As we set out under grey skies that were threatening rain, I could already feel water in the air. While there was a light shower during part of the walk – not enough to make us deploy our umbrellas – the rain only began in earnest as we broached the last few yards to our front door. How fortunate was that?

Ladybird
Photo by Tigger

Tigger spotted this ladybird that had landed on my jacket and was now heading resolutedly to only it knew where. Is it a native ladybird or one of the invading Harlequin ladybirds? Ladybirds come in so many different forms that it’s hard for the non-expert to be sure. We tried to remove it gently to put it somewhere safe but it took off on its own account and we lost sight of it.

Duncan Terrace

From the Angel crossroads where we left our cups with Jusaka as usual, we crossed the road and walked along Duncan Terrace. I think this must be a pleasant place to live, as it overlooks the gardens.

Screened by trees

Further along, the houses are raised above the level of the road and separated from it by a band of trees and grass.

Rebuilt to the same design

This stand of houses in Colebrook Row claimed our attention because the colour of the bricks is different from that of those of the houses on either side of them. It is a reasonable speculation that the original houses were demolished – perhaps because of war damage – and these rebuilt to the original design.

Old hoist

As we travel about London, we are used to seeing these iron hoists on the front of buildings. Usually they are high up – at third or fourth floor level – on buildings that were once warehouses. This is the first time we have seen one at ground level and attached to a residential property. We can only surmise that at some time in the past, the occupant of this house maintained a business with a workshop or store in the basement requiring the hoist to move heavy items in and out.

The Old Queen’s Head

This rather fine pub is in Essex Road. It is currently called “The Old Queen’s Head” though the street beside it is simply Queen’s Head Street, suggesting that the adjective “old” was added later in its history. The present pub was built in 1830, replacing an older one.

Fine tiling

The tiling, green with gold capitals, is very fine and in very good condition. We could see no breaks, cracks or missing pieces. This suggests that this work was done much more recently than 1830. The pub was rebuilt in 1900 but I suspect this tile work might be more recent than that. Either way, it is a very handsome example of pub building.

St James Mission Hall

In Britannia Row is this rather handsome building, erected in 1834 as a mission hall by the Worshipful Company of Clothmakers. Nowadays it serves as a “studio” which, I think, means a recording studio. That’s better than it being demolished, I suppose.

Church of St James with St Peter

Not very far away is the Church of St James to which the mission hall would originally have belonged. Consecrated in 1875, this too was built as a charitable work by the Worshipful Company of Clothmakers. But why is it now “with St Peter”?

Here, perhaps, is the answer:

Church of St Peter

This is the Church of St Peter, or, rather, was the Church of St Peter. It was built in 1834-35 (spire added 1842-4) but has now been decommisioned and converted to residential use. Its lodger, St Peter, has apparently taken refuge in the Church of St James – hence the “with” addition.

Entrance with doorbells

Here you see the entrance to the church, modified to serve as the entrance to the apartments within, including two impressive vertical rows of doorbells.

Despite change of use, the building still possesses a Grade II listing.

Church of Our Lady of Czestochowa

In Devonia Road, we encountered the last of our three churches. Its name, for those who do not speak Polish, may be a tongue-twister: The Roman Catholic Polish Church of Our Lady of Czestochowa. I have not been able so far to find out anything about it beyond what is indicated by the name board on the church itself. Perhaps I will discover more later.

We had rambled quite a long way and I was expecting a long trek home while casting anxious glances at a rainy looking sky. Tigger’s “inner pigeon” triumph again, however, and surprisingly quickly, we found ourselves back in Duncan Terrace.

Wood pigeon bathing in a puddle

Continuing with the pigeon theme, we encountered this wood pigeon taking a bath in a puddle in Duncan Terrace. As our presence made him nervous, we passed by at a distance, so as not to disturb him.

A few yards more and a couple of roads to cross, and we reached our coffee oasis – Jusaka, thus bringing to an end today’s little expedition.

Today is cloudy and damp though not cold. Although it was threatening rain, we accepted the risk of taking a good walk. If the worst happened and the rain fell, we have our folding umbrellas tucked away in our handbags.

Laying fibre

In Cruikshank Street, the roadway has been closed and channels have been cut into the surface. A notice affixed to the barrier informs us that this is for the purpose of laying fibre for broadband.

