The day is cloudy-sunny and pleasantly warm, so we must make the most of it. But first, an important task.

Laundry!

We had to take a load of laundry to the dry cleaner’s in Amwell Street.

The Never-Give-Up tree

Along the way, I photographed the Never-Give-Up tree which is flourishing.

Having dropped off the laundry we of course crossed the road to Myddelton’s deli where we enjoyed coffee and discussed what to do next.

Waiting for the bus

We settled on a visit to Waterlow Park and returned home to collect the makings of a picnic.

Aboard the 214

Waterlow Park is in Highgate and the way to Highgate is by the single-deck 214 bus.

Highgate Village

The bus delivered us to Highgate Village which seems quite a pleasant neighbourhood though the road is rather busy with traffic. The High Street is lined with shops and cafes.

Costa Coffee

We stopped off at Costa Coffee for refreshments.

Waterlow Park

We walked down the High Street to the entrance of the park. It is a very varied and pretty park.

Old drinking fountain

We passed this old drinking fountain. It no longer works, of course. The old ons rarely do.

One of the three ponds

The park has three ponds and we visited this one which is fenced in and surrounded by boardwalks. I was not impressed by the state of the ponds which seemed dead.

Hills and valleys

The park has varied terrain with hills and valleys and a mixture of open grass, trees and flower beds. We found a shaded bench where we sat and ate our picnic.

One wood pigeon…

There were a lot of wood pigeons in the park. Unlike Myddelton Square Gardens, where the wood pigeons are stand-offish, here they were quite happy to accept food from people. First, there was one wood pigeon, then…

Several wood pigeons…

…there were several. One was rather a bully and tried to chase the others away but they avoided him as best they could and gained their share.

And feral pigeons too!

With a flurry, a group of feral pigeons arrived to compete for food. While the wood pigeons gobbled up the larger items, the ferals could only manage the smaller bits.

Trees and grass in Waterlow Park

There were stretches of grass with people sitting on it and a variety of fine old trees.

Highgate Cemetery

Waterlow Park shares a boundary with Highgate Cemetery. Opened in 1839, this is a very large burial ground and contains some famous graves such as that of Karl Marx.

Drinking fountain

We came upon a second drinking fountain. It has an inscription but the letters are worn and mostly illegible. Needless to say, it no longer works.

Flower bed

There were beds of flowers here and there.

Main gate, Highgate Cemetery

We left Waterlow Park by an exit opposite the main gate of Highgate Cemetery in Swains Lane.

Swains Lane

We set off down Swains Lane. It was a long walk though being downhill helped.

Holly Village

We passed the picturesque Holly Village, built in 1865 as a small, pseudo-village housing estate for well-to-do folk. More information will be found here.

Roni’s

We reached the end of Swains Lane at last and stopped at Roni’s for coffee. We chose a table outside and sat for a while, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.

Eventually, we made our way to the nearby bus stop and caught a 214 for home.

Aboard the 214 for the Angel

By the time we had come home, put away the shopping and enjoyed a little rest, the hands of the clock were edging towards lunchtime. They were also approaching the hour when Myddelton’s deli closes. (They close early on Sundays.)

Tigger therefore proposed that we go out now and lunch later. As a sweetener, she added that we could have “a little something” at the deli. Agreed by a majority of two!

An ominous sky

The weather forecast indicated the possibility of rain later. As the photo shows, a bank of dark cloud was swiftly gobbling up the blue and white sky of earlier in an ominous fashion.

The Curvaceous Tree

We nonetheless took the traditional turn around Myddelton Square, on the lookout, as always, for the two cats who live there. While we were doing so, I took a photo of what I think of as my arboreal friend, the Curvaceous Tree.

Cat sighted!
Phot by Tigger

Tigger’s sharper eyes detected a cat in the depths of the room and she managed to take a photo of it. Cat score = 1.

“A little something”

At Myddelton’s deli, we bought our usual coffees and the proposed “little something”, to wit, a croissant for me and a Portuguese custard tart for Tigger. Note the fine and elegant tableware!

