The unrest in our neighborhood quieted last night. Most stores were closed, and in many places boarded up, in the late afternoon and by dusk there were very few people on the street. I went out for a walk and saw numerous police officers, but other pedestrian traffic was much lighter than usual.
Even our local pub, the Earl of Lonsdale, which normally features a buzzing beer garden on summer nights, was shut tighter than a drum.
There were 16,000 police officers on the streets of London last night -- nearly three times the number that were out on Monday night. Police said they'll maintain that level of coverage for the next few days. Hopefully we've seen the last of the rioting.
Meanwhile, Dave and I have been distracted by another weird neighborhood development. Several foxes -- and I mean real live foxes, not street art -- have appeared in the courtyard below our building the last two nights. They run around and make an unearthly barking sound. I've never seen or heard anything like it. Who knew we'd have wildlife (of the four-legged variety) in Notting Hill?
Apparently, though, foxes have been on the rise in urban London for some time.
I can't help feeling how deeply your life has changed. it gives me goosebumps, considering it. i was reading the other day that nothing deepens relationships like experiencing the new together. when i read that, i thought of you and dave. amid the riots and the foxes, enjoy the silver linings. love.
ReplyDeleteHi Steve,
ReplyDeleteYes, we saw several movies together and The Accused was one. I remember that as being difficult to sit through. Thanks for the belated birthday wishes. I'm glad you are okay. Incredible how little pockets of nature exist where we least expect them to be...
Enjoy!
We have foxes and even a coyote in our neighborhood since we border on woods, but they never seem to cause any problems. We had a deer in our back yard last week that got Jake a little worked up since he cold see it but couldn't smell it. They gracefully soar over the fence and are gone.
ReplyDeleteI hope London settles down now. I was thinking earlier about the mentality that leads young men to riot and loot. Is it for sport or protest or do they really need all the things they take? It's too bad that people are getting injured and even killed as a result of the current unrest.
Your challenge is to take a good picture of the foxes as they frolic in the moonlight. Are you up for it?