For those of us who do not frequent churches, a weekly sacrifice to Mammon makes an acceptable alternative. Thus it was that we set out, around 11am, on our weekly pilgrimage to Sainsbury’s Temple of Retail.

Ominous clouds over Baron Street

We found that the sun was shining upon our endeavours though a populated herd of clouds was offering competition. In particular, we noticed this ominous dark cloud above Baron Street. What did it portend? Careful scrutiny suggested that it was moving away from us but who knows what might be following in its wake?

The Farmers’ Market in full swing

Chapel Market was, as usual on Sunday, closed to traffic, so that the Farmers’ Market, which operates in the top end of the street, can function safely. Many of the stalls have tent-like canopies, an idea that seems to have been taken up by other, more permanent, businesses.

The pub has a blue tent

One such is the pub on the corner, the Alma, which has been serving customers outside since being allowed to do so but hitherto offered no protection from inclement weather. Today, I saw that they have procured a tent-like canopy under which customers were gathered together like sheep under a tree. From Monday, will they keep on using the tent, dispose of it or store it away in case needed again?

A giant ladybird?
Photo by Tigger

In Sainsbury’s car park, this object was seen lurking on a wall. It looked rather like a giant ladybird but I am persuaded that it is a crash helmet, a child’s, to judge from the size. Perhaps it rolled unnoticed out of someone’s car while the groceries were being loaded.

Worshipers at the shrine

As we were a little later than usual, Sainsbury’s was noticeably busier than we are used to but, knowing what we wanted, we sped round the shelves with barely a delay.

A longer queue

The queues at the checkouts were noticeably longer too. At this branch, the tradition established during the pandemic, no doubt in order to facilitate social distancing, is to have one queue for two checkouts. This confuses some customers who, not understanding, try to go straight to what they think is an available checkout. They find their error corrected, sometimes in quite pungent language, by members of the queue. We witnessed one such incident in our queue today but happily, the remonstrance was fairly mild, helped by the apologetic retreat of the unintentional offender.

The Angel Wings
Photo by Tigger

As we left the store and I prepared to hurry ahead to Marcer’s, Tigger photographed the famous Angel Wings at the refurbished Angel Central, finally freed of scaffolding and builders’ screens.

The market

I hurried through the market but stopped, as usual, to take a quick photo. There were plenty of stalls in operation and customers to match. Will there be any difference next week when the new rules come into force? It’s hard to imagine it being any busier than today.

Mercer’s – chairs and tables outside

And so to Mercer’s to pick up our takeaway coffees. They already have some tables outside and from Monday will be able to serve customers sitting inside. As we come here often, we are greeted affably. After all, businesses and their customers exist in a symbiotic relationship in which each needs the other. The pleasanter we make our relationship, the better it is for everyone.

And so to home to put away the shopping, drink our coffee and have a little rest, followed by lunch. This afternoon? Well, we shall see!

We went out again after lunch and – guess what? – it didn’t rain! Not a drop. It was still cloudy and dull, though.

I took the aforementioned Bluetooth dongle with me, dangling alluringly from my wrist, and used it for all of my photos. I found that I could walk with my trigger hand at my side – no need to bring the dongle close to the phone.

The Smith & Sons Clocktower

We passed close to the Smith & Sons Clocktower which I haven’t photographed for a while. I was glad to see that it was showing the correct time as it had recently stopped working but, happily, has been repaired.

Duncan Terrace

We walked along Duncan Terrace which, for part of its length consists of a single row of houses facing the gardens that now cover this section of the New River. It seems a very pleasant environment and I think that if we didn’t live where we do, I would quite like to live here, though I doubt whether we could afford it!

Pretty yellow flowers

At Duncan Street, we turned past the gardens in the direction of the canal. Here we found a bush crowded with yellow flowers making a beautiful sight.

Close-up
Photo by Tigger

I don’t know they are but perhaps this close-up by Tigger will enable someone more knowledgeable to identify them.

Vincent Terrace

We continued down Vincent Terrace that runs beside the Regent’s Canal which is behind the greenery on the left. I am walking in the road here for two reasons: firstly, it gives a better view of the street and secondly, there were so many people about that I kept leaving the pavement to avoid them. It’s no doubt selfish of me but I miss the quiet days of the first lockdown when the streets were virtually empty. (Selfish, yes, but I have heard others echo the same sentiments.)

