We did bestir ourselves to go out again after a leisurely lunch. The day was grey and the air chilly, not conducive to long rambles but we made the most of it.

Myddelton’s deli closes at 3pm on Sundays and we left the house at 2:55. No chance of reaching them before they closed, did you say? That’s what I thought but Tigger was determined so we hurried along, not helped by slow moving pedestrians in our path.

If truth be told, we reached Myddelton’s a little after 3pm but luck was with us: there were customers still inside the shop and as they left, we rushed in.

Although it was a little chilly, as I have said, when Tigger proposed to take our coffee to our favourite spot, Percy Circus, I agreed.

Flowers by Tigger

I was carrying the coffee and so did not take any photos but Tigger did and captured these beautiful flowers.

Meditative cat
Photo by Tigger

In Prideaux Place, we came upon this feline neighbour sitting meditatively in a small garden. We spoke to him politely but received no response so we left him to his meditations.

“Fried egg” flower
Photo by Tigger

Also in Prideaux Place, Tigger took photos of some white flowers whose name we do not know but that she jokingly calls “Fried Egg Flowers”, for obvious reasons.

From “our” bench in Percy Circus

Arriving in Percy Circus, we found “our” bench unoccupied (in fact, all the benches were unoccupied) and from there I took the above video.

A farewell shot of the lovely Percy Circus

Having consumed our coffee and enjoyed the view and the peaceful atmosphere, we started back, passing through Bevin Court, as the path there is prettier than the road, passing as it does through gardens.

Pretty white flowers

I was enchanted by these tiny white flowers growing in a hedge.

White and delicate

This close-up shows how delicate they are, each perfect in its kind. As usual, I don’t know what they are called.

Squirrel

Then we spotted a pair of squirrels chasing one another. Was it aggression or play? It’s hard to know but first one chased the other then the chased one turned and chased the chaser. One disappeared while the other remained on a tree trunk watching us. Having decided we were not interesting, he disappeared into the foliage.

Bevin Court, a cliff of apartments

Bevin Court is quite a large development and I took this photo because I am impressed by what resembles a cliff of apartments. What is it like to live here, I wonder, in one flat ensconced among many others? I suppose it is agreeable enough as long as your neighbours are well behaved and not unduly noisy. Otherwise, I imagine it could be hell on earth.

Flowers by Tigger

Tigger spotted these flowers in a small plot in front of a house. They combine to make a very colourful and cheering display.

Squirrel observing us

Crossing through Pentonville Road, we met another squirrel and stopped to watch. He remained still for a while, observing us. This seems to be typical behaviour of town squirrels because there is always a chance that these pesky humans will have food to offer.

Squirrel departs

Having decided we had nothing to give him, the squirrel departed to get on with life elsewhere.

As for us, we continued on our way home to continue our Sunday in comfort in the warm.

Today, being dies dominicum, according to the Emperor Constantine, or, in our own debased but expressive tongue, Sunday, we set out just after 11am for Sainsbury’s to do our weekly shopping.

Chapel Market, closed to vehicles

As usual, we passed through Chapel market where these barriers were in position. Chapel Market leads an ambiguous existence as both a market and a one-way street open to motor vehicles. On Mondays, when the market is closed, it becomes an ordinary street with vehicles passing along it or parking while their drivers visit the shops. On Tuesday to Saturday, the lower half (to the right in the photo) is occupied by stalls and is therefore impassable to motor vehicles but the upper half (to the left) is empty and vehicles can drive through it. On Sundays, this section is occupied by the stalls of the Farmers’ Market and, for safety’s sake, the barriers are out in place to exclude vehicles.

In Sainsbury’s, we each sped off to collect our own list of items, thus reducing the amount of time we spend in the shop. After this we were lucky to find a checkout where a customer had just left.

Though it seems ungallant, on exiting the store, I leave Tigger with the shopping trolley and a supplementary bag, and hurry off to Mercer’s.

Near one of the fruit and vegetable stalls, I again saw this antique market barrow. One day, in the unlikely event that the stall is not busy, I will ask how old it is and for how many generations in has been in their family. Until then, I can only make (probably inaccurate) guesses as to its age.

This is the fruit & veg stall in question, doing a good trade, as always.

