Time Warps in London – A Singularity

Sunday, 16 January, 2022

I suppose this happens in lots of urban areas, but walking in London can feel like you have a portable time machine or a holodeck. The mass of new and even futuristic, or otherworldly, buildings have replaced old London, but only in patches. Peeking out here and there and taking over in other patches buildings from older times stubbornly remain. I recently saw a photo called Layers of London and I understood that concept. I’ve also become aware of the layers that are underneath the layers we now live in, so while buildings are now reaching towards the sky, I also think of how below me it must reach.  It all seems to live in harmony. On this Sunday I was very conscious of the harmonious contrast, then on the following day it came home to me once more. But I won’t jump ahead yet.

Krish had seen a structure from the bus that seemed worth a visit. At first we thought it was permanent, but then discovered it wouldn’t be staying so we set out to take a closer look. What he’d seen was an orb which cycles through an LED coloured sequence, called Singularity by Squidsoup – the name alone was intriguing enough. It sits in the front courtyard of a new complex called Principal Place in between Shoreditch High Street Station and Liverpool Street Station.

Map of Worship Street walk
We started at the bottom of the map – and worked our way up to the top, small turns with big results

It was a clear, cold evening and the night before the wolf moon – the full moon of January. It already looked quite full and very bright. Here in London’s financial district, a wolf moon seemed appropriate.

Principal Tower is tall for London, at 50 storeys. It’s residential, not commercial, and was completed in 2019. Principal Place office block is lower, with only 15 storeys.  Both buildings were designed by the architects Foster and Partners. We’ve been hearing a lot about Richard Rogers lately so Foster’s name is top of mind. So there’s more Star Trek going on here – Singularity. ‘8m geodesic sphere with volumetric real time LED lighting’ – so there you go. My camera didn’t do it justice, so there’s a website here where you can see what it looks like. The video there shows the depth and detail of the lovely piece. It’s hard to capture a 3D object in a 2D format. and my own photos and videos are shallow by comparison so do take a look.

We wanted to drag a chair over but the security guard said no, so we sat in one of the large wooden chairs they’re kind enough to have over to the side of the building.  The sphere, the almost-wolf moon, the clarity everywhere, and the fact we were mostly alone there made everything feel calm and reassuring. Cities have their own beauty.


The photo that didn’t work (I’m sure I took it but #fail) is the one that showed the moon framed within Singularity – that one would have been lovely, so you’ll have to imagine the contrast and harmony of that one.

In the same courtyard is another art installation of a person – like a sketch or outline for a drawing. James Burke did this giant blue steel work, which weighs 1.2 tonnes. It’s called In Anticipation since the character is stepping forward from its plinth (all difficult to see in that dark night so worth a daytime look – ‘the waiting figure appears to have descended from its plinth and is perched against it. Leaning forward expectantly with its head looking back towards the high street.


This wouldn’t be the end of the art, unsurprisingly in London and this area in particular, but there were hidden gems ahead. Once more we stepped away from the familiar and found ourselves in new territory with that mixed feeling that is surprise and ‘well, of course’ that comes with discovering streets we’ve somehow never walked down. The density is overwhelming. So I looked up the meaning of Singularity. It’s bandied about often on Star Trek but I’ve not thought much about what it meant – ‘a point at which a function takes an infinite value, especially in space–time when matter is infinitely dense, such as at the centre of a black hole.’

We thought at first we’d walk down just one street to see what was there and I was distracted by the thought that I’d never actually gone into the courtyard of Broadgate Tower. It was right in front of me now so up the stairs we went to look a bit more closely. I’ve always loved the geometric structure. It has very tall (functional) steel girders that reach diagonally – a very interesting design which was created to ‘reflect shadows and produce light that would change throughout the day.’) At night it’s dramatic.



And the old refrain of I must come back when it’s daytime. Both buildings have green credentials and I hear there’s an area for bees, birds, insects and butterflies on one tower roof, and a peregrine falcon bird box on the other. I wonder if they are open to the public.

We thought we would walk down the street towards Moorgate. We were on Worship Street. In the 1700s this was all fields apparently and was called Hog Lane. Today it’s a commercial area with warehouses, clubs and offices but also a very cool strip of listed Victorian workshops, artisan these days. Having just come from two monumentally modern and stylish steel and glass blocks, it was definitely a time warp. There was a film crew about so the buildings were obscured.  Are you tired yet of me saying I must come back? We passed lots of clubs on the ground floor of converted warehouses and there was enough of a trickle of people heading towards them to keep them open.



