The time has come to try an experiment. “An experiment with what?” you reasonably ask.

Going to the Three shop

I will explain later but here’s a clue: setting up the experiment involved us in a visit to the Three Mobile shop in Upper Street.

Our favourite coffee place

Having completed our negotiations, we went to our favourite coffee place, Myddelton’s deli where we relaxed for a while.

Garnault Mews

We then passed through this passage leading to Rosebery Avenue.

Exmouth Market

We walked on down to Exmouth Market. We passed along it looking for lunch but…

Cafe Maya

…decided to go to Cafe Maya on the corner of Farringdon Road with Rosebery Avenue. We used to come here a lot but hadn’t visited in a while so it was interesting to try it out again.

The old fire station

We went past the old fire station, looking very sad and empty.

Continuing down Rosebery Avenue

We continued down Rosebery Avenue and then came upon the first of a series of streets with strange or poetic names.

Coldbath Square

This is Coldbath Square, whose evocative name (according to information received) comes from a Cold Bath (a natural spring?) discovered in 1697 which was believed to cure nervous disorders. It existed until 1870..

Warner Street from Rosebery Avenue

Rosebery Avenue crosses Warner Street by a bridge.

The stairs

We accessed Warner Street by this rather grubby staircase.

The bridge

From Warner Street we have this view of the Rosebery Avenue bridge.

The Coach (and Horses)

This fine Victorian pub was originally called The Coach and Horses but, for some strange reason, the name has been shortened to The Coach.

Herbal Hill

The second poetic name was this one, Herbal Hill. The name may derive from the onetime cultivation of saffron here as the road was previously known as Little Saffron Hill.

Saffron Hill

The name of this street, Saffron Hill, definitely comes from the fact that saffron was cultivated here in the 18th century.

Hatton Wall

This street has the curious name Hatton Wall. I don’t know what wall is referred to.

Lily Place

Here is another street named after cultivated plants: Lily Place. I wonder what it looked like originally: was there once a garden here?

Steps to the street

Saffron Hill led us to a passage that joined the street by a staircase, 28 steps in all, if I remember correctly.

Shoe Lane

We now came to the last of today’s curious and poetic street names, Shoe Lane. Was this once a district for shoemakers? If so, there is no sign of them now. I do know that there was once a wworkhouse here.

Man and sculpture

This pair made an engaging picture, a building labourer and a sculpture. Unfortunately, there was no plate indicating the sculpture’s details.

Aboard the 341

We finally arrived in Fleet Street and there caught a number 341 bus back to the Angel.

Now, about the experiment. For some years, our ISP has been Zen. They are quite good but recently BT suffered a nationwide outage and as Zen provides its service through BT, our connection went down. Once the BT outage had been dealt with, Zen itself had problems. All in all, we were without a connection for 36 hours. This is the third time in recent months that we have had problems. Might it be time to try something new?

That something new is called “wireless broadband”. Your router achieves its connection by wireless from the mobile phone mast. You connect your computers, tablets and phones to your router also by wireless.

The best routers are those thot work off the 5G network but if your area is not yet on 5G you can use 4G. It’s not as fast as 5G but if, like us, you have only DSL and not fibre, then 4G is likely to be faster than your existing connection.

The wireless router

We acquired a 5G router and SIM card from Three. You insert the SIM and plug the router into a power point and wait a couple of minutes for it to boot up. You connect your devices by supplying the username and password printed in the side of the router. There is also a slot for an ethernet connection if this is needed: the black cable links to the NAS on which Tigger stores her photos. The router is about 23 cm (9 ins) tall and very lightweight.

But does it work? Yes, it seems to work very well. Our neighbourhood is 4G with 5G for mobiles only. The router seems to run mainly on 4G with occasional flickers of 5G. Speed tests suggest that the connection is 9 to 10 times faster than our plain vanilla DSL

We have the router on a 24-month contract (£10 per month for the first 6 months, £20 per month thereafter) but we can cancel within the first 30 days if we are not happy with it. We shall be testing it rigorously to decide whether to keep it or not.

