Sunday, April 06, 2008

First week of April

Except that I do want to complain about the 2.5 hour commute I endured on Tuesday morning. There were no eastbound services on the Tube, and I work at the eastern end of the Metropolitan Line. And it had taken 45 minutes southbound, stuck in a tunnel for half of it, to find that out! Followed by 3 buses and then a 15 minute walk.

Oh, not to mention a power outage on the entirety of the line I live along, on Thursday evening. Some people were stuck underground for 3 hours.
Fortunately it started before I left the office and so I took the Met line and a bus.

**********


My suburban street (spacious Edwardian houses) on a typical grey day. Once upon a time it was probably tree-lined with these huge trees, but they have been lopped to halt the damage caused to the house foundations.



I went for a little ramble last week because it was still light when I left the office!
Here you see Spitalfield's old shops.



Spitalfield's new shopping street next to the shiny ABN Amro building (see top left corner), Spitalfields Church, and the old shops opposite all span centuries



Christ Church Spitalfields, 300 years old, restored in 2004 not as a church but a venue



Lincoln, the life of the party, taking a nap whilst trying not to miss a thing.



With my honorary nephew, taking a guess as to where the phonecam was pointing, hence all the empty space.



Alicia and me covered in grins.



Snow on Saturday, my early birthday present.



Very wet clumpy snow which fell off soon after and melted.

19 comments:

Selba said...

Whooooaaaaa so nice (the streets & building), so cute (the baby Lincoln), so pretty (the auntie Livie & Alicia), so white (the snow)....

I want to move to London!!! Can? can? can? :D

L B said...

Love the snow! So winter wonderland.. Pity the trees, lopped off. Must have been great there 50 years ago.. Yes, it's now still light after 6:30pm here too! Whee!! Scooter scooter!!

Miss Dallas said...

Lovely streets, lovely neighborhood and lovely honorary nephew! How cute!!!

Anonymous said...

Fab - have to love London.

And happy birthday! x

Anonymous said...

How beautiful those streets would have been with trees. I've seen streets here, too, shorn of their sidewalk-lifting trees. And what a lovely white-wrapped present! Happy early b-day, Olivia!

Anonymous said...

Oh, and I don't think you even have to say whose parents go with that baby! He's got their features in miniature!

Selba said...

Happy Birthday, Livie!!!

Lots of love *hugs*

Beenzzz said...

Happy Birthday to you!!! These photos are brilliant, especially the wintry ones.

Christopher said...

Gorgeous! Lovely! How is your spring coming along otherwise? I just love the cozy looking buildings...You're gorgeous as usual...snow...mmmm as always it's like a cozy cup of tea looking at your life in pictues, and a smile at your humour and wisdom:)

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

I somehow think of trees being all over England, even in the city. But when I think back to my one and only visit, I don't remember any. I enjoyed this tour, it took me back.

What beautiful people, baby and two girls!

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

P.S. Olivia, frivolous question here...do folks wear brrrrightly coloured coats in winter over there? Or only black?

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I missed it, then noticed everybody saying so...HAPPY BIRTHDAYYYY!!! Hope you got lots of presents.

[Now with 3 comments in a row I look like a nutter or a stalker!]

Olivia said...

Selby - glad you like the piccies. Well, you're welcome to come take my job, my room, and my Mum! ;)

***

LB - Yes it's too bad about the trees, but would be even worse if the roots grew under the house foundations and cracked the walls.

***

Jo - gosh, I wish you had seen the street I lived on before! Much cuter!

And little Lincs is SUCH a flirt.

***

Pete - thanks :)
When was the last time you were down here in the Old Smoke?

***

Nikki - A lot of the old trees have been lost to disease, high winds, and the inability of local councils to pay for the upkeep.

***

Beenzzz - didn't you see enough snow out there over winter??

***

Christopher - I missed you around here! I'm just drinking a cuppa tea, would you like one?

***

Gyal - sorry you didn't see many trees, but now you mention it, there aren't that many. The elms were lost to disease in the 70s and 80s, and this week on the news I heard about the chestnut trees being lost to a bacterial infection!

There are plenty of trees in the parks, but I'm far from any now, but when I lived next to Regents Park I walked there sometimes if the weather was good.

The dominant coat colour is black, followed by grey, shades of brown, then various solid colours. There are some with lovely patterns but they are not warm enough for winter. Black is best because you wear the coat for so long it doesn't show the city grime.

And I honestly don't mind 3 comments in a row. It means I've made you think about things!

I hope I don't get presents - I'd only have to fit them in a suitcase :P

Memória said...

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, OLIVIA!
¡Feliz cumpleaños!
Feliz aniversário! (Portugués)
Buon compleanno!

I'm such a bad friend for forgetting! Love ya!

Jahooni said...

I just love the pics. what a cool (and cold.. burrr) place to live. i wouldn't change it for anything, not even Texas ;)~

cute nephew and you are lookin' smokin'!

The Moody Minstrel said...

London covered with snow...
M'lady and her friend covered with grins...
A darling, little one covered with love...
A church covered with history...
A street covered with London-ness...
A street no longer covered with trees (damned nanny state)...
Public transportation that doesn't cover its assigned area...

I think that about covers it!

Anonymous said...

Hello bubble,

That building is not ABN Amro. That's some dreadful legal firm. The angular funky ABN Amro building was behind you and to your left when you took the photo - and it's called RBS now as well.


Have a good weekend...

Christopher said...

Goregous spring weather has arrived...

CafeMark said...

Some nice pics there. I think you secretly like living in London (despite the tales of travel delays)!! You'll miss it if you move away!?