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@rhowe
So my flatmate picked a good weekend to move. Cue several round trips between Stoke Newington, Winchmore Hill, Wapping and Bow in a van.
On Saturday it was just roads cordoned off - A10 north of Bruce Grove and south of Seven Sisters. It looked like Wood Green was closed north of Turnpike Lane too. A couple of fire engines and plenty of police hanging around there.
Sunday was another story. We just avoided the area as much as we could. Bow to Winchmore Hill we did by taking the A12 out to Leyton and then the north circular. This was around 1am I guess. There were a few shifty looking types walking along the north circular near the Edmonton business park where Ikea is. We missed the A10 junction so came off at Green Lanes, passing a shop being looted in Palmers Green and all along Green Lanes there were little groups of "young people with their hoods raised" as I think the BBC described them, a few with bandannas over their faces.
After that we had to head back into town again to return the van to the hire place in Dalston which was where things got fun. Got the bike out and decided I'd just head up the A10 and deal with any diversions I came across. It was raining and I didn't fancy a massive detour at 2am on Sunday night although we had seen a couple of dark blue police riot vans heading north on the A10 earlier.
So, got to Seven Sisters and noticed some people kicking at a hole in the Tesco window there which was really just the precursor. At the top of the hill the A10 was blocked, diverting traffic down towards Tottenham Hale, which I didn't really fancy doing but well, there'd be plenty of traffic, right?
Anyway, I ended up riding around the backstreets just to the east of the High Road. Loads of little groups of people, all looking shifty. I think I got to the junction with Spencer Road and Landsdowne Road and the street lights were out - completely pitch black then bam hit a pothole and went flying. Great!
No harm done, but there was a police roadblock down the road so I had to head east again. Ended up on Willoughby Lane, then Brantwood Road, then the High Road before heading west along past White Hart Lane.
Fun times.