Tigger is back to work today and the rest of the week, so I am home alone until she returns this evening. The day is hot and I was tempted to stay at home but decided I ought to make the effort to go out. It wasn’t until after lunch that I managed to make up my mind to go and by now the mercury had risen to a respectable 25°C.

Slow traffic at the Angel

By the time I set off down Goswell Road, I was regretting not going out this morning instead because it was now uncomfortably warm but I persevered and kept going. (I think there’s a touch of masochism in my nature!)

Dalby House

I passed this fine villa dating from 1803 and built, along with the rest of the terrace, on what was anciently common land. I discussed the history of the house previously in a post entitled Brewers and beer engines.

Slow traffic and fumes

Goswell Road here was filled with slow-moving traffic disgorging fumes into the air I was trying to breathe. Fortunately, the vehicles thinned out along the road.

Residential block for students

The building of residential blocks for students had become, pre-Covid, a growth industry in London. They were springing up everywhere, to the point where I wondered whether they could all find enough takers to survive. Covid must have hit this industry hard though I expect demand will pick up again as things return to normal.

Looking along Moreland Street

This view is typical of today’s London: everywhere you look, your eye meets an over-tall building shutting out the view and stealing sky.

King’s Square Gardens

I reached King’s Square, which I had set as my destination and entered the gardens. I had had some idea of sitting for a while in some pleasant shady corner but found the park quite busy and so I simply walked on through. At this point, I didn’t have a particular route in mind and just followed my nose.

Portico, St Barnabas with St Clement and St Matthew

I stopped to photograph the imposing portico of the Church of St Barnabas with St Clement and St Matthew. This church was built in the 1820s and is now Grade II listed. It is very tall and you need to distance yourself if you want to include the whole of it in a photo. I had to make do with a more restricted view.

I made my way round the square and walked along this street though, to be honest, I don’t know which one it is. I eventually found my way back to Goswell Road.

Spencer Street

I took along Spencer Street which these days consists entirely of post-war buildings as the area was badly damaged by bombing. In fact, Spencer Street and neighbouring Wynyatt Street were hit on June 18th 1944 by a V-1 flying bomb, which killed 13 people and injured 83.

Dame Alice Owen pub

I wasn’t sure where Spencer Street was taking me so I was quite pleased when it led me to this pub on a corner with St John Street. This pub has had three names in the relatively short time that I have lived in Islington. Maybe this one will stick. . Alice Owen, born Wilkes, was, you may recall, a local philanthropist in Tudor times. She famously had a lucky escape when an arrow, loosed by a practising bowman, pierced her hat without harming her.

Spa Green Garden

Not wishing to traipse up St John Street, and preferring to keep to quieter paths, I crossed through back streets and found myself in the pleasant greenery of Spa Green Garden.

Rosebery Avenue

From Spa Green I crossed Rosebery Avenue, named after Liberal politician Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery. If you followed previous posts of mine, you can probably guess where I went next.

The Shakespeare’s Head

I entered Arlington Way and, under the benevolent gaze (at least, I think it is benevolent) of William Shakespeare on the sign of the Shakespeare’s Head pub, turned into Myddelton Passage.

The pub vine

The pub vine, visible along the garden wall, is flourishing and was today even bushier than when we last came by.

Grape clusters

Its little clusters of grapes have also grown and are now quite noticeable whereas before, we had to search for them. I don’t suppose they will ever become edible but I shall continue watching their development with interest.

Looking back along Myddelton Passage

I left the intriguing Myddelton Passage, albeit it with a backward glance, and entered Myddelton Square.

A beautiful tree in the gardens

For a change, I photographed this tree instead of the Curvaceous Tree. This one too is beautiful in its own way, as indeed are all the trees in the square’s garden.

Where I like to be

Before turning for home, I took a last photo of the Square, the heart of the district I have learned to love and where I like to be.

We planned to take our coffee into Myddelton Square Gardens again today but, first, we had shopping to do in Chapel Market.

