When Tigger returned after work, we decided to go out for supper to one of our favourites, the Workers Cafe in Upper Street.

As usual, we kept in touch by text message as Tigger made her way back to the Angel. When her bus, a number 43, reached the clocktower, I joined her on board and we travelled together to the stop at Islington Town Hall. There, a disappointment awaited us: the Workers was closed! I have no idea why and hope it doesn’t mean they have closed down permanently.

The “Gallipolis”

We walked back down Upper Street, looking at all the eateries along the way. It seemed a long walk in the cold and dark. Nothing appealed to us until we reached the two Gallipoli restaurants that stand side by side. In we went.

Quite busy

The restaurant was quite busy but they found us a table and we had a good meal laced with Turkish tea.

Illuminated trees

Afterwards, we crossed the road to St Mary’s Church and waited under the illuminated trees for a bus. This duly came and carried us home.

We are going to have a busy weekend and a busy couple of days beyond that. I will explain what this is if and when I can find the time to do so.

Sunshine but a sulky sky

Once again, the weather forecast was wrong but as this was in my favour, I’m not complaining. The forecast was for heavy cloud cover but, in fact, the sun was shining though the sky, as you see in the above photo at the Angel crossroads, was rather sulky.

Entering Duncan Terrace Gardens

As I had not been there for a while, I decided to visit Duncan Terrace Gardens and its companion, Colebrooke Row Gardens. These gardens form a narrow band between two rows of houses and, as you may recall, were created to cover the New River that still runs beneath them.

Following the path

There were a few people sitting on benches, having lunch or reading, but the air was chilly and I preferred to keep moving.

New leaves

Although there was a wintery feel and look to the gardens, I noticed that there was already new growth, indicated here by the brighter green of new leaves.

Open area

At the end of Duncan Terrace Gardens is this wide open grassy space. It intrigues me because there seems no reason for it. I wonder whether there was once a pond here or perhaps a section of the New River left exposed and covered later.

The Regent’s Canal

Before entering the next garden, I crossed the road to take a look at – and a photo of – the Regent’s Canal. Underneath us in the photo is the Islington Tunnel which carries the canal under the built-up area.

Colebrooke Row Gardens

The main difference between these two gardens is that that of Colebrooke Row is a rock garden, studded with large blocks of what I take to be artificial stone.

Church of St John the Evangelist

From here, we have a view of the Roman Catholic Church of St John the Evangelist, built in the 1840s. It opened for use in 1843 though the two towers, that make it a notable sight today, had not yet been built.

The River continues

Beyond Colebrooke Row Gardens the course of the New River continues but its covering garden is too narrow to contain a path and reduces to a narrow strip of cultivation.

Flowering bush

Here I spotted a bush flowering prettily with red blossoms.

Bumblebee at work

I wasn’t the only one to appreciate the colourful display: a bumblebee was hard at work collecting nectar.

House of Charles Lamb

I passed the house that was once occupied by the famous writer and essayist Charles Lamb and his sister. The couple lived at several addresses in Islington.

Colebrooke Row continues

Beyond this point, Colebrooke Row continues, though less picturesquely, between buildings, both residential and commercial. Off to the left is Essex Road which I preferred to avoid for as long as possible.

Elliott’s Place

Next comes Elliott’s Place which is a cul de sac for vehicles.

Exit by steps

It makes a right-angle turn to the left where pedestrians can leave by walking up three steps into Essex Road.

Essex Road

I must perforce continue into Essex Road. The question now was whither next?

Old Queen’s Head

I did stop to photograph the Old Queen’s Head which looks as if it has recently benefitted from a clean and some new paint. There has long been a pub here (see this Pubwiki page for pictures) and I don’t know when it was rebuilt in its present form – in the late Victorian period, I am guessing.

Greek-style figures

On the corner, it sports a mirror-image pair of figures imitating statues in the manner of Ancient Greek art.

Multilevel pavement

I crossed the road and started back along the multilevel pavement I showed you in a previous post.

St Mary’s Path

When I came to this narrow passage called St Mary’s Path, I took it, as it would lead me to the church of the same name.

St Mary’s Church Garden

It brought me to St Mary’s Church Garden, once the burial ground of the church and now landscaped as a pleasant public garden.

