I read recently that archaeologists had discovered traces left by some early hominids and that the evidence suggested that they hibernated during the winter months or perhaps entered a state of “torpor” as do certain species of bears. This amused me because I have often written in these pages that, hating the cold as I do, I have often wished I could hibernate until the weather warmed up again.

This came to mind today when we went out for our exercise walk. According to the Met Office, the temperature was 3°C, but – an important “but” – it “feels like” -1°C. The culprit, perhaps was the fog which makes you damp and, consequently, cold. Because of the cold, were not in a mood to go far.

We keep finding these

Near the Double Tree Hotel in Pentonville Road, we spotted this label tied to a lamp post. I had already seen others but without enquiring what they signify. They seem to be proliferating.

London Angel Hunt

This time I turned the label over and saw the enigmatic message “#LONDONANGELHUNT”. I naturally assumed that the “angel” part referred to our neighbourhood, the Angel Islington. For now, though, I put off further speculation.

We had speedily come to the decision to go straight for coffee and then to return home. There will be other, pleasanter days for longer walks.

Pigeons squabbling

At the corner of Baron Street with Chapel Market, I saw a gaggle of pigeons. They had found some food and were merrily squabbling and grabbing pieces from one another as they do. The fact that the pieces seemed to large to swallow whole, added to the confusion.

I at first thought the man with his back to the camera was feeding them but he wasn’t or maybe he had discarded part of his takeaway meal and that was what the pigeons were arguing about.

(I know that pigeons are not to everyone’s taste but I am fond of them. I sometimes wonder whether I was a pigeon in a previous life! 🙂 )

Chapel Market

Chapel Market was busier than on previous days though there were no stalls. Monday is in any case the one day of the week when the market is closed so stalls were not to be expected. The scene gives the impression that Christmas is quickly fading from people’s minds.

Mercer’s – open!

It was Tigger who spotted that Mercer’s was open again. We could have gone further down the road to see whether Costa was open (we have a Costa Club card bursting with points worth several coffees) but we both like Mercer’s coffee so that was that!

Inside Mercer’s

I went into Mercer’s, carefully walking in the direction indicated by the signs stuck to the floor, and ordered the coffees. Coffee shops divide between those who leave you to find the sugar, the stirring sticks, etc. yourself and those who ask “Any sugar with that?” Mercer’s belongs to the second category.

No, thank you, no sugar. I have never had sugar with my tea and coffee and therefore can’t imagine how people can do so. It’s so sickly.

During World War II, we used so little sugar at home that my mother was able to save up our sugar ration. I remember that there was a shelf in a wardrobe full of unopened packets of sugar. On several occasions, she was able to swap sugar for other goods.

Clutching our sugarless coffees, we headed for home.

Are you still wondering about the label on the lamp post? I looked it up on the Web and found this website. Does that explain it? Well, maybe. I suppose that when people show a flair for entertaining themselves, this is something to be encouraged though hunting angels is no doubt a seasonal hobby only.

We set out bravely enough, and Tigger suggested going a little bit further today, “somewhere new”. However, once we were out in the open, it felt very cold indeed, much more so than the advertised 5°C.

To make things worse, our usual coffee oases – Jusaka, Myddelton’s deli, Saint Espresso – were all closed and so we would need to loop back through the High Street and call at Starbuck’s once again.

In streets with trees, we noticed that the ground was littered with broken twigs and branches, suggesting that there had been strong winds overnight – thanks to storm Bella, no doubt. How, we wondered, do squirrels and nesting birds fare when the trees are shaken by gales?

Discarded already

We soon spotted this sad post-festivity sight, a discarded Christmas tree. There is nothing unusual about this, of course, apart from the fact that this one has been disposed of with what some might consider unseemly haste.

Another victim of wasteful consumerism

And, indeed, we had not gone very far before we came across another example, a dead tree awaiting the refuse collectors. It is so sad and such a waste, especially as trees are living creatures.

The Curvaceous Tree

We passed near to “my” Curvaceous Tree and for a while I gazed in wonder at its twisting branches. How long has it taken to grow and spread in this way? Winter has revealed the wonderful skeletons of branches that support the leafy canopies that hide them in spring and summer. Long may it survive and be appreciated and admired by future generations of tree lovers.

Costume twins

We were amused by this couple who passed us on the other side of the road, both dressed exactly the same. Are they twins or close friends? We’ll never know but they brought a smile to our faces and I would have wished them a happy New Year if I had been close enough.

Low sun on the gardens

The low winter sun, shining between buildings, cast an eccentric pattern of light and shadow on the gardens of Myddelton Square conferring on them a strange beauty.

Flowers in the gardens

We walked along beside the gardens and in one place, these flowers seemed to be seeking the attention of passers-by. Well, they succeeded in obtaining ours! The only problem is that my botanical ignorance doesn’t allow me to identify them. I really must do some work on that! They were so pretty amid the general winter barrenness.