When I reached Mercer’s, I found that there were several customers ahead of me and some of these were ordering food as well as drinks. It was going to be a bit of a wait. I tried to be patient by telling myself that it was good that they were busy as that would ensure their survival to continue supplying us with coffee! Did it work? Well, partly. I tried to entertain myself by watching activity inside and outside the shop.

Outside, as usual, was the stall selling plants. It was quite busy, suggesting that gardeners are setting their gardens in order for the new season, is this where people come to buy plants for the window boxes I have mentioned in my posts? Quite possible, I suppose.

While I was in Mercer’s, Tigger was waiting patiently outside. I waved to her a couple of times to let her know it was busy but she could see this for herself.

At last, our order was ready and we hurried off home with it.

What shall we do after lunch? The weather looks a bit iffy but perhaps we shall go out for another walk. If so, I shall be sure to let you know! 🙂

As the title says, it’s a cloudy and chilly day. (Have you noticed that how cold you feel doesn’t necessarily correspond to how cold the thermometer thinks you should feel?) I think we would both have been happy to stay at home in the warm like two hibernating field mice but, happily, a desire for a coffee reward persuaded us to confront the Outside!

Tailbacks still

In passing through Pentonville Road, we saw that the traffic is still obstructed by the seemingly never-ending works, reduced to tailbacks and a slow crawl to the lights at the junction.

Bushy window box

As our walk to Myddelton’s was through very familiar territory, I did rather binge on window boxes and while some of them I had already, there seemed to be more than before. Perhaps they have declared “Window Box Season”. I collected a few samples.

Fine letterbox and lion knocker

I paused at this door because I have admired the letterbox several times in passing. Unfortunately, its details don’t show up well in the photo. I also like the lion door knocker. This design is traditional and very many houses in the neighbourhood have them in various styles. They would make an interesting study of their own. Lion decorations abound in the area and not only as door knockers.

Small but colourful

There are many different styles of window box displays, from the small and neat but colourful, like this one, to the big, bushy ones that seem to be trying to burst out of the confinement of their boxes.

The Circling Cyclist

And, yes: we again saw her whom I have for now denominated “The Circling Cyclist”, cycling round and round Myddelton Square. She was wearing her familiar red top but with a jacket over it today. She too must be feeling the chill in the air.

Variation on a theme

At this house, instead of a window box, they have plants in pots. Does that work? Maybe, but I think I prefer a well arranged box which is more like a miniature garden.

Talking of which, I wonder whether any of you remember the fad for “Chinese gardens” that swept through the nation in the decades after the war. Such a “garden” was a miniature, planted in a bowl, with tiny cactus plants and decorations such as a mirror, half-buried to represent a pond, and tiny porcelain figures such as pagodas, bridges and even diminutive human figures. The inspiration, I think, was the traditional willow pattern crockery. As with most of these fads, everyone seemed to have a “Chinese garden” at one point and then, suddenly, they all disappeared.

The family bicycle

We stopped to admire this very adapted bicycle, no doubt intended as transport for one parent and several children. The bicycle you can see chained to the area steps is perhaps the other parent’s vehicle. It too has been adapted though not as extensively.

Mainly foliage

This box with trailing stems (ivy?) contains mainly foliage but there look to be some flowers beginning to show as well.

My mother was superstitious about many things and ivy was one of them. You could not take ivy into the house or it would bring bad luck, according to her belief. Presumably, ivy in a window box outside is not a danger.

Still circling

Talking of bicycles (well, we were a moment ago), here comes the Circling Cyclist again. I don’t know how many circuits she does but this was one of the last for today – we later saw her parking her cycle in front of one of the houses in the square. I’m pretty sure she saw me photographing her but she didn’t react so perhaps she’s used to it.

Pretty flowering window box

This was perhaps my favourite of the boxes we saw today but, then, red is my favourite colour. No trailing greenery here, just a good display of pretty flowers.

Pennies Vintage
Photo by Tigger

On the way home, we passed in front of Pennies Vintage and, as I was carrying the coffee, Tigger took a photo for me. During lockdown, the shop has been closed, as was to be expected, but today the door was open and some of the stock was outside. I don’t think the shop was open for business, perhaps just getting ready for April 12th when, if all goes to plan, “non-essential” shops will open again.

Here, to end with, are some flowers from Tigger, photographed in Inglebert Street.

Flowers from Tigger

I wasn’t feeling at my best today and Tigger, being at work, was not there to inspire me and jolly me along. But the sun was shining and I had no real excuse for malingering, so I eventually managed to persuade myself to get up and go out.

