Wednesday, December 20, 2023

The Spider Hole


Adventures in South London yesterday as I went to visit Blogland's beloved Linda Sue on her sojourn in the Big Smoke! Linda Sue has been here since September and we'd communicated about meeting up, but between my work schedule and her settling in we didn't get around to it until yesterday. She is literally across the city from me -- I took the tube, overground train and bus to get to her in Dulwich, but the journey only took slightly more than an hour, so that's not too bad.

I met up with her at the Spider Hole, the flat she's renting until she goes home to Washington state next month. For those who don't follow Linda Sue's blog, where she has documented the strange drama surrounding this flat, she has nicknamed it the Spider Hole given its owner's enthusiasm for super heroes -- including Spider-Man, who figures prominently in the decor -- and its position, a top-floor walk-up.

To be honest, I was almost as excited to see the mythical Spider Hole as I was Linda Sue herself, given the celebrity status it has lately achieved on her blog. It was like visiting the Taj Mahal, but smaller.

We sat in her lounge (as living rooms are known here in the UK) and chatted a while before venturing out into the street to check out the local charity shops. It was raining pretty steadily -- not pouring, but not drizzling either -- so getting out and about was a bit of a challenge. But as I always say, if you wait for good weather to do things in England, you'll never get anything done. That's why umbrellas exist.


As befits Linda Sue, her neighborhood is a collection of quirky, artsy shops and murals and architecture.


Some artsy elements are large, while others are very small. This looks very John-in-Sgt.-Pepper to me, which I assume was the intention.


A sad, sodden book in a very wet gutter. I'm trying not to take this as a metaphor for the value of blogging.


I thought this shirt was pretty funny, but I didn't buy it. It casts WAY too wide a net, you know?

I did, however, get a cute Christmas ornament and a book about wandering in East London, and I was sorely tempted by a stuffed, handmade-looking toy lizard that I may still send Linda Sue back to retrieve.


We ended our wanders in the East Dulwich Tavern, where we sat by this cozy fireplace beneath coat hangers (?) and antlers decorated with holiday baubles -- that's my bag on the green stool, in fact. We talked and had lunch and a pint before Linda Sue dropped me at the Goose Green bus stop for the journey home.

The bus was taking its sweet time, though, and after Linda Sue headed back to the Spider Hole I decided to walk on toward East Dulwich station. It was a good thing I did, because I popped in to another charity shop where I found a fabulous shirt from the Bahamas featuring colorful reef fish swimming all over it. This poor shirt looked so out of place in rainy gray London that I had to buy it. I figure I can wear it when I go to Florida, and maybe in California in February.

I took a few more pictures before catching another bus at East Dulwich and heading home via a slightly different route. A fun day out, but somehow Linda Sue and I neglected to take a selfie together, so we'll have to get together again before she leaves next month. A plan for the New Year!

25 comments:

  1. I think you made the right decision about the shirt. Had I walked into a social situation and saw you wearing it with the big grin on your face, I would have probably given you a wide berth!

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  2. Just for the record, living rooms are not universally known as the lounge in Britain.

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  3. What a fun day with you, thank you for making your way to the spider hole Taj Mahal. This flat nearly makes me breakout in teen age acne. Splendid day, Steve. Thank you for traveling right the way across town. I may go back for the lizard if he is still there. Really too good to pass up. You, the shirt, spicey!

    I see now how patient you are with photography, waiting for the perfect shutter moment. Great shot of the grafitti on the shop. Patience pays off.
    Have a grand get away, see you next year.

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  4. Maybe you can invite Linda Sue over to your garden flat and chat while your personal chef prepares a scrumptious meal for the three of you.

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  5. It sounds like a great day. And, oh yes, that mistletoe shirt would be dangerous. The coat hungers joke (along with the horned and antlered trophies) didn't quite work, but I get it. I have friends who find the coolest clothes charity shops. I try but have never been so lucky. I used to donate to a great charity shop in San Diego. Clothes, houseware, etc. One of my staff loved to shop there and actually came into work wearing two things I had donated. A nubby sweater that was oversized and looked great on her, and an old rejected leather mail bag from a Pennsylvania postal service. Too funny.

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  6. It was really fun to read this post, as well as Linda Sue's. The red t-shirt photo made me laugh.

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  7. It sounds like you and Linda Sue had a very good day. As for Spider Man, I'd not walk away, I'd run.

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  8. You'd need a caution sign with the mistletoe shirt.
    Luckily, I think, you aren't over nine feet tall???

