Posted on by Janice

A new decade – what’s in store?

Tuesday, 7 January, 2020

It feels very strange to type 2020. I hadn’t thought of that before. Am I supposed to make resolutions for the whole decade? I really should. So far my only resolution for the year is to eat at one restaurant on my list every week. In fact, that wouldn’t take too many weeks so definitely doable.

I’d like to be less lazy, waste less time, do more – more of all sorts of things. So far so bad, though. There’s still time, right? Ten years less seven days, anyway.

On the third, I had tickets to go see a children’s version of The Nutcracker at Sadler’s Wells’ Lillian Baylis theatre. I love these shorter version of classic ballets. They’re perfect for my short attention span. First I took the bus to Islington Green at Angel to have a bit of lunch.

Walking along Upper Street
Walking along Upper Street
I went to Kanada-Ya and had an OK tonkotsu ramen
I went to Kanada-Ya and had an OK tonkotsu ramen
After lunch I walked along Camden Passage before getting my next bus
After lunch I walked along Camden Passage before getting my next bus
Japanese tea room - and the air smelled amazing from the Penhaligon shop
Japanese tea room – and the air smelled amazing from the Penhaligon shop
It's a short bus ride from Angel to Sadler's Wells
It’s a short bus ride from Angel to Sadler’s Wells

Juliet was going to bring her grandson but there was a last minute switch and instead we were taking her granddaughter, Dessi. Dessi was very excited and told me that she’d seen the ballet before, the CBeebies version. With Juliet on the aisle seat, me in the next, and Dessi closest to the centre, we sat and waited.

Even the short ballet version felt long at times. Dessi kept me entertained. After only a couple of minutes she announced I want to be a ballerina just like they are. I thought how lovely it was to be so inspired. When one of the dancers appeared onstage, she announced loudly – the lone voice above the iconic music – It’s the Sugar Plum Fairy, and after a few rapt minutes I love the Sugar Plum Fairy. She then loudly whispered to us, When I go back to your house, grandma, I’m going to dance all the way there. There were six ballerinas sharing roles on stage. Four were slender, two were sturdy. I noticed, just like last year, how lightly they landed with each leap and step. At the end of the show, all children are invited to come down to the stage to take photos with the dancers.

Dessi and I raced down to get there, only to find out that we had come down the wrong way. Up we went again and all the way to the back of the queue.

Anticipation - Dessi told me she wanted to dance on the stage
Anticipation while we waited – Dessi told me she wanted to dance on the stage

Everybody was moving slowly, parents were hogging the spotlight for their children – none of this surprising – and then suddenly with only half the children having moved down to the stage, we seemed to moving extra quickly.

Dessi had told me that she wanted to dance with them on stage so when she stood there, I reminded her and she held her arms above her head, all the dancers following her lead.

Finally, it was Dessi's turn
Finally, it was Dessi’s turn – I was too blind to notice the green light on her face
I reminded Dessi to pose and the dancers all copied her
I reminded Dessi to pose and the dancers all copied her
Dessi glanced around to see that they were all posing with her
Dessi glanced around to see that they were all posing with her
A delighted girl leaves the stage
A delighted girl leaves the stage

I went back to Islington only four days later – today – mostly for a walk and to get some groceries. For a few days one section of Upper Street has been under construction to create Islington Square.

We passed Ottolenghi and I added it to my list - I haven't been for ages
We passed Ottolenghi and I added it to my list – I haven’t been for ages
Based on the lights, it looked like Islington Square was finally open
Based on the lights, it looked like Islington Square was finally open – notice the columns above the entrance
A nice arcade leading to the square
A nice arcade leading to the square
Pubic piano along the arcade
Pubic piano along the arcade – with two musicians!
Through the arcade steps leading up to some fancy shops inside the square
Through the arcade steps leading up to some fancy shops inside the square
Looking back through the arcade from the square
Looking back through the arcade from the square

Leaving the square, I was surprised at these back streets of an otherwise well-heeled neighbourhood
Leaving the square, I was surprised at these back streets of an otherwise well-heeled neighbourhood – workers’ cottages?

Islington (Angel) has a posh veneer and sometimes it’s more than a veneer. The N1 postcode has cachet. Cachet comes with a price. A one-bedroom flat in the Islington Square development starts at £750,000. I wish I’d saved some of the sponsored posts I’ve had from developer Galliard Homes. The comments were hilarious, mostly from people calling Galliard on their ‘shoddy, overpriced’ properties during a time when affordable housing is becoming rare. I have to say, if I had £750k, Islington Square wouldn’t be the place I chose to live. But the square has promise. I’ll go again when the shops start to open up. At the very least I need to look again at the ODEON Luxe & Dine Islington. Is that a thing elsewhere?

And if I had any doubt that Christmas is over...
And if I had any doubt that Christmas is over…it was after all the day after twelfth night
And still enjoying the little Christmas indulgences at home
And still enjoying the little Christmas indulgences at home

 

One Reply to “A new decade – what’s in store?”

  1. ODEON Luxe & Dine sounds like the AMC Dine-In here. Tickets now are for a specific numbered seat, which is a comfy automatic recliner. You can order food like pizza and burgers before the film starts, and it will be brought to your seat. I’ve never done the dining but the seats are great.

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