An old friend – the Curvaceous Tree

To encourage myself, I started with a visit to an old friend, the Curvaceous Tree. Lit by sunshine, it seemed particularly benign with the wisdom of its great age.

One way to deliver them

I regularly see a pile of free newspapers here. They are still tied and I assume that the person charged with delivering them simply dumps them here. I wonder who removes them.

Something on the wall

Wandering through Myddelton Passage, I noticed a movement of something on the brick wall. Can you see what it is?

A squirrel

Squirrels receive mixed press, I know, but in towns people generally seem to like them. As a result, town squirrels are apt to be bolder than their country cousins, hoping passers-by will feed them, as indeed many do.

Watching me carefully

This one held his ground while I photographed him, no doubt hoping for a hand-out.

Spa Green

I passed through Spa Green but didn’t tarry there. I noticed that there were a few people sitting on benches in the sun but, to be honest, I felt it was a bit too chilly for that so I walked on.

Rawstorne Street

I crossed St John Street into Rawstorne Street. Its name comes from brickmaker Thomas Rawstorne who built the street in the late 18th century. Unlike the classic Georgian style houses, these, of fairly modest design, don’t have the open “area” giving access to a basement but instead have an opening in the pavement, covered with an iron grille, which provides some light to the basement windows.

Hermit Street

From Rawstorne, I entered Hermit Street, built in the early 19th century and also of rather modest style. It was originally called Buxton Street after Jedediah Buxton (1707-72) who was a rather curious character with a passion for numbers and mental calculation despite being relatively uneducated. The street was renamed in 1937 but why it was then called Hermit Street, I have not so far discovered.

Christmas decorations still

This window caught my eye because it is still apparently decorated as for Christmas. Perhaps they keep Christmas all year round in this house.

One of the neighbours

I spotted one of the neighbours, ensconced on a window sill perhaps hoping to be let in. Though he was aware of me, he evinced no interest and I respected his privacy.

Friend Street

Hermit Street leads into, or becomes, Friend Street. Originally called Brewer Street, it was renamed in 1936 in honour of George Friend, founder in 1780 of the Finsbury Dispensary.

Friend Street leads into St John Street and from there it is but a few steps to home where I rewarded myself with a pot of tea and a slice of toast with Marmite. Yes, in the Marmite stakes, I am definitely a fan.

Tigger sent me some of her photos taken on the way to work and here is a selection.

Once the Angel Hotel

Tigger photographed the dome of what is one of our favourite Angel buildings, once a hotel, now offices. If she needed an excuse (she didn’t!), it was because…

Perched on the mast

…she was intrigued by a bird that was perched right on the tip of the mast on top of the dome.

Here are some blossoms:

They say a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush but, personally, I prefer to see them at liberty in the bush, like this one:

A bird in the bush is where it should be

When I started this blog, SilverTiger at home and abroad, in July 2019, it at first received very few visits, as is usually the case with a new blog that has as yet to become known. In the early months, the blog might receive 2 or 3 visits a day. This did not worry me because, firstly, it was to be expected and, secondly, I was writing mainly for myself, treating the blog as a diary.

Some of the visitors came to the new blog from the old one, SilverTiger, and it is only fair to say that their visits and comments were most welcome and encouraged me to continue.

Gradually, though,over the one year and eight months of the life of this blog, visitor numbers have gradually increased and so has the spread of nations from which these visitors come.

To be honest, I am at a loss to explain why this is so. I cannot imagine what visitors, especially those whose first language is not English, can find of interest here, especially since the pandemic has, as it were, clipped my wings (can tigers have wings? 🙂 ), and I write about strictly local rambles. But there it is: people visit the blog and their visits are always welcome (especially if they click “like” or, better yet, leave a comment!).

What prompted me to put finger to keyboard today, however, is that yesterday was a bumper day for visits, both in the number of visits and the number of countries from which these visitors came. Please believe me that in posting these figures, I am not boasting. I am quite mystifed (though pleased, of course) as to how and why so many people have found their way here.

WordPress gives figures for the number of visitors and the number of “views” (the number of clicks on any prt of the blog). and provides a list of the countries from which they came. Figures for yesterday show:

210 views by 182 visitors

from these countries
(in order of number of views from each)

As I say, yesterday was a bumper day and I don’t expect to see another one like it. Then again, who knows? 🙂