I suppose it was a case of oversight on my part (or perhaps, at best, a kind of naive ignorance) that I failed to realise that I hadn't started a blog sooner because I don't have an especially eventful life. I know that we are all essentially creatures of habit but I suspect that, mostly thanks to my mother, I lead a life of less variety than a considerable number of other people who are prone to this sort of online documentation. This is often &, indeed for the most part continues to be, the case but lately there has been a flurry interest in the otherwise mundane day-to-days of this Hackney dweller & this comes in the form of this fella that I'm very happy to welcome into my life & introduce to all of y'all: Fernando!
I speculated about becoming a cyclist in London in my last post & that seemingly endless umm-ing & aah-ing finally came to an end with the combination of an evening's idle browsing of the internet & my chancing upon an unexpected day off last Monday. I was very lucky to stumble upon the Facebook page of 'The Hackney Peddler', a hole in the wall in Hackney Downs Studios around the corner from my East End bedroom, that specialise in doing up & selling on classic bikes. Admittedly seduced by the good looking people & their equally attractive bicycles that feature on the Peddler's instagram, I decided to make the trip on Monday to see if they could sort me out with a set of wheels. It turned out the answer to this was yes & quickly too - one of the guys had me measured up against this blue racer within a minute or so &, for once practically dressed in jeans rather than a pencil skirt (thank god), I was soon shakily making my way towards a peddle around Hackney Downs. Shakily is likely an understatement - with racing handlebars, very skinny tyres & by far the lightest frame I've ever , this bicycle was unlike anything I'd ridden before & my confidence was knocked. Andrew & I said our thank yous & think about its & headed for 'The Russet' just opposite for a delicious deliberating lunch of lentil salad with peppers, green beans & a side of E5 Bakehouse sourdough. We soon realised that I'd already decided, my heart was set & after agreeing on a few adjustments (upright handlebars, a new saddle, wider - not to mention sturdier - gauge tyres & a full service), the deposit was down & so were the hours being counted until I could collect him on Tuesday.
Needless to say, since swinging by that place that evening after work, the two of us have been pretty much inseparable. I've been realistic with myself about needing a lot of practice before embarking on my Hackney to Hampstead commute but I'm already amazed at watching the capital shrink before me as I swing my leg over the saddle (& it's quite a swing, let me tell you, phew) I was left with such a good feeling at every encounter with 'The Hackney Peddler' & couldn't recommend them enough - I very obviously know nothing about bicycles (still dreading the first time my chain inevitably comes off, eek) but I was at no point made to feel as such, instead helped along the way & encouraged to ask as many questions as possible. I've already fitted myself out with an attractive helmet (only partly sarcastic, I'm actually quite fond of it, y'know) & planning a more rural route to work, so looking forward to saying an overdue farewell to those packed overground trains.
I've been enjoying getting aforementioned practice this weekend alongside making more homemade granola, propping myself up against trees in parks with my book (currently 'The Ginger Tree' by Oswald Wynd, interspersed with a few pages from the latest 'New Yorker' issue), tucking into a couple of bowls of leftover curry for lunch, gaining a few more freckles but ultimately spending altogether too much time in bed behind curtains after a busy week, yawn.
I'll hopefully be back soon with an update as far as getting some of my scribbles into an actual form that is put in front of other peoples' eyes (often referred to as 'getting published') - I'll hopefully find some time this week to get some ideas onto paper for the upcoming issue of the wonderful 'Chickpea' magazine, or at least before July 1st, wish me luck.
Here's to the start of something beautiful.
Speak soon - O.
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