I managed to persuade myself to go out again today, despite the chilly grey conditions. I’ll show you where I went in a minute but first, an encounter with wildlife.

The recycling bins

Like most houses around here, ours has a set of recycling bins out in front. Yesterday, the recycling was collected and two of the bins are still empty.

As I left the house, I noticed a movement in the bin at top left: a rapid movement. Something small but active was running round and round, speedily going nowhere. It was a mouse. I guess that the mouse must have visited the bins before when they were full and it was easy to go in and get out. Today, in visiting the bin again, the poor mouse found himself trapped. My appearance in the scene was enough to scare him mightily.

This reminded me of an episode years ago when I found a mouse similarly trapped in a newly emptied dustbin. I should have done the obvious thing, tipping the bin on its side so that the mouse could run out. Instead, I put my hand down into the bin to catch the mouse and lift it out. I did managed to catch the mouse and was bitten for my trouble! Quite a reasonable response from the mouse’s point of view.

Today I was sensible and tipped the bin on its side. The mouse ran off into the undergrowth, none the worse for its adventure, I hope, and leaving me free to resume my walk.

Walking through Chapel Market

I decided to walk along part of Upper Street and see what there was to see, if anything. To reach Upper Street, I first walked through Chapel Market. This was quite busy even though are still not as many stalls present as there used to be before the pandemic.

Activity in Angel Central

I next went through the shopping and entertainment venue now called Angel Central. By all appearances, the open area is being transformed into a temporary garden with plants in tubs and objects such as large artificial toadstools.

Look, it’s a reindeer!

Together with a couple of security men, I stopped to take a look a the life-size replica of a reindeer. Does this mean Santa will be paying a visit, I wonder? (Actually,. those horns look more like those of a moose than a reindeer, don’t you think?)

Upper Street – always busy

I emerged into Upper Street which, as a main link to the North, has always been busy and has a picturesque history. Today, it is lined with shops, cafes, restaurants, pubs and coffee bars. If retail establishments and dining out are your bag, this is a good place for you.

Islington Green

I preferred to divert through Islington Green. It is part of what was once common land where the locals could graze their cattle. It is rumoured that beneath this peaceful surface lies a plague pit but I am uncertain as to the truth of that. Queen Elizabeth I, out riding, once had an uncomfortable encounter with ruffians hereabouts but with no further consequences.

Pigeons fluffed up against the cold

There were very few people on the green and the pigeons had taken over some of the empty benches. (I imagine the wood of the benches is kinder to their bare feet than the ground.) They were fluffed up against the cold and moving about slowly. They looked like I felt!

The Screen on the Green

The Screen in the Green is Islington’s longest running cinema, having been founded in 1913. It is also the only survivor of three cinemas that opened in the immediate area. The other two can still be made out but they have been diverted into other purposes. Should you be wondering, no, we have never attended a showing here.

The Gallipoli – gone

This photo won’t mean much to you unless you used to eat out in a picturesque Turkish restaurent called Gallipoli. It occupied the premises on the right where the restaurant name appears on a lighter (newer) background. The Gallipoli, it seems, has gone, its space absorbed by the business next door. They will be missed.

St Mary’s Church

I arrived at St Mary’s Church, whose spire, with its clock, is a local landmark.

Old Islington Post Office

Almost opposite the church is this handsome building which started life in 1906 as Islington’s post and parcels office. Many times I have come here to post or collect a parcel. No longer: it has been taken over by “developers” who have given it a silly name – Islington Square – and made it into a multipurpose site with exorbitantly priced luxury apartments (just what we need to solve Britain’s shortage of affordable housing). This Islington Gazette article will tell you more.

St Mary’s Church Garden

I turned aside into St Mary’s Church Garden, once the burial ground of the church but now a public park. Often crowded in warm weather, today it was empty, except for one dog walker and a mother and child, all of whom passed through without stopping.

Fine old tree

The garden is home to some fine old trees whose huge girth testifies to their great age.

A view from my bench

In fine weather, it’s hard to find a bench unoccupied but today all the benches were free. Just to be contrary, I sat on a bench for a while and enjoyed the quiet.

An unusually fine building

On the move again, I viewed this unusually fine building and, yes, I have photographed it more than once before but I think it deserves to be admired.

Unusual wooden frontage

I stopped to admire this pub’s unusual wooden frontage.

Islington Town Hall

Opposite is Islington Town Hall, built in the 1930s (before the current Borough of Islington was created in the 1965 reorganisation) and now a Grade II listed building. If it’s not as pretty as the old Finsbury Town Hall, it is at least still functioning.

The Post Office now

And here is what replaced the fine old Post Office, a “Post Office shop”, new style. At least we still have a post office: many that have been closed have not been replaced.

Compton Terrace Garden

I now came to my third and last garden of the day, Compton Terrace Garden. Named after the Marques of Compton, once the landowner, the terrace was begun in the early 1800s. The row of houses developed gradually and in 1823, it was decided to create a garden in front of the houses to screen them from the noisy main road.

The Union Chapel

From the garden one can see the Union Chapel. This was the first structure to be built in Compton Terrace. That was in 1805-9, though the chapel has been rebuilt on a grander scale since then. For a history of Compton Terrace, see here.

A disappointment for dog walkers

Like the gardens in Colebrooke Row, these gardens come in two parts, cut by the access road to the chapel. At the entrance to the second part is the above sign. The garden, which is enclosed with railings is intended as a area in which the children of Compton Terrace can play in safety.

A pleasant space

It is a pleasant space in which to linger, at least in warmer weather.

Where the garden ends

If you were hoping to leave the garden at the far end, you will be disappointed because it is closed off. I didn’t mind this as I saw that this provided a wildlife area with rotting wood for the smaller denizens.

“Bug hotel”

For example, this tree stump has been left as a “bug hotel”.

I now turned about to start my journey home. For this, I decided to take the bus.

Aboard the 30

Nearby was a bus stop where I boarded a number 30 bus that carried me quickly back to the Angel, ending today’s expedition.