Thursday, November 1, 2012

Tottenham


Just a few photos today from a walk I took yesterday afternoon. I went up to Tottenham, the neighborhood in northeast London that saw the worst of the rioting during all the unrest in August 2011. I'd been a little nervous about going there, because it was associated in my mind with danger -- and in fact, I didn't take my good camera with me. But it turned out to be just a neighborhood, like any other.

I loved the wall above, painted with all the faces -- it wasn't in Tottenham, but rather at the southern part of my walk, south of Stoke Newington. (For those of you familiar with London geography, I walked up Kingsland Road from Dalston Junction to Tottenham Hale.)


If this place only sold eggs, I can see why it went under. (It's kind of reminiscent of The Egg Shop in Deptford!)


Kind of an interesting Caribbean-Moorish blend going on here. I wonder if "Brownras" comes from "Brown Rice"?


Such a happy place! Especially with that zippy blue car speeding past.

It was a good day for a walk, chilly and a bit windy but not rainy, thank goodness. The time change makes afternoon walks a challenge now, because the light starts to fade at about 3:30 p.m. I'm always amazed how much a shift of just one hour changes the rhythm of the day.

On the way home I rode the tube with a little girl dressed as a devil, complete with red plastic pitchfork, and passed a guy on the sidewalk in a ghoulish striped outfit and makeup. (I think maybe he was supposed to be The Joker from "Batman.") We got no trick-or-treaters, though, which is a good thing, because I didn't think to buy any candy.

8 comments:

Ms. Moon said...

That color of green is so amazing.

The Bug said...

I love the wall of faces! So interesting...

I really am in awe of all your walking.

Nancy said...

I always look forward to your photos. They feed the poet in me.

e said...

Happy Birthday tomorrow! I think. I loved the faces, too.

ellen abbott said...

Love the wall with the painted faces and the happy place.

Steve Reed said...

Ms Moon: On the face wall, you mean? It looks like a color they might have purchased at a discount.

Bug: I love wandering! One of my favorite activities!

Nancy: Thanks SO MUCH! :)

E: Thanks, yes, the big 46 is today.

Ellen: It's an amazing wall!

Betty said...

Noooo! I can't believe The Egg Stores has closed down! We were there in the summer (went to see the Olympic Flame being carried)and it was open then - tho it did look very shabby. Will try to dig out some photos.
To explain: when Andy and I got married, our first home was a tiny flat just behind the store. Stoke Newington was a pretty rough neighbourhood then, so property was cheap. There's a sizeable Hasidic Jewish community there and the Egg Stores sold all things Kosher. Very interesting. Sad to see it go!

Steve Reed said...

Liz: Well, I must say, perhaps it was only closed on the day I was there. I'm not certain it's gone entirely -- though it did look that way!