On October 20th I posted about our broken bed. I had taken the problem to the branch of Dwell where we had bought the bed and they had promised speedy action. Some sort of action eventually ensued but not within a time frame that I would consider speedy, given the importance of the problem.

On November 6th. I received an email, the main part of which I reproduce below. The mis-spellings occurred in the original.

I don’t know how you would react to this, given that the bed is uncomfortable and noisy, but my reaction was that this was a completely inadequate response. I replied as follows.

On November 12th I received a phone call from Dwell but wasn’t able to answer it at the time so a voice mail was left. This informed me that they had managed to find a replacement part and asked would I please call them to arrange delivery. Was it a coincidence that a part had turned up or did it have something to do with my email? Who knows?

When I called the number I was given, it turned out to be the general customer services number and of course the person I spoke to had no idea of the matter. I explained. Her response was “Is it a collection or a delivery?” I thought I had just explained that but, well, never mind, let’s get on…

Delivery has been scheduled for Monday (tomorrow) afternoon between 1 and 5 pm. By rights, they should remove the defective part and fit the new part but as this has been arranged as a “delivery” and the bed was originally delivered as a flat-pack, I expect we shall have to fit it ourselves.

As Tigger has to go to work tomorrow, we have decided to remove the defective frame today and store it temporarily in the corridor (there is simply no room in our tiny flat). This involves raising the metal frame on its hinges and climbing inside the base of the bed and there removing 10 screws holding the frame in place. Fortunately, we bought ourselves an electric screwdriver. Once detached, the frame had to be lifted and manoeuvred out through the door into the corridor and a notice put on it to pacify any neighbours who might think to complain about its presence.

The mattress had to be stuffed into the base of the bed. Needless to say, it is not meant to fit here and is too big but we managed to jam it in. The result is something like the bunks on ships with raised sides to prevent you falling out as the ship rolls. It’s low because the mattress is virtually on the floor.

Tomorrow, we will haul the mattress out again, just in case the delivery men have instructions to fit the new frame. Otherwise, we shall do it ourselves as soon as Tigger comes home from work.

Then at last, we should be able to sleep on a bed that doesn’t slope towards the middle and creak like a doomed ship every time we move.

A glimpse of the Roman Baths

Tigger left at 7:20, leaving me to follow on later. I had checked train times and was aiming to catch the 9:30 Bristol train from Paddington.

There are two good ways to travel to Paddington from Angel. You can go to Kings Cross by bus or tube or on foot, and take a Hammersmith or Circle Line train to Paddington, or you can take the 205 bus all the way. The tube is quicker, taking about 35 minutes on a good day, but the trains and the stations are often uncomfortably crowded at this time of day. The bus, on the other hand, takes a little longer and can also be subjected to delays and diversions.

Platforms 2 and 3, Paddington station (Phone photo)

I left the house just after 8:00 and took the bus as I had plenty of time. I was going to say that on the bus you can at least look out of the window and see something more interesting than tunnel walls but on a day like today, the windows are likely to be steamed up, so it comes to the same thing.

A text from Tigger tells me her train left on time. The question now is: who will arrive at Bath first?

I left the bus at the back entrance of Paddington station, at what we call Fag Alley, the slip road where the smokers gather.

Paddington is not my favourite station. It always has a mournful, grubby look to it, especially on a dull day like today. It divides into three sections, the platforms, the enclosed area for shops and cafes and, in between, the main concourse.

Main concourse, Paddington station (Phone photo)

I filled in some time by browsing in Smiths and then doing a circuit of the station. As soon as the platform for my train was announced I boarded and found a seat.

The train left on time and we are now speeding through the rain-swept countryside under a thick layer of dull grey cloud.

At 10:42 Tigger texted to say the job was done. We were then about 20 minutes away from Bath. On arrival I will try to find some snug place to wait for her to join me.

At Bath, the vague hopes of an improvement in the weather encouraged by patches of brightness during the journey, were dashed as it was raining hard. Across the road from the station is the Tea Time cafe and this seemed a good place to wait for Tigger’s arrival.

Tea Time Cafe

Tigger arrived after only a few minutes and we caught up with one another’s adventures over coffee. After this, we set out to explore the town and look for lunch.