If we keep it, we will cancel our account with Zen. Furthermore, because we use the landline only for Internet and never to make or receive calls, if we continue with wireless broadband, we can cancel our account with BT, saving £25 per month. A lot hangs in the router’s performance over the next couple of weeks.

Update: see The experiment fails.

We performed our usual shopping run to Sainsbury’s this morning.

Tables outside still

As we went through Chapel Market, I noticed that some of the cafes are still setting tables outside for their hardier customers.

Sainsbury’s

We were a little later than usual which may be why Sainsbury’s was a little busier than usual first thing on Sunday.

When Tigger put away the shopping at home, she discovered that one “fresh” item was in fact 11 days beyond its sell-by date and that another had a broken container. After lunch, then, we returned to Sainsbury’s to return these items. We were given a refund of their cost.

Police vehicles in Tolpuddle Street

From Sainsbury’s, we went to the deli for our coffee but took the long way round (exercise is good for you!), striking off along Tolpuddle Street. There is a police station in this street (one that they haven’t managed to close yet). The street has double yellow lines all along its length but this doesn’t prevent them parking police vehicles along it. Then again, who’s going to put a parking ticket on a police vehicle?

Lloyd Baker Street

After our coffee break, we set off along Lloyd Baker Street. The sunny morning had mutated into a cloudy afternoon though it was pleasant enough for a stroll.

Georgian Houses, Lloyd Square

We walked round Lloyd Square with its lovely Georgian-style houses. These have triangular pediments as though the architect sought to marry the Georgian style with Greek classical.

Boot scraper

In front of some of the Georgian houses, you still find stout iron boot scrapers, a reminder of how muddy London’s streets tended to be in the 18th and 19th century. Having fallen into disuse, many of these scrapers are broken or have disappeared entirely. In some cases, the scraper is perched right on the edge of the path so that the mud falls down into the basement where the servants would have to deal with it.

Surviving ironwork

Boot scrapers were not the only ironwork to grace these buildings: there were also the railings (necessary to stop passers-by falling into the basement “area”) and decorative work at the windows. Being necessary for safety, railings survive but ironwork at the windows is increasingly rare though some beautiful examples survive.

Cumberland Gardens

We entered Cumberland Gardens by the pedestrian path at the lower end. In summer, the gardens in the left had been ablaze with flowers but these have now died away until next year.

Autumn foliage

There was still some colourful autumn foliage to make up for the lack of flowers. And look at how many chimneys there are on the roof! These would be chimneys for two houses but even so, it’s an impressive number. Imagine this number of chimneys multiplied by the number of houses: no wonder London’s nickname used to be The Smoke!

Percy Circus Gardens

We passed through the elegant Percy Circus with its central garden in which we enjoyed some happy times with coffee and perhaps even s picnic lunch, during our lockdown walks. In fact, today’s stroll reminded me very much of those lockdown outings.

The path to Holford Gsrdens

We walked up the path that leads to the small park called Holford Gardens behind Bevin Court. (The path probably has a name but, if so, I don’t know what it is.)

Fallen tree, Holford Gardens

When we passed this way during our lockdown walks, we used to admire the Leaning Tree. That tree sloped at what seemed an extreme angle but, for all that, it seemed healthy enough. Then, one day, tragedy struck and the tree fell. I’m glad to see that the trunk has been left in place where it can be used by the smaller inhabitants of the park. It even seems to have put out some new twigs though these have now withered.

The path continues

The path continues beside Bevin Court. There is grass and there are trees and the trees have an interesting feature:

Bat box

That is, bat boxes have been installed in them. (Bat boxes, in case you haven’t come across them before, are like bird boxes but for bats. Instead of a front entrance, they have an entrance at the bottom.) I have not so far seen any bats here but perhaps that’s because I haven’t been here at the right time of day.

Bevin Court

We passed in front of Bevin Court, that “cliff of apartments”, with its pleasant and well tended garden in front. Here too, the trees have something of use to wild life:

Bird box

Bird boxes have been installed. These look quite new and I hope they will attract tenants in due course.

