Why Christmas in July? Is it that cold? Well, it has actually been quite cool up till today. We’ve even had the heat on sometimes, but today is a hot one, 27C – very warm for London. And I can’t open the window for some reason. It’s not too bad, though.
Well, see the last photo for the reason for the name of this blog entry.
I’ve taken some photos in the last few weeks so here goes with the mini stories behind them.
Two doors on what must have workers’ cottages on Seal Street or April Street, on the way to the doctor’s office. The owners of this land still have streets and areas named after themInside the doctor’s office, gone are all the rows of chairs and instead there are some widely spaced chairs – maybe five in all. I sat alone waiting to see a doctor. The door was firmly closed and I was admitted after giving my name over the intercom, and instructed to use hand sanitiser on my way in.In the middle of a pandemic, a plumber visit is something else! Hours of sitting with a mask on, hoping he wouldn’t need to use the toilet (he did) and wondering if it was rude not to offer him a cup of tea.The little things can make you smile. Like this marked down Cornish pasty that served as lunch that day. I love a bargain.Not everyone really cares about staying away from others. It’s worrying but almost heartening at the same time – looks so ‘normal.’
And it’s nice to see some colour in the quiet streets. This one was in a mews.The big St John at Hackney church had very few people on its grounds. There are hoardings and work is going on. Krish suggested the church was going to be luxury flats, but I’m sure that isn’t it. I need to check out what comes next for St JohnOn the other hand, under our noses while we were staying home, a few new flats have sprung up behind the Narrow Way in the St John grounds. Astounding! This is not our Hackney.In the shadow of St Augustine’s Tower and the new flats, peace prevailsThings have eased up since then, but there were some elaborate barriers to stop riders from approaching the bus driverI wonder if there are still weddings at the Town Hall. I suppose not. The grounds are fairly quiet.Walford Road Synagogue, founded in 1912, opened in 1920 and rebuilt in 1931
One oldie, one new piece of art off Stoke Newington High StreetSandringham Road was called the Front Line for years. There are still drug busts outside my window. This one involved three police cruisers and about six police officers. It started as a skirmish, involving yelling and handcuffs, (‘Calm down now!’) and ended peacefully when nothing was found. A few people were taking videos – sadly these days no one knows when evidence needs to be produced. Never a dull moment.Near the canal along Mare Street, time has moved slowly and, if not for the clothes the man is wearing, this could be decades ago.Donk is a paste-up artist. I love his work. He has left this on a wall on Sandringham Road at Cecilia Road. I love it. In his Instagram, Donk said that he grew up on Montague Road, which is only a street or two away from my flat. The little things… https://www.instagram.com/p/CCGo1BjlwUi/ tells the story and mentions the Front LineSo Christmas in July mainly refers to it being Krish’s birthday. I somehow managed to accumulate about five presents for him and these were some fish that I made from different colours of organza with metallic embroidery thread. They sit on the mantelpiece at the moment but they have loops so they can be hung somewhere. I made them in the dark behind a cushion so Krish couldn’t see. The number of mistakes is huge but I’m pleased with them
