in the dock

 

today was the first clear blue sunny day in what seems like weeks so i decided to hop on the bike and head down to Portobello Road.  firstly i nipped into love kr to drop off a couple of my Mattressland Calendars and lovely shop owner Paula has already been bitten by the mattress-spotting bug and recruited another friend - brilliant!  she had a few pics of recent spottings in the area (which i had missed) including one which had not only a bed but a whole bedroom suite...with wardrobe too...ha ha!  then it was down the road to Portobello Dock.

I wanted  to check out the fairly new development down there which includes The Dock Kitchen and Tom Dixon's design shop. Mr Dixon has also acquired the water tower over the bridge which he has clad in wood and is converting into his own private residence - jammy sod - bet the views are fantastic.  The Dock itself all looks and smells very luxurious and i'm keen to test out the restaurant soon.

 

the water tower - new ho\me of Tom Dixon

the shop

 

 shed in a shop

 a shiny Brompton

a curious and beautiful random painting of a nurse 

on the wall of the shop...wonder if she's local

i cycled on toward Portobello Market, which was absolutely rammed as usual on a saturday afternoon so i didn't last long, where i spotted some delicious looking brightly coloured bicycles.

 

 

then it was over to say hello to the lovely boys at halfpipe on Golborne Road - the best bike (and skateboard/snowboard) shop in north/west London - to give them a calendar in thanks for all the free tire-pumping and bike twiddling they have done for me this year.  i think they would have preferred something edible or drinkable - so must bring a beer and chocs with me next time.  then i headed homeward up Chamberlayne Road and popped into Circus Antiques, another of the lovely new shops which have been springing up in Kensal Rise, to buy something for my bro for his birthday - before a last pitstop at 8 station terrace for a coffee and a pastry before finally going home.  i'm sure i can smell snow in the air....and my nostrils were pleasantly surprised when i walked in the door as my flat still smells rather deliciously of ginger ninja-bread men after last night's bake off - way better than expensive candles!