The Plaquemine Lock

This pub was open and serving customers sitting outside. From Monday, pubs and restaurants will be able to serve people indoors. The name of this pub refers to a bayou of the same name in Louisiana. The name fits with the pub’s menu of Cajun food. (No, I have no plans to try it but who knows? 🙂 )

Regent’s Canal and Islington Tunnel

From the bridge over the canal, I took the usual photo of the canal, looking towards the opening of the Islington Tunnel. The boats moored along here are all residential, as far as I know.

Wall-top environment

I also photographed the miniature environment of moss and lichen growing on top of the wall. We often overlook (literally) such environments but they are just as important in their own way as those that we do spend time studying.

Looking towards City Lock

I also took a photo from the other side of the bridge. Here, the view looks towards City Lock where there are several basins and canal offshoots which were once busy with commercial water-borne traffic but are now quiet except for occasional passing houseboats.

The Earl of Essex

The bridge across the canal doesn’t seem to have a name but is simply part of Danbury Street. We continued along this street wherein stands the Earl of Essex pub. There seem to be a lot of pubs in this neighbourhood.

The Duke of Cambridge

To back up the foregoing statement, here is another pub, this one called the Duke of Cambridge, not far away on the corner of Danbury Street with St Peter’s Street.

Elaborate railings with turrets

In St Peter’s Street, we were struck by these unusually elaborate railings with turrets on the posts. I wondered whether they were original to the house when it was built or whether they are later additions. I suspect they are original but will probably never know for sure.

St Peter’s Church (decommissioned)

This is the Grade II listed Church of St Peter. Like many churches, it ceased to be needed and was decommissioned. The interior has been converted into flats but the exterior had been preserved, protected by its listed status. I would be interested in seeing inside but think I am unlikely to have the opportunity.

Essex Road and Islington Green

St Peter’s Street led us to Essex Road near Islington Green. Nearby is the beginning of Camden Passage wherein is found, among other shops and restaurants, Redemption Roasters coffee shop, where we thought to buy coffee on the way home.

Part of the antiques market

On the way we passed this covered area that is used to host stalls for the antiques market. It didn’t seem very active but I was surprised to see any activity as the market runs in Monday, Wednesday and Friday. There were a few other stalls in Camden Passage so perhaps they have been given permission to operate on extra days.

Redemption Roasters – busy

When we reached Redemption, it was crowded and there was a queue. It would be some time before we could be served so we gave up on them and made our way to Mercer’s in Chapel Market. They were preparing to close but provided us with coffee. With this in hand, we hurried home.

That concluded our outings for today but there is always tomorrow! What shall we be doing tomorrow? I shall be sure to let you know!

“…every day” (William Shakespeare, Twelvth Night”). That could be the anthem for our weather at present. It’s not even a decent, honest downpour but drizzly intervals, as if the weather gods are squabbling over whether to make it rain or not, alternately turning the tap on and off…

On a happier note, the day started with a gift, a gift from Tigger to me, that is.

Tigger’s gift

Can you guess what it is? All right, then, I’ll tell you. This little black box measuring about 4.7cm X 3.3cm, is a tiny Bluetooth dongle which, when connected to my iPhone, triggers the shutter of the camera. There is, as you can see, a loop to go round one’s wrist so as not to drop the device, something that would be easy to do, given its small size.

There are two “native” ways to trigger the iPhone camera: firstly, by fingering the virtual button at the bottom edge of the screen and secondly, by pressing one or other of the physical volume control buttons on the side. When performing either of these actions, it is all too easy to move the camera. This doesn’t matter too much when taking still photos in good light but when taking “live photos” (which are in fact very short videos), it can ruin what might have been a good picture. (Look at some of my jerky “lives” to see what I mean.) This Bluetooth device, being separate from the phone, cannot transmit the pressing movement to it. It should be possible to hold the phone steady in one hand while pressing the release with the other.

Does it work as per the above theory? Well, it’s early days yet, and I have to become used to handling it in various conditions, but I would say the auguries are promising.

The Claremont Square kitten

The plan today was to go to Myddelton’s deli and buy coffee and food for lunch. What follows lunch will be decided when the time comes. As we walked through Claremont Square, we kept an eye open, as always, for the kitten who sometimes appears at a window. As you can see, today we were lucky. By acting the clown, we managed to attract his attention for all of two seconds. And yes, I did use the Bluetooth dongle to take the photo.

The Myddelton Square cat
Photo by Tigger

Despite the fact that it was now raining, we decided to take a turn round Myddelton Square. There too we keep a look-out for a pair of cats whom we first spotted last summer. Since then, they have been conspicuous by their absence but we caught sight of one of them today. A two-cat day: bonus!

