Walthamstow. Thurs-Fri 27-28th Jan. All day.

No walking the rest of the week. Worked from home, didn't stop for lunch, didn't leave house. Just wrote about Star Wars.

Temple Church. Wed 26th Jan. 1.12pm.

Walking with Ben, an education. Temple Church magically open, an organ recital about to start (at 1.15pm!). Gargoyles caught my eye. Then we bought tea from taxi rank caff and looked at over-sized drain covers that are thought to be entrances to the secret network of underground tunnels that crisscross central London.

Also first time I ever heard of the existence of an underground tramway that used to run between Kingsway by Holborn and Waterloo Bridge. But here it is:

Apple Store, Covent Garden. Tues 25th Jan. 10.15pm.

After drinks with the publishers. Apple Store, closed for the night, but all lights and screens on, wasting electricity.


Same view at 9.30 am the next morning.

Broad Court, WC2. Monday 24th Jan. Lunchtime.

I often walk past this lovely little hotel in a pedestrianized street lined with Victorian gas lamps and imagine that if I were in London on business I would stay here. I like the look of it. It's named after the writer Henry Fielding and is opposite the Royal Opera House. I wonder what it's like inside.

I just Googled it, as you do. It's actually pretty spartan inside, and costs about £160 a night. But apparently it was one of Graham Greene's favourite hotels, which endears me to it further.

And Henry Fielding really did live in Broad Court, with his brother.

Walthamstow. Fri 21st Jan. 11.25pm

Working from home, so only a quick walk to stretch my legs, picking Edie up from nursery. These stencils have started appearing all over Walthamstow, probably not by Banksy though. I agree with the sentiment but I do wonder when I'll see the first one with a large turd right in the middle of it.

Carting Lane and Lincoln's Inn. Thurs 20th Jan, 1.15pm

My walk today took me from Carting Lane – which runs right between my building (on left in pic) and the Savoy (on right), in which there's an original gas lamp (which used to be run on sewer gas, provided by the methane mainly from Savoy guests), which is lit all day every day, and certainly was today – up to Lincoln's Inn Fields and then into Lincoln's Inn itself, which is another one of those secret worlds, peaceful and beautiful.

Park by Temple Underground. Wed 19th Jan, 1.30pm

Just a little robin in a hedge today in the little park by Temple tube -- where I bought an overpriced tuna baguette at a cafe and 3 reasonably priced apples at a fruit stall outside. Sat on bench and this robin sat in his hedge the whole time, warbling a bit every now and then, quietly, to him/herself.