A rainy day in Bath

Lunch was to be had at the Jamuna Indian restaurant. Perhaps because it was early, we were the only customers.

The Guildhall Market

We visited the Guildhall Market where I was happy to discover a purveyor of fine teas and coffees, Gillards, an old established firm, as I was running a little low on Russian Caravan tea. Here, I was able to stock up!

The Corridor 1825

We walked through The Corridor, an arcade built in 1825, already partly decorated for Christmas, though I suspect it is only a shadow of its former glory.

The Roman Baths

The Roman Baths are of course justly famous and a tourist attraction. We didn’t visit them today but they are certainly on the list for another visit. I did, however, take a quick photo over the wall! (See top image.)

It had rained on and off throughout our visit and the conditions had been cold and chilly. Around 2 pm we decided to call it a day and to progress slowly towards the station.

The Pulteney Bridge 1773

At the station there is an Upper Crust cafe with a large window with its base at floor level. We saw that there was a pigeon behind the glass inside the cafe, apparently trying to get out.

I went inside where several people were standing around watching it and asked “Is it trapped?”

The only answer I received was “We can’t get it out…”

I cornered the pigeon, picked it up, took it to the door, and released it. This seemed the obvious thing to do.

Tigger had remained outside and saw the pigeon emerge like the proverbial bat out of hell. I just hope it is sensible enough not to go in there again.

Drinking fountain

After less than half an hour we had a train for London. As we travel Londonwards, the sky is as dull and cloudy as this morning and rain streaks the windows.

Wooden door, Bath Abbey

Bath is a pleasant town with many beautiful old buildings made of the characteristic light-coloured stone. Efforts have been made to avoid clashes between the old and the new. For example, the well known high street shops and businesses have swapped their colourful logos for more sober versions, more in keeping with local style. It would obviously better to visit this town in bright sunny weather and we will no doubt do so but even on a grey day there are beautiful sights and scenes to enjoy.

Tigger is off on a courier run tomorrow and, of course, I am going too. This one will be slightly different from the usual run where we go to a particular town and spend the day there.

Tigger’s destination tomorrow is Bristol, a city that we like, and it would be fine to spend the rest of the day there. However, we have been to Bristol quite a few times lately and there is another interesting city not far away that we also like but haven’t visited for a while. I speak of Bath, famous for Roman ablutions and its golden building stone.

So the plan is for Tigger to set off bright and early to Bristol and, having done the business, to travel to Bath. In the meantime, I with my cheaper ticket, requiring departure after 9:30, will proceed directly to Bath. There we shall rendezvous and spend the rest of the daylight hours.

It only remains to hope that we shall be lucky with the weather, though at this time of year, nothing can be guaranteed.

I hope to recount our adventures accompanied by photos as I usually do.

As I mentioned, I have a new gadget for making phone calls when wearing hearing aids, and I promised to let you know how I got on with it. The quick answer is: very well indeed!

When worn around the neck with its loop, the Artone Bluetooth Loopset, as it is called, appears as in the photo below. The actual gadget (excluding the wire) is 6 cm (2.375 ins) long. It is much smaller than I expected and is so light in weight as to be unnoticeable as I go about.

The Artone Bluetooth Loopset

If you have already paired a Bluetooth device to some other device, then you know what is involved. If you haven’t, then I will not describe it, but simply say that it is very easy to do and takes only a few seconds. Once connected, my Blackberry and the Artone indicate the fact by continually flashing their blue lights. The Blackberry flashes once every 4 seconds or so (not too annoying as it’s usually stowed away in my handbag) while the Artone flashes every 10 seconds. I found this a little distracting at first because the light is quite bright and you catch sight of it out of the corner of your eye even if not looking at it. On the other hand, it does confirm that the devices are talking to one another and are ready for action, and now I am used to it, I quite like it!

Specifications, though boring, are important, especially battery duration. You don’t want to be out for the day worrying that the battery will run down. The Artone boasts up to 15 hours talk-time and 380 hours standby. I think that should be enough for most people, especially as there are three ways of recharging it: normal domestic 3-pin plug, car cigarette lighter plug and USB cable from your computer. Once you have completely charged it for the first time, you can keep it topped up without harm to the battery.

