Same Face - Different Place

It’s been two weeks since I’ve moved into the city centre. Nobody, including myself knows quite why. It’s pandemic and the city is closed.

It’s been a difficult 2020, filled with break-ups and a lot of hurt. And just when I thought the end was in sight, Boris told me it’s not. But I am still giving last year the finger and starting over.

My new house is huge and flatmates are friendly enough. There is even a cat called Pablo. It’s a beautiful old Victorian house with steps leading to the front, albeit a little neglected. I am in the centre of the city, but essentially and for the time being, all alone. Things seem worthless when nobody is there to share your time with and validate you. Maybe I’ve been reading too many self-help books, but that’s probably where I need to be right now; feeding only into myself and for myself. I want to make this a good year, full of things I that I love, people I love and little projects that I like doing, whatever the constraints of the pandemic may be. Hence, the blog!

I’ve already gone for a few walks by the canal, just between Holloway Road and Camden. Today it had been sunny and there was a buzz about town. But as soon as the curtain closed to the day, the city fell eerily silent, derelict and abandoned. All shop shutters closed, everybody tucked indoors, except for the glow of the odd newsagent and the random person prowling drunkenly by. It’s sad, but tinged with something magical.

My first project has been carving out my space in the city, attending to my new room and make it my haven. It was such a shabby mess with no chic; dirty walls and unwanted furniture, there was even a CD rack. It’s been fun ripping out the old furniture, unscrewing large flat packs and tearing them apart, defeating my 5ft stature. I got this! There have been several trips to B&Q, hours of indecision, then a splash of paint; it’s not the coastal blue I wanted, but it’s calming. My books are now all stacked and desk space all set up, curtains up and nice and new clean white bedsheets. It’s my space. What next – picture frames & plants!!!!