Welcome To Islington

I like this sign.

Welcome To Islington

Let’s hope it cuts road accidents and keeps more drivers out of the streets near me.

A Load Of Rubbish

Not my words, but those on the side of this truck.

A Load Of Rubbish

We really ought to think laterally more, when it comes to advertising businesses.

Afterv all, this sign caught my attention.

Sculpture At The Building Design Centre, Islington

This piece of large art has turned up outside the Building Design Centre in Islington.

Sculpture At The Building Design Centre, Islington

It’s certainly not as understandable as the bouncy bus.

But what is it? I’m not impressed.

Curry With A Kick?

I saw this sign in the window of a restaurant in Upper Street.

Curry With A Kick?

I wonder if it’s gluten free.

A New Bus for London To The Rescue

This afternoon, it was all chaos in Islington.  There appeared to have been a serious accident on the Essex Road and all of the buses were diverting by Highbury Corner.

I was trying to get home by getting a bus down St. Paul’s  Road, but the normal 30s and 277s couldn’t get past the jams. A couple of 38s went past without stopping, although it wasn’t their normal territory.  And then a New Bus for London hove into view!

It stopped and quite a few including myself got aboard.

The conductor was marshalling people on and off and the hop-on/hop-off capability meant that quite a few got to their destination, despite it not being the regular route.

When it did get to its regular route, I got off and walked home.

It was all a superb demonstration of the advantages of doubled-crewed buses with a hop-on/hop-off platform.

Roll on the next six hundred.

Essex Road On The Up!

I took this picture yesterday of the Essex Road in Islington, as it approaches Balls Pond Road

Essex Road On The Up!

I remember when the area was very run-down in the 1970s, but now it’s on the up, with some quality shops and businesses.

What is missing though, is a decent coffee shop!

Islington Goes For 20 mph Speed Limit

This was voted on last night by Islington Council according to this article on the BBC.

I hope it sorts out the problems of accidents, but many seem to be caused by drivers not respecting lights.  Try crossing the road outside Highbury and Islington station at busy times.

Islington’s real problem is that there is too much traffic, trying to drive down too few roads.

Carluccio’s Christmas Menu

When you are a coeliac in a group at an office or other place of work, you are often the only one and when Christmas comes, it is a source of tension and often unhappiness about where you have the Christmas lunch.

Carluccio’s this year have come up with a Christmas menu, that has a choice of turkey, sausage and lentils, cod, steak or two risottos. Only the turkey is not gluten-free. This is the menu for my local restaurant in Islington.

I think they’ve come up with a Christmas menu for everybody.

Sorting Out Highbury Corner

Highbury Corner is one of London’s busiest interchanges, which is being restructured to make it easier for all users. The picture shows the terminus of the 277 bus.

277 Buses At Highbury Corner

I regularly get a bus from here to my house and the stop is badly placed for the Underground. It is also a very busy stop, just off the roundabout towards Dalston and not the nicest place to wait for a bus.

I think that whatever you do, you’re not going to make a great improvement, unless the 277 route was extended a bit towards Holloway. But then there probably isn’t another suitable terminus.

Traffic was particularly bad last night, as Arsenal were playing at home and people will insist on driving to the Emirates.

Boris’s Plot To Get Londoners Fit!

A few days ago, at the Angel, I came out of the Tube station and after picking up my paper, I needed any of a 30, 38 or 56 bus to get myself home.

I was crossing the road, when I became aware of people running in all directions, including down the middle of and across the road. Luckily the lights were with us, so I followed the force.

The rushing was all because a New Bus for London, running on the 38 route had appeared and was waiting to get on the stop to suck in its load of passengers.

I got on at the rear platform and sat immediately and safely in one of the rear facing seats by the platform, just as the bus moved away.

This morning returning from the Angel after a coffee and doing some shopping, I followed a rather puffing much younger man onto the bus.

I then remarked to the driver that these buses seemed to be a plot to get Londoners fit.

She laughed and didn’t disagree.