Once the devices are paired, incoming calls are routed to the Artone, though your phone rings as it normally does. It also rings in your hearing aids but only if these have already been switched to the ‘t’ setting. This may be a problem if you have difficulty hearing your phone ring. When the phone rings, you switch your hearing aids to ‘t’ and answer by pressing the silver button on the front of the Artone. You don’t need to touch the phone itself. When the call ends, press the silver button again to hang up. On the side of the Artone is a rocker switch for adjusting the volume up or down. I find this very handy.

Making a call is almost as simple. If your phone has a voice-command facility, this can be started by pressing the volume control button. Otherwise, you will have to take out your phone and dial in the usual way. Once you have done so, you can put the phone away as you don’t need to touch it again. Incidentally, when talking on the phone, don’t be tempted to lift the Artone to your mouth as though it were a microphone. It picks up the sound perfectly well from where it is on your chest. I did check with the first person I spoke to on the phone that she could hear me perfectly well.

I found the sound quality very good and clear. The sound is sent straight into your hearing aids and on the ‘t’ setting, normal sound reception is switched off, reducing background noise. Even so, some environments are noisy enough to cause anyone problems hearing a voice over the phone and in this case you can bump up the volume. I find the volume at maximum just a little too loud for comfort, which is good as it means I have something in reserve for really noisy conditions.

When at home or at the office, you don’t need to carry your phone around with you. It can be left somewhere safe. This is because Bluetooth has a range of up to 10 m (depending on the environment) and if a call comes in, you can answer it using just the loopset.

Are there any problems with the Artone? I have found only two. The first is the volume control. This works by increasing or decreasing the volume in discrete steps, one button press for one step. When you press the button, the sound is cut off. It’s only for a fraction of a second but if you change the volume by several steps then you will get that many sound drop-outs. You may have to ask your caller to repeat or ask the caller to wait while you change the volume. As problems go, it’s a minor one and not something that should cause anyone to hesitate about buying this device.

The short manual is written in non-native-speaker English but I had no difficulty following it. However, this is where we find the second problem or, rather, omission. This concerns the replaceable covers. My Artone came with a black cover and in the box are three others, red, silver and blue. However, there is no indication in the manual as to how you remove the present cover and as they are plastic, they could easily break. Fortunately, I am happy with the black one and probably prefer it to the others.

The Artone is available from a number of sources and I got mine from Connevans, a company I had dealt with previously. I find them very helpful and ready to give honest advice. I ordered the Artone on Monday, paying for next-day delivery, and it duly turned up on cue.

All in all, then, I am pleased both with the Artone itself and with the level of service received from Connevans. Maximum stars and brownie points all round!

Plinth

Tigger had a day off today and we didn’t want to waste it sitting at home, so we went out for a ramble.

We started at St Pancras station where we had breakfast at the Camden Food Co cafe upstairs. Today they had porridge with “fruits of the forest”, our favourite. You probably know that at St Pancras there is a famous sculpture by Paul Day of a couple embracing, presumably because they have just met after an absence. It is not to everyone’s taste but it has become part of the scenery, so to speak. It’s called “Meeting Place” and I show it on the left, as a reminder.

Today we saw that a sculpted frieze had been added all around the plinth and I must say this impressed me a lot. The picture at top is a section of it, with the central couple reflecting the main sculpture. There is too much for me to summarize it in a few words, so I will not try. You really need to see it for yourself. It consists of a series of tableaux, linked by the theme of travel by train and tube.

Platform reflected

There are some subtle effects. In the above section, for example, the scene is a crowded tube platform seen reflected in a pair of spectacles. You may think that the differences are due to the slightly different angles of view but closer inspection shows that the two scenes are time-shifted as well – compare the position of the man’s hand on the woman’s bottom in each image.

Shrine to Jean Charles de Menezes, Stockwell

But soon we were off and – unusually for her – Tigger wanted to take the tube. We headed south, to the end of the Northern Line.

We broke our journey briefly at Stockwell where I photographed this shrine to Jean Charles de Menezes. You probably know the story – that of an innocent man shot to death in error by the police – but if you do not, there is no shortage of information on the Web, from sober reports to rabid conspiracy theories.

We left the tube at Morden, the last station on the Northern Line. We had hoped to have coffee at Morden Hall, a hotel with a restaurant and bar open to the public, which we had visited before, but this time it had closed down.

