23.

The distinctive curly railings of Kings Hall Leisure Centre - "A Better facility" so the marketing scam goes. Ha. At least today the blood curdling smell of drains wasn't too prominent. A friend has visited the newly reopened aquatic centre at the Olympic Park and reported several Hackney mums looking pretty pleased that they've upgraded their weekly swimming experience so drastically.

But even with the smell, the grime, the useless admin regime, the booking system from hell and the general air of dilapidation I wouldn't swap Kings Hall for Olympic Aquatics for one reason only: the genius swimming instructors.  Friendly, kind, encouraging, good at what they do and all round Good Eggs. 

Even more depressing, then, to hear that 'Better', in their wisdom, have increased their work hours considerably without increasing their pay. Time for a stroppy email I think. It won't be my first. I probably should have left my heart on the  inside. 

20. 21. 22.

Oh yes a triple cheater day! And on a Sunday when I'm sposed to be having a rest day anyway! (Maybe someone cld explain why in Lent you don't count Sundays. And is it true then that you don't have to keep up your Heart discipline/giving up chocolate/eschewing social media for those Sundays?? Or is this Not In The Spirit of Lent?).

First up I left one at The Manse. To brighten up the Lent of the minister and her husband. But I noticed that someone else had got there before me! Ms Showalter perhaps? Or Ms Lawrence? Nice crocheted heart though. And from the peaceable yarn army it seems. Ms Showalter then. 

Then on to leave one on the Gold Door. Or Number 33 as its also known. It's seen some action that gold door. And inside that door today I was privileged to receive a long hug from a beautiful woman who immediately made me cry as I thought back to some of that action. Good to catch up with friends old and new. 

And finally I stuck another on the Olympic apple trees having noticed that my previous one has been removed. It's a double triple cheater day today. 

But I quite like the door thing. Nearly left one on both Honey's and Hugh's doors today. Neighbours of mine who I hardly know. But I don't want to freak them out. I'll have to contemplate this possibility closer I think.   

19.

Oh the pictures are so much better in the day!! 

Another snatched one to catch up. I couldn't resist leaving another one on the Round Chapel railings. I noticed that the other's finally gone so the place just seemed a bit bare somehow. 

I think I'm going to have to watch I don't just put them in places I feel warm towards. Surely the whole point is to bring a bit of light and life into some dark holes?? 

Perhaps it feels like there are less dark holes around in Hackney these days? Maybe they're just better hidden? 

18.

Got to get back on track. Needed to do 2 yesterday but got to 10.30pm and finding it was a bit frosty I decided I couldn't be bothered to go out. Just plain laziness and wilful neglect of my Lenten discipline. The same night I found that my friend, who'd given up do social media for lent, had posted something on Face book. It's hard this regular commitment,  this daily discipline. Even when it's something so easy. Maybe I should be doing something like #EndHungerFast?

So this one had yo wait fir the cycle to work. It's outside the local health centre which has seen both sad and glad moments of my life. Babies born. Miscarriages recorded. Friends being treated for terrible diseases. Jabs done for big adventures. It's a great Doctors' surgery and I think I feel especially connected to it having bought our house from one of the Partners there. Ugly building though. 

17.

Yay another one on the school - this time on the front gate. The last is still there too. Feels like there's a few in the neighbourhood now. 

Sad that R hasn't managed to leave some hearts round Hackney - it's so much nicer to do it all with a partner in crime. But I think she just has taken too much on this term and this is one too many things.  We missed her at our sporadic 'mums night' meet up tonight - at the very wonderful Pecado tapas bar on Homerton High street. Great food, great company, great prices. Yum. 

Still playing catch up with the hearts. I'm one day out. Not easy this keeping up an every day discipline. Two tomorrow maybe. But I'm at work and out of Hackney. Should I leave one somewhere in Euston?? Dilemma! 

16.

A little cheat as I try to catch up with a fun-filled and full-on but not heart-filled weekend! We took the Clapton Park Sunday school down to the wilderness of the marshes for our Lent Adventure and thought about those Hebrews in the desert and the manna and quail. Then we ended up at the 'stone circle' and thought about Moses receiving the 10 commandments - boiling it all down (in true Chris Lawrence style!) to "Love God; love each other; God loves us". We drew chalk hearts on the stones; didn't break any bones jumping off them and everyone got a little crochet heart - to take home or tie to a tree. 

So this was my number 16 heart. 

15.

The furthest afield so far. But still Hackney so I think it counts. We were at the very lovely Eastern Curve Garden in Dalston. Nestled between high rise flats and offices and in an otherwise, by turns, totally derelict or sterile urban landscape. Built by and cared for by an eclectic community it is a real haven - with rambling overgrown wild parts and tidy ordered raised beds filled with herbs and flowers. 

But the best things, for me, are still built things: a warm greenhouse using ancient walls of some factory or other, a small squat pizza oven, a lean too full if sofas and home made (by kids I would wager!) and the piece de resistance: an enormously light instsllation in the shape of a greenhouse. It's a work of art made beautiful by black card, coloured tissue paper and disco balls. 

Lovely to see friends old and new and be able to order pale ale and coffee and homemade lemonade at the bar - perfect.