Blackbird. Photo & text: David Secombe.

Stoke Newington. © David Secombe 2009.

The London Column has been a little inactive this month, partially delinquency on the part of your correspondent and partially a feeling that the London Olympics had taken all the air out of the city; small, mordant observations about life in the ‘Great Wen’ seemed out of place in the midst of such frantic flag-waving. But, Paralympics notwithstanding, there is that ‘back to school’ feeling in the air: autumn is nearly upon us, the flags and bunting will fade and get wet, and it will soon be business as usual.

There’s only so much jubilation a city can stand …