Wednesday 31st December 2025

Woke around 0900 after a fitful night’s sleep. Aki suffering from very itchy skin. Has arranged a GP appointment for next week. Read in bed. Got up and breakfasted before Aki cycled off to the fishmonger’s on Essex Road…cold out! Mounted Lynne’s new doorbell. Made lunch. Pottered about. Did some exercises. Aki cooked a fish stew for dinner, with tuna carpaccio for starters. Watched “When Harry Met Sally” in honour of the great Rob Reiner. Bathed before watching a bit of Jools’ Hootenanny and seeing the new year in with coverage of the fireworks on the Thames…

Tuesday 30th December 2025

Woke around 0330…took a while to nod back off. Got up around 0900. Started packing before descending for breakfast. Mum and dad turned up, followed by Jim and Emma who had slept out in their van on the drive! Kath had gone to work. Packed the car, made a packed lunch, and managed to get away by 1045. Roads not too bad…busy, but kept moving! Stoped at Tibshelf to eat our lunch, and swapped drivers. Aki drove us the rest of the way, heading straight for Waitrose to do a bit of a shop. Got in around 1700 and unpacked the car. Warmed up a frozen fish pie for dinner. Watched “Spinal Tap II”…great fun. One of the ageing band members mentioned being inspired by Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography, “I’m Bruce Springsteen, Going on Sevensteen”! Bath and bed…

Monday 29th December 2025

Woke around 0500…took a while to nod back off. Got up around 0900. Breakfasted en famille in the dining room. Emily from Occupational Health turned up on time and sat at the dining table posing questions, before touring the rooms and making suggestions. She’s ordered a wheelchair for dad to trial. I wrote up her suggestions and emailed notes to dad, Kath and Jim. Jim and Emma helped Kath and Aki in the garden before we broke for lunch. Aki and I walked down to the shops at Darras. Back at High View, Aki cooked a chicken and bean broth for dinner. I cooked a bolognese sauce to store in the freezer. Watched a bit of telly before bed…

Sunday 28th December 2025

Woke around 0800. Got up and made Aki a tea, then set about making the pea and ham soup for lunch. Breakfasted en famille at the dining table. Sat about reading the paper for a bit. Had a quick shower. Lunch. Drove the ladies out to Newburn for a short walk along the Tyne. Tried to get ourselves a tea at the rowing club but it was rammed. Tried the Boathouse but they are not a pub…it’s a restaurant, so we walked back to the Keelman and had tea there. Drove back to High View via Sainsbury’s. Listened to the final 15 minutes of the Sunderland v Leeds game…ended 1-1. Ready meal for dinner…chicken and mushroom lasagna. It was tasty enough but rather wet for a lasagna. Watched some telly.

Saturday 27th December 2025

Woke around 0700 with back pain…struggled to nod back off! Got up around 0900. Aki hadn’t had a good night either. Breakfasted in the dining room. Sat about reading and generally pottering about. Aki made boiled egg and soldiers for lunch. Drove down to Waitrose to do a bit of shopping, then on to the petrol station at the airport to fill up for the trip back to London on Tuesday. Also popped in to Dobbies to buy a couple of frozen ready meals…interested to see how they go down. Aki boiled a ham for dinner…wasn’t a very nice cut. Will use the stock to make pea soup tomorrow. Watched some telly before bed…

Friday 26th December 2025

Woke around 0930. Got up and descended for cereal at the dining table…the rest of the family slowly emerged one-by-one. Jim and Emma had spent the night in the van on the drive. I made chowder for lunch. Dad still feeling sick, so didn’t eat much. I drove Aki and Kath over to Chopwell Wood…near Rowlands Gill. Hooked up with Helen, Martin, and their daughter Emily for a long walk along the woodland trails…a lot of cars in the car park, but the trail was quite quiet. Got back to the car as the sun was setting. Said our goodbyes and drove back to Darras. Made a turkey curry with one of the cook in sauces we’d given dad for Xmas. It was a bit spicey! Fried Xmas pud for afters. Sat in front of the telly for the evening…had to listen to a lot of Lesley Garrett! Enjoyed Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson in The Great Escaper…formulaic and sentimental though it was…Glenda was especially good in what must have been her final performance!

Thursday 25th December 2025

Woke around 0830. Got up to prepare the croissants. Kath popped out to see a client so we ate our croissants without her. Started to prepare the dinner…peeled the potatoes, sliced the parsnips and carrots, and put the turkey in cold water to finish the defrosting. Aki prepared smoked salmon blinis for the starter while I tried to time the different elements of the dinner, and steam the Christmas pud. Served up around 1430. Opened presents between courses. Everyone slumped onto the sofa and nodded off to the television. The Amandaland Xmas special was rather good. I prepared a simple buffet…but people weren’t hungry. Dad feeling a little nauseous after taking some morphine. Washed up and tidied the kitchen before bed…