Sunday 2nd August 2026

Woke around 0830. Took a mug of tea back to bed with me. Got up and porridged. Aki cycled off to rowing club. I did some exercises. Headed for Tottenham Hale via bus and tube. Had a quick look around...the area has been under re-development for the last ten years...a sea of high-rise blocks, and a new tube and rail station...it looks impressive, but the area between the tube and bus stations is already looking ropey. The bedding and mattresses of the homeless scattered over the paving...very depressing. What a hole London has become. Had a coffee in a small, modern coffee shop opposite Starbucks...despite being pretty new, it already showed signs of neglect. The coffee was under-whelming into the bargain. I walked over the railway to the wharf on the River Lea Navigation. Modern high-rise blocks have gone up there, too. Walked down the tow-path toward the rowing club, stopping off for much needed refreshment at a quirky little cafe in Markfield Park, hard by the Beam Engine Room and Museum. Enjoyed a chocolate milkshake, and found some precious shade beneath the pergola outside. Walked on down to the rowing club...Aki and her team were in the process of stashing away their boat. I bagged some tables and chairs in anticipation of their joining me. Aki ordered us vegetarian brioche rolls with fried eggs. The girls talked of plans for the forthcoming Sicily trip. We eventually broke up, and Aki cycled off home. I walked up to Clapton Common to get a bus back to Holloway. Got off outside Waitrose and bought some beans, carrots, and a tin of fish, then walked home. Tried phoning High View, but got no reply. Put together a mackerel salad for dinner. Watched a bit of telly. Got suckered into watching The Piano...a bunch of disparate amateur pianists tinkled the ivories at London Bridge station...the autistic kid who played his own composition blew everyone away! 

Saturday 1st August 2026

Fitful night's sleep roof-fretting. Got up around 0900 and made tea. Porridged. Texts from Kath saying they had taken mum back to the RVI for scans on her swollen leg. Loaded some detritus into the car to take to the tip. Aki wanted some stuff from Boots, so I parked up and waited for her in the Waitrose car park. Home for gazpacho lunch. Kath rang to say mother had been diagnosed with secondary lymphoedema, and her leg will need regular washing and moisturising...she's thinking of getting some help in to do this. See what happens. Warmed up the last of the chicken and harissa beans for dinner. Walked over to the Park Theatre to see "Kidnap"...a one-woman show that had been praised when at the Edinburgh Festival last year...it was OK as far as it went...only an hour long. It was more a piece of self-counselling on behalf of the writer-performer, surrounding her and her brother's kidnap by her Saudi father...a rather unpolished performance, which gave it a certain charm, but she didn't have the comedic punch to take the show to the next level. Bumped into Dulcie on the walk back home and had a pleasant chat in the street...she's struggling to keep her allotment going in the dry weather! 

Friday 31st July 2026

Aki had left for Rowing Club by the time I rose. Porridged. Decided on a birthday treat, so walked up to the Green Room on Holloway Road for my morning coffee. then walked down to Waitrose to find something for lunch...picked up two scallop shells stuffed with prawns and smoked salmon. Walked home to prepare lunch. We ventured back out mid-afternoon...headed for KX on the No.91 bus, and ambled along the Regent's Canal, then up York Way to take a look at the newly opened Story Garden, a community project that opened on wasteland close to the railway line coming out of KX. Had hoped there'd be a cafe, but no. Wandered around some of the new development behind KX, then popped into Waitrose and bought up their meagre supply of gazpacho. Took a slow walk from there, up through Thornhill Square, to the Tamil Prince on Hemingford Road for dinner. Very popular spot...had to book three weeks ago. It's basically a small ex public house, with a kitchen at back, with a big glass window, where you can see the staff making dosa. The food was OK, and the staff very friendly...they picked up on the fact that we were there for a celebration, and brought me a small dessert with a candle stuck in it before we paid the bill. Walked up Hemingford Road, intending to pop into the Hemingford Arms for a beer, but we were both uncomfortably full after our food. Hopped on a no.153 bus home instead...too old to rock 'n roll! Got home to find a text from Kath...she'd gotten to High View to find it deserted...Emma and Jim had been advised by the GP to take mum into A&E to get a diagnosis concerning her swollen leg...they are worried she may have a blood clot.