Morden Hall

Open or closed, the Hall is set in beautiful grounds, today known as the Morden Hall Park and owned by the National Trust. It was beginning to rain as we walked through the park, making the photos a little dull. In the one below you may be able to spot the heron near the centre of the picture (click for a larger version).

Morden Hall Park

Walking through the Park, you come to Morden Road Tramlink stop. Tramlink is a modern tram system and very impressive it is too. In town, it behaves like a bus and out of town like a light railway, covering ground very rapidly.

The tram arrives at Dundonald Road station

At Wimbledon, We decided it was time for an early lunch. Just as we thought this, we spotted an Indian restaurant. The fact that they served both vegetarian thali and lassi was enough to tempt us in. Unfortunately, the food was mediocre, so we will not be adding this place to the list of restaurants to return to.

After lunch, we caught a bus to Sutton. Why? Well, why not? It was probably not the sort of day you need to show Sutton at its best. I am not sure what sort of day you would need, actually.

The Sutton Heritage Mosaic

The failing light and the gloomy sky were a disincentive to photography. It felt as if it was time to go home. I noticed this building with painted window arches. It was to be today’s last photo.

Painted windows, Sutton

We took the bus back to Morden – a very slow bus that went on a long circuitous route – and then took the tube back to Angel.

As you know, I love my mobile phones. A good one not only makes and receives calls and SMS messages but, these days, is virtually a pocket computer with many useful functions, such as address book, calendar, alarm clock and email client. I have often said I would be lost without my mobile and though I could manage without it (honest, I could!), I would rather not!

There is one small fly in the ointment: when you wear hearing aids, using any phone – and especially a mobile – is a little difficult. There are two main problems. First, the hearing aids themselves form a barrier between the phone and the ear making it hard to hear the phone. Second, a hearing aid presents all sounds at equal intensity, so when you are listening on the phone, background noise may drown out the caller’s voice.

So, what’s the solution?

The solution is a neat device called a t-loop (where ‘t’ stands for ‘telephone’), otherwise known as an induction loop. Such loops are often installed at public service points such as station ticket offices, public library information desks and post office counters. You know they are there when you see a sign displayed like the one on the left.

How does it work? A modern hearing aid can be changed to the ‘t’ setting at the press of a button and this switches it from normal sound reception to a coil that picks up signals sent by variations in the magnetic field. These signals are fed directly into the hearing aid (and thus into your ear) and the background noises are diminished. I have always found sound reproduction very natural and very clear.

But what about using a mobile? For this you need a personal t-loop. This goes around your neck and connects by one of two methods to your phone. The cheaper ones plug directly into the phone using a jack and the more expensive ones connect via Bluetooth.

Up until now, I have used a plug-in loop. As far as sound goes, it is excellent. Once I have switched my “dolbies” to the ‘t’ setting, background noise is reduced and I can hear the phone in both ears. The problem with it is that carrying your phone around permanently attached to a loop around your neck is rather a nuisance. The wire gets caught on things and very often comes unplugged without you realizing it. Also, if you have a phone like a Nokia Communicator, this requires a special connecting jack, meaning that you cannot use the loop with any other device.

Now I have switched from Nokia to Blackberry mobiles, I need a new t-loop because, as explained above, I cannot use the old one with my new phones. This time I have decided to go the whole hog and buy a Bluetooth loop which I should be able to use with any Bluetooth enabled audio device, not just a mobile phone.

To use such a loop, you first have to “pair” it with the phone. This should ensure that they can talk to one another happily and not include anyone else in the conversation (or eavesdrop on other conversations). There is a dongle hanging from the loop and this has a “multi-purpose button” on it which is used to answer and end calls. It also contains a microphone that picks up the sounds of your voice so when you are on a call, you put your mobile away in your pocket or bag. The only time you need handle it is when you dial a number, otherwise it stays out of sight.

I have found only one small problem with induction loops. Because they “read” the magnetic field, they pick up buzzes, clicks and crackles from any electrical devices in the area, such as the engine of the bus you are on. Hearing folk are unaware of these strange noises which are, after all, not real sounds. So far, none of these noises has been loud enough to interfere with my ability to use the loop.

