Not Abney Park

If you are wondering at the odd title, with a weather forecast of deteriorating weather, I decided to walk to Abney Park this morning. And did. Only to find it was closed. Due to severe weather. Despite the fact that it has been dry and frankly ridiculously calm for weeks. I guess it was in contemplation of the forecast for later in the day. But basically this is another health & safety overkill. So that left me with nothing to do except look around Stoke Newington a bit. 

This is another area that has been subject to gentrification. But is well gentrified now. Was relatively new when I first came to London, but definitely at end of process now. The High Street is all specialist coffee shops and small restaurants. More modest Victorian terraces around here, but that is fine for the young middle classes.

I did say high street was full of upmarket food shops, but also tell tale sign of upmarket plants shops. But really I photographed this one for the "ghost" sign above, advertising its old use as a shop selling fountain pens. That itself is an interesting historic theme, that there was a time when all communications were written in ink. Now I doubt anyone uses a fountain pen.

Red Lion pub is distinctive.

Who doesn't love wisteria?

I walked around the reservoirs at Woodberry Downs. A wetland nature centre once opened by David Attenborough. But of all these nature centres I have always found it the least attractive to creatures, especially birds. It is comparatively barren, possibly because it so new, and so surrounded by built up areas.