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Trivia! Dates, dull days, daffodils, simple food, and dolls!

Tuesday, 23 January, 2018

How do you say the name of the year? Since 1999 is said nineteen-ninety-nine, it’s odd that I persist in saying two thousand eighteen.  Pretty sure that I’ll start anew when it’s twenty-twenty, which has a nice if scary ring to it. Trivia.

Such dull days deserve a little colour and M&S already have daffodils! They’re the usual pound a bunch so I got two. I’ve stayed home more than I wanted to and made do with things in the fridge a lot of days.

On this particular day, along with the usual burrata dish, I came up with a salad made with beets, squash, soft goats cheese and toasted walnuts. Not bad. Am slowly working my way towards a no-sugar, low but good carb eating pattern. It’s always felt good to me and yet I persist in eating too many sugar and carb meals. Even this salad isn’t the best – beets being sugar and the squash being a starchy food. More trivia.

With the days being so dark and even cold – it actually snowed for a while on Sunday – I made another doll as a surprise for a friend who is into witchy pursuits. She is ready to be posted.

I’m happy with how cute she is.

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The Shard, Bermondsey, and Alice

Wednesday, 17 January, 2018

Today we went to see an exhibition of Alice in Wonderland prints at the Eames Fine Art Gallery on Bermondsey Street.  These prints are from the original woodblocks on which Tenniel made his drawings and the  Brothers Dalziel, master engravers, engraved.  You can read more about this and about John Tenniel at the bottom of this blog post.

We arrived at London Bridge and decided to walk through the newer part of the station entrance, which landed us right at the Shard. It was an incredibly windy day. I could hardly stand against it. Seems the wind was mostly in some corridors since it wasn’t like that everywhere.

The Shard
The Shard

I then promptly got lost trying to find the gallery. Going a different way threw me completely off. I’m a terrible map reader!

After one false start, we found Bermondsey Street, and the gallery was pretty close to the corner. The walls were covered in framed prints so we went right in. I absolutely loved looking at them and reading the bits and pieces that were around. At one point the gallery guide came up and talked to me and explained how much detail was in each engraving, and showed me a couple of her favourites.  She also suggested I use a magnifying glass to see them properly. I have a lot of trouble focussing with a magnifying glass but what I did manage was quite incredible.

Above is the gallery guide’s favourite. I really like it too. The white marks in the circle at the front of the picture are apparently scratches that appeared mysteriously and no one knows how they got there.

The detail!
The detail!

I’ve never looked at those illlustrations so closely, close enough to notice Tenniel’s signature and that of the Dalzeil brothers. Amazing how beloved these pictures are.

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Hackney Road and agoraphobia

Tuesday, 16 January, 2018

Yesterday I had a plan – in my free time I wanted to go to Hoxton and along Great Eastern Street to check out any new street art. I also thought about having lunch and making the most of the three of four spare hours. But when I got out, the plan collapsed.

From the age of seven, I’ve had agoraphobia. I was twenty-seven before I had a name for it but it was instantly clear that’s what it was when I read a newspaper lifestyle article about it. This was me! It’s too long a story but the short version is that I pushed and pushed to get someone to agree to my self diagnosis, and then I found the doctor who knew how to assess and treat it. It was hard work but I now consider myself recovered. Recovered like an alcoholic is recovered, only one step away from relapsing!

I cope day to day and am generally proud of myself. Then every now and again I have one of those days. Like yesterday.

Standing at the bus stop to go to Hoxton, I faltered. Butterflies in my stomach (which I know now are ectopic heartbeats) lightheaded, shakiness, feeling of fear and doom. I wanted to turn back for home but, after a good talking to myself, I decided to jump on the bus anyway and see what happened.

Bus stop at Hackney Town Hall, with the Hackney Empire behind me
Bus stop at Hackney Town Hall, with the Hackney Empire across the road

I made a compromise with myself. I’d go to the Cambridge Heath station stop and walk along Hackney Road. Having a plan (and a parachute in the form of my bus pass, mobile phone, and friendly camera) off I went and off I got at the promised spot. Once out of the bus I knew what I wanted to do – walk down one side of the road as far as Hackney City Farm and then up the other.

It was a deal! And here follow the photos.

Loretto Queen and Corgi street art
I’ve seen this Loretto from the bus many times and this is the first time I’ve stood next to it and taken the photo
Cambridge Heath graffiti alley
This alley beside the railway tracks is rich in street art but today I was alone so didn’t go down

Hackney Road street art
Hackney Road has a huge amount of street art

Hackney Road oddities
Along the way some interesting things to look at. A florist specialising in cacti and a pawnbroker’s sign outside what is now a corner bar

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A walk to Tesco – pictorial essay

Monday, 15 January, 2018

Today I woke up to a very cold, windy and wet day. The skies are dark and I’m glad I have nowhere special to go. I’ve decided to document my neighbourhood a bit by taking a walk in different directions and doing a pictorial essay.

I’m planning several so if this is not your thing, move along!

My first walk was to the Tesco supermarket yesterday and nothing could be more routine than that. Explanations in the captions under each photo.

Ground level view
Leaving the house – my window view at ground level
Curved street
Walking towards Hackney Central on my street. I love that it’s curved – somehow I always find that shape romantic
Decorated tree
This house on my street always has its tree decorated. Gives me a smile every time
Railway bridge
Towards the railway bridge. There’s another just around the corner – the two lines are close
Arches
Under the railway bridge are the ‘arches.’ with space at a premium, many businesses start up here. Sometimes they’re rough, like these body shops but often they are trendy (more of those another time)
Caribbean cuisine
A lot of Caribbean cooking in these parts. This the spot I can pick up plantain – yum!
Pembury Tavern
There’s a five point junction at the top of the street. In the centre is the refurbished 19th century Pembury Tavern. You can also some of the many buses
Shops Amhurst Road
On the other side of my street, the disappointing selection of shops, including the worst Chinese food anywhere, a burger (from frozen) joint, and a sushi place run by not-Japanese people
Gentrification
Hackney Central is slowly gentrifying. Soon everything will look like this
Old Pembury
As a contrast – on the left an old estate building and on the right an old building that has been reclad

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Culinary Distractions – Shikumen and Mercato Metropolitano

Sunday, 14 January, 2018

Here I sit on yet another cold, grey morning after a couple of frivolous Netflix half hours. It seems to me that this is the greyest January I can remember in London. Krish says it’s always like this. Maybe I have the February blahs a little early.

Then there are culinary distractions!

The first was Shikumen and our third visit to this Aldgate location. We don’t usually go to expensive restaurants, preferring hole in the wall discoveries, hidden gems where only locals visit. Then we saw that a new Aldgate location of the small chain, Shikumen, was opening in the Dorsett Hotel near the tube station. For the first month they were offering 50% off all food if you reserved a table. Great opportunity! We seized it.

We visited Shikumen twice that month. The food was expertly cooked, the space was clean and modern, and the service was attentive and friendly. It was a no-brainer. However, the prices are high and we’re used to a cosy plate in Toronto’s Chinatown, so the discount is a must.

Just before Christmas Shikumen offered 50% off gift certificates so we ordered two and waited for the new year.

Our first visit was for dinner last week. I completely surprised myself by walking the 5.5km all the way along Mare Street, Cambridge Heath Road and Whitechapel Road to Aldgate. I was very happy to see the Dorsett in view at the end of the route.

Whitechapel sign
Whitechapel is changing from a rundown East End neighbourhood to one that is modern and corporate
View from Shikumen
The view from Shikumen shows that Aldgate too is definitely 21st century

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