New Glasses

** Backblip for Friday 4th July 2025 **

Quick trip up to Oxford Street to collect my new glasses. No need to get excited, as they look incredibly similar to the old ones - though they’re a different designer this time, Radley instead of Ted Baker. I had the “sloping floor” effect, due to the new prescription, so the assistant told me to put the old ones back on until I got home but then never wear them again.

I had lunch in a cool and leafy Hanover Square, but it was too uncomfortably warm to spend any more time wandering around London so I went back to Liverpool Street Station, where my blip of the exit from the concourse to the new Broadgate Central multi-level mall was taken. 40,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space will be available from this autumn. From what I’ve seen of the City, it’s largely empty evenings and weekends - the last time I walked through Canary Wharf it was pretty dead and deserted - so I’m not sure if Broadgate Central will be any different.

I was glad to get home and cool down. How I ever managed the commute and long hours working in London I do not know! More admin stuff to deal with, this time to do with memorial plaques, then I tried to get through some of the book club novel.