St Mary’s Church

As I photographed the church, its clock began chiming the hour and I noticed that one of the bells was somewhat out of tune!

Upper Street

On reaching Upper Street, I thought about walking back but walking along main roads is not the most pleasant pastime in my opinion. Besides, I quite enjoy a nice bus ride! 🙂

Aboard the 30

A number 30 bus soon came along and I went aboard. This pleasantly concluded today’s solo walk and we have the weekend in view!

Continuing my plan of going for a daily walk, I set out this afternoon at 14:05, heading roughly north. The weather forecast predicted heavy cloud but, in fact, the sun was shining and had taken the chill off the air.

The pigeons of Culpeper Park

I cut through Sainsbury’s car park and crossed into Cloudesley Road. Of course, I had to pause to say hello to “my friends” (dixit Tigger), the pigeons. For some reason, the pigeons in this flock always look happy, preening and chatting away to one another, and seeing them makes me feel cheerful too.

Culpeper Park

The pigeons live in Culpeper Park though, for whatever reason, they spend a lot of time socialising on the pavement outside it, but quickly take refuge in the park’s trees if something scares them. This park is also home to the lovely Culpeper Community Garden which I often visit though I gave it a miss today.

Cloudesley Road

I walked up the peaceful Cloudesley Road, an unusually wide road for its status as a quiet residential backstreet. I speculate that in the past it might have been a busier street than it is now.

Residences become shops become residences

One reason for thinking this is that in several places what were originally houses had been converted into shops and then, later, back to residences.

A. Wyld, French Milliner

One of the most fascinating of these house-shops is at number 71. It still displays, in now faded gold lettering, the occupant’s name and business: A. Wyld, French Milliner. Such a prestigious business would surely not have hidden itself away in the backstreets and this suggests that Cloudesley Road was once an important thoroughfare.

Two shops-now-dwellings

A little further along the street, we find another pair of once-shops but their signage disappeared long ago under succeeding layers of new paint.

Holy Trinity Church

Off to one side of Cloudesley Road is Cloudesley Square which, like our neighbouring Myddelton Square, is residential with a church in the centre. The church, called Holy Trinity, has been undergoing a long process of refurbishment, apparently not yet concluded. Will it, when finished, be brought back into service as a church or will another use be found for it?

Throw packages carefully!

On the railings is affixed a box for mail and I was amused by the notice attached to this, no doubt dating to when, because of building work or the lockdowns (or both), the gate had been locked.

The Old Royal Free

From Cloudesley Square I arrived in Liverpool Road, which I crossed to enter the grounds of the old Royal Free Hospital, now converted to residential use. For a history of the Royal Free, see here.

Still discernibly a hospital

I passed through the left hand arch into the enclosure which is now called Old Royal Free Square. I photographed part of one wing that, though now divided into apartments, still clearly shows its original form as a hospital.

The playground

In the centre of the square, a playground has been built for the children living here. There is also a large area covered with artificial grass, possibly for football and suchlike.

Children’s handprints

The railings round the play area are decorated with plaques made by impressing children’s handprints into clay or some such material.

A pedestrian way

From the square, I entered this narrow pedestrian way that leads between buildings to the main road.

Upper Street and Islington Green

Following this path, one emerges in Upper Street opposite Islington Green.

Oxfam Bookshop

Nearby, is a certain well-known emporium of books. I had not intended to go in but the Oxfam Bookshop exercises a strange attractive influence on me and in I went. When I came out again, I had a book in my pocket that had not been there before!

Entering Angel Central

Rather than returning home along the busy Upper Street, I went back round the corner and entered Angel Central by the side passage.

Courtyard, Angel Central

I walked through the open area, which was quite crowded, and…

Household wares, Chapel Market

…made my way through Chapel Market which was fairly busy but still far from from its pre-pandemic glory. Will those halcyon days eventually return?

Baron Street

I turned down Baron Street and was soon home.

You may be wondering what the book was that I bought in the Oxfam Bookshop, so here it is:

Le Mystère Henri Pick
David Foenkinos

It is Le Mystère Henri Pick by an author of whom I have read and liked other books, David Foenkinos. His name (pronounced fwen-KEY-nos) may not look French but he is a pukka French novelist for all that and his books have met with considerable success both in the original French and in translation.

Now to make tea and start my new book!