The sun came out

Suddenly, seemingly against the odds, the sun came out. This brightened both the environment and our spirits, so that we now hurried along to Myddelton Square Gardens to chance our luck with the squirrels. As usual, I occupied the pigeons in the hope of leaving the terrain clear for Tigger and the squirrels.

I was soon engulfed in pigeons. They have tipped the wink to one another and all of them now seem ready to perch on my hands and knees in hope of titbits. As usual, though, I concentrated on the lame ones.

Feeding one of the lame pigeons
Photo by Tigger

After a while, the promise of the weather forecast was borne out and it began to rain. So we shut up shop, euphemistically speaking, and made for home.

It occurred to me that I have begun to embody the role of the protagonist in my short story Pigeons. Ought I to be alarmed by this, I wonder? Whether I ought or not, for now, the idea just amuses me!

It’s another cloudy day but warm without being uncomfortably hot (around 19°C). As we usually do on Sunday, we performed our weekly shopping trip to Sainsbury’s.

Living on a mattress
Photo by Tigger

As we reached Chapel Market, we saw that the dumped mattress, that I mentioned yesterday, was still in place and that the man we saw lying on it was sitting on one end of it with the remains of food and other odds and ends in front of him. It seems, then, that he is a homeless person who has taken up temporary lodgings on the mattress. How long will he be here before he decides to move on or is forcibly moved on by the police?

The Farmers’ Market

The Farmers’ Market was present though the green tent on the left actually belongs to a cafe which serves customers outside when the weather permits.

The main market, busy too

The main market was busy too and the Millennium Cafe (on the right) also had customers at its outdoor tables.

Sainsbury’s

We were later than usual today but Sainsbury’s wasn’t too crowded. We each had a list of things to buy and had soon finished.

Queueing for the checkout

We joined the queue for one of the checkouts and though there were several customers ahead of us, as there is one queue for each pair of checkouts, we didn’t have long to wait.

At the checkout

There are still screens between the checkout assistants and customers but other screens are gradually disappearing. Whether this is a wise procedure in view of the steadily rising numbers of infections remains to be seen.

On my way through the market

I hurried ahead through the market to buy coffee but did stop to take the odd photo.

Through window at Mercer’s

I had to wait at Mercer’s as the couple ahead of me ordered food as well as coffee and all food is freshly prepared to order. While waiting, I photographed the scene from the window.

You may notice that something is missing. The short road beside Mercer’s is usually occupied on Sundays by a plant stall selling plants. They have attended assiduously throughout the pandemic but have been absent in recent weeks. I can’t help wondering why and whether they will eventually reappear.

Mattress man
Photo by Tigger

As we passed the mattress again on the way home, we saw that its inhabitant was still there and I expect we shall continue to see him for a while yet when we pass this way.

The day was cloudy with a threat of rain, which did not encourage us to venture far afield. We thought it best to stay local.

Cloudy with a threat of rain

As usual, we crossed through the square to Amwell Street and the deli.

At the deli

We sat for a while outside the deli with our coffee, watching the world go by. Though Amwell Street has little to attract outsiders, it is often busy with vehicles and pedestrians using it as a cut-through between main roads.

Hand feeding

After our coffee break, we retired to Myddelton Square Gardens where I kept the pigeons busy for Tigger to concentrate on the squirrels. I know two foot-damaged pigeons living in the square and tend to give them extra attention as they find it harder to compete in scrambles for food. They recognise me now and it wasn’t long before this one perched on my knee to take food from my hand.

Squirrel feeding
Photo by Tigger

Tigger also managed to attract some squirrels by wedging nuts in the bark of their trees. Notice the interloper trying to creep up on the feeding squirrel!

Eating from my hand
Photo by Tigger

Pigeons are understandably nervous of humans and any sudden movement on our part – even the gesture of throwing food – causes them to fly up in alarm. On the other hand, once they have dared to taken food from your hand, they gain confidence and will go on taking it. It takes them longer to dare to perch on your knee or your hand but, again, once they have done so, they will continue.

“Are you sure there’s no more?”

The hardest part is convincing your pigeon friend that there’s no more food once they’ve eaten it all. Verbally asserting this cuts no ice with a pigeon! You just have to walk away.

