra in action

As we passed by Myddelton Square, a familiar figure flashed past: it was Electra cycling around and around the square. She must, like us, have waited until the day became cooler. Seeing her rounded off our outing nicely!