I can’t help thinking that this is a scheme that will prove to be obsolete by the time the work of wiring the city is halfway complete. I say this because, with the advent of 5G, many suppliers are already offering wireless broadband at rates that are much cheaper than fibre connections. Who will want a clunky fibre router when they can have a take-anywhere wireless router for half the rental price?

Cruikshank Street, incidentally, is named after George Cruikshank (1792-1878), artist, caricaturist and engraver, who lived for some years in the area.

Rainbows to cheer us up

It has been a while since I have mentioned the rainbows and other paintings done by children and posted on windows and railings to cheer us up and to express gratitude to the NHS but they have continued to appear and they gladden our hearts as we pass by.

Thank you rainbow

These two appeared in the windows of neighbouring houses.

(If the windows look slightly asymmetrical, it is because I took them at an angle from the side – so as not to seem to peer indiscreetly into the rooms – and straightened them in the iPhone’s image editor. The software works well and the faults are mine,)

Remodelled windows

I was intrigued by the disposition of the windows on these rear façades. In several cases, the original brick window arches are much larger than the windows within them. It looks as though there had been some remodelling of the wall and windows. To what end, I wonder? Another mystery that cannot be solved by just looking.

Abandoned picture

We found this picture sitting forlornly on the pavement, apparently abandoned by its erstwhile owner who no doubt hopes that it will disappear, “recycled” by someone who takes a fancy to it. This seems to be a time-honoured way of disposing of serviceable but no longer wanted items in this neighbourhood.

Picture with wise saying

By means of the same magic mentioned above in connection with the windows, I have straightened the picture so that you can see how it might look on your wall. It shows a runner passing through mountainous terrain and beneath it is this motto: “The race is not always to the swift… but to those who keep on running.” A message for our times?

Intricate fanlight design

We passed through Granville Square (named after anti-slavery campaigner Granville Sharpe, 1735-1813) where several houses had this rather intricate design of fanlight. They are quite delicate and very many of them were broken with parts missing. Some had been “repaired”, often clumsily, and it was hard to find one that was seemingly entire.

House number in floor tiles

In Lloyd Baker Street, we spied a couple of houses that had their their house numbers both as metal numbers on the door and as numbers worked in tiles just in front if the doorstep. The two houses were side by side. Just as well this isn’t one if the streets whose houses have been renumbered!

Forbidden garden

We passed Lloyd Square which is one of those whose central garden is still private and accessible only by key-holders living in the square. Hence my concept of it as a “forbidden garden” – forbidden to us, at any rate.

In sight of Myddelton’s

And here were are finally approaching the corner premises of Myddelton’s. As usual we bought our coffee and then hot-footed it for home.

If nothing else, Covid-19 has given me an altogether more intimate knowledge of the district in which I live than I had before and for that I am grateful.

We needed to do some food shopping and instead of going to Sainsbury’s as usual, Tigger thought it was time to try something new.

Lidl, Tottenham Court Road
Photo by Tigger

Tigger took the bus to Tottenham Court Road and entered the above store, Lidl.

Having done the shopping, she returned home and we made a quick foray to Jusaka for our daily ration of coffee.

Verdict on Lidl? Cheaper than Sainsbury’s but they don’t stock all the items we need.

Today brought a novelty for me too. Some days ago, my dentist’s surgery emailed clients to say that they were now accepting appointments again.

Before the pandemic struck, I had two appointments for root canal work which were cancelled because of the emergency. I hadn’t yet responded to the email because I wasn’t sure I felt happy about engaging in the close contact that dentistry implies. Happily, I have not suffered any pain in the meantime and this encouraged me to keep putting the matter off.

Imagine my surprise when my phone rang this morning and I saw that it was the dentist’s surgery calling. The receptionist politely suggested that I might like to make new appointments to replace the missed ones. The dates proposed are for next Monday and the following Monday. Caught on the hop, I accepted the offer.

On the one hand, it is good to have the work done before the tooth starts aching in earnest as it is likely to do, but on the other, dentistry means close contact at a time when social distancing is still being urged on us and that makes me somewhat nervous. You can’t wear a face mask while having your teeth drilled!

It will be interesting to see what arrangements are being made by dentists to avoid infection. Do they perhaps wear visors like those we saw being worn by barbers in Amwell Street?

Come Monday, I shall find out…