One of the upsides of spending a lot of time at home rather than having to go to work everyday is that I have had the opportunity to see a different side to my local area. We have a thriving independent shopping scene here, with lots of little unique shops, cafes, pubs, bars and restaurants. There was uproar when Cafe Nero deigned to open its doors on Lordship Lane, as it was a representation of "the big chains", and I am proud to say that I have not to this day been a customer in that establishment, preferring to frequent Cafe Petit Chou, Green & Blue or Homemade for a beverage and piece of cake. At weekends, there is a hectic and rushed air to Lordship Lane and Northcross Road. The queue for the local butchers stretches almost twenty metres back past the bus stop on some Saturday mornings (although often this is comprised of just ten or twelve people who just happen to be queuing with their giant buggies and hoards of offspring in tow), whilst the fishmongers and deli are also bustling all day long at weekends. Pop along to pick up some Farmhouse sausages, half a dozen scallops and a slice of delicious chocolate brownie on a Tuesday afternoon however and it is a very different story; I am able to browse in the butchers and have a conversation with them about how best to cook the chosen cut of meat for dinner without any tutting or huffing from the queue behind me. I can chuckle with the fishmonger about the best type of fish to serve to my friend who is coming for dinner and has announced she is only eating protein as she is following the Dukan diet, and I am served promptly but calmly in any shop or cafe by staff who look like they are enjoying their days and are genuinely pleased to be helping you. It is a different world in the week. The pace is more relaxed, the people are friendlier and it really is an even lovelier place to live than even I thought it was.
I now see my neighbours more and am on "Hello, how are you?" terms with lots of them whereas before it was merely a nod of recognition at best. (For London living this is quite a big deal although I understand that in the 'burbs or the countryside most people do speak to and even become friends with their neighbours... I'm not sure that is going to catch on round here just yet!). During the recent London Riots, in which it was rumoured that East Dulwich was going to be targeted (we weren't really, it was just some opportunist kids) I was part of the community who condemned the violence from our front doorsteps and cheered the locals who barricaded the afore mentioned opportunist kids into Londis until the police arrived and arrested them. Brilliant.
This morning, G and I went for a walk up to Dulwich Library. After a Cappucino and Green Tea respectively at Tea &more, we went into the very handsome building which has served as a library since 1897. I am slightly ashamed to reveal that I had never set foot in Dulwich Library before today, despite having lived here for over six years, but it was like stepping back in time to the libraries of my youth only better. As well as books you can borrow journals, DVDs, CDs, use the internet and WIFI and I am sure much, much more. I was able to join quite painlessly, and so have now added another local amusement to my repertoire which I can honestly say I would probably never have done had I not been confined to the locality involuntarily.
When we first moved here, so many people were a bit confused as to why we did not want to live in Clapham, Fulham, Balham, Islington, or to put it another way anywhere with a tube station. At the time, we thought we were onto a good thing as not only were the house prices cheaper than anywhere on the tube, but it also had a thriving high street, great facilities, lots of green spaces and happily a dearth of those people who just HAVE to live near a tube station. My happy thought for the day is that now I am discovering how much luckier I am to live here than even I realised; I am part of the weekday community and I am discovering things I had never been able to experience before, all of which is helping me get through each day and take my mind off everything else which is going on in my world. A very practical silver lining indeed.
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