Arrival at King’s Cross Station a detour to Notes , only to find closed.
Why are you closed? We are always closed.
I asked for the manager.
She knew me and was pleased to see me.
She apologized and explained close early evening on Monday at eight. Later in the week, Wednesday onwards, open until late.
Not an entirely wasted journey. I picked up a bag of coffee.
London firework display to welcome in the New Year.
Moving tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II using drones.
Arriving at King’s Cross Station, a pleasant evening. Instead of descending into the bowels of the London Underground, I decided to go for a wander in search of Notes coffee shop.
But first I checked with a stall holder closing up at the street food market outside King’s Cross Station.
Nearby and open until ten pm.
The back of King’s Cross Station used to be rough, very rough, an area for travellers to avoid.
I found night life, a trendy area. People sat outside. It was as though late August not late September.
I almost gave up, turned around to return to King’s Cross Station, and found myself facing Notes.
A very trendy coffee shop. More like Athens than London.
I asked, if I bought a bag of coffee beans would I receive a free coffee? Yes. Always worth asking.
My coffee reasonable but not great.
While I was leaving, I noticed filter coffee, free samples. I tried both. One I was very impressed by. I was going to change my purchase, but then decided I would have both. The girl was surprised as the coffee had been sitting for hours. Er, should refresh every hour.
The girls were very pleasant and helpful, but not baristas. Lack of knowledge of coffee. A shame when Notes has an excellent reputation as a roastery. Maybe knowledgeable baristas during the day when they function as a coffee shop, night morphs inti cocktails and food.
A brief chat with the guy making the cocktails appears to be using quality ingredients, which is more than can be said of most bars. On reflection I should have tried an espresso martini.
Food being served looked good too.
If passing through King’s Cross with time to spare, worth a detour to Notes.
Passing through King’s Cross Station, I noticed what I had never seen before, Black Sheep Coffee.
A mild evening, pavements wet with rain, I decided to give it a try.
They were closing and yet it was not late, not yet yet eight o’clock. I was offered Robusta. You got to be kidding me.
I learnt from an Italian guy bringing in the tables that it was a chain, all over London.
The only reason I walked in I saw their equipment. They had good equipment, usually a good sign.
LNER Azuma into King’s Cross, luckily not busy, but I was one of the few passengers actually wearing a mask.
Outside King’s Cross Station, Black Sheep Coffee shop, never seen before. Not too cold, a mild evening, take a break and have a coffee. They were closing and yet it was not late, not yet yet eight o’clock. I was offered Robusta. You got to be kidding me.
I learnt from an Italian guy bringing in the tables that it was a chain, all over London.
The only reason I walked in I saw their equipment. They had good equipment, always a good sign.
Lady manning barrier at King’s Cross advised I travelled via Oxford Circus, Victoria Line to Oxford Circus, then Bakerloo Line to Waterloo. The reason for this advice, apart from quicker, was that I only had to cross the platform, whereas via Leicester Square I have to negotiate steps.
What struck me was how decrepit the London Underground, and the sparsity of information. In the past there was as enter the platform, opposite the route. Nada. Nor could I find a map pf the system. This is very basic.
Tube not busy, though not deserted as last few tines have passed through London. Only half the passengers wearing masks. To wear a mask is mandatory on Transport for London. Why is it not being enforced?
Waterloo, South Western Railway to Portsmouth. These are usually short trains. I was pleasantly surprised to find a long train of at east ten coaches. This is a marked improvement. The train not busy. Only a tiny minority wearing a mask.
I was very very lucky I passed through London when I did. London was later hit by a heavy downpour, flash flooding, with parts of the London Underground flooded.
Eerie, travelling across London and barely a soul to be seen.
The impact of covid-19 has hit everyone hard, every sector, but none so hard as the hospitality sector, with no sign yet of when they may be able to open.
Look at Soho, boarded-up streets and unless action is taken soon, they will remain boarded-up. And unlike airlines and travel sector which spread covid-19, are victims.
And yet it should not have been. Opening up too soon, relaxing lockdown, will create a second wave, but there was absolutely no reason why indie coffee shops and restaurants, not chains, could have not opened up in May, the weather was ideal, opened up with their tables and chairs spread well spaced apart in the street to maintain social distancing.
What has stopped this happening is the intransigence of local councils who would rather see local businesses die than give them a helping hand.
We can hear birdsong, streets are traffic free, city centres pollution free.
Covid-19 has jolted us into another now.
There can be no return to normal as normal was not normal.
Time to Reclaim the Streets.
Pedestrianise not only Soho but also Covent Garden, leaving only the arterial routes for through traffic. Deliveries park on the periphery, deliver by hand cart or trolley.
Kick start the local economy, allow indie coffee shops and restaurants to spread their tables well spaced apart into the street, no chains no pubs No Smoking, social distancing maintained.
Win win for everyone, local businesses helped back on their feet, improves the ambience.
Soho Summer Festival:
We’re proposing that streets around Soho are temporarily pedestrianised, in order to allow restaurants and bars the space for outdoor seating. This would allow the public to enjoy the Soho we know and love, while maintaining a safe social distance.
The norm in Athens, local streets at night turn into restaurants. The Mayor of Athens is extending the pedestrianised streets.
The norm in North Laine in Brighton, coffee shops and restaurants, tables in the street. Brighton is extending its pedestrianised streets.
This does not require a change in licencing laws, it does require a change in the mindset of local jobsworths who would rather see local businesses go to the wall than improve the ambience of our city centres.
An initiate to Reclaim the Streets in Soho has been launched, an initiative dubbed the Soho Summer Festival. Initially pedestrianise the area for the summer.
Once the summer has passed, it should be made permanent.
Christmas 2025, the future.
Brian Eno narrates this fictional documentary set in the year 2025, interviewing Londoners about their first Christmas heatwave.
A terrifying missive from the near future.
Though do we even have to look that far ahead?
Fires in California, Chile, Siberia, Australia. Floods in England, floods across Europe. Melting polar ice caps, disappearing glaciers.
When passing through or by King’s Cross Station it is always worth having an extra half an hour to spare to visit the excellent food market located outside the front of the station.
Spoilt for choice, cakes, cheese, savouries.
Excellent Comte cheese off one stall, Cheddar off another.
Then when perused the food stalls, wander down the side of the station to find Craft Coffee, serving some of the best coffee in London.
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