Chairs and tables outside

The pub and the cafe next to it had tables outside, making the most of the warm, sunny weather. This habit, initiated when eateries were allowed only to serve customers outside, seems to have have become permanent.

Chapel Market

Chapel Market was fairly busy and you might be able to see that the cafe on the left (beyond the covered stall) also has tables outside in the street.

In the gardens

After visiting the deli, we carried our coffee into Myddelton Square Gardens which were busier today than on previous occasions. We found a bench from which I took this photo.

In Chapel Market, we had visited the pet shop and bought a bag of bird seed. We had become familiar with the local crows to the point where we could recognise certain individuals. Tigger wanted the seed for them. Unfortunately, although we heard crows calling when we arrived, we didn’t see any in the garden.

The pigeon colony

The fact that we had food did not escape the attention of the local pigeon colony. It seemed only fair to give them some. We also saw a squirrel who, to my surprise, seemed nervous of the pigeons. We did manage to direct some food to him.

Squirrel on a tree
Photo by Tigger

People with dogs came by and the squirrel took refuge by clinging to a tree as though glued to it.

We moved to another bench

The sun was creeping in on us on our bench so we moved to another bench that was more shaded. We stayed here for quite a while as it was pleasant though we did not see, much less manage to feed, any crows.

Myddelton Square in the sunshine

We walked round the square which was looking cheerfully beautiful in the lovely sunshine.

Sunshine in the treetops

I looked back at the gardens and took this photo of the sunshine in the tops of the beautiful trees.

The Curvaceous Tree

I photographed the Curvaceous Tree and, for the first time, reached through the railings and touched the trunk of the tree, making contact, as it were.

We returned home and had lunch. The temperature was steadily rising and so we preferred to stay at home and perhaps go out again later when it is cooler.

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In fact, we allowed ourselves to be lazy and spend the afternoon at home.

Myddelton’s deli

Today is another warm day though cloudy-sunny. Tigger wanted to visit John Lewis to look at computers (she is thinking of replacing hers) but we also had an errand to run at our GP surgery. Before all of that, though: coffee!

Myddelton Square Gardens

As the tables at Myddeltons were all occupied, we took our coffee along the Myddelton Square Gardens where it was pleasantly cool and we could watch the antics of the birds.

Roses round the door

We set off to the surgery and, on the way, admired this house in Lloyd Baker Street with roses round the door and, in fact, all across the ground floor.

Lions lurking in the garden

We also saw that there were lions lurking in their front garden. Rar!

Path between gardens

Our way led along this path between community gardens. I have passed along here many times but I always enjoy doing so.

Sloane Square

After visiting the surgery, we caught a bus which took us all the way to Sloane Square. This is an affluent area and the streets are lined with expensive shops. We, though, were interested in only one shop.

In John Lewis

The John Lewis store is one of a chain whose motto is “Never knowingly undersold” – though I am not sure that is strictly true these days.

Looking down the light well

This store extends over many floors, as this picture, looking down the light well, shows.

Plying the vacuum cleaner

There is housework to be done even in a store!

A view from the top floor

The windows of the top floor give you interesting views of London.

Lunch!

We paid a preliminary visit to the computer department and sought advice from an assistant. He was terse to the point of discourtesy and so we retired to the store’s cafe to calm down over lunch.

Soft furnishings

During lunch, we did some research on the Internet which answered some of our questions. We then returned to the computer department and looked at the machines on display. This gave us some idea of the choice available. We will give the matter further thought before making a final choice.

Piccadilly

We now took a bus to Piccadilly and went for a little walk along that famous street.

Burlington Arcade

We photographed Burlington Arcade but didn’t visit it on this occasion.

Piccadilly Arcade

Though Burlington Arcade is the best known of the Piccadilly arcades, it it not the only arcade in Piccadilly. There are several others and Piccadilly Arcade is one of them.

The Royal Academy
Photo by Tigger

Another well known inhabitant of Piccadilly is the Royal Academy of Art. We have been to many exhibitions here and hope we can do so again in the not-too-distant future.

