Yes, though the week is barely three days old, I can say that so far it has been rather strange. But let’s take the days in order.

The Farmers’ Market

On Sunday, we carried out our usual shopping run to Sainsbury’s, on the way passing by the Farmers’ Market.

Christmas trees

There was of course an impressive stock of Christmas trees awaiting buyers, together with the machine that packs them in netting for you to carry home.

Chapel Market

The main market was out in force, no doubt hoping for a Christmas bonanza. Were their hopes realised, I wonder?

The weather was cold and felt even colder than the advertised temperature and so, having arrived home and drunk the coffee I had bought from Mercer’s, we decided to stay at home for the rest of the day.

Upper Street and St Mary’s Church

On Monday, the day started with breakfast and breakfast started with an ouch! One of my teeth was painful whenever I put any pressure on it. I realised it needed attention and so I phoned Pickerings in Upper Street to see when they could fit me in.

Pickering, dentists

I was expecting to have to wait a while, possibly until after Christmas, but no, they could see me at midday. Near the appointed time, I went off on foot, this being the surest way of arriving on time.

Third-floor waiting room

Pickering occupies an old building and uses all of it. On arrival (having had my temperature checked and been asked whether I had any symptoms of Covid), I was sent up to the third floor, climbing up a narrow staircase of 45 steps, if I remember correctly. I’ll admit I was puffed by the time I reached the top.

The tooth was examined and X-rayed and, yes, it needs attention, possibly quite a lot of attention, and to start this I will return on January 10th. Something look forward to, eh? 🙂

Troubles, they say, don’t come singly. On Monday afternoon, various ongoing health issues and the stress of the morning combined to make me feel rather unwell. So much so that I rang the GP surgery and asked to speak to someone. The duty doctor phoned me back.

Knowing how stretched the NHS is at present (well, most of the time, actually), it always surprises me how kind and attentive the nurses and doctors are. If I had been this doctor’s only patient, she couldn’t have taken more time and trouble over me. She arranged for me to visit the surgery this morning for an examination.

Because Covid, and particularly the Omicron variant, is on the rise, the surgery no longer accepts people walking in. You are admitted only if you have an appointment. On arrival, I had to ring the doorbell and give my name over the speaker phone. The automatic doors then opened to admit me. Inside, my temperature was checked and I was told to apply gel to me hands.

Surgery waiting room and Christmas tree

I was then examined thoroughly, again the level of care was as though I were the only patient they had to deal with today.

“The garden path”

When I left the surgery, I felt I ought to make to most of the outing and go for a walk. I started by walking through this path between gardens that leads into Lloyd Square. I don’t know its name and call it the “garden path”.

Greek-style pediments in Lloyd Square

It’s been a while since I took a stroll round the neighbourhood, something we used to do a lot during the lockdowns.

Cumberland Gardens

I walked through Cumberland Gardens, a quiet residential cul-de-sac with a pedestrian-only path at one end. We came here often during lockdown and I wished Tigger were with me now as she was during our rambles then.

Percy Circus Gardens

I visited Percy Circus and promised myself that, when the warmer weather returns, we will come here with our coffee and perhaps a picnic lunch, as we did on several occasions before. I texted Tigger a photo of Percy Circus to let her know where I was.

The path through Bevin Court

To return home, I took the path through Bevin Court, still green despite the winter weather.

Holford Garden

The path passes by a small but pleasant park called Holford Garden. Originally, there was a public bowling green here but it has been a park since the 1930s. The tree trunk in the foreground is all that remains of the “leaning tree” that I photographed several times until it fell, whether under its own weight or by human agency, I do not know.

The path continues

The path continues between the buildings of Bevin Court and a row of fine old trees.

The “Cliff of apartments”

The path reaches the road and at the top provides a view of Bevin Court that I once described as a “cliff of apartments”. The meadow-like lawn in the foreground was a mass of long grass and flowers in summer. I hope it will flower again next year.

Cruikshank Street

From there I entered Cruikshank Street, named after artist and engraver George Cruikshank (1792-1878) who lived hereabouts though not in this street.

Christmas wreaths in Cruikshank Street

To end with, here are a couple of Christmas wreaths in Cruikshank Street. Let’s hope that Covid, and the probability of further restrictions being imposed, does not dampen the Christmas spirit too much.