We were still heading towards Moorgate, but to our right we saw a forked road and suddenly the thought of seeing something we hadn’t seen before was more appealing. We decided to take the left one, Clifton Street, with more warehouses.

A fork in the road
A fork in the road – which way to go?
Shine Your Light mural
‘Shine Your Light’ mural outside Zetland House by Luke Smile. Aptly named. His artwork always gives positive messages
Zetland House was once a printing house for the Bank of England. The wall is painted by David Shillinglaw

As we passed the wall mural we thought we’d hit a dead end, but straight ahead of us was a gate. It felt a little dangerous to go through but we’d done well so far and went ahead. It wasn’t so scary once we were in there. In fact, there was a bit of a garden beside us, with another wall mural by Noir. What did seem a bit spooky was a large, gothic-looking church in a yard right ahead of us. We were both a bit surprised by it – a church that we’d never known was there before.



We walked beside Mark Street Gardens, apparently one of the youngest parks in London, created in the early 1980s. And once through, we found ourselves on Leonard Street. So many restaurants here and there, mostly closed, with an occasional pair of partyers wandering by. This was an area that we should know better but actually don’t.



When we hit Great Eastern Street, I thought about going down New Inn Yard again to get the bus home on Shoreditch High Street but instead we chose a small road ahead of us. I was totally surprised to find myself beside Blacklock on Rivington Street, which is really close to Old Street. This was accidentally a better choice and a good reminder that the density of London means my mind can place something much further away than it actually is. It was just one bus home from Old Street, a perfect accidental discovery.






And homeward it was!

Regaining my feet in 2022 – Rooftops and Lloyds on Fenchurch Street

Thursday, 6 January, 2022 – Twelfth Night

Writing things down is happening in my head again on an intangible surface, rarely making it into anyone else’s head. Sometimes there’s a narrative of what I’m seeing and how I feel about it, but it stays in there. It’s not that that isn’t valuable and even contributes to my sense of self and, therefore, my outward self. But inside it stays for the time being. If I post photos, most of those thoughts and feelings are just for the time I’m sharing them and just with myself. In December, two people close to me died. I suppose that such words come to me more often at times like this, when I ponder the fragility of life and all the questions that are unasked and unanswered.

So it was a bittersweet Christmas time and a bit hard to pull myself out of that heavy mood and get out there. By twelfth night I’d put away almost every Christmas item – a bit ahead of my usual schedule. The Museum of the Home had closed over Christmas for longer than expected and there would be no twelfth night burning of the holly and ivy, something I’d loved in the past. This year many public buildings and restaurants opted for a long break while Omicron kept people at home and staff numbers dwindled due to illness. It was a cold and grey day but it wasn’t raining and we decided to go out.

We took a bus to Fenchurch Street. The original plan was to go to Bow Lane and I confess to being motivated by an advertised cake at Konditor. From there we could walk over to 120 Fenchurch Street where they have a rooftop viewing garden. It didn’t go according to plan but it went well, anyway.

We got off the bus and decided that, since it was still light, we’d go to 120 first. I’d been there before without Krish but he’d never been so we wandered along the strangely quiet street. There was quite a queue to get into Skygarden, though, and I was glad that wasn’t our choice for the day.

The Garden at 120 isn’t very far from Skygarden. It’s also not as high, at 15 floors, but I’d liked it when I went. It’s the City of London’s largest roof top public space, is fully open air, quiet and the view is more intimate when you’re closer to everything. We were the only people heading for it. Even going through Security was quiet and fun. The person scanning our bags had a good chat with Krish comparing beard experiences. It felt friendly and personal.


I’ve not been in the warmer months but I’ve read it has  wisteria trees, fruit trees and a 200ft-long water feature. None were apparent on this cold January day.


You can walk around the perimeter – the full 360 degrees of view. There are many seats to relax on and just enjoy the air and the surrounding buildings. There’s no space to stick a camera through for clear photos so all of them are taken through the thick safety glass. I’ve decided not to caption them. There are some iconic landmarks, but I’m not sure it matters. You can ask me in the comments if you need to know more. You may notice, however — St Paul’s, Hays Galleria, the Tower of London, and the Shard.










And up here you’re close to the cranes and construction. It fills the entire South side.



