After tea and a rest, we went for our next activity.

The Old High Street

We waited for a bus opposite the end of the Old High Street, now labelled as the Creative Quarter.

Capel le Ferne

We left the bus at the top of a hill at a village called Capel le Ferne.

Battle of Britain Memorial

Capel le Ferne is where the Memorial to the Battle of Britain is sited. Although it was past closing time, the gate to the site was not locked so we went in.

Fighter planes

There were some aircraft on show and I photographed these two, a Spitfire (foreground) and a Hurricane.

A view along the coast

From up here there were good views along the coast.

Aboard the bus

We caught a bus back by the way we had come but stayed on when it reached Folkestone.

The Beach at Sandgate

We left the bus on the coast at Sandgate. The light was fading by now, making colourful views of sky and sea.

Sandgate High Street

We walked along Sandgate High Street until we found somewhere to have a drink.

The Ship Inn

We found the Ship Inn and ordered coffee. This is the first time I have been inside a pub since the onset of the pandemic.

Evening on the beach

Afterwards, we went down to the beach and found a bench where we ate a picnic supper.

Sandgate at night

We then went to the nearby bus stop to catch a bus back to Folkestone. We waited a very long time. In seems that, for whatever reason, the buses here are always late, sometimes very late. I had begun to think that the bus had been cancelled by the time it finally hove in view.

The bus hove in view
Photo by Tigger

It arrived at last and took us back to Folkestone and the hotel. Here we made tea and had another little snack (and why not? 🙂 ). Tomorrow is another day and we will find ways to fill it.

We are departing this morning to spend a few days in the Kentish coastal town of Folkestone. I will try to keep a record of our movements and activities here. For the location of Folkestone, see this map. For an etymology of the name, look here.

I started my packing yesterday, assuming the weather would continue much the same as the last few days. I therefore probably packed too many warm garments as the long awaited heatwave seems to have arrived. But, then, a sudden reversal is only too possible in these islands. I might yet be glad of extra layers.

Black Sheep Coffee

To save on washing-up, we did not have breakfast at home. Instead, bringing our wheelie cases behind us, like Bo Peep’s lambs their tails, we set off down Pentonville Road on foot, and called in at Black Sheep Coffee near King’s Cross.

Coffee and croissants
Photo by Tigger

You do need me to say what we chose but I will, anyway: coffee and croissants!

We were in plenty of time, as usual and could afford to relax in Black Sheep and then make our way across to St Pancras International Station.

Tickets

Tigger had already booked train tickets online and we collected their cardboard analogues from a machine on the station. (For Cambridge, we had electronic tickets stored in the wallet on Tigger’s phone but that facility was not available in this case for some reason.)

Aboard HS1

The HS1 (“High Speed 1”) runs on the special fast Eurostar tracks and speeds through the countryside at an impressive rate. Tickets are a little more expensive than those for the “ordinary” trains serving the same destinations but you save some time and the train interiors are, in my opinion, nicer.

Speeding through the countryside

This glimpse of the view through the window gives some idea of our progress through the landscape. (Not all views are as pretty, of course!)

Folkestone Central Station

We arrived at Folkestone Central Station which proved to be pleasantly quiet.

In the streets

We left the station and went into the streets. Our immediate destination was the nearest bus stop.

Aboard the bus

We hauled ourselves and our baggage onto the first of two buses necessary to reach the hotel. The buses here are single-door, which means you have to overcome your London reflex to dash straight aboard and instead stand back to let people off first.

Costa Coffee

We broke our journey to take a rest from the heat (yes, it’s definitely a heatwave, British style) and from dragging our luggage. A nearby branch of Costa supplied our needs. We found comfortable chairs and it was tempting to bide a while…

Tea and toasted teacakes

We stayed so long that we decided to prospect for tea and toasted teacakes. Served with butter and strawberry jam, they were delicious.

The bus station

We eventually made our way to the bus station and located the stand for our next bus.

We had a short ride on this bus which brought us to near the hotel.

An inhabitant of Folkestone

On the way, we passed this inhabitant of Folkestone. We reached the hotel and checked in. The room will not be ready until 4 pm, so we have handed in our luggage for safekeeping and retired to the hotel lounge for what should be no more than an hour’s wait.

4 pm came and we confronted a busy lift in order to reach our room which is on the 8th floor, something which, if I am honest, makes me somewhat nervous.

A view from our room

The room has a balcony which, owing to said nervousness, I don’t expect to use but I did venture onto it to take the above photo. If you look carefully just above centre in the photo, you will see what looks like a floating house. There is something about it here.

We have made tea and sorted out such things as power points for charging our phones and backup batteries. We plan to go out again later but I will post this now.

Has the heatwave arrived?

For weeks now, weather forecasters have been predicting, to mounting scepticism, that another heatwave is on its way. The “August Heatwave” never appeared but today, the sun is shining in a blue sky and the temperature is unusually warm for September. Has the heatwave finally arrived or is this just another flash in the pan, typical of this meteorologically uncouth land?