Cruikshank Street

We returned home via Cruikshank Street where I photographed this sign in the road. It indicates that this is, or rather was, a parking space for an ambulance. It is obviously obsolete because it has been partially covered by installing a bollard. I have tried to find out whether there was once a hospital here or whether there was some other reason to provide a parking space for an ambulance, but without success. For now, the mystery remains.

Pigeon banquet

As we passed through Claremont Square, I took my last photo: a flock of pigeons enjoying a banquet that someone has put out for them. This cheerful scene gave me a cheerful memory to carry home with me.

We did not go anywhere in particular today and yet we went to lots of places, all without any fixed plan, just turning here and there as we felt like it.

Myddelton’s deli

We started with coffee at the deli, sitting in the sun at the table immediately to the left of the shop door.

Spa Fields

We walked past Spa Fields Park and even though it looked inviting, we didn’t go in.

What follows is a random selection of photos taken here and there with no sense of an itinerary.

No longer a shop

The “corner shop”, usually run by a family living on the premises, used to be found in every neighbourhood and was well used by the neighbours. But since the mid-20th century they have been closing down, often transformed with greater or lesser alterations into dwellings.

Boys’ entrance no longer

This complex site comprises an early 20th-century school and a collection of subsidiary buildings. This door bears the word “BOYS” but the letterbox shows that is no longer a school entrance but the door to a dwelling.

Sans Walk

This narrow street, Sans Walk, with a pavement wide enough for only one person was named in 1893 after a local family called Sans, but why they were so honoured I do not know.

Hugh Myddelton Schools

This handsome early 20th-century school, probably commissioned by the London School Board though the latter’s name does not appear in it, displays the name “Hugh Myddelton Schools”. The sign, however, calls it “Kingsway Place”, showing that it is now an apartment block.

St James’s Walk

Another narrow street, pleasantly quiet, this one is called St James’s Walk, not because St James ever strolled here but because…

Church of St James Clerkenwell

…beside it stands the Church of St James Clerkenwell. The present church was built in 1792 (restored 1882) but its history goes back to a 12th-century nunnery.

Hayward’s Place

This intriguing street – or passage – is called Hayward’s Place and was built, as a plaque informs us, in 1834. Two centuries before it was build, the Red Bull Theatre (1605-65) was sited hereabouts. The present name derives from James Hayward (1701-1851), an ironmonger who, I believe, owned some of the houses.

Decorated façade

We entered Brewhouse Yard where this building displays an unusual and slightly startling decorated façade.

The Old Brewery

Still present is the old brewery. I was pleased to see that the clock was showing the correct time.

Modern monstrosity

Why do modern architects build such monstrously ugly buildings and why do their customers let them do so?

Can we go out this way?

After several more turns, I was no longer sure where we were but Tigger of course knew. Finding ourselves in this passage, we wondered whether there was a way out. There was and, going through it, we found ourselves in…

Clerkenwell Road

…Clerkenwell Road and I now again knew where we were.

People’s Choice Cafe

We turned right into Goswell Road and saw the People’s Choice Cafe. As it was, or could be, lunchtime, we went and had lunch.

Entering the Barbican

When we emerged, it was spitting with rain which suggested we go in somewhere. Quite close was the Barbican Estate and within it, the Museum of London. (The museum is soon to move to a new site in Smithfield Market.) So thither we went.

The Barbican – a complex site

The Barbican is a complex site, with private and public areas and it is easy to become lost – unless, of course, you have a Tigger with you, in which case you will be led safely to your destination!

Varied views

As you follow the walkways, you see a series of varied views and it’s hard to form a picture of the whole. In fact, for me, this feeling of wandering through an ever-changing landscape, not sure where I am or where I’m going, is part of the pleasure.

Residents’ Gardens

There are also tantalising glimpses of gardens but these are for residents only and are not accessible to the public.

Ironmongers’ Hall

As we approach the museum, I always look out for Ironmongers’ Hall. The Company of Ironmongers is one of London’s anciently established livery companies. The Barbican seems to have grown around their pre-existing hall. Quite how this all fits together I do not know.