While we were there, two other people came up – only two. Note to ourselves to come back when it’s warm, to see the flowers and plants in bloom and the water feature flowing. I have a feeling it might still be quiet and peaceful.

We left the building and started to walk westward, through Star Alley, when we found this church – St Olave’s, which I’d heard of.


St Olave Hart Street is one of the few mediaeval churches to survive the Great Fire of London. Samuel Pepys and his wife are buried there.
Charles Dickens who lived close by, called St Olave’s ‘St Ghastly Grim’, referring to the gargoyles on the churchyard gate – if they’re still there, I didn’t notice them. St Olave’s has been a place of Christian worship and sanctuary for almost 1000 years, the first church dating from 1050, a simple timber structure. It was rebuilt in stone in the 13th century, and rebuilt again in 1450. The crypt dates from this period.
357 victims of the 1665 Plague were buried in the churchyard. Their names were marked with a ‘p’ in the church register. The church was heavily damaged during the Blitz of 1941, leaving just the arches and the tower and was restored in 1954. After looking around outside this surprisingly small building, we realised there was a lot to see if we stayed right where we were.

Along London Street we found Fenchurch Street Station, which had looked very small and interesting through the modern building maze below. I wanted to go inside as I’d never been. Immediately inside the station you’re faced with an up and a down escalator and one flight of stairs. So up we went.

At the top of the escalator I expected to see a station hall, but instead we saw gates right in front of us leading to only four platforms – quite the smallest train terminal I’d ever seen in London, every train heading through East London, and South Essex.



We headed back to Fenchurch Street and at the corner we came across a lovely old pub, the East India Arms. It’s been serving beer since 1829. The British East India Trading Company’s old premises are right next door. It traded until 1834 and in 1873 Lloyds took over the building.



Just beyond the pub was a gate and we could see a very modern building through it. The building had a look similar to the Lloyds so-called Inside Out building on Lime Street. Looking more closely, there was a good reason for that. It’s also designed by Richard Rogers. It was quite a lovely courtyard with a light-wrapped tree and some lovely benches where I could take a break.


Lloyds owned the land on which it had buildings and in the early 1990s, two unlisted ones were demolished to create a space to build something new. Work began in 1996 and was finished in 2000. Richard Rogers stamp is very clear.

On Fenchurch Street itself (71) is the original Lloyds Register building, called the Collcutt building. It is described as a classical stone palazzo in the 16th century Italian manner.




I hadn’t known a lot about Lloyds and its holdings and businesses before and I don’t know much know either. My wanderings are usually just that and I don’t do much research before I set out. I really can’t when I don’t have a specific target. When researching later, the details can feel overwhelming and make me want to go straight back to fill in the gaps. In this case I found out that the Richard Rogers Register building excavations uncovered Roman remains and reminders of other centuries. It’s a toss-up whether I’d like to reinvent myself as an archaeologist or a London guide!

Briefly, though, Lloyds Register was the world’s first marine classification society, created more than 260 years ago to improve the safety of ships. It began in 1760 in Edward Lloyd’s Coffee House in Lombard Street. While looking at the buildings and perhaps while you’ve been looking at them, there’s an assumption that this is part of Lloyds Bank. The fact that Richard Rogers designed both new buildings cements this assumption. In fact, Lloyd’s Register has no affiliation with Lloyd’s of London. And so I learned something new…again. And again, a half-promise to come back and see the Colcutt building and St Olave’s church gate some other time.

Talking of time, it was marching on and my knees told me to head home. We wanted to come home by Whitechapel and fix Krish’s samosa craving, so we continued along Fenchurch Street to find a bus. That’s when I discovered that Fenchurch Street becomes Aldgate and we were right at a familiar bus stop to take us the rest of the way. Before that though, and perhaps to compensate for missing Dickens’ ghastly gargoyle gate, I found the gate to St Botolph without Aldgate. I love a bit of gild. Of course, I’ve now discovered that the church has its own set of grisly and fascinating histories. Another time then… On the other hand, there are 48 churches in the square mile of the City of London and each one has a story. This is usually a multi-levelled story passing through centuries, often from Roman times, and it really would be a full-time job. For now, it’s samosas, kebabs, dhal with aubergine, naan, and Indian sweets to see us through more than a few post-Christmas meals.

Christmas in London 2021

Monday, 27 December, 2021

There are just so many photos. This year I thought I could get into town and look at things and I suppose I did better than I thought, but not as well as I hoped. But at least I did get out a bit, worried every time about being in the bus and then encountering crowds.

