If I have been quiet for a few days it is because Tigger has to work 4 days this week and I have lacked motivation to go out and about.

The Angel crossroads

I did go out briefly yesterday as I needed to buy stamps and post a letter. I also needed a couple of items from the shops.

A strange tableau

To buy stamps I usually go to Paperchase in the Angel Central shopping centre. As I entered the centre I came upon this strange tableau. Foxes, a deer and a badger peer out from a woodland scene. The wording on the display is “WE ARE ANGEL”, a nonsensical statement that seems to have no purpose.

All seats taken

I looked around for somewhere to sit while I stuck the stamps in the envelope. The artificial lawn that had been empty when I passed this way last week was today crowded. All the benches were occupied.

Islington Green

I ended up sitting on the only free bench in Islington Green. Then I set about tackling the shops.

Bellanger’s

Continuing on my way, I stopped to take note that Bellanger’s was up and running. Bellanger’s is a pseudo-French restaurant and a favourite of ours for an occasional dinner out as a treat. During the pandemic, they announced that they were closing down but later changed their minds and made a comeback. À bientôt, Bellanger’s!

Myddelton Square

Today, Tigger has a day off, hurrah! We want to make the most of it, of course, and started in our traditional way with coffee at Myddelton’s deli. On the way there, we walked round the square, another action that has become traditional as a result of the pandemic. (We saw no cats 😦 )

Sitting outside the deli

We took our coffee sitting outside the deli, watching the activity in Amwell Street. From the beginning of September, Tigger will be returning to work full-time, that is, Monday to Friday. Perhaps understandably, as I sat outside the deli with Tigger this morning, I had the same sort of feeling I had as a child as the end of the summer holidays loomed near, implying the end of the fun times.

A sunny moment

Just for a moment the sun broke through the clouds and, on what promises to be a cloudy, dull day, that moment of brightness seemed to deserve to be photographed.

Placing the ticket

Today’s moment of drama – for there can be drama in Amwell Street, if only occasionally – came after we had watched a traffic warden – an unusual sight in these parts – taking an interest in the parked cars. The climax came when he ticketed one of the cars and duly photographed his handiwork, as they now do. The photo shows him actually placing the ticket.

Duly ticketed

The first time I saw a traffic warden photographing his handiwork was some years ago in a small town in Sussex. Since then, the habit has spread and these days it is the norm. As that Sussex traffic warden explained to me, motorists are not above complaining about being ticketed, even to the extent of claiming they were not even in town on that day. A photo, bearing the date and time, cannot be argued with.

Myddelton Square Garden

On the way home for lunch, we passed through Myddelton Square Garden. You can perhaps see, from the marks in the grass, that the mower has recently passed this way, leaving the scent of cut grass in the air. We had come with food for the squirrels but neither squirrels nor pigeons were ready to put in an appearance, perhaps out of dislike of the noisy mower. Another day, perhaps.

This was not the end of today’s activities, of course, and we have plans for this afternoon but more of that anon.