I ordered my new loop yesterday. Being unsure whether things are still being held up in the post because of the famous backlog, I asked for it to be sent by next-day delivery. So here I am, sitting waiting for it to arrive. When it does, I will no doubt have to charge its battery and then I can try it out. I will let you know how I get on.

It was cold but sunny this morning and it seemed a pity to waste it. First was breakfast and for this we returned to Giraffe. They do a very nice porridge, among other things.

Is it ready yet?

We then took the 38 bendy-bus to Holborn. Holborn is quite an interesting area once you start to explore. For one thing, there is the LSE there, which seems to be spreading in all directions and taking over local streets and buildings.

One of the LSE buildings

There are quite a few historic buildings in the area such as the old shop in Sheffield Street, now the property of the LSE…

Once upon a time, Hepburn & Cocks manufactured dispatch boxes here

… and this parish house which today accommodates a printing company.

St Clement Danes Parish House

Nearby is Lincoln’s Inn Fields, one of the Inns of Court. There are some impressive old buildings to be seen here too.

Impressive building in Lincoln’s Inn Fields

The building at 66 Lincoln’s Inn Fields was the home of Lord Powys in the 17th century and today it is occupied by Farrer & Co.

Canada Water

We caught another bus (buses are great for exploring) and made a break at Canada Water. I was startled to find this lake with water fowl on it, a beautiful surprise in the midst of the built-up area.

Relaxing in the sun

Beside the nearby Surrey Quays shopping centre, these pigeons, though puffed up against the cold, were relaxing in the sun.

Lewisham Clock Tower

The next leg of the bus journey took us to Lewisham, whose clock tower was built in 1897 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee. Today the first stalls of Lewisham Market hug its feet like chicks around the mother hen.

Lewisham Market doing vigorous trade

Lewisham actually has four markets and though they face competition from the high streets shops and the Lewisham shopping centre, they seem to be surviving a doing a vigorous trade.

After a look around said shopping centre, we decided to take the bus back home where we made tea and relaxed from our day out.

We had had a good breakfast at the Giraffe but that was this morning! We had had nothing since, except cups of tea. Around 6:30 we were beginning to feel hungry. Tigger had on a previous occasion spotted an Indian restaurant opposite Waterloo station and suggested we go there. So we did.

Bangalore Indian restaurant, Waterloo

It is called Bangalore (yes, really). It is an interesting cross between an Indian restaurant and a Chinese noodle bar. For example, the “menu” is a paper place mat and the service is fast and without frills. I was impressed with the food, however, and would go there again.

Upper level booths accessed by ladder

An interesting feature of this restaurant is the upper level booths which are accessed by individual ladders, a bit like bunk beds, perhaps. It must be tiring for the waiters to have to go up and down – or perhaps it keeps them fit! The photo is a bit unsharp because it was taken in low light with the camera on my phone.

Then it was back home to warm up and make tea. I think that today, despite the sunshine, is the coldest day so far. To go out this evening I put on an extra layer and I will dig out my winter coat at the next opportunity.

The heating engineer turned up at about 2:15. The doorbell rang and I called “Hello, hello” into the entry phone, getting only an incomprehensible muttered response. I am used to people’s apparent inability to address the entry phone properly so I pressed the door-release anyway, hoping that the caller was who I thought he was.

He was. “You got a leaking radiator,” he said, more as a statement than a question. I showed him where it was.

“Where’s it leaking from?” he enquired. The phrase “I thought it would be your job to find out” was on the tip of my tongue but I swallowed the words and pointed to what I thought was the source of the water. “Oh, yes,” said he.

I had been careful not to turn the heating on, thinking that the engineer would not want to handle a hot radiator leaking boiling water. After a few minutes, however, the heat wafting from a nearby radiator told me he had turned it on himself.

After some preliminary scuffling and banging, he called to ask whether I had a low container suitable for catching water. Uh oh. I didn’t, of course, so I had to empty the round tin that once held chocolates but is now used for storing packets of tea.

“Perfect,” said he.

A bit later he enquired “Do you have a towel? For mopping up water.” Uh oh.

The idea of one of our towels being used to swab the floor did not appeal to me so I hopefully offered a floor cloth. He looked at it dubiously. “Haven’t you got a towel?” he said in the tones of one who might have added “What sort of people don’t have towels?”