I am still trying to persuade myself to go for a daily walk during the week when Tigger is at work and not here to encourage me. After lunch today, then, I put on my shoes and coat and strode out manfully, albeit without the least notion of where I was going.

After a few moments’ hesitation at the Angel crossroads, I set off down St John Street and thence into Rosebery Avenue.

Old Finsbury Town Hall

As its name suggests, Rosebery Avenue is lined with trees, most of them old and some very large with a girth that bids fair to block the pavement in some places. In summer, the trees are lusciously clothed in green but at this time of year, they are bare, allowing sights not visible then. So it was that my attention was caught by this full view of the old Finsbury Town Hall. Completed in 1895 (though with later additions), it is deservedly a Grade II* listed building. Sadly, the fine old clock seems not to be working.

The entrance canopy

In front of the main entrance is a canopy of ironwork decorated with stained glass panels. Can’t you just imagine important visitors stepping from their horse-drawn conveyances into the shelter of the canopy in inclement weather?

Old Clerkenwell Fire Station

Another striking building a little further down the road is the magnificent former Ckerkenwell Fire Station built in 1912-17.

No longer in use

No longer do fire engines run out from the red doors with sirens blaring. This station, like many others (and no few police stations also), has fallen victim to a policy of closures. I only hope that its new purpose, whatever that is, will be something of use to the community and not just an excuse to line some developer’s pockets. Its Grade II* listing at least offers it some protection.

From Rosebery Avenue, I turned into Grays Inn Road. Here I encountered another landmark building.

The Yorkshire Grey

This fine old pub, as it appears today, dates from Victorian times (1861 according to Pubwiki) though there has been a pub here from at least the early 19th century.

Head of a Yorkshire Grey

“Yorkshire Grey” is a popular name for older pubs, dating from the days of the horse-drawn delivery drays which were often pulled by a team of Yorkshire Grey horses. In those days it was common to see the drayman rewarding his horses with a drink from a bucket of beer – something today’s motorised drays are incapable of enjoying!

Aboard the 38

As for me, I felt I had done my bit for today and could take the bus for the return journey. Reaching the bus stop, I had literally one minute to wait for a number 38 bus. The front seats were taken so I sat in one of the rear-facing seats. If I couldn’t see where I was going, I could at least see where I had been!

My beer-drinking days are behind me: on my return home, I brewed a nice pot of my favourite blend of tea!

We performed our usual shopping run to Sainsbury’s this morning and here, for your delectation (or not), are the usual Sunday matutinal pictures:

The Farmers’ Market

At the checkout

Walking through the market

Later, we set out again and caught a bus.

Tottenham Court Road

The bus brought us to Tottenham Court Road.

Pret A Manger

We stopped off for a bite of lunch at Pret A Manger.

BT Tower in Fitzrovia

After lunch, we ventured into Fitzrovia where the BT Tower is the most noticeable landmark.

Strange feature

We passed a building with this strange architectural feature, looking like a gigantic beetle.

Pearson Square

We entered this pathway between buildings which leads to an open area where…

The One and the Many
Peter Randall-Page

..,we saw this large work of art, seemingly covered in Chinese characters. It is entitled The One and the Many and was made by Peter Randall-Page.

The Fitzrovia Chapel

By this way we arrived at the Fitzrovia Chapel which is now an art gallery. We had come to see an exhibition entitled Leigh Bowery: Tell Them I’ve Gone to Papua New Guinea. The exhibition is free but you are supposed to acquire tickets to avoid overcrowding. As you will see, photography is allowed.

I know virtually nothing about Leigh Bowery and have very little interest in him, to be honest. You will no doubt find information on him and his life online, if you wish. The chapel itself is a beautiful and interesting building and worth seeing on its own account. Here, then, are a few photos taken in a rather crowded space.

There was also a 37-minute video to watch in which various people, including Boy George, who had known Leigh Bowery told us how wonderful he was and how great it was to know him.

Le Pain Quotidien

Leaving the exhibition, we retired to the local branch of Le Pain Quotidien for a pot of tea for two.

Aboard the 73

Afterwards, we caught a number 73 bus back to the Angel. Downstairs was full so we went upstairs and sat at the back, where the rear staircase leads to the bus’s back door and a quick exit at our stop.