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  9. I'm so jealous of both of you- Linda Sue because she got to shop and have lunch with you, and you because you got to shop and have lunch with Linda Sue!
    Do you suppose the decor in the tavern is to subtly encourage you to hang out?
    Ha! I'm sorry. That is all rather odd.
    I do wish you'd taken a selfie. And I would love to see a picture of your new fishes shirt. I adore your comment about the mistletoe shirt casting too wide of a net. It could be a nice shirt to wear at home, though.

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  10. As Rachel says, lounge is not the common term for living room! It's more of a genteel effort at posh.

    Great to meet Linda Sue! I wonder if the day will show up in her blog, too.

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  11. Sounds like you had a good day. I love the mistletoe shirt! Isn't it great to be on vacation?

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  12. Now I want to see photos of all the things you bought! Glad you had a fun day out!

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  13. You had quite a rainy day adventure! That t-shirt is cute but I agree it could be problematic. The fish shirt sounds just right.
    I like the look of that pub where you had lunch.

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  14. alway fun to meet up with fellow bloggers. disappointed that there was no picture of the reef fish shirt.

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  15. Dude, you picked the right shirt!! Glad you two could spend the day together, it's clear you both enjoyed it.

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  16. I love quirky shirts and probably wouldn't have been able to resist it. However, it looks pretty big for me and my boyfriend would definitely refuse to wear it. :) Washingtonians are used to the rain so I'm sure Linda Sue didn't bat an eye over the weather.

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  17. I love the entrance to The Old Stable House. Is it wrought iron? I always wanted to be able to do decorative welding.

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  18. That wrought iron is gorgeous. The hangers strange. The tee shirt is out of place in today's world, isn't it? Where would you wear it? The fish shirt is sadly unseen. *sad sigh*

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  19. The book in the gitter, I looked it up, it’s a good read (and can you explain the title?)

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  20. I went over to Linda Sue's blog to read her description of your day together. I think it's a tossup as to which blog is the more bizarre! Good times.

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  21. Lounge is what we call the living room in Australia. I'd like to see the fishy shirt, reef fish are often so colourful.
    I'm glad you and Linda Sue had a great day together.

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  22. ...and three social events in four days? *squints* who are you and what have you done with Steve?

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  23. Ed: Exactly! "Run away! Run away!"

    Rachel: What do you call them? I've also heard "sitting room" but lounge is what all the estate agents say.

    Linda Sue: It was great to see you! I do think one of us must have that lizard. :)

    YP: That is not out of the question!

    Mitchell: I don't even get the coat hangers joke. Are they likening the hangers to the antlers of the animals? Is it a pun on "hanging out"?

    Colette: It's always fun to read about blogger meetups and see how each participant tells the same story!

    Susan: He does sound unhinged. I feel for Linda Sue having to deal with that.

    Bob: That picture makes me LOOK nine feet tall, but no, I'm not. :)

    Ms Moon: Yeah, I could wear it at home, but with my luck I'd unthinkingly have it on when the postman comes to the door, or the Jehovah's Witnesses!

    Boud: Well, that makes sense. It's the term I usually hear but that's probably from reading real estate ads.

    Michael: It is SO GREAT. I love not having to be anywhere.

    Ellen D: Coming up!

    Sharon: It was the fireplace that appealed to me most. The weather was so terrible!

    Ellen: See subsequent post! :)

    Jim: We had a great time!

    Margaret: Even Linda Sue said she was soaked by the end of the day, though, and she had a hooded raincoat!

    Kelly: It was an iron gate, yes. Pretty impressive!

    Debby: Definitely not to an office party!

    OneVikingGirl: No! I have no idea what the title means. It actually looks pretty interesting because I love reading diaries. I read Samuel Pepys' years ago and really enjoyed it.

    Catalyst: Ha! Well, we each notice different things, right?

    River: "Lounge" is definitely the word I see used here, even if it's not a universal term.

    Debby: HA! That's how WE feel!

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  24. That sounds like a great day! I know what you mean about the fascination with the Spider Hole and Spiderman. I am intrigued, too! She's living my dream (though maybe not the Spidey part!)

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  25. LOVE that Dulwich Tavern Decor! How Fun to meet up with a Blog Friend, I've had the pleasure of that more often than expected, sometimes randomly. I was in an Antique Shop last Weekend and a Lady walks up and introduces herself saying she's followed my Blog for Years and couldn't Believe that finally our Paths crossed. It's a Small World sometimes. Wide Net Shirt was Cute...

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