Squirrel crossing the road

When we reached Chadwell Street it was in time to see a squirrel crossing the road. I grabbed a quick photo. It’s not very good because he was some way off and I have cropped the photo severely. I think he had been prospecting in the gardens of houses in Chadwell Street and was on his way back to home territory in Myddelton Square Gardens.

Colourful window boxes

I admired these window boxes at various points round the square. They added some much needed colour to the scene rendered dull by the cloudy conditions.

St Mark’s Church – open
Photo by Tigger

We bought food and coffee at Myddelton’s. They were fairly busy and we had to queue. In view of the weather, we preferred to carry our provisions home and consume them there. On the way hime, Tigger took the above photo of the church which, unusually, was open. There were balloons on a stand on the pavement, suggesting a festivity of some sort, perhaps a wedding.

At home now, we will enjoy our lunch and then see what the afternoon has on offer.

Riding the 214 bus recently to Kentish Town, we passed the historic church now known as St Pancras Old Church. This brought it into my mind and, as I had not visited it for some time, I decided to do so today.

Accordingly, I took a 214 bus to the first stop after St Pancras Station, called Chenies Place. From this stop, you already have a glimpse of the church amongst the greenery on the other side of the road. No

A glimpse of the church amongst the greenery

The greenery is that of what was once the church’s burial ground, now landscaped as a public garden.

Entrance with steps

In Pancras Road, where you arrive with the bus, there are two entrances to the church grounds. The first, and larger, is fronted by a flight of steps. The gateway is wrought iron, currently painted black with the decorations picked out in gold. This is the nearer gate to the church itself.

The carriage entrance

The second entrance is on a level with the road and was no doubt intended to provide the way in for funeral carriages. Its gate too is intricately fashioned and painted in black and gold.

A park with broad paths

The gate leads you into the old burial ground, now a park or garden with broad paths. Most of the gravestones have been removed though quite a few of the larger tombs have been left in place. The result it a pleasant green area in which to stroll or sit on a bench. The historically-minded might like to try deciphering the inscriptions in the remaining tombs!

Grass and trees

The garden is composed mainly of grassy areas and trees with benches placed at intervals.

Mature old trees

Many of the trees are very old and huge in size. There has been a church here since the 11th century and possibly earlier, so the trees have had plenty of time to grow!

The Burdett-Coutts Memorial Sundial

An elaborate structure that attracts immediate attention is the Grade II* listed Burdett-Coutts Memorial Sundial, built in 1877-79. It was donated by philanthropist Baroness Burdett-Coutts as a memorial to those whose graves had been removed when part of the burial ground had been destroyed to make way for the new railway.

One of two lions

The memorial is set in a fairly large enclosure with stone animals guarding the four corners. Two of these are lions, one of which is shown above, while a third one has a damaged head, making it hard to identify but is possibly a dog.

Guardian dog

The fourth guardian animal is recognisably a dog. It is believed that one of the figures was modelled on the Baroness’s collie dog, though whether that is true and, if so, whether that refers to the canine in the photo or to the damaged animal, I do not know.

William Thornton Drinking Fountain

A further piece of furniture for the garden is a Grade II listed cast-iron drinking fountain. Also of 1877, it was presented by William Thornton, a senior church warden.

As mentioned above, part of the church grounds were sliced off in order to make room for the new railway line that was being constructed. This necessitated exhuming the residents of the graves hitherto occupying that section and the removal of the gravestones.

The “Hardy Tree”

The gruesome task fell to a younger member of the architectural staff, a certain Thomas Hardy, who would later acquire fame as a poet and novelist but who was at this juncture employed as a junior of the firm of architects responsible for this work. Hardy collected the removed gravestones and placed them beside a tree. Perhaps he intended to move them elsewhere later but, if so, that later never arrived, and the stones remain in the custody of what has become known as the “Hardy Tree”.

A landscape of tombs

Quite a number of the larger and more elaborate tombs have been left in situ (indicating, perhaps, that wealth has its prerogatives, even among the dead). One of these, grander than all the rest, has a fame of its own.

Family tomb of Sir John Soane

This is the Grade I listed family tomb of Sir John Soane, architect of, among other notable structures, the Bank of England. He designed the tomb in 1816 on the death of his wife.

Soane family tomb, side view

Sir John himself and, later, his son, also found accommodation within.

Magnificent tree with bench

I admired this huge tree with a circular bench around it. It is an example, albeit an outstanding one, of the many superb trees in this garden.

St Pancras Old Church

I mentioned that there is evidence of a church on this site from no later than the 11th century. The site possibly held a Roman temple before the Christians took possession if it. Some Norman fabric is still visible in the walls of the current structure which dates from extensive rebuilding in 1847-8. You can find more about its history in its Grade II* listing and in the many pages dedicated to it online, such as this Wikipedia article.