Luminous reindeer

On a windowsill we saw this illuminated reindeer. As he was outside, exposed to the elements, I assume the lights are powered by batteries within the body. He was obviously intended to be seen and enjoyed by passers-by.

Miniature Christmas tree

So was this miniature Christmas tree in a pot on a windowsill, complete with baubles. Will it, too, end up in the gutter one day soon?

The Castle

We passed by the Castle pub which is closed, of course, with the chairs upended on the tables. The last time we had lunch here, we had thought about coming back for lunch on Christmas Day and, though we didn’t follow up on the idea, I wonder what has happened to all those supplies that pubs and restaurants must have ordered for Christmas that were not needed after all. Have they gone to waste? And have they had to pay for them despite not earning anything for them?

Abandoned chair

We came upon this lonesome chair, apparently abandoned. Where did it come from and why was it cast out? Has a new upstart chair usurped its position? Perhaps someone will find it and give it a good home otherwise the poor thing will join the countless discarded Christmas trees on the refuse collectors’ lorry.

The High Street

And so to the High Street which was, if anything, busier today than yesterday. Our destination, of course, was that dispenser of precious black liquid, Starbuck’s, the only one near home that we knew to be open.

Inside Starbuck’s

Today, after we had ordered our coffees, they allowed us to wait inside while they prepared them. As it was so cold outside, this was welcome!

You may be wondering whether w photographed any wreaths today. Oh yes, I’m afraid we did! As yesterday, I have gathered them together in an animated GIF slideshow. As for us, we hurried off home to enjoy our coffee!

Wreaths

Today, the day after Christmas, is called Boxing Day. Why? Well, everyone seems to have a pet theory about that and I am not going to hazard any guesses.

Happily, the temperature has risen and by the time we bestirred ourselves, it had reached a magnificent 9°C. That still felt pretty cold and clutching a hot cup of coffee (thank you, Starbuck’s) was a pleasure.

The lone trader

We crossed Chapel Market without walking along it and I looked to see whether there were any market stalls. Yes, there was just one: a fish stall.

The fish shop, open too

That prompted me to look and see whether the fish shop was open too. It was, and I wondered whether they had both opened by chance or whether they had tipped one another the wink, so to speak.

Fruit and veg open

Both of the fruit and veg shops were open again today as they were yesterday. All that was missing was that unreliable element, customers.

Pigeons feeding

We crossed Sainsbury’s car park (which used to be a body of open water called White Conduit, hence the name of the short street leading to it, a called White Conduit Street) and went along Cloudesley Road. Beside it is Culpeper Park and on the pavement nearby was a crowd of pigeons. Someone must have left food for them. There was no squabbling which suggested that they had finished the banquet and nothing was left.

Boxing Day, pigeon style!
Video by Tigger

Tigger knows I’m fond of pigeons and caught a short video of this one emerging from a box atop a rubbish bin. (I’ve called it a video but it was a “live photo” – iPhone users will know what that is.)

Many-branched tree

In the front garden of one of the houses was this amazing many-branched tree. I just had to photograph it.

A multiple tree

Here is another view of it, showing the base. Whether it’s a many-branched tree or several trees coalesced together is a moot point. This could become my joint-favourite along with the Curvaceous Tree beside St Mark’s Church. I will come back to see it in spring when it is again dressed in leaves.

Replacements of the originals?

In Batchelor Street, our attention was taken ip by photographing a couple of Christmas wreaths (more about that later) and I almost missed something more interesting. In a row of apparently identical Georgian style houses, I noticed that this section had bricks of a slightly different colour from the rest. Also, they have thick, straight, black lintels over the windows and the doors (just about visible in the photo) whereas the adjoining houses had brick arches.

Older housing stock?

I don’t know how well the difference shows up in the photos but these houses look – to me, anyway – as if they are older. Their brick arches “look right” while the heavy lintels of the others “look wrong”. The differences are subtle and I could be mistaken.

The blue plague on the left is to the artist Thomas Hosmer Shepherd (1793-1864) who lived at number 26 when the road was called Chapman Street.

Unwanted chairs

Also in Batchelor Street were these apparently discarded chairs. If you need extra seating for your home, you know where to come!

Tower, Business Design Centre
Previously the Royal Agricultural Hall

We entered Liverpool Road opposite the large building now known as the Business Design Centre. Viewed from Upper Street, it is fronted by modern metal and glass but from here, we can see the older part. I tried to photograph it in its entirety but the road is not wide enough to allow me to go far enough back to include all of it in one frame. This picture may give some idea of it.

The central part

The Royal Agricultural Hall was opened for business in 1862. It was designed among other things to provide space for cattle dealers to show off their animals during cattle shows. Happily, these are no longer held here and the building has been assigned other duties.

