Rat traps, a flyer with six vouchers for a McDonalds burger deal (at local drive-thru only), flappy poster, the double decker 'Spirit of London', windowbox with hydrangeas, an old man riding his bike slowly in the wrong direction down a Cycle Superhighway toward an oncoming bus, temporary traffic lights, heavy embankmenting in readiness for full-on residentialisation, digital poster inviting passers by to visit Tennessee, padel courts.
Longstanding barbershop transformed into beauty salon, Superloop consultation poster on bus stop Superloop won't serve, council operative vigorously poking the inside of a litter bin, banner promoting local pantomime (featuring loud sounds, flashing lights and mild peril), posters advertising Non Drop Christmas Tree Sale, police interviewing angry man near ticket barrier, empty Meal Deal tray, dyed moustache, two binbags (one white, one green) both containing an identical selection of mostly unrecyclable litter, advert for Christmas Jumper Day.
Rail Adhesion Train (with poppy, lest we forget), teenager spitting on platform, pensioner who walked to the station just to pick up a Metro, hair salon with a backwards 'S' in its name, hot estate agent, sculpted thistle, man with heavily tattooed knees, upturned Strongbow can on railings, 'Wet Paint' sign on bus shelter whose paint is clearly no longer wet, onset of heavy rainfall.
Sign saying "Access for light ride on mowers only", bin numbered 848, closed Texaco garage (awaiting opportunity to become 40 flats), closed psychiatric hospital (awaiting opportunity to become 845 flats), closed pub (awaiting investment partner), colourful illuminated fountains, special offer on chicken fillets, space invader clutching pint of beer, extra long bamboo skewer, drippy awning.
£10 bag of barbecue charcoal, Ethiopian/Eritrean restaurant, goalmouth full of seagulls (a 'gullmouth', perhaps), riverside park at the "embankment of mud" stage of its early evolution, power station belching steam, new power station rising alongside, bifurcated brook, discarded keycard from nearby Premier Inn, three banners outside an enormous Tesco (one of which says it's going to be improved, one of which says it's being improved and one of which says the improvements have finished), puddles.
Honky truck, poster for Europe's Craziest Soca Holiday (Zante, May 2026), Mark's plaque, Tesco tuna and cucumber sandwich disappearing inside a hoodie, hurried teenager pushing past me, same teenager hovering behind wide gate so he can walk through the barriers without paying, same teenager waiting for bus, increasingly damp leopardskin blanket covering homeless person's worldly belongings, adidas Gazelles in fluorescent orange and green, querulous dog.
Coffee cup abandoned on stairs, annoyingly wet gap between end of stairs and start of canopy, woman applying lipstick before cuddling up for a selfie, man simultaneously vaping and drinking lager and wearing a purple shirt, spattered canal, entire passenger contingent turfed off onto platform due to train fault, bedraggled member of Greek cabin crew (called Mark), poppy-branded Overground train, pad of sudokus (the top one with six numbers scribbled out), paisley headscarf.
Dirty bucket hat, woman trying to work out where to discard her banana skin, flashing purple scooter, baby in pouch intently watching mother's phone screen, family of five all wearing fashionable neutrals with not a splash of colour, soggy Ugg boots, 140th anniversary sign erected seven years ago, rain dripping down the window, bin confirming station is indeed in this borough, One Stop shop.
Chicken shop with a 'Generally Satisfactory' rating, overhead electric heater, Star Bar emerging from woolly handbag, office worker failing to grab the seat beside me and in the process shaking raindrops off his umbrella all over the notes I've been scribbling down, conference escapees, over-hopeful escalator, nice weather for ducks, actual ducks, rubber duck, also two swans.
Tray of pesto pasta being wolfed down, red polka dot umbrella, 38 year-old telephone, determined but rainswept jogger, electric bus whose destination is shown as 'Electric Bus', scaffolders wishing the weather was better, reopened launderette, shop window display entirely comprised of kitchen roll and toilet rolls, window I've been meaning to clean for weeks, brown package leaning against my neighbour's front door.