St Pancras Old Church

But why is it called St Pancras Old Church? By the end of the 18th century, owing to population movement away from the area, the church had fallen into disuse and was virtually a ruin. In the early years of the 19th century, another St Pancras Church was built not very far away. By virtue of this fact, once rescued, this church became known as old to distinguish it from its new rival. The latter, incidentally still exists and functions today.

Hiding among the foliage

I should perhaps have paid my visit in the dead of winter when the trees were bare and it would have been easier to see the church but, in a way, the symbiosis of the church and the trees make it what it is, to me at least.

A last look

The church that nearly went out of existence in the 18th century and was replaced by a namesake, still survives. As church attendance continues to decline and churches are being decommissioned, there must be a question mark over the future of any still functioning church. What is the future of St Pancras Old Church? We can but wait and see.

Final vista

I took a last photo of the garden, a vista towards the Burdett-Coutts sundial, and then made for the bus stop.

At home, I made tea and wrote this post. Tonight I shall meet Tigger at the bus stop and we will cross the road to the Banana Tree restaurant and order a takeaway dinner. Thus starts our weekend!

This week, Tigger is at work Wednesday to Friday, leaving me to amuse myself as best I can. Yesterday (Wednesday) it was raining, which dissuaded me from going out. Today’s weather was hardly more promising but I was determined to go for a walk even if only locally. There was, however, a problem.

Dull and damp at the Angel

For some time now, the cold water tap in the kitchen area has suffered a reduced flow but I kept putting off doing anything about it as long as it was usable. Yesterday evening, the flow reduced to a mere trickle, requiring us to being all cold water from the bathroom in jugs. So this morning I called the Council’s repairs division and requested help.

They decided that an interrupted cold water supply belonged in the Urgent category and agreed to send a plumber today. They could not say when he would arrive but took my phone number saying he would call to let me know he was on his way. This meant I would have to wait in for him, however long that might be. In the event, however, he arrived around midday (without calling first). I showed him the corpus delicti and retired to a safe distance to watch the proceedings.

The job was soon done, leaving me free to have lunch and go for my walk. In view of the miserable conditions, I stayed close to home. Tigger is on holiday next week, so perhaps we can take some more adventurous walks then.

Butcher’s shop, “Late Bland”

Though a vegetarian, I am fascinated by this butcher’s shop on the corner of St John Street and Chadwell Street. As far as I know, it is not listed, but it remains as it was long ago. Beneath the windows, in the tiling (hidden by the benches), are the words “Late Bland”, indicating that the shop once belonged to a Mr or Messrs Bland who had such a good reputation that those who took over the shop after them preserved their name as an advertisement of quality. I have no knowledge of the Blands or their business and their name remains as a touching memorial to them.

Now the Gate, once the Clown

This striking building opposite Bland’s is now called The Gate and the ground floor is occupied by a restaurant. It probably dates to the 18th century or earlier when it was a tavern. No less a personnage than actor and comedian Joseph Grimaldi frequented it when it was known as the King of Prussia. Subsequently, it was renamed The Clown in Grimaldi’s honour. I don’t know when it ceased being a pub.

Rosebery Avenue

I ventured into Rosebery Avenue and walked a little way down before returning and taking this photo.

Arlington Way

I turned into Arlington Way and then…

The pub vine – doing nicely

…into Myddelton Passage, where I checked the progress of the pub vine. It’s coming along nicely.

A well-kept hedge

I admired this hedge that has been looked after and kept trim almost as well as the hedge I photographed in Kentish Town.

Gate open again

Throughout the pandemic until now, this gate has been chained shut but today was open again at last.

New River Head viewing platform

It gives access to a viewing platform overlooking the New River Head, that is, the terminus of Sir Hugh Myddelton’s famous aqueduct. There are panels of information indicating the principal buildings on the site though in fact, the vegetation and more recent buildings all but obstruct the view as these three photos show:

Views from the platform

The dull conditions also make the view dark and uninspiring.

Window boxes provided colour

These window boxes did their best to add a touch of colour to the scene.

Myddelton Square Garden

I peered over the railings into Myddelton Square Garden. One or two hardy souls were sitting on benches but otherwise it was deserted apart from the ever-present pigeons.

New foliage on the Curvaceous Tree

I spent some minutes looking up into the Curvaceous Tree, studying the new foliage. That was my last photo of the walk and I then hurried home to make tea and await messages from Tigger: she is on her way home!