Where I live the train services have been heavily disrupted now for about two months, with routes cancelled and more causing lots of inconveniences, particularly to regular commuters. To add to this, for this weekend the Sunday the forecast was for grey, dry and windy turning to heavy rain by the afternoon.
I wanted to head out on Sunday, so how to take these challenges and turn them into opportunities? How to turn “lemons into lemonade”?
First, as the early morning weather was forecast to be dry, this was a Sunday to get out early (and this daily post later, once I got back to the house and the rain could fall without falling on me!).
Second, trains were running this Sunday but were re-routed on slower lines and past stations they normally don’t stop at.
So, knowing that there are lots of different Sunday Markets in London, I took the train to an area not normally serviced by direct trains from where I live, then walked to one of the local markets at Herne Hill.
An aside is that the “market economy” of these markets is fascinating. Unlike old street markets where people used to buy a lot of staples, these markets are an experience in themselves, where people come to buy premium-priced “treats” (£5 for a scotch egg anyone? Ok, I bought one!), and also there is a premium in the price traders can charge for that “market” experience. Yes, I left with not only scotch eggs but (all locally made by artisans, of course!) Caribbean hot sauce, candles, soap, loose leaf tea. A good haul.
Anyway, a lovely hour or so at that market then there is nothing in the UK quite like a bracing walk across a park to a “no nonsense” pub serving up a “Sunday Roast” plate with roast meet and loads of vegetable trimmings (and a Yorkshire pudding, naturally!).
After all of that, another slow train down a random route home and back here writing by 2:30.
Challenges turned into opportunities, lemons into lemonade.
I hope you had a lovely Sunday too!