In the interest of having something to look back on, I’m creating this blog. Last year we went into the west end at Christmas time and there was no one there. We had the streets mostly to ourselves, the buses were quiet, the shops were closed. This year things were quite different. I don’t think the numbers with Covid were smaller, but there was no lockdown, no real restrictions, and people were seemingly unworried as they crowded together on the buses, the trains, in the shops, and in the streets. It was all a bit mindboggling.

There was a cool light display at Guildhall. I’d never actually been there so it was a good excuse to go along. At first I saw that there were no booking slots left, but then Krish found out that they accepted walk-ins, so we decided to chance it one fine evening.

The show was called Borealis. It was  inspired by the Northern Lights and achieved by laser lights and vapour over the Guildhall yard. We enjoyed the fact it was outside and something different and entertaining.

We also did a trip to Covent Garden one day  We looked around Seven Dials, Neal’s Yard – which was lacklustre compared to other years – and went into the Piazza to check out the Frozen display. It promised ‘snow’ once an hour so we timed it as best we could and caught the very nice smelling scene there.






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From Covent Garden we walked along the Strand and past the Savoy, where they were queuing for Pretty Woman. We headed straight towards Somerset House to see the skating.


Although we’ve had a laugh over the rink at Somerset House, somehow it’s become a Christmas tradition to go along and take a look. I remember the years of watching the skaters slosh through the water that collected on top of the ice. We’d have a giggle wondering how they were doing that. We still had a giggle this time watching how many people simply can’t skate and thinking back to the rinks in Toronto where everybody was confident on the ice and some even managing some fancy jumps and other moves. This year people were doing a bit better and the ice was quite solid. I smiled at the people with the funny little pushy things they were using as new skaters, but then I can’t skate at all, so can’t really be too smug. All in all, Somerset House at Christmas with its colourful lights on the rink is quite pretty.

I also did manage to get to the Museum of the Home Christmas Past exhibition. The rooms were slightly different this year with some additional ones. I’m not including those here but this is their lovely atrium Christmas tree.

Thinking about last year’s peaceful Boxing Day, we went into the West End on the 27th. What a difference. See for yourself! There were people everywhere. We started on Oxford Street, headed over to Liberty to see their nice but not very Christmassy display, checked out the Lavazza store, headed down Carnaby Street, walked around and across Piccadilly Circus, back up to Shaftesbury Avenue and through Soho to our bus home on Oxford Street again.


It was a somewhat quieter day when we headed over to Leadenhall Market to see their tree. The rest of the walk was also very quiet, through to Broadgate and home on the train.


Hackney isn’t a very illuminated borough. The only decorations and light are by the Town Hall. The tree this year was very full and made a lovely sight after dark.

As for our Christmas at home, I made six little gingerbread houses and this year’s wreath wasn’t bad. On the day we had a couple of grazing plates at lunch time with a steak and mushrooms for dinner. We had a house theme in gifting, which was fun. Then on Boxing Day I made a pork tenderloin, apple and mushroom stuffing, mashed potato and cranberry sauce – not the  most photogenic meal but delicious nonetheless.



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There really are more photos but let’s leave it at these. Happy 2022!

Sheffield (part four) – all of the street art I saw

26-28 October, 2021

I already knew that Sheffield is a mecca for street art. One of the foremost street artists, Phlegm, is based there. He once did a huge mural in Toronto and I went by a few times, once seeing him at work and, when he came to get a coffee (black) at the bar where I was sitting, I uncharacteristically lost my nerve to say hello and ask him some questions. Well, I’m not always that person. To be honest, I don’t really like the St Clair mural he did then and I don’t understand why he diverted somewhat from his usual style. Whatever that is, I’ve seen it elsewhere in the world because it’s unique and unmistakable.

But…back to Sheffield. I had a street art map and some notes from my friend, Susanne. I also knew that I couldn’t walk that much so I would see what I’d see, not look for anything specific, and I was sure to come across things in the centre of town. This page is a landing space for the art I did see.

I have almost definitely put some things in twice (you may not even notice, but tell me if you do) and I will caption only the ones I have something to say about.

You could insert yourself into the scene
On Kelham Island – You could insert yourself into the scene and these young women were taking photos of each other doing just that. They scurried away when they saw me ready to take a photo. Considerate!

