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DeBeauvoir Town, Gainsborough Studios, Plaquemine Lock,The Wellcome Collection

Thursday, 25 January, 2018

After some wet and windy days, when staying home seemed exactly what was best, there was some fair weather. Perfect for a long walk. I say long but these days 5k seems to be my limit. I find this very sad but carry on walking and taking breaks wherever I can.

My goal today was to find an art gallery, Victoria Miro, down at the fast developing area of City Road Basin which leads off of Regents Canal. I was also curious about a pub that claimed to serve authentic Creole and Cajun food. And from there make our way down to see the latest Wellcome Collection exhibit.

We managed all of it!

We started at Haggerston, by the canal. They’re really developing this area and it’s much prettier later in the year but it’s one of the more developed canal neighbourhoods.  This side is a bit older.

Walking through the DeBeauvoir/Hoxton neighbourhood you come across Gainsborough Studios apartments on the south bank of the canal.  The film studio was active between 1924 and 1951, best known for the Gainsborough Melodramas it produced in the 1940s, including the films of Alfred Hitchcock. The studios were demolished and flats were built in 2004.

Alfred Hitchcock sculpture
Gainsborough Studio flats’ nod to Alfred Hitchcock – this bronze sculpture

The City Road basin area is developing quickly and looks to be yet another modern high rise neighbourhood. It’s shiny and clean but lacks the soul of the older streets. One day, I suppose all of London will look like this but I’m happy that I have the chance to see the old and the new coexist, each interesting in their own way. Today there was a lot of walking to do so there are no photos of the new basin flats – another time.

New builds
New neighbourhood emerging close to Regent’s Canal in Hoxton

Older Hoxton
The older streets of Hoxton. How long will they remain?

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Short trip to Westfield

Monday, 21 January, 2018

Yesterday, after two failed attempts, I made it to Westfield – I had three goals. To try on some shoes on sale at the Ecco store (they’re on sale online but I don’t know my size) to buy some photo albums at the WHSmith sale, and to pick up some dumplings for dim sum.

I’m not a fan of shopping malls. Westfield has two big ones – the first was at Shepherds Bush, the second at Stratford – on opposite ends of London.

Stuff about Westfield – just a bit at least – at the bottom of my blog!

Walking from the bus towards one of the station entrances. This is one of two stations in my neighbourhood, Hackney Central
Hackney Central entrance
A narrow slope takes you up to the station. It can get pretty crowded at rush hour
Refreshment Stand, Hackney Central
There’s a little refreshment stand near the Station Hall. Now that a chain coffee place has opened just on the street outside, I’ve wondered if business has sufered. The sign reminds people it’s cheaper here!

Hackney Central is an Overground station. It used to be called The North London Line and it was a fast but nasty train route across North London from east to West. Then London Transport took it over and cleaned it up. It changed from dirty and rundown to clean and modern. It’s now a pleasure to use. My main uses are from here to Stratford, or in the other direction to Camden, and beyond.

Hackney Central station hall
In the station hall. There are just two platforms, for trains running east or west across north London
Hackney Central platform
The trains run every ten minutes this time of day and I had nine minutes to wait. I’m the queen of missing trains and buses

Open carriages on the Overground I first saw this open carriage concept in Spain many years ago. It finally arrived in London in 2009 with the Overground, and now I see it everywhere Continue reading “Short trip to Westfield”

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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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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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