Museum shop

There were “events” going on around the museum and crowds of people but we went straight in and started by visiting the museum shop. There are a lot of interesting items there though we did not buy anything this time.

The Museum Cafe

We next visited the museum cafe. I grabbed a table, nicely sited in a corner, while Tigger went to the counter.

Tea, coffee and banana cake

We spent a pleasant while in our corner with the drinks and banana cake chosen by Tigger.

Sunken garden

In the way out from the museum we pass this little garden lying below the level of the walkway. It is not open to the public.

St Botolphe without Aldersgate

This unusual-looking church is known as St Botolphe without Aldersgate, meaning that it was built just outside the city gate. The present church is as it was rebuilt in 1788-91.

Towards St Paul’s Cathedral

We continued down the street towards St Paul’s where we intended to catch a bus home.

St Paul’s from Queen’s Head Passage

Walking along Queen’s Head Passage gives us this dramatic glimpse of St Paul’s Cathedral.

Aboard the 4

At a stop near the St Paul’s we caught a number 4 bus which carried us back to the Angel and home.

Tigger has a half-day at work today and will leave the office at 11:30. I am, of course, going there to meet her. The rest of the day is ours!

Aboard the 153

I started my journey on a 153 bus, leaving plenty of time in case of delays like last time (see Midweek tigers).

London Wall – no congestion

When I changed buses in London Wall today, the road was clear and there were no holdups.

Zephyr

On arriving, I went down to St Katharine Docks as I usually do. The familiar crowd of yachts graced the moorings and today I photographed Zephyr which, with its tall mast and long bowsprit, is the one that most looks like a sailing ship, though the spars are bare with no sign of actual sails. (As you probably know, “Zephyr” is a poetic word for a light breeze or, according to some, the west wind.)

Ivory House

Gatepost elephant

The gateway from the road is decorated with a pair of elephants. Pretty as they are, they have sinister connotations as indicated by the name of the old warehouse to which the gate gives access: Ivory House. How many hundreds of elephants were slaughtered solely to harvest their tusks?

Crossing Tower Bridge

We walked across Tower Bridge. It was very busy with a long queue for visits.

Looking along the Thames

The weather is not very nice, as you can see, though it’s not actually raining at the moment.

Tower Bridge Road

We walked down Tower Bridge Road, looking for lunch.

The Raven

We found lunch in a small pub called the Raven. There were a couple of vegetarian items on the menu.

Cactus garden

There was a small cactus garden on our table.

Carriage entrance

Afterwards, we continued walking here and there and passed through a housing estate. Unusually, it had a carriage entrance but this was blocked with bollards.

Railway bridge

Continuing on, we went under a railway bridge and found ourselves in Bermondsey.

Boys’ entrance

Many London schools date from the early 20th century when they were commissioned by the old London School Board whose logo they still carry. These schools had separate entrances for boys, girls and infants. The gates often still survive though they are no longer used to segregate pupils.

Cornerstone
Austin Emery

We passed Tanner Street Park where this rather strange sculpture resides. By Austin Emery it is entitled Cornerstone.

Fuckoffee

We stopped for coffee at this coffee bar with the, shall we say racy, name? It was quite busy but we found a deep, soft settee which proved hard to leave!

St Mary Magdalen

This is St Mary Magdalen, a tall church hard to photograph in a narrow street.

The Watch House

Next to the church is its burial ground and in a corner of this stands a small but solid building. Currently a coffee bar, its original purpose is indicated by its name: the Watch House. Such shelters were built in burial grounds for the watchmen. Their job was to make sure that body snatchers did not steal newly buried corpses to sell to medical researchers. Closure of London burial grounds in the 1850s removed the need for guardians. Just a few watch houses survive.

Bermondsey Market – closing

We came upon Bermondsey Market and had a quick look but it was now 1:57 and the market closes at 2 pm so there was not much to see.

