Thursday 19th February 2026

Woke around 0715. Dozed until 0900. Got up and porridged. We met up with Ben from No.38 and accompanied him to Seven Sisters to view a flat that his daughter Mira has put an offer in on, with her boyfriend, Alex. It's in a pretty rough area of south Tottenham, and within walking of Seven Sisters tube station. We hooked up with Mira, Alex, and Alex's Ukrainian mum, Nica, outside the property, a Victorian era double-fronted house converted some time ago into two flats. It's an odd shape, but there are possibilities for opening it up a bit...the flat is on the first floor. It's been fairly well looked after by the current owner. The problem for Mira and Alex is that, although they don't need a mortgage in order to make the purchase, they have applied for a £70,000 mortgage to have cash to re-configure the accommodation...this has been refused by a lender due to the fact that the property abuts a commercial unit, a roofing and scaffolding concern. All a bit odd, really, as the current owner got a full mortgage 15 years ago without hassle. They are looking to find a second opinion. I rather suspect Mira's credit score is "challenging". We repaired to a nice cafe around the corner afterward, and Nica showed us some alternative plans she'd drawn up (she's architect trained). Ben bought us some lunch and coffee. I left them at Seven Sisters tube station and took a bus down the A10 to Stoke Newington. Wanted to pop in at the chiropodist's there to see if they stocked the insoles I've been using, but the woman was pretty unhelpful. Left empty handed and caught a No.106 bus back home. Signed up to a Dementia Research programme...had to take some cognitive tests...I scored in the top 10% for my word, and picture, memory. Watched some Winter Olympics before putting an early dinner together...a cheesey mushroom pasta sauce. Spoke to Linsey on the phone...she's going to be my landlady as of Sunday! She confirmed that there are no parking restrictions outside her home. Aki sloped off to Book Club at No.127. I watched the culmination of the Women's Figure skating...great little Japanese skater who won bronze. She was overwhelmed by her achievement...very charming! 

Wednesday 18th February 2026

Woke around 0715 and dozed for a bit Aki cycled off to Rowing Club. I porridged in bed and look over my lines for Good Golly…they should come fairly readily. Walked down to Upper Street for a coffee, and bought a quiche in Belle Epoche before heading back up the Holloway Road for a wee shop in Waitrose. Had forgotten my bus pass, so had to walk back home! Aki back for lunch. Pulled the other chest of drawers out from the bedroom wall and sprayed the black mould with mould remover...signs of damp to the external wall. Did some packing, and emptied the car boot ahead of loading up on Sunday morning. Aki cooked pan fried trout fillet for dinner, with cannelloni beans and plenty of vegetables. She then departed for a lecture at the RIBA...a famous Japanese architect, whose work we had visited in Hiroshima, and Toyama, last year. I worked on some songs, and watched some Winter Olympics. Aki back around 2200...bath and bed...

Tuesday 17th February 2026

 

Woke around 0600...took a while to doze back off. Aki woke me at 0930, and I got up to porridge. She sloped off to tai chi...I emptied the drawers from one of the chests of drawers in the bedroom, so that I could move the carcass to reveal the wall behind...as I surmised, the black mould is back...gave it all a good spraying, and did some vacuuming. Aki back for lunch...beetroot soup. Ventured into town to see "Wuthering Heights" at the Regent Street Cinema...a new adaptation. It's too glossy by half, having the feel of a sub-standard Tim Burton movie. Shallow, and rather dull. Aki went off to M&S to try on a jacket, and I went to John Lewis's to buy some bits and pieces in the Food Hall. Met up with Aki in M&S...we had a nice chat with a member of staff, who told us she hailed from Doncaster...we talked about Brexit and the surge in support for Reform, and rued the current state of the nation! Caught a No.29 bus, but it conked out in Camden Town and we had to decant onto a No.253. Aki cooked a mushroom risotto for dinner. Watched the Men's Big Air Final...nuts!!! 

Monday 16th February 2026

Woke around 0600...dozed off again eventually. Got up around 0930. Porridged. Did my exercises and watched some Winter Olympics. Did some packing ahead of decamping to Stoke next weekend. Put lunch together. Walked over to the Park Theatre to watch a rehearsed play reading, directed by a friend of Helen and Martin. The audience was rather small. The play, "My Girl", has been written by a New York comedienne of Palestinian descent, named Marena Riyad, and is basically a takedown of the flakey Palestinian men she has dated...Marena basically plays herself, but the action is slow and over-long, until we hit Act IV, which sees her deliver her message via a taut stand-up routine...good stuff, but needs some judicious cutting...they plan to take it to Edinburgh for the Festival in the summer. Walked home in the gloaming. Warmed up the last of the chicken and plum traybake for dinner, served up with sauteed potato and lots of vegetables. Aki had a zoom call. I watched some Winter Olympics.

Sunday 15th February 2026

A relatively decent night's sleep...woke around 0630 and dozed fitfully until 1000. Discovered Aki on the phone when I got up...her nephew, Naoya, had rung to pass on the news that Nobaru, Aki's brother-in-law, had passed away last night after a battle with lung cancer. She had been hoping to see him next month to say her farewells, but she will now re-direct her energies to assisting Naoya sort out his father's estate. Aki cooked eggs shakshuka for brunch. Watched some Winter Olympics. Very wet day, so stayed put. Aki served up fish curry, rice, and daal for dinner. Watched some telly...particularly enjoyed Lisa McGhee's new piece, How To Get To Heaven From Belfast...classy stuff. Watched Sunderland scrape through to the Fifth Round of the FA Cup with a 1-0 win at Oxford United, on MOTD2. Bath and bed...

Saturday 14th February 2026

Aki woke me up at around 0900 with a Valentine's card. Got up and made brunch. Watched some Winter Olympics, then headed out for a walk, as the sun had made a rare appearance. Took a No.91 bus up Hornsey Rise, then walked along the disused railway line to Highgate, and wandered into Queen's Wood. A little muddy underfoot. There was a long queue outside the cafe, so we walked on to Highgate Woods, and had tea and pain au chocolat at the Pavilion Cafe there. 

Walked back down the A1. Popped into a new vinyl record shop, and bought a couple of vaguely interesting cheap second hand LPs for framing on the hallway wall. Bought Japanese rice and black sesame ice cream at Cocoro, then caught a No.43 bus back to Holloway. We had a four course Valentine's dinner...the beetroot soup I'd made yesterday, with sliced radishes and yoghurt, followed by bavette steak with sauteed potatoes, vegetables, fried portobello mushroom, tomato, and peppercorn sauce. Turkish cream sponge cake, followed by cheese and biscuits. Watched the Women's skeleton final, and some ice skating, then FA Cup MOTD...Burnley humbled by League One Mansfield Town. Bath and bed...my bad hernia repair giving me much gip this evening...hope things calm down tomorrow!

Friday 13th February 2026

Woke around 0530. Took a couple of hours to nod back off! Aki cycled off to Rowing Club before I managed to rise. I walked round to Big Jo's for coffee and cinnamon bun, then wandered over to Waitrose to buy bavette steak, and Prosecco, for tomorrow night's Valentine's Day menu. Had time to drop everything back at home, then head for Newington Green via two buses. Got there a bit early, so had a coffee in Brags & Brams, with a nice window view of Newington Green. I liked the cup and saucer...I assumed they were made from bamboo, but it turned out they were made from re-cycled coffee beans! Walked across the Green for a half-hour osteopathy session with Chris Harris. Picked up my jacket from Stitch & Stitch, then walked to Highbury Corner in search of a Valentine's card. Found one at a little florists' shop, then headed home on the No.263 bus. 

Aki had cooked ramen for lunch...very tasty. Watched some Winter Olympics. Cooked up some beetroot soup...most of it destined for the freezer. Then cooked a creamy mushroom and parmesan sauce which we had with tagliatelle and peas. Finished off the damson jam wreath and custard for afters, then headed for Notting Hill. Had tickets to see Kyoto-based Chiten Theatre Company and their adaptation of Dostoevsky's novella, "The Gambler". It was highly stylised, involving a long table which rotated for most of the piece on a floor pained as a roulette wheel. The performers yelled out bits of text, in between hammering on the table with pool game balls...it was quite invigorating for the first 15 minutes or so, but became increasingly unengaging as the eight actors continually moved in a circular motion with the table...nowt much else happened, really...a show that literally went round in circles...not sure what Fyodor would have made of it...I had to fight to stay awake!