Queueing for the butcher’s

Leaving the square and the ever-hungry pigeons, we walked through to St John Street. I remember showing you the long queues at the butcher’s shop during the first lockdown. Lockdown has ended but still there are queues here. This is one thing I don’t have to worry about, happily.

The sun shines at last

The sun now put in an appearance, making everything look more cheerful. Unfortunately, it was not to last because the sky was thick with cloudsh so that the sun could be seen only occasionally between the gaps.

Waiting at the bus stop

We went to the bus stop and waited for the 153 to appear. For some reason, this service is rarely on time and you learn to wait, patiently or otherwise.

Aboard the 153

We travelled on this bus to the Barbican, though we did not enter the Barbican estate itself this time.

A tunnel under the Barbican

The stop where we left the bus is in a tunnel which carries the road, Beech Street, under the Barbican estate. It looks more dramatic than it is in reality.

Barbican Cinemas 2.& 3

The Barbican has several cinemas and this building houses Cinemas 2 & 3 but we had not come to see a film. The building also includes a rather nice bar-cafe. We came in search of coffee and cake!

The cafe was empty

The cafe was empty of customers. Not everybody likes to be in an empty venue, apparently, but that suits me just fine. Tigger is all the crowd I need. We settled in comfy armchairs and enjoyed our coffee and cake in peace.

Another tunnel

Afterwards, we continued our walk, starting with another road through a tunnel. It no doubt has a name but I don’t know what it is.

A Barbican Tower block

We came out in Whitecross Street where we had a view of one of the tower blocks of the Barbican estate. The Barbican is an early example of post-war Brutalist architecture. (So called because the structures are made of raw, or “brute”, concrete.) I find such buildings ugly and inhuman but, despite not liking the Barbican’s architecture, I have become quite fond of the place and fascinated by it.

Fortune Street

Then we followed the leafy Fortune Street.

Hire scooters

This led out into Golden Lane, though I cannot say I found anything “golden” about this very ordinary street. The one point of interest was a stand of electric scooters for hire.

I wonder how many deaths and serious injuries there have to be before it is realised that allowing these dangerous contraptions on public roads is a very bad idea. They are currently allowed in use as an experiment but I doubt whether the government will change its mind at the end of the trial period, especially as they have been allowed in other countries of Europe. We wouldn’t want to be seen to be less stupid than our cousins in Europe, would we?

Golden Lane Estate

We passed through a housing development called the Golden Lane Estate. I often wonder what it is like to live in one of these. I imagine it depends critically on what your neighbours are like. As Sartre put it, “Hell is other people”, a proposition I carry close to my heart.

A cat in the window
Photo by Tigger

At a window high up, we spotted a cat. The reflection of the sky on the glass made it hard to see. He gave us that noncommittal stare that cats are so good at.

Goswell Road

We eventually debouched in Goswell Road. I hadn’t had any idea where we were heading though Tigger knew all along. My motto is “Just follow Tigger and all will be well”. It usually works.

This road, incidentally, was known in Elizabethan times and takes its name from a spring, now apparently lost, that was called Godewell, meaning “good well/spring”.

City of London griffin

In Goswell Road we waited for a bus to take us back to the Angel. While waiting, I crossed the road to take a photo of a griffin on a pillar. I have mentioned these before. The City of London, also known euphemistically as the Square Mile, is the banking and financial centre of London, famous throughout the world as its tentacles reach to every corner of the globe. On every road entering the City there stands a griffin holding a shield with the City’s coat of arms. When you pass such a griffin, you know you are now in the City of London.

Chapel Market

The bus dropped us outside Sainsbury’s and we crossed the car park into Chapel Market as I had a couple of items to buy in Superdrug there. The market was as busy as you would expect on a Saturday though some stallholders were already closing down. I did my shopping and we walked back through the market, heading for home. Tigger, however, spotted a curious sight and took a photo of it.

Taking his ease on a mattress
Photo by Tigger

On the pavement was a mattress, presumably dumped, and on the mattress lay a man, smoking a cigarette and apparently taking his ease. Serendipity in action.

This afternoon I had another clinic appointment (yes, another one), this time in Holloway. We started in traditional fashion with a stroll to Amwell Street and our friends at Myddelton’s deli

The kitten in the window

In Claremont Square we enjoyed a rare sighting of the “kitten in the window”. We hadn’t seen him for quite a while and he rewarded our attention with an eye-blink.