I reluctantly gave him the tea towel from the kitchen which he took with the enthusiasm of one who has asked for a pound and been given a bent penny.

When at last he emerged from the bathroom, it was to ask whether I had a radiator key. A what? “OK, I’ll get one from the van, then.”

I have met this syndrome before: workmen coming to the flat to do repairs or maintenance work and asking me for tools as though they think I have a complete set of plumber’s and electrician’s tools, kept for just such occasions. Why don’t they bring their tools with them? After all, they know what the job is.

I suppose I do have some small sympathy for them. We live right on a red route, and unless they are prepared to risk a fine, they must find a parking place in the short-stay bay down the road or around the corner in the back streets where parking is nevertheless also controlled. Fetching something from the van may involve a bit of a walk.

When he returned, he was chatting loudly on his mobile. I heard him say “I got another three jobs to do before 4 o’clock.” As it was now 3 o’clock, I guess he must have left some customers unserviced.

A few minutes later, he emerged for the last time. “All done,” said he, and went blithely off, presumably to start on his next three tasks. The bathroom wasn’t in too much of a mess. Here and there were little piles of sopping wet toilet tissue, presumably having been used to mop up water. The tea towel and the floor cloth lay twisted together in a wet embrace in the corner. I soon cleared all this away.

It wasn’t until supper time that we thought to turn on the heating as by then we were feeling a little chilly. After basking in imaginary heat for a while, we realised that the radiator was still cold. Uh oh.

I first looked to see that we had actually pressed the button to switch it on. We had. The next thing was to look at the boiler’s control panel. Had he perhaps turned the heating off? No, it was still turned on but there was a red light flashing. Uh oh.

I have to twiddle the boiler controls about once a year, if that, and so, of course, I never remember what you have to do or what the various lights mean. I was contemplating a long session with the manual when I noticed something: the needle on the pressure gauge was right down on the pin. I recalled what I had been told to do about that: open the panel covering the taps, turn them on (or is it off? well, turn them, anyway) and watch the needle; then turn them off (or is it on?) when the needle is back in the green area.

I did this and put my hand optimistically on the nearest radiator. Yes! After a few seconds I could feel it was definitely becoming warm. Phew.

Right, now then, what’s a radiator key, do they sell them at Argos and should I get one…?

Observing winter arriving this year is a little like watching the tide come in: the waves advance and retire, advance and retire and it’s hard to see any difference until at last you notice that the waves are breaking slightly higher up the beach. The fine autumn weather we have enjoyed during these last weeks has been interspersed with cold snaps and rainy days but the sun has each time returned. Nonetheless, the temperature has slid gradually downwards, the daylight has faded earlier and earlier and dawn now comes but tardily.

I continue obstinately to wear my spring-and-autumn jacket, my favourite red one, but soon, no doubt, a particularly cold day will send me reaching for my winter coat, the nondescript beige one with zips and Velcro fastenings, bought a size too large so that it covers my camera in its pouch on my belt and allows me to add layers of clothing until I look like the Michelin man.

Today I have to wait in for the heating engineer, as one of our radiators has developed a leak. It would have been easy just to stay in all day like a hibernating bear, but I was tempted out by the sunshine and the lovely blue sky whose calmly sailing white clouds evinced not the slightest thought of rain.

I was not disappointed. The air was chilly but in sunny spots the sun’s warmth fought with the cold and even overcame it. My ostensible purpose in going out (I find it’s good to have an ostensible purpose even if you ignore it once outside) was to buy a birthday card for my son whose age I would rather not reflect on. Somewhere among the Filofaxes, the partyware and the little boxes of novelties that I cannot imagine anyone ever actually buying, Paperchase had something suitable.

The Italian Market today

In the N1 Centre, a couple of open-air stalls were putting on a brave show of being the Italian Market. “Italian beeskeets,” announced a stall-holder cheerfully but I walked past him into Borders.

Borders is an irresistible magnet. I find it hard to go past the shop without making a foray inside, however cursory, especially when, as now, there are lots of boxes full of books at reduced prices. I know it’s a waste of time looking through these (they’re here only because no one wants them) so I managed to distract myself with the journal section. I was delighted to find the latest issue of TPM on sale and bought a copy. The price gave me pause, though, seeing as I can remember when magazines cost pence (or at most shillings) rather than pounds. Sign of the times.