Raised pavement and steps

Near the building just discussed, the pavement on the western side of Liverpool Road is raised above the level of the road. There is a railing to stop you falling off (although this is quite low, testifying to the shorter average height of people in times past) and steps to descend to the road, all in all a rather quaint feature for London. I don’t know whether there was a reason for this feature or whether it came about simply because of the local topography.

Holy Trinity Church

Before crossing the road to start back, we had a view of Holy Trinity Church in Cloudesley Square. The last time we went near it, it was being used by the Celestial Church of Christ and seemed in need of repair. It has now reverted back to the C of E and the Cloudesley Association is trying to raise funds to return it to use. I don’t know whether they will be successful in a time when churches are being closed down rather than opened but we shall see.

The Old Royal Free Hospital

We crossed the road at the Old Royal Free Hospital. I described this in a previous post. It is now a residential estate. One can walk through to rejoin Upper Street but that is not where we were going today.

Sainsbury’s is open

We saw that Sainsbury’s was open again (handy if we run out of something or other) but as we were not in need of anything we continued on.

Chapel Market

We crossed the end of Chapel Market but didn’t go into it even though we thought that Costa might be open today.

Instead, we took our custom, as we did yesterday, to Starbuck’s in the High Street. The same system was in place: order at the counter and then wait outside for them to bring your coffee to you.

The High Street

The High Street was fairly busy, though mainly in bursts rather than continuously as it is normally. We did not tarry, however, but made straight for home with our coffee.

I said above that I would mention wreaths later. I know some of you like them. We photographed quite a few and I have gathered a collection of 12 but, rather than lengthen the post by inserting them individually, I have put them in the animated gif below

Christmas wreaths

It was very cold today and we put off going out until after lunch when the temperature had risen to a balmy 4°C and the sun was shining. Even so, the air was icy and I stuffed my hands down into my pockets between photos.

Wild Kong and Pentonville Road

I took this photo in Pentonville Road, with our old friend Wild Kong in view, to show the pale winter sun.

The Chapel Bar, Penton Street

We went along Penton Street where the Chapel Bar looked rather fine in the sunshine though it was of course closed.

White wreath

We collected a triplet of wreaths, this white one…

Gauze bow

…this unusual gauze arrangement that transforms the door into a pretend Christmas parcel and…

Glimpsed behind bars

..this one like a little Christmas tree. It was in an alcove behind a barred gate. We only noticed it by chance, and photographed it by poking our phones between the bars.

Chapel Market

We turned into Chapel Market which was, as expected, almost deserted. We had come here, hoping to find coffee. According to their website, Costa are open for takeaway today. Are they, though? Well, we will see.

Lost letters

We have already caught some shops with letters missing from their signs. This is the first with the name in cursive but nevertheless with missing letters.

In addition, though, this led to an interesting experiment. I tried photographing it from a different angle and found reflected light interfering.

Light interfering

I then remembered that I had brought the polarising filter with me. So I put it on the phone and…

Using the filter

…turned it while watching the image in the camera’s display. This was the best I could achieve but I think you’ll agree that it’s better than the photo without the filter, depending, of course, on the effect you are trying to achieve.

Wreath at the vegetarian restaurant

This small wreath was our last today.

Climbing plants?

I was rather taken by this façade decorated with a climbing flowering plant. Tigger, of course, pointed out that the flowers were in fact not real but made of plastic. How long did it take them to fix all those flowers to the vine, I wonder?

More missing letters

This shop also has a defective sign with a missing ‘S’. In fact, it looks as if the whole place could do with a little tlc.

This greengrocer’s was open…

The market of course was not present today and we were therefore surprised to find a greengrocer’s shop open.

…and so was this one

This one was open too. There seemed to be a couple of customers but I don’t know how much business they would have done today.

Coffee here sometimes but not today

We usually pick up our coffees here on the way home from shopping on Sunday but it was closed today, as we expected.

Costa also closed

Unfortunately, we also found Costa closed, despite the assertion on the website. No coffee today, then…

Dated 1912

How many times have we walked along Chapel Market? Today, for the first time, and both together, we noticed the date on this building – 1912. How many changes has it seen in the street, in London and in the world?

Upper Street and the Tram Shed

In Upper Street the sun was still picking out certain buildings, leaving others in deep shadow. Here it spotlights the old tram shed.

Starbuck’s was open

Unexpectedly, we found that Starbuck’s in the High Street was open. Starbuck’s is not my favourite coffee shop but it was a case of any port in a storm. We ordered at the counter and were then asked to wait outside in the street for them to bring the coffees to us.

At home we had a special something with our coffee. No, not Portuguese custard tarts, but panettone with hot custard. This provided a pleasant epilogue to our walk.