I had another appointment today but I was confident it would actually take place, unlike yesterday’s fiasco. It was a clinic appointment at River Place Health Centre.

River Place is not far from home and there are several buses that will take me there but I preferred to walk because I knew how long it would take me (less than 20 minutes) and buses at the moment are crowded and subject to delays owing to the effects of the tube strike.

Rain and clouds over Upper Street

The weather wasn’t very pleasant but I reckoned I could put up with a bit of rain.

Open for business – Amazon Fresh

I set off along the High Street and then Upper Street, passing the historic tram shed which has recently been converted into an Amazon Fresh outlet. I shall be interested to see how it fares because all of the retail businesses that have set up in the tram shed have lasted only for a short while. Are the citizens of Islington ready for hi-tech shopping, Amazon style?

Sir Hugh Myddelton’s statue

I branched off Upper Street at Islington Green and entered Essex Road. Where the roads divide stands a monument to Sir Hugh Myddelton. Sir Hugh’s New River brought permanent changes to Islington as well as the benefits of an improved water supply to London as a whole. The monument was set up in 1862, the statue being the gift of Sir Samuel Morton Peto and the plinth financed by public subscription plus a grant from the Vestry (vestries were the forerunners of the modern borough councils). He’s looking rather worn these days, no doubt owing to pollution eroding the stone.

Rain puddles in Essex Road

The above photo gives you an idea of the weather conditions though, in fact, the rain had eased off into drizzle by the time I left home.

Essex Road – rather nondescript

I made my way along Essex Road which is a rather nondescript thoroughfare, the more so when the weather makes it look drab.

The old ABC Cinema

Essex Road does possess a few gems, one of which is the old ABC Cinema with its Egyptian-inspired decor. It became a church for a while and I don’t know what purpose it serves at present.

New River Walk

I was early for my appointment so I went for a little walk around before entering the clinic. I took a photo of this little park which is part of New River Walk, a strip of parkland containing an uncovered stretch of the New River.

River Place Health Centre

With a few minutes to spare, I entered the Health Centre. You have to announce yourself to the receptionist who checks that your name is on the appointments list and then bids you sit and wait to be called.

The waiting room

The waiting room is quite large but there were surprisingly few people waiting in it. This may be because, as a result of the pandemic, many consultations are now carried out by photo or video link to keep face-to-face meetings as few as possible. This is just one of the ways in which the post-Covid-19 world is different from the old world.

The Kings (Head)

I decided to walk home instead of lazily catching a bus. Along the way, I stopped to take a photo of this old pub. It used to be called The King’s Head but is now, oddly, “The Kings”. It’s a Grade II listed building and according to Historic England, consists of a mid-18th-century building with a 19th-century frontage. I expect that was the result of one of the owners deciding to “modernise” the pub in the Victorian era. The result is quite pleasant, much nicer than some of the more recent refurbishments of pubs and other buildings which were much nicer before being ruined by a disease called Modern Architecture.

Islington Green

I cut through Islington Green which, like Sir Hugh’s monument, is situated where Upper Street and Essex Road diverge. In fine weather, it’s usually quite full of people and there is a coffee stall which opens. Today’s rainy weather meant that the garden was virtually empty with no sign of the coffee stall.

Islington Green War Memorial

The Green us the site of the oddest-looking war memorial that I have ever seen. Islington Green War Memorial was unveiled in 2007 and promptly began to sink into the ground. Its foundations needed to be strengthened. Since then, it has remained safely in place.

Angel Central and the Angel Wings

I passed through Angel Central to avoid the busy streets. From here I was soon home where my first concern was to fire up the kettle and make a nice pot of tea!

That concluded my outings for today. Tomorrow I shall have to find some way to motivate myself to go for a walk as I have no appointments or other commitments to draw me out of doors. Will I succeed? Watch this space to find out!