Wednesday 17 May 2023
The drive to Scottish Borders from Lewisham wasn’t too bad yesterday, in large part because I left just after 05:30 and I don’t think I had to stop for any lights or roundabouts (‘just’ a roadworks hold-up on the A1) until I parked up at Wetherby Services at around 09:15. I stopped for half an hour and had been stuck in the roadworks for at least twenty minutes prior to that. The second half, another chunk of stop-start for also maybe twenty minutes, on the A66 near Preston. Otherwise, a decent drive and I got back here at 12:40. The drive north is definitely better than the drive south, in large part because the London section is the worst bit and it’s kind of easier to manage when, obviously, it’s out of rush hour and the journey has just started and you’re not tired and just want to get home (to Lewisham).
Today, back in Scotland, having barely slept the night before the drive and having got up at 04:10 (took a while to finish loading the car – five ups and downs in the lift), I woke up early and listened to the dawn chorus, which seemed particularly loud. I can’t identify bird song, other than a few, so I heard Mr Pheasant (whose wife seems to have had chicks in my absence – Chris spotted their extended family while I was away) and a load of swallows (a lot more arrived in the week I was in London).
It’s noticeably chillier up here and, as ever, I have come from a hot flat where the balcony door and windows were open as much as possible, including the bedroom window open overnight, to a chilly Scottish house. Today in Selkirk, sunrise at 05:00, sunset at 21:18, temperature ranging between 7°C and 14°C. In Lewisham, sunrise at 05:05, sunset at 20:47, temperature between 10°C and 17°C.
I had a great week in London. On my last day, Monday, I met my friend Lindsay, who came up from Hove. We walked from London Bridge along South Bank, over Hungerford Bridge, around Covent Garden for lunch and to St James’s Park before heading back to Blackfriars station. Long walk, long chat, excellent Syrian lunch (Arnabeet in ‘the banana warehouse’/Seven Dials Market) and we felt we covered quite a few tourist spots. I’m glad I had a proper London walk. It all felt different, but I suppose I have a slightly more outsider perspective now. Tourist areas (eg Trafalgar Square, Houses of Parliament) were very busy but the food market was significantly quieter than I’ve ever known it and, very weirdly, Borough Market was closed as if something had happened. Weird. (I’ve just Googled and from April, Borough Market is closed on Mondays except bank holidays).
I’ve had far more thoughts than usual about London and Scottish Borders, the differences, but I’ve waffled enough today. However, I was excited about getting back to the Scottish house, more so once I left the M74 ad Lockerbie and started driving away from town, getting more and more remote. It was lovely to see the house and it’s great to be back here.