Looking in Fortnum and Masons

We passed in front of the celebrated store of Fortnum and Mason, whose open door allowed a glimpse of the luxuries within.

Church of St James Piccadilly

We passed by the Church of St James Piccadilly but didn’t go in. There is sometimes a market in the forecourt but not today. The church dates from the 17th century but was damaged during WWII and extensively restored.

Eros, Piccadilly Circus
Photo by Tigger

After all this, I was quite glad to catch a bus for home. Earlier in the day we had passed the statue of Eros and seen that it was being lavishly decorated with flowers. We hoped to obtain a photo on the way home but were disappointed to see that most of the flowers seemed to have disappeared.

The lanterns of Chinatown
Photo by Tigger

The bus carried us pass several streets leading into Chinatown and from the bus Tigger took this photo of a street of Chinese lanterns.

On the way home

Here we are, on the bus to the Angel. What with all the walking and the warm conditions, I was glad to reach home and make a nice cup of tea!

The day was cloudy-sunny but quite warm.

Baron Street

The surprise came when we stepped outside and found it was raining! We debated whether to fetch raincoats but decided bravely (or recklessly) to continue as we were. In the event, it was just a brief shower and soon passed.

Umbrellas in the Farmers’ Market

As usual I took a photo of the Farmers’ Market though, so far, we have not explored it, much less shopped there.

Sainsbury’s – not too busy

Sainsbury’s was not too busy and we had soon finished collecting this week’s heap of goodies.

Hurrying through the market

As usual, I hurried through the market to pick up our coffees from Mercer’s.

Mercer’s for coffee

For once, I was the only customer and was served quickly. I rejoined Tigger who had caught up with me and we made for home.

Lunch in the garden

For lunch, we decided to buy coffee and food from Myddelton’s deli and take it into Myddelton Square Gardens. We did exactly that and it was very enjoyable. In fact, I would say it was the highlight of the day. There were few other people and it was very calm and peaceful.

Electra flashes past

We spied a familiar figure speeding round the square: Electra aka the Circling Cyclist. I think she has spotted us photographing her (she’s had plenty of opportunities!) and gives us a knowing smile is she passes.

We passed Percy Circus

Lunch disposed of, we set off on the next activity. I wasn’t sure where we were going but I knew Tigger had a plan and that was good enough. We passed the lovely Percy Circus down to the main road.

Aboard the number 63

We caught a number 63 bus that goes to Honor Oak. (In case you are wondering why an English place name is apparently spelt in the “American” way, the answer is that it isn’t: it was spelt that way in Tudor times and has remained so.)

Kinetic art

We left the bus somewhere near Burgess Park and I photographed this piece of kinetic art though it wasn’t doing any kineticking at the time.

Old Fire Station

I also photographed this old fire station now serving as a retail outlet for fireplaces. There’s a kind of logic to that, I suppose, though what with anti-pollution laws, I have no idea what people could (legally) burn in fireplaces these days.

Somewhere in Southwark

We took another bus which deposited us in Southwark (pronounced “suthuk”, please).

Flowers by Tigger

Tigger photographed these pretty flowers though I don’t know where as I didn’t see any flowers.

Housing estate

We visited this newish housing estate. Tigger quite liked it but as it was crowded and busy, I didn’t. In fact, I couldn’t wait to leave.

Gardens and play area

It had gardens and a play area for children. Both were crowded. No social distancing noticeable. The different locations had animal names. For example, the garden was called Elephant Park.

Southwark Memorial
Kenny Hunter

On the way out we encountered this sculpture. It is called Southwark Memorial (memorial of what?) and is by Kenny Hunter. It is also decorated with a rather infelicitous quotation by one Hamish Henderson.

Bridge, Waterloo Station

We caught a bus that delivered us to Waterloo Station where we changed to a number 341 which had the virtue of taking us home.

Back at the Angel

The outing had been interesting in parts but I was quite glad to find myself back on familiar territory at the Angel.