Thursday 30th July 2026

Fitful night's sleep...plagued by roof fret! Aki brought me a mug of tea in the morning. Eventually got up and porridged. Drove over to Sainsburys at Manor House. Dropped Aki at the store, while I queued for the car wash. Picked up Aki from the front of the store, as she manhandled a large bag of compost into the boot of the car. Drove home...put some lunch together. Cleared out the shed, but discovered the local tip had been temporarily closed due to a fire on site! Ben and Gayu popped round at the behest of Aki, to show them through our flat configuration, thus giving them an idea of what their ground floor flat conversion might vaguely look like. Aki cooked teriyaki salmon for dinner. Watched a bit of telly...interesting "Fake or Fortune" episode on the trail of a painting by Fauvist, Andre Derain. 

Wednesday 29th July 2026

Aki up early to ready for Rowing Club. I brought tea back to bed with me...ate my porridge there, too! Got up around 1030. Googled best places to buy wholewheat pasta, and decided to go investigate an Italian deli in Hampstead. Walked up to Upper Holloway station and caught a train to Gospel Oak, and then changed for the Mildmay Line to Hampstead Heath. Very warm out, even in the shade. The deli was a disappointment...very tiny, and they didn't stock wholewheat pastas. Bought some artichoke stuffed tortelloni instead. Bought a coffee in Gail's and drank it on the station platform waiting for the train back east. Picked up some milk from Sainsburys on my walk back down the Holloway Road. Aki back when I got in. Gazpacho for lunch. Pottered about during a hot afternoon indoors...did some exercises, and some Italian practice. Made a creamy nutmeg and parmesan sauce for the tortelloni, and a tasty side salad. Drove to Stoke Newington to see "Anne Boleyn" at the Tower. Hooked up with Katrina in the bar. Full house...the play was interesting, up to a point, though the delivery was poor...bad diction and poor projection from many of the actors, which meant it was hard to follow the detail. Met up with Kathleen from No.49 in the bar...she'd worked on the costumes, which were great. Gave her a lift back to Sussex Way. 

Tuesday 28th July 2026

Woke around 0830. Lay in bed listening to Today, followed by an interesting piece by David Dimbleby on how the USA forced the dollar on the global financial markets to ensure they would supercede the British as the global superpower...culminating in the Bretton-Woods conference which so stressed John Maynard Keynes, who was fighting for the British corner, that he had a heart attack! Got up around 1000 and porridged. Aki departed to tai chi class. I took a look at a couple of the quotes that have come in for the butterfly roof, and drafted some queries. Looks like we're settling around the £25,000 mark! Aki back in time for lunch. Sang some songs and played some guitar...had planned to try out Sharp's folk club singaround this evening, but it may be too hot out there to contemplate...the room was sweltering when we visited a couple of weeks ago! Did some exercises. I cooked harissa chicken and butter beans for dinner. Watched a bit of telly. Enjoyed the BBC Prog Rock Prom...

Monday 27th July 2026

Woke around 0500 with roof fret...eventually nodded back off again. Aki got up around 0900 to water her tomatoes...I languished in bed until 1045. Got up and porridged. Aki tidied up the front garden, and cropped some tomatoes. I did a little more pruning above the front window. Gazpacho for lunch. Quiet afternoon...did some exercises and played some guitar. Early dinner...Aki baked some sea bass, with freekah and vegetables. Took ourselves to Finsbury Park and took a train to Blackfriars. Walked to Tate Modern for an evening viewing of the Frida Kahlo exhibition, open only to members. We'd already done the first three or four rooms, so we were able to jump ahead of the crowd. I really enjoyed some of the pop-art reinterpretations of her image. They looked good on the t-shirts in the gift shop. Did a little shop in M&S at Finsbury Park on our way home...