Thursday 21st May 2026

Woke around 0630 with back ache. Sat up in bed for a bit. Eventually rose for tea and porridge. Spent half-an-hour or so on the roof, cleaning the skylight, and clearing up the moss that falls off next door's church roof, having gained access via Rebecca and Sushi's roof garden. They are away on holiday in Cyprus. Aki cleaned our front window, and did a bit of gardening. I made lunch...poached eggs and ham. We took a bus up to Highgate and visited Kenwood House to see the single Vermeer in the Iveagh Bequest collection...there's also a Rembrandt self-portrait. I was surprised by just how many paintings are in the collection, as we wandered from room-to-room. Very impressive. Back home, I warmed up the last of the chicken and mushroom pie for dinner, followed by cheese and biscuits. Phoned Kath, who was at 12 High View. She and mum had been out in the back garden, working...dad not fit enough to join them. He's been in much pain of late, and has been taking a stronger painkiller, despite it making him nauseous. Watched a bit of telly...stumbled across The Elon Musk Show...an extraordinary, and very chilling, documentary charting the rise of Musk and what his ambitions may mean for the rest of us!!!

Wednesday 20th May 2026

Aki up early to prepare herself for Rowing Club...she brought me a mug of tea. Got up as she cycled off, and had my breakfast bowl. Made some lentil soup for lunch. Walked down to Highbury and had a coffee before heading to Egerton Pharmacy next door for a 1030 ear suction appointment with Samira. She was great, and gave both ears an over-due vacuuming! Walked back home via Waitrose and the Amazon lockers at The Junction to pick up my Italian tutor book. Aki back for lunch...the soup went down well. We headed into town to watch "La Grazia", Paolo Sorrentino's latest movie, at The Garden Cinema. It was majestic...funny, humane, intelligent, and a feast for the eyes. Jumped on a No.91 bus back home. Aki cooked pasta for dinner, with a tomato sauce, fried mushrooms, and vegetables. Watched "Get Back"... got halfway through episode 2 before bath and bed.

Tuesday 19th May 2026

Woke around 0815. Back giving me a bit of gip, but relatively minor this morning. Got up and made breakfast bowls, and brought tea back to bed. Read some more Mirror & The Light before rising. Aki went off to tai chi. Pea soup for lunch when she returned. She got a phone call from Ha-chan in Osaka...she had been discharged from hospital, and is now recovering at home. Good news! I popped across the road to pick up my statins from Dev's. Finished reading The Mirror & The Light...it's very succinctly put together, telling a complex tale with great clarity. Warmed up chicken and mushroom pie for dinner, with lots of vegetables. Watched Later With Jools...on the iPlayer. Arsenal win the title after Man City are held to a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth...lots of celebratory car horns going off until the early hours in the surrounding streets...a neighbour posted a photo of her husband celebrating with the one-and-only Ian Wright, who had turned up to join in the fun!

Monday 18th May 2026

 

Woke around 0645. Back ached a bit, so sat up in bed for a while before nodding back off. Got up and made a breakfast pot, and tea. Sat down with Aki to book some more Sicilian accommodation...just left Palermo to sort out. Headed in to town. Took the tube to Leicester Square, and walked up to Foyles. Aki got in the queue at the cafe, whilst I sought out and paid for a copy of the RSC adaptation of Hilary Mantel's "The Mirror & the Light". I've been handed the role of the Duke of Norfolk for the rehearsed reading...rehearsals start on Sunday. We enjoyed soup and a chicken sandwich, then walked across to Covent Garden to watch "Kohuko" at The Garden Cinema. Fabulous film...set in the world of Kabuki theatre...the dance sequences were sublime. Caught a No.91 bus back to Holloway. Very busy...Arsenal are hosting Burnley in their final home game of the season tonight. Aki cooked mackerel, Japanese style, for dinner...very tasty! Watched a bit of telly. Oh, and Arsenal won 1-0, so are now 5 points clear of Man City...if Man City fail to win tomorrow evening, then Arsenal will claim the title.

Sunday 17th May 2026

Woke around 0815...back not too bad, for a change. I'm guessing that I didn't roll over onto my side during the night. Got up and brought tea back to bed. Aki cooked omelette for brunch before cycling off to Rowing Club. I did some research on hotels in Taormina...found one within walking of the ancient Greek Amphitheatre. Did my exercises. Aki lunched at the Clubhouse, so I just made do with avocado on toast. I popped out to Waitrose to get some ingredients to make a chicken and vegetable pie, and prepped it all before Aki got back. Spoke to Paul Jones on the phone and arranged to go see Sean O'Callaghan in Richard III at Stafford Gatehouse at the end of June. Aki booked train tickets. Cooked my pie...served up with peas and broccoli. Watched some telly before bath and bed...

Saturday 16th May 2026

Woke around 0730 with back ache...got up and did some back exercises before returning to bed for a bit. Eventually rose to cook brunch. We did some research on travel plans for Sicily. Walked over to Waitrose to buy some provisions. Bumped into Tom at the Greek church next door...mentioned we were planning to visit Syracuse, in Sicily, but once part of the Greater Greek Empire...he told us that there are still pockets of Greek speaking locals in south-east Sicily. Aki cooked salmon teriyaki for dinner, with rice and vegetables. Watched Phillip Ridley's "The Reflecting Skin"...a 1990 venture into the movies for the great playwright...beautifully shot and lit, but his magical writing was forced into the background, and as a result, the narrative didn't quite take off. 

Friday 15th May 2026

Woke around 0430. Got back to sleep. Aki had headed off to Rowing Club by the time I woke again. Got up at 0945 and porridged. Coffee. Did some exercises. Aki back for lunch. Pottered about not getting much done. Popped out to the Post Office. Bumped into Lynne in the hall who said she was off to Madagascar in a couple of weeks time! She's got another quote for roof work...£23,000. Said I'd try and identify a couple more possible roofers for quotations. Read some before warming up the chicken and apple for dinner, with orzo and vegetables. Drove over to Stoke Newington to see Bee's production of "Clyde's". Very impressed by the seedy kitchen set. The five actors were good...hadn't seen any of them before. The two younger guys were awesome. Bee can be proud of her first Tower production, though some of the scene transitions felt a bit clunky, and lighting and sound required a slightly more subtle approach.