New Journey

I've never taken the train from Liverpool Street to Tottenham before. Just outside the station is a derelict watch-building on stilts. Bails and I were talking about converting old toilet buildings into houses. Image of living in a small house on stilts up above the railway.

The train passes the back of Bethnal Green very quickly, which for some reason I found surprising. Rooftops and uncared for upper rooms of shops. White church steeples. Back of the Childhood Museum that is having some work done - internal walls exposed, painted green and orange.

A building with outside walkways and stairs all with purple railings. London Fields - home of a very good organic pub in the middle of the park.

Roof gardens and washing. A woman gets on with a bunch of purple stocks. They seem trimmed rather short.

An enormous blue wall, curved, just past Hackney Downs. Flats? Or municipal? Couldn't tell.

From being above, find we are suddenly below ground level at Stoke Newington. Buildings tower above the brick-lined cutting the train station is in. Back to being overground again at Seven Sisters. Two middle-aged fat guards in fluro orange vests slouch in plastic chairs enjoying the sunshine. On the other end of the station a man sits on a bench texting with intent. His feet are arranged neatly on the concrete - wool-socked feet side by side, shoes on either side of them, briefcase to the right.

And like a flash I'm there.