Brick work art
On Kelham Island – There was a good representation of art made from different coloured bricks in walls. I’d seen this done in Milan before…
Framed art on Kelham Island
Framed art on Kelham Island. It was a bit curious seeing it there, tucked out of the way in a little mews type road – would be a lovely spot to live

More brick art
More brick art near Castlegate. This one seemed iconic – its called Steelworker

A hill I missed
We were on our way out of Sheffield to the train station and we passed this hill. There’s no way I could have climbed it, no matter how much I wanted to. It’s a goal now
Sign language near the train station
Sign language near the train station – can anyone read it?
OK - Gruesome!
OK – Gruesome!

These three photos are Phlegm art
These last three photos are Phlegm art

bsh

 

Phlegm art taken by Krish
Phlegm art taken by Krish when he wandered without me

All the Sheffield blog links:
Sheffield (part one) – A long-awaited exploration – Arriving
Sheffield (part two) – Kelham Island mostly
Sheffield (part three)- An evening out and the next morning – Leaving
Sheffield (part four) – All the street art

All the Sheffield blog links:
Sheffield (part one) – A long-awaited exploration – Arriving
Sheffield (part two) – Kelham Island mostly
Sheffield (part three)- An evening out and the next morning – Leaving
Sheffield (part four) – All the street art

Sheffield (part three) – An evening out and the next morning – Leaving

27-28 October, 2021

Krish found a restaurant and we went there late. It was in a very modern commercial building – in fact, I almost felt like I was back in Toronto.  Had a totally Yorkshire-themed dinner other than a maple syrup bourbon cocktail, elote (poorly done but edible) and some beetroot. We had Yorkshire fish cake, Henderson’s relish steak and ale pie (yep, Krish strikes again) and two desserts – Yorkshire pudding with ice cream and salted caramel sauce and a Liquorice Allsorts milk Jelly. Yay.

Here’s my hungryonion review:
Sheffield on the whole turned out to be somewhat of a letdown for dining. I definitely need to find some local recommendations – came up empty this time, but we’re certain we will go again. We did, however, have one decent (and in parts lovely) meal at The Furnace, which is by its own description: ’ …a melting pot, forged from the elements that make our city unique. Where industrial heritage, meets modern design. Where local ingredients are cast into new, imaginative menus.’ What I expected was Yorkshire fare with a modern twist and I got it. The Furnace is in the regenerated modern centre, a light and airy interior. They sat us in a booth and I squeezed myself in.

We shared a cocktail. We aren’t big drinkers. This was a smoked maple bourbon. Pretty and quite delicious. The little smoking stick was cool.

We had a starter of Yorkshire fishcake. It was like a crispy fishcake with a layer of fish in the centre. I really liked it. It was served with a fried egg and some tartare sauce. Again, we shared. We always share a full meal between us – usually with two starters but this time we stuck with just one. Fish cake had been on my list so that one’s done, and I would do it again.

The main course was a Henderson’s Relish steak and potato pie. The famously local relish is like Worcestershire Sauce but no fishy component. I had tried it the previous day and thought it tasted like sherry vinegar with a hint of heat. Not as special as I’d hoped but the pie was decent enough. The meat could have been more tender and there could have been more of it, but we dug in. I added extra Henderson’s – well, I had to really, to get into the Yorkshire spirit. Not only that but the server was so enthusiastic about it. Do you want some more Henderson’s Relish with that that, she asked gleefully, winking at me as if to say, of course you do. How could you not?

We had two sides. One was elote, the other a coal roasted beetroot salad. Neither is worth a re-order or a photo. Not nasty but no.

Not having had two starters, we opted for two desserts. The server had asked us, If you want a recommendation, the creme brulee is amazing. When she came back to ask what we wanted I said, I’m going to have to disappoint you, but the creme brulee just don’t fit in with the Yorkshire theme. We ordered Yorkshire pudding with ice cream and salted caramel sauce, and a Liquorice Allsorts milk pudding. I loved the Allsorts pudding. It was like a panna cotta, so quite light, and it definitely aced the Liquorice Allsorts flavour. I could eat two! The Yorkshire pudding would have been perfect if it were hot and had a hot sauce too but it was still very enjoyable.

No coffee for us. A good meal served by friendly servers who we could joke with. We were the last people to leave. Nice one.

Henderson’s relish, as I found out the day before, tastes mostly like vinegar with a hint of chili so, while originally high on my list, I didn’t buy a bottle. Oh well. I also meant to go see the old Henderson’s factory, which was on the tram route and is affectionately called Hendo’s, but I ran out of steam and leg power.

