Saturday 7th February 2026

Got up around 0830 to prepare for the tiler. Paul showed up on time at 0930. I cooked brunch…Paul had finished grouting and left before we finished eating. He’s done a decent job. All the areas Chris worked on yesterday are hurting…my bad hernia repair, and my neck. Hope things settle down over the weekend! Watched some skiing and curling from the Winter Olympics. Popped across to Waitrose to get some odds and ends. Walked back in the drizzle. Cooked a sticky chicken traybake with plums, served with freekah and vegetables, and made a damson jam puff pastry wreath, which was very tasty, served with custard. Watched more Olympics…enjoyed the Men’s Big Air…gobsmacking! The free dance figure skating was good, too. Caught highlights of Arsenal’s 3-0 win over the Black Cats on MOTD…

Friday 6th February 2026

Alarm at 0730. Got up and laid the dust sheets ahead of the arrival of the tiler, Paul, who showed up on time at 0815. He'd brought his mum's disabled badge, so didn't need to get him a parking permit! Tim showed up briefly. Paul did a good job of the tiling. I had to push off at 1115 and head for Newington Green for my appointment with the cranial osteopath. Took a couple of buses to get there. Session went OK...booked in for another next week. Popped over the road with a jacket that needed the sleeves shortening. Greek couple run the joint...bit pricey, though! Still, thought I'd give them a go. Took a bus back up to Clissold Park, then walked home from there. Aki had tidied up and mopped the bathroom floor by the time I got in. Pea and ham soup for lunch. Wandered over to Waitrose to do a bit of a shop. Finished off the ham and potato pie for dinner, with sweet potatoes and vegetables. Watched a bit of the Winter Olympics Opening ceremony…

Thursday 5th February 2026

Woke around 0800. Read in bed before rising for porridge. Sent Kath a Happy Birthday text...65 today!!! We ventured into town, taking the Victoria Line to Oxford Circus, and making our way to John Lewis's. Bought a new Bosch induction hob...comes with half-price installation...hopefully will be delivered and installed next Thursday. Took the Central Line to Lancaster Gate and walked though Hyde Park in the drizzle, to see the Peter Doig exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery. I wasn't very taken with the works, but quite enjoyed the sound system, which was pounding out some Caribbean reggae vibes. Walked south to South Kensington tube station, and headed for Pimlico. Stopped on the way for lunch at the V&A. 

Saw the impressive Lee Miller exhibition at the Tate...remarkable career that went from fashion to the avant-garde, and finally to her documenting WWII in the Blitz in London, the D-Day Landings, and the liberation of Buchenwald. What a life! Headed for home, pausing on the stairwell to get a photo with Chris Ofili's wall painting paying tribute to the victims of the Grenfell Fire. Walked home from Finsbury Park in pouring rain. Aki cooked hake and beans for dinner, followed by cheese and biscuits. Nowt on telly. Researched restaurants for Sunday dinner. Early bath and bed...

Wednesday 4th February 2026

Woke around 0800 after a relatively decent night's sleep. Aki had cycled off to Rowing Club by the time I rose. Porridged. Read some Tomalin on Dickens, and did some exercises before Aki got back. Made some lunch. We walked down to Angel. Nearly got run over on the pavement by two youths doing 30mph on electric bikes as they fled from police! Did a shop in Sainsburys, and hung about in Hotel Chocolat for a bit before jumping on a No.43 bus back to Holloway. I made a ham, leek and potato pie for dinner. Nowt on telly. Read some, before bath and bed…

Tuesday 3rd February 2026

Woke around 0700 and failed to get back to sleep…sat up and read in bed before rising to porridge. Quite noisy outside…tree surgeons were pollarding the massive tree opposite. Aki sloped off to t’ai chi, and I headed for the gym. Managed 15 minutes on the bike, and some leg curls. Got home and made some ham and pea soup for lunch. We ventured into town and met up with Katrina outside Holborn station. 

Walked her round to the Garden cinema to watch Richard Linklater’s “Nouvelle Vague”, an entertaining, flawless movie which follows Jean Luc Godard’s making of A Bout de Soufflé…movie of the year! Had me grinning from ear to ear. Caught a No.91 bus back home. Aki made a pork stir fry for dinner. As I was cleaning down the surfaces afterward, I noticed a crack in the induction hob...it's front-to-back across two cooking zones...the whole thing will need replacing and installing by an electrician! Watched Arsenal v Chelsea in the League Cup semi-final...a tense game which ended 1-0 in the Gooners' favour. Bath and bed...

Monday 2nd February 2026

Woke at 0145, and again at 0545. Took ages to get back to sleep. I'm going to have to get myself some sleeping pills or something! Got up around 1000 and porridged. Did a couple of hours work at the laptop before putting some lunch together. Did my expenses, and put my timesheet in for processing. Read some. Borrowed next door's garden hose, and stuck it down the shower trap, thinking to check that the leak hadn't been a bit further down the pipework, so ran some water down there for around two hours. See if anything bubbles up over the next 24 hours! Warmed up the lasagne from Da Mario's for dinner with some vegetables, followed by chocolate brownie and ice cream. Watched Black Ops. 

Sunday 1st February 2026

Woke around 0545…took an hour or so before nodding back off. Got up around 1015…Aki cooked a tasty omelette brunch. We listened to the Australian Open tennis final…Alcaraz beat poor old Novak once again...though Novak was very gracious in defeat. Roz phoned with bad news of Cath, Phil’s partner…she had undergone tests for heart problems which have revealed a thymic carcinoma…apparently stage IV and incurable. Roz said Phil was in shock, and wanting space to come to terms with it all…very sad. Headed for Clapton in the drizzle, taking a No.254 bus to Clapton Pond. Walked down to Lesley's at No.56 Fletching Road...she was hosting Katrina's 70th birthday bash. Good turnout. Simone was there...hadn't seen her for years; Tony turned up, as well as Carl and David. Enjoyed a bit of catching up, a great finger buffet, and