Methodist Central Hall

We stopped to admire the striking façade of the Methodist Central Hall, designed by Charles Bell and opened in 1900.

Albert Edward McKenzie memorial

We paused at this modern-style (almost cartoonish) likeness of Albert Edward McKenzie, holder of the VC for his bravery in the face of danger and dubbed “local hero”. Strangely, the name of the artist is not credited.

Aboard the 63

If you had asked me how to return to the Angel from here, I wouldn’t have had a clue but Tigger knew, of course. We crossed a busy junction to a bus stop and there caught a number 63 bus going to King’s Cross.

When we left the bus and crossed in front of King’s Cross Station, Tigger said she could smell coal smoke. Coal smoke, in London? Surely, not! But Tigger was right.

The Flying Scotsman – hardly visible

It turned out the the coal-burning steam locomotive the Flying Scotsman was in the station. We tried to see it but of course, crowds had gathered and we couldn’t pass the barrier to approach it without a ticket. We had to gaze from afar.

The Flying Scotsman glimpsed
Photo by Tigger

Tigger’s phone camera is better than mine and she managed this glimpse of the soon-to-be centenarian locomotive.

Aboard the 73

When we left the station, we saw a 73 bus at the stop. Surely, it would depart before we reached it? The driver saw us hurrying towards the stop and waited for us. We often encounter this sort of kindness on the part of London bus drivers. Our favourite back seats were available and we sat in them as we were carried up in hill to the Angel and home.

Not only have we had a weekday afternoon together but, as I often say on a Friday, “the weekend starts here!”

We are entering that part of the year which I dislike. The temperature drops and, to quote a common expression, “the evenings are drawing in”. In other words, darkness falls earlier and earlier, increasing feelings of discomfort.

Tigger is on the early shift today and this provides me with an incentive to meet her from work and perhaps go for coffee together.

Aboard the 153

As I usually do, I caught a number 153 bus in St John Street, intending to change to a 100 at All Hallows Church.

UK Bus Checker

We both have this bus app on our phones to tell us when the bus we want will arrive at the stop. It’s not perfect (nothing is) and sometimes crashes but it’s right most of the time, assuming, that is, that the traffic is running normally. Guess what?

Congestion in London Wall

As the 153 neared All Hallows, it started to run slowly. Creeping along, we eventually turned the corner and reached the church where I change. There were road works (the usual thing: the road half blocked causing traffic chaos but nobody actually working. Need I say how frustrating this oft-repeated scenario is?) reducing the road to a single lane. The app told me my bus would arrive in 7 minutes but that, of course, was not true. I waited and waited as the traffic progressed past me at a snail’s pace. Fortunately, I had allowed plenty of time for my journey. (If you live in London, you do so by reflex.)

Aboard the 100

The bus arrived at last and, once past the obstacle, resumed its normal speed.

When Tigger joined me, we set off to look for coffee. Tigger had a place in mind and we hurried through the busy streets – to add to our pleasure, it had begun spitting with rain. Then, turning up a passageway, we encountered… tigers!

Walking tiger

There was a walking tiger and…

Running tiger

…a running tiger, both done in neon tubing. The fact that is was already becoming dark made the figures stand out boldly. In full daylight they wouldn’t be quite so striking. As it was, they made my day!

Black Sheep, Houndsditch

We reached Black Sheep Coffee in the poetically named Houndsditch.

Long and narrow

The seating area is long and narrow but there was a table with two comfy chairs available which I grabbed while Tigger negotiated for coffee.

Black Sheep, like increasingly many coffee bars, has an electronic ordering system. Instead of simply walking up to the counter and politely telling the assistant what you want, you have to enter your order on a touch-screen and pay at the terminal. Then you can go to the counter to collect your order. Efficient, no doubt, but also unfriendly. Very soon, I expect, the human staff will be dispensed with altogether and replaced by machines.

Aboard the 205

After our coffee break, we hurried to a nearby bus stop in time to catch a 205 bus.

The bus was crowded and we had to go upstairs. We had front seats, though, and could watch the varied scene as we travelled through the busy City, back to the Angel.