You can lick the screen now for the food pics.

You’re welcome. We walked back a different way, making our way along some hoarding, which told us this newer area was still being built. After having had a cocktail and our first decent meal, we had a later night and slept well.

The next morning we had opted for breakfast in the hotel so that we didn’t waste time looking for somewhere during our final hours in Sheffield. I didn’t hold up much hope for a good breakfast but at least a reliable one that would send us away not needing much lunch. Krish always thinks we will get up in the morning and go out and have breakfast and explore, then come back to the hotel and pack to check out. Wrong! This never happens. We always get up and have a lazy morning, enjoying being warm and the rest, then pack and check out at the last possible minute.

We went down to breakfast and it was sadly and also predictably pathetic. The hot food laid out in piles – I mean like fried eggs piled on top of each other so definitely a little hard, the sausages barely touched by the griddle (anemic rubbery things), overdone salty bacon, some cold and also not tasting cooked black pudding, some cold hashbrowns, and three cauldrons – one with gloopy baked beans, one with hot tinned mushrooms and one with … um… I have no idea what it was! the grilled tomato was nice. The toaster didn’t work. There were three cereals but I don’t eat it. The cold option was some salami, but no fork to serve it with. there was cheap orange juice, a frothy something – maybe apple juice? The tea and coffee wasn’t served fresh at the table. It was from a machine or there was a thermos with hot water for some tea. No table service, no welcome, nothing. but we ate enough to not be hungry and we left. There were also two dogs in the dining room – i don’t like this. Apologies to the dog lovers, but I’d rather the dogs stay in their room with one person willing to stay with them and eat at a different time. Anyway, it was it was, and also as expected so – done!

We checked out and went to the Winter Garden and then to the Sheffield makers’ shop, where we didn’t feel very welcome,  and the Millenium Gallery. We didn’t linger.  I wasn’t in the mood. We walked over to find some graffiti, but my legs were really sore and we didn’t get far. At least I was able to get some photos.


Historic bells in the Millennium Gallery
In the Millennium Gallery. The bells date back to the 1860s and are an example of many made by Naylor-Vickers. They were popular due to their low cost in comparison to bronze bells, but now very few exist

We found the old part of The Moor shopping centre – the older type market with the little kiosk stalls. It reminded me of Cardiff, and actually most of these town market centres. I sat and waited while Krish wandered around.

Halfway!
I was so intrigued by the bus that displayed Halfway as its destination. Halfway to where?

Then I suggested we  check out a part of town we hadn’t seen yet – Ecclesall road, and Sharrowvale. It was 1:30pm and our train was at 3:37 and suddenly that sounded like not such a very good idea after all when we didn’t have a clue how to get there or what we were doing. We ditched the idea in favour of making it our first stop next time. Instead we wandered around south of the main road where our hotel was. We found a lot of repurposed ‘works’ down there and some old houses that were quite fascinating and then everything gave way to student housing (new or in very old buildings) and an old speedway type road before everything looked pretty industrialised as we got closer to the railway track. I hoped we would stumble on a student café, but nothing.  Everything seemed closed and there wasn’t much foot traffic.



I told Krish to go enjoy himself, pick up the case and meet me at the station twenty mins before the train. Off he went and I started looking for a snack and a hot chocolate, my legs giving out by then. There was a hot chocolate shortage (none anywhere), I don’t drink tea before train journeys, and I’m off coffee. Hmm. Then i found a convenience store with some machine hot chocolate, grabbed a bag of popcorn, and looked for somewhere to sit. Inside Sheffield station there are no seats. NONE. unless you are sitting at one of the cafes that didn’t have my drink so i sat outside in the cold and wind and waited. I had a lovely but unintelligible chat with a drunk or stoned homeless man who was clutching a £20 note. i told him I’m not from here, I’m sorry I don’t understand your accent, and I’m sorry i have no money on me. What are you going to spend your twenty on? he just blinked at me, slurred some more words and left. Hmmm. Then Krish arrived and we caught the train.

Au revoir, Sheffield. We’re hoping to return.

All the Sheffield blog links:
Sheffield (part one) – A long-awaited exploration – Arriving
Sheffield (part two) – Kelham Island mostly
Sheffield (part three)- An evening out and the next morning – Leaving
Sheffield (part four) – All the street art