Myddelton Square

It was a beautiful sunny, warm day today as this picture shows.

A squirrel passes
Photo by Tigger

We met a squirrel but the human passers-by scared him and he ran and hid.

Sitting in Myddelton Square garden

We went to Myddelton’s deli and bought our usual coffee. Instead if drinking it there, though, we took it to Myddelton Square gardens and drank it there sitting on a bench.

Spider on my hat
Photo by Tigger

A spider decided to join us and took up position on my hat. He appeared to be planning to build a web and so I thought it best to put him in the garden where he would find more stable accommodations.

Beautiful and shady

The garden is beautiful and on a warm day pleasantly shady. It contains a number of fine, big, old trees.

St Peter and St Paul’s Church
Photo by Tigger

Afterwards, we set out for a walk, starting by following Amwell Street. When we reached the dubiously grammatically named “St Peter and St Paul’s Catholic Church”, we saw that the door was open and went in for a look.

Church interior

Dating to 1835 and originally built as a non-conformist chapel, this galleried church is Grade II listed. Less elaborate and decorated than some Catholic churches we have seen, this one has a plain and uncluttered look.

Stained glass window

I counted four stained glass windows of which the above is an example. Each carries a quotation. The above, in Italian, reads La carità di Cristo ci spinge (“The love of Christ constraineth us”, 2 Cor 5, 14) and the others are in Latin, French and English, respectively. A church for polyglots!

Stations of the Cross

Like most Catholic churches it has a set of icons representing the Stations of the Cross.

Figure of Jesus

It has a couple of figurines, including this one representing Jesus. (It always amuses me how we immediately recognise who is represented by these figures despite the fact the no one can possibly know what their subject actually looked like.)

Flowers

Everywhere we went, there were flowers, some filling the air with perfume. The above is just one example.

Woodbridge Chapel

We passed the Grade II listed Woodbridge independent chapel which incorporates the Clerkenwell and Islington Medical Mission (1833).

Art Deco Gates

I liked these rather Art Deco gates with their geometric but delicate design. They are protected by a modern-style descending bollard.

The old brewery

We passed through Brewhouse Yard which is now filled with disappointingly modern-style buildings except for the old brewery itself that gives the yard its name.

The brewery and its clock

The clock is dated 1875 though I suspect the brewery itself is older than that. Perhaps it was rebuilt in that year.

The spire of St Luke’s

As we approached Old Street, the unusually slender spire of the former Church of St Luke appears over other buildings.

Former Church of St Luke

Here is a fuller view of the church though screened by trees. Consecrated in 1733, the church eventually sank into a ruinous state but has been rescued and is no longer a church, serving instead as the home of the London Symphony Orchestra.

City Road

Here we are crossing City Road, today a busy thoroughfare carrying traffic to and from the City of London and anciently the road by which visitors, having been deposited by stage coach at the Angel, made the last, dangerous journey into London along a routed infested with highwaymen and footpads. Today, a 205 bus carries you safely along here to your destination!

The Shepherdess

Having negotiated the busy road, we made pause for refreshments at the Shepherdess. If the name seems unusual for a cafe, more suitable, perhaps, for a pub, it comes from the name of the street – Shepherdess Walk – on whose corner it stands.

We could have returned to the Angel by bus as several that serve our destination run along City Road but, for the sake of exercise, we decided to walk. Unfortunately, it is not a very interesting route to walk and I took few photos.

Cattle Trough now a planter

This is an original cattle trough by the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association. Many of their installations were financed by individuals, whether as a philanthropic gesture or a memorial and bear an inscription to that effect. This one is inscribed thus:

THE GIFT OF
MRS LEIGH
SUMMERVILLE
HALIFAX 1899

The Pixie House

Someone has made this whimsical addition to a front garden.

A fine snail
Photo by Tigger

My last photo is this one by Tigger of a snail climbing a window of an office block. I have no idea where it thought it was going or what it hoped to find. Such are the mysteries of the animal world.