Sunshine in Amwell Street

It is a pleasant sunny day today, not too warm, although there were large clouds that hid the sun from time to time. We sat outside the deli with our coffee, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.

Waiting for the bus in St John Street

After this pleasant interlude, we made our way to the bus stop in St John Street. As I had never been to this particular clinic before, I used Apple Maps to provide a route. This proposed taking the 153 to Holloway and reaching the clinic via a short walk through the back streets. We left with plenty of time to spare in case of errors or hold-ups.

Aboard the 153

The 153 arrived and carried us along its complicated route to the stop where we changed to Shanks’ Pony.

Is this really the way?

Apple Maps is often excellent at finding the route and plotting it on the map, indicating the buses to take and naming the streets to walk along. Occasionally, however, it fails badly. I think this is because it hasn’t caught up with such things as recent changes to bus routes or changes in the built topography. Today was a case in point: the pedestrian part of the route was not as shown and I ended up asking people the way. It turned out that we had almost reached our destination and would have found it if we had walked a few more yards. Score 8/10 to Apple Maps, perhaps.

Pret A Manger

As we were still quite early, we needed somewhere where we could sit and wait as long as necessary. A branch of Pret A Manger filled the bill perfectly. We bought coffee and settled at a table. I set my phone’s alarm for 15 minutes before appointment time and we could relax till it rang.

In the waiting room

I presented my letter at the reception and was instructed to take a seat until I was called. It’s fortunate that Tigger was with me because when I was eventually called, it was from the other end of a large waiting room and, with my attenuated hearing, I didn’t hear my name called.

“That’s you,” said Tigger and off I went.

Tower Block, Metropolitan University

Afterwards, we walked to Holloway Road, where, for old times’ sake, I photographed the tower of what is now the Metropolitan University. In times past, it was the Polytechnic of North London where I lectured on Computer Science for a number of years, quite happy years, as it happens.

The old building

This is the old building, dating, I think, from the beginning of last century when it was created as a technical college. My office and the lecture rooms I frequented were in a nearby side street and I came to the main building infrequently. “My” building has since fallen victim to redevelopment and is unrecognisable.

Holloway Road

We walked along the busy, rather unlovely Holloway Road. We had agreed to have lunch in a cafe after my appointment and were looking for a suitable place.

The Central Library

Along the way, we passed the handsome building that houses Islington’s Central Public Library. We didn’t visit it today as our thoughts were on lunch. We’ll come back another time.

Inside Hope Cafe

We found the Hope Cafe and went in. It is a simple straightforward no-frills cafe in the English tradition, serving a range of basic dishes at moderate prices. Perfect for our purposes.

The art shop

Afterwards, we crossed the road to visit the art shop thoughTigger did not find what she was looking for.

St Mary Magdalen Gardens

We crossed back across the road and entered St Mary Magdalen Gardens, a pleasant park that was originally the burial ground of the church, landscaped as a public amenity after the London burial grounds were closed in the mid-19th century.

The old coroner’s court

This time, we spotted something we had not noticed on our previous visit: the old coroner’s court, dated, according to the lettering in the arch, to 1852. Apparently, coroner’s courts were often situated in, or close to, burial grounds. I suppose there were practical reasons for this, not least that the body was close to where it would be buried after the court hearing.

A glimpse of the church

The church was almost hidden from sight by the abundant foliage of the trees but every now and then a glimpse of it appeared.

One of the fine old trees

There were a number of fine very old trees in the park, such as the one in the photo. How old are they, I wonder?

Westbourne Road

We passed through some back streets (none interesting enough to be worth photographing). Tigger was following her Inner Pigeon and I was following Tigger. That way, we reached a stop in Westbourne Road where we could catch a 153 back to the Angel.

Aboard the 153

We did not have long to wait but all seats were occupied except right at the back which provides an uncomfortably bumpy ride along the minor roads where this bus passes. Finally, though, we were delivered back to the Angel and home.

Tomorrow, Tigger returns to work but then comes the weekend and four days when we can do as we please, always assuming no sudden changes to her work schedule.