Amwell Street

Today, in a reversal of our usual habits, we went for coffee first and shopping second. We may adopt this as our usual pattern, at least when the weather is fine as it is today. Accordingly, we trundled the shopping trolley round to Myddelton’s in Amwell Street.

Sitting outside Myddelton’s

Perhaps because of the unusually clement weather, three of the deli’s table were already occupied, leaving only one free. But, then, we need only one! We sat and enjoyed our coffee in the peaceful mood of the street.

Coffee and croissants

Tigger had not had breakfast and proposed having croissants. I had had breakfast but don’t mind having a second one so we both had croissants!

A busy Pentonville Road

We then had to make our way to Sainsbury’s, crossing a busy Pentonville Road in the way.

Penton Street

We crossed into Penton Street which was also fairly busy – perhaps the unseasonably warm weather has stirred people into activity.

The Farmers’ Market

Everything looks more cheerful when the sun is shining. At least, that’s the case in the UK though whether it also applies in those lands where the sun always shines, I have no idea. As I usually do, I photographed the Farmers’ Market, which operates only on Sundays. Its absence during the first lockdown was a major factor in the feeling of strangeness deriving from the pandemic, at least, for me.

In Sainsbury’s

Going for coffee first made us later than usual at Sainsbury’s which was busier than usual in consequence, though the weather could also have played a part here as well.

Empty shelves
Photo by Tigger

We are used to this branch of Sainsbury’s having gaps on the shelves but today, the problem was altogether more remarkable. There were many empty shelves and we failed to find some of the items we wanted and either had to substitute others or – as in a couple of cases – go without. Is this a sign that the problems caused by the shortage of lorry drivers, combined with difficulties caused by this idiotic Brexit, have reached us? How bad will it become?

Queueing at the checkout

Perhaps because of the later hour, queues at the checkouts were longer than we are used to. The lockdown system of having a single queue for each pair of checkouts has become permanent. That makes the queues longer but they advance at twice the speed. Occasionally, a customer unused to this system goes straight to what looks like a checkout without a queue, only to be put right in no uncertain terms by people in the queue!

Chapel Market in shadow

When I walked back through Chapel Market, I noticed that the stalls, that had been sunlit through the summer, were now in shadow, testimony that the sun is now lower in the sky.

I didn’t call in at Mercer’s, of course, because we had already had our morning coffee. It seemed rather odd, as though something was missing from the usual programme of events, and, as I had no coffee to carry, I was even able to take a turn at pulling the shopping trolley!

Tigger is now back to full-time (5 days a week) working so that our opportunities for going on trips and outings are much reduced. Today is Saturday, however, and we are making a day trip to Coventry

A cloudy day

We caught a bus in Pentonville Road and, as you can see, it’s a cloudy day so far in London. What will the weather be in Coventry?

Euston Station

The bus brought us to Euston Station. Tigger had already bought train tickets online.

Descending to platform 10

At the appointed hour, we went down to platform 10 and…

Aboard the train

…boarded our train. We found a pair of priority seats which have extra leg room. We have to change at Nuneaton, three stops ahead.

Through the window

The landscape speeds past the window.

We changed at Nuneaton

The train reached Nuneaton on time, we switched platforms and boarded the Coventry train that was already in the station. Once it departs, we should reach Coventry in 20 minutes.

Arriving

We arrived at Coventry on time and, of course,…

Coventry Station

…took a photo of the slab-roofed railway station.

Coffee No 1

We went to a nearby branch of Coffee No 1 for… yes, of course, coffee.

Walking the streets

We now walked through the streets, not at random, but with a destination in view.

Catalpa
Photo by Tigger

We passed this unusual and beautiful tree which is, apparently, a catalpa.

Council House

This is the splendid Council House (Town Hall), built between 1913 and 1917, which, unlike much of the heritage of Coventry, survived the Blitz.

Herbert Art Gallery and Museum

We arrived here, at our intended destination, the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum. The reason for the visit was that Tigger wished to visit their exhibition 2 Tone: Lives and Legacies, something in which I have not the least interest.

General view of the exhibition

Fortunately, though you had to reserve your time slot, tickets were free, so I went in with Tigger, found a comfortable seat and waited for her to finish her viewing.

Afterwards, we looked round the museum and I include a small set of examples of exhibits which, of course, does not do justice to the museum.

The Throne of Innocents
Gonçalo Mabunda

Artwork made of recycled weapons.

Face from a building

I didn’t see a label for this dramatic figure so know nothing about its provenance but assume it was part of a larger work or a building.

Rabindranath Tagore
Jacob Epstein

Political caricatures

Elizabeth Frink
F E McWilliam

After visiting the Herbert, we walked into town to look for lunch.

Fountains

Town was crowded and noisy and the least said about it, the better. I just photographed the fountains to be going on with. We bought a picnic lunch at Marks & Spencer and sat on a bench to eat it. Then we undertook the walk back to the station.

The old Cathedral

The old Cathedral of St Michael was hit by bombs during the Blitz and only a shell remains. It looks to have been a fine building,

The modern Cathedral

Beside it is its modern replacement which, but for the cross and Jacob Epstein’s sculpture of St Michael trouncing Satan, might be mistaken for a factory.

Church of St John the Baptist

Corner sculpture

The walk back probably felt longer than it was. I concentrated on walking and took few photos.

Back in Coffee No 1

We have tickets for a specific train and it was still early so we retired once more to Coffee No 1 to wait for train time.

On the platform

Still in plenty of time, we went into the station and waited for our train. This time, we change at Rugby.

Through the window

The train was 2 minutes late but now we are off!

Rugby Station

We had a short wait at Rugby.

Aboard the Euston train

We boarded the Euston train which will stop only once before London.

We’re off!
Photo by Tigger

The sun is lower in the sky now and the shadows are lengthening.

The 73 carries us home

Outside the station we catch a 73 bus for the last leg of the journey back to the Angel and home. Mission accomplished!

We went to Ealing to see an exhibition but first, we had to deliver a load of laundry to the dry cleaner’s in Amwell Street.

Resting pigeon

On the way through Claremont Square, we spotted this pigeon resting. We had seen the same pigeon in the same place previously. He seems to have adopted this as his special place.

What makes you think it’s refuse collection day?

Myddelton’s deli

We made a pause at our usual coffee place.

We took a 341 bus

We walked to Rosebery Avenue and caught a 341 bus to Fleet.

Fetter Lane

We walked up Fetter Lane and…

Statue of John Wilkes

…passed the statue of John Wilkes.

Prudential Assurance Building

In Holborn, we admired Alfred Waterhouse’s Prudential Assurance Building (1885-1901), now Grade II* listed.

Chancery Lane Station

We descended the stairs to Chancery Lane Underground Station. This would be my first ride on the tube for over a year.

Down the escalator

We travelled down the escalator…

On the platform

…onto the platform.

On the train

The train came and we went aboard. It was fairly busy but we found seats without difficulty.

Ealing Broadway Station

We arrived at Ealing Broadway where we left the train and climbed the stairs to the street.

Ealing Broadway Station

Ealing Broadway Station serves both the London Underground and national railways.

The Pitzhanger Gallery

We had come to see an exhibition at the Pitzhanger Gallery. In this view, the gallery, which is also a manor house, is fronted by the district’s war memorial.

The gallery gate

I think this is where we would have entered the gallery. I say “would have” because, unfortunately, it turns out that the gallery is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. We should have checked opening times.

For what it’s worth, the exhibition was of works by Julian Opie. We will try again another day.

The radio shop

We walked along Ealing’s Bond Street and stopped to photograph this radio shop which we knew from previous visits. It is a fascinating survivor from a past age.

A look inside

The business was founded in 1929 and has traded continuously since then. An intriguing feature of the interior is that the shop’s original gas lighting fixtures are still in place.

Mac ‘n’ cheese

We were now looking for lunch. Should we buy a picnic and find somewhere to eat it or…? We plumped for a branch of Costa Coffee where they have hot snacks. We chose “Mac ‘n’ Cheese”, accompanied, of course, by coffee.

Inside Costa Coffee

As it was lunchtime, Costa was busy but Tigger managed to grab a nice table by the window.

Sloane Square

To make up for missing the Opie exhibition, Tigger proposed to take a look at the new US Embassy, a modern building project that has stirred controversy in various quarters. The way there would be by a fairly long bus ride followed by a fairly long walk. We broke our journey at Sloane Square.

Cafe, Peter Jones

We entered Peter Jones, the department store, and followed the escalator up to the sixth floor, and went to the cafe there. We regaled ourselves with tea and scones.

Looking down the light well

I took this view looking down the light well because it both attracts and repels me. Hypnotic, isn’t it?

Then we started walking, intending to view the aforementioned US Embassy. This was going to be a longish walk but it turned out even longer than intended.

Royal Hospital Chelsea

We passed this famous institution. Called the Royal Hospital Chelsea, it is, as its sign board declares, the home of the Chelsea Pensioners, retired military personnel, recognisable from their famous red coats.

Battersea Bridge

We crossed the Thames by Battersea Bridge and…

The Thames from the Thames Path

…turned along the Thames Path which should, after a longish walk, bring us to the Embassy.

Battersea Power Station

Everything went well until we reached the famous 1930s Battersea Power Station (now decommissioned).

Path closed

Shortly thereafter, we found the path blocked by building works. There had been no warning notices.

Asymmetric buildings

We had now to undertake a long detour, following a designated path through the building works, leading us away from our intended goal. We passed these intriguingly asymmetric buildings on our way.

Temporary bus stop

We eventually came to a temporary bus stop (the normal one was closed, predictably enough, by the building works).

Aboard the 344

We caught a 344 bus to start our journey home.

The US Embassy

Ironically, the bus passed by the US Embassy, affording the briefest glimpse of it as we sped by.

The journey by the 344 was long and slow, mainly because the Extinction Rebellion protests have caused the closure of some streets with buses and other traffic being diverted. Eventually, the bus brought us to Liverpool Street Station.

Aboard the 153

At Liverpool Street Station, we were able to catch a 153 to complete of journey back to the Angel and home. We will have to try to reach our two missed objectives another time.