So now I’m back home, waiting for the engineer, whose visit has been promised to occur at some moment between 1 and 5 pm. The radiator leak is very slight and I have left a plastic cup underneath it collecting water as proof that there is actually something coming out. Let’s hope the problem is a minor one, of the sort that can be cured with a deft twist of a spanner.

Click on a picture to see a larger version

Tigger went off early for her train leaving me to enjoy a more leisurely start. To my relief I saw that the rain had gone and that it was a clear and sunny day.

The traffic was reduced to a slow crawl but that’s usual for this time of day and, if necessary, I can walk to the station easily enough.

I left the house at about 8:50 and boarded a 73. By 9:03 I was at Kings Cross looking up my train on the departures board. As I had half an hour to wait I went for a walk and took this photo of the sun peeping over the chimney stack of the Great Northern Hotel.

The sun peeping over the chimney stack of the Great Northern Hotel

My reserved seat is at the end of a carriage. This has the disadvantage that it’s right beside the luggage rack so I have had a few bottoms shoved in my face as people struggled to stow their heavy cases but now the train is on its way, everything is calm.

My seat companion is a young woman with multicoloured hair and many piercings in her ears, eyebrows and lips. She is possibly a student but I will probably never know for sure as she looks fixedly out of the window perhaps absorbed by the music from her personal stereo.

Scarborough Hotel, Leeds

Tigger has let me know by SMS how she is faring. All is well so far and she is due to arrive at Leeds at 9:46. If the train is on time she will meet the deadline with ease.

At 10:00, Tigger lets me know the job is done and dusted, another mission accomplished with aplomb…

Half an hour later, although it is sunny where we are, Tigger tells me it’s raining in Leeds. She is riding the free bus as a way of seeing the town. I have promised to try to bring the sun with me to Leeds.

Leeds Town Hall 1858

My multicoloured seat companion left the train at Peterborough so I was not able to verify my conjecture that she was a student. I now have a new companion, more conventional in appearance, but equally quiet.

When I arrived at Leeds, Tigger was waiting in the main station concourse. The rain had ceased and it seemed as if I really had brought the sun with me.

We slowly made our way towards the pub where we hoped to have lunch, taking in the sights as we went. I find Leeds quite an elegant city, especially in the central area where there are a lot of beautiful buildings dating from an affluent past.

Albion Place

We reached the Horse and Trumpet and entered, looking forward to a good meal. Alas, although the pub looked the same as before, the menu had changed and there was nothing to interest us. The Rule of Three* had come into play.

Portofino Brasserie, Albion Place

We reluctantly left the Horse and Trumpet and started searching. Tigger remembered seeing a Portofino Italian restaurant in Albion Court and that’s where we ended up.

County Arcade

After eating we continued walking but then it started to rain again, so we went into Debenhams for a browse until the shower passed. Then we visited a couple of the famous arcades. These are magnificent and any city would be proud to have any one of them but Leeds has several. I doubt whether there is any other city that can boast a similar collection.

Leeds Market

Then there is Leeds Market, equally impressive in its own style and kind.

After the market we caught the free bus for a motorized tour and disembarked at the Leeds Art Gallery. We had a look at some of the exhibits and then gravitated naturally towards the magnificently decorated hall that today houses the cafe. This is just about the finest tea room I know of.

Leeds Art Gallery Cafe

It had been chilly throughout but now the light was also beginning to fade. We therefore again took the free bus which conveniently for us, calls at the station. It was now 4:15 and the next train for Kings Cross would be in 25 minutes. This gave us time for a quick look at what we think was the old ticket hall with a high arched ceiling and Art Deco lamps.

Old Ticket Hall (we think)

As the train was already at the platform, we went went aboard. It was not nearly as crowded as my train this morning and we had a table to ourselves. By the time the train pulled out of the station, the daylight had gone altogether; so we felt we had done the right thing in taking this train.

The Bourse

We reached Kings Cross without further ado and the 214 carried us up the hill to home where the slow cooker was waiting with supper ready prepared.