Monday 12th October 2026

Terrible night's sleep. I reckon it was gone 0400 by the time I nodded off! Perplexing, as I am still feeling tired after Friday night/Saturday morning. Tea in bed before rising around 1030. Porridged. Practised some guitar and looked at the harmonica part on "Mr Tambourine Man". Pea and mint soup for lunch. Grey day. Did an hour and half at the coal face ahead of my trip to the south coast on Wednesday. Warmed up the last of the fish stew I'd retrieved from the freezer, which we ate with plenty of vegetables. Kath FaceTimed to say High View had been plunged into darkness due to a power cut. Online information suggested repairs were underway, but no time scale evident. Watched 56Up before bath and bed...

Sunday 11th October 2026

Fitful night's sleep...surprising, as I was tired after the previous night's disruption. Dozed in and out of sleep until the alarm at 0800. Got up and made tea. Porridged. Took up my guitar and headed for Camden Town. Got there early...was surprised to see that others had beaten me to it and were setting up in the classroom. Dave turned up 10 minutes later...we worked on an arrangement that involved some of us playing chords, and some the melody line. It was all a bit slow, but I guess things starting to come together. Adjourned for a coffee in the cafe afterward...got chatting to a girl with a banjo on her back. She came and joined our table of guitar players. She recommended I check out Deering's banjos if I'm looking to take it up. Sloped off afterward to find some lunch. Ended up buying a club sandwich from Gail's to take home. Popped into Sainsburys to buy some pancetta for Aki's carbonara. Caught a No.253 bus home. Lunched on my sandwich and a side salad. Practised some mandolin. Aki got home around 1500. Carbonara for dinner. Watched "The Reluctant Vampire"...Lenny Rush is so good in it; followed by a hardcore episode of "Time"...David Tennant superb. Watched Manchester City win 3-0 at Anfield on MOTD before bath and bed...

Saturday 10th October 2026

Woke around 0900. Dozed for a bit. Exhausted after last night's episode! Eventually rose to make tea. Cooked eggs for breakfast, with the teriyaki salmon Aki had leftover from her dinner last night...my portion, basically. Aki made hummus, and amaretti biscuits. I printed off some music I'd been sent by the Guitar class WhatsApp group ahead of a possible meet during half-term. Made some pea and mint soup, then warmed up the chicken and couscous for dinner, with lots of vegetables. Headed for the Barbican...took the train from Finsbury Park to Moorgate. Saw a theatrical adaptation of Murakami's "End of The World, & Hardboiled Wonderland", which I'd read last month in anticipation. It was a long evening...2 hours 50 minutes, including interval, and I struggled to keep my eyes open halfway through the second half. The show satisfyingly brought the strange novel to life, in a charmingly old fashioned way, despite the various technological additions...the staging was reminiscent of a good 1980s era fringe show. A live soundtrack was provided by a pianist stage left...an enjoyable night's entertainment, all in all. Caught a No.153 bus back to Holloway. Caught MOTD...Sunderland were a bit unlucky to go down 0-2 to Brighton...we gave as good as we got, but couldn't put the ball in the net.

Friday 9th October 2026

 

Aki up with alarm at 0700 to ready herself for Rowing Club. I got up as she was preparing to cycle off. Porridged. Walked down to Highbury Fields to buy bread from the Dusty Knuckle van, then enjoyed a latte at Le Maison. Sat outside...it was a bit windy! Walked home via Waitrose. Aki back for lunch. Shared a fresh quiche I'd bought at Le Maison, with a bit of salad and a slice of fresh bread. Did an hour or so's work at the laptop. At around 1700 I was overtaken by one of my bouts of agonising constipation...spent the next 10 hours sitting on the loo, though my bad hernia repair made sitting so uncomfortable, I had to stand half the time. Tried lying down for a bit, but the pain was so discomfiting, I gave up and stood propped up against a wall until finally relief came at about 0300, when I finally got to bed!!!

Thursday 8th October 2026

Aki up at 0700 to ready herself for a work meeting in Camden. In the event, it was changed to an online Teams meeting, so she didn't have to leave the comfort of home. She brought me a mug of tea at about 0830. I read in bed for a bit. Got up and porridged. Did a little work at the laptop. I put together a ham and egg salad lunch. The sun came out in the afternoon, so we took our constitutional up Highgate Hill. Got a bus back toward Waitrose from outside Lauderdale House, and did a shop. Didn't think we'd bought much, but the bill was over £40! I cooked a chicken one-pot dinner with giant couscous and cabbage. Watched Richard E.Grant get himself banished from the castle in "The Traitors". What a plonker! Made for a very entertaining "Traitors Uncloaked" afterward. Bath and bed...

Wednesday 7th October 2026

Woke around 0730. Aki got up to ready herself for Rowing Club, but it started raining, so she stayed home. She brought me a mug of tea in bed. Got up and porridged. Did a bit of work at the laptop finishing off the Moat inspections job. Warmed up the chicken and vegetable soup for lunch. Started work on another valuation exercise, this time for Worthing Homes. Will have to drive down there early next week. Managed another couple of hours at the laptop. Read some "Dagga". Cooked dinner...pork meatballs with n'duja and mozzarella. Headed for Stoke Newington in the car. Had tickets to see "A Mirror"...my interest piqued only due to the fact that I've volunteered to act in a couple of short pieces the Writer's Group are preparing in response to the piece. However, the writing was sharp and darkly funny, and the performances from all concerned were excellent...really enjoyed it. Sat next to Simona...she's thinking of auditioning for one of next season's plays, as her Moving Parts theatre company are not working on anything new in 2027. Gave Kathleen from No.49 a lift home, as she'd been working FOH this evening. 

Tuesday 6th October 2026

Woke around 0730 after a relatively good night's sleep, for a change. Porridged in bed. Got up and readied myself for work...inspections out Chelmsford way again. Picked up a coffee at Manor House, then headed up the M11, then across country on the A120. Ended up in Great Leighs, a few miles north of Chelmsford. Some of the tenants here had been written to, but no-one was in, so I didn't get an internal. Drove over the Great Dunmow for inspections on an extensive new build development, then headed for Ongar, stopping off in High Roding for lunch at a farm that was clearly diversifying. The cafe there was good...enjoyed ham, egg and chips, and a mug of tea before driving on to Ongar. Kath phoned to say that she had had to pull mother out of the bath again yesterday. She's going to try to get some extra help from Occupational Health. Got home around 1515. Aki not in...she'd gone to Crouch End for an eye test at SpecSavers. She came home to report that, although not urgent, she had decided to book a cataract op. Aki put together a little Japanese feast for dinner, to mark the anniversary of the death of her mother. She lit a candle and struck the gong in the makeshift shrine above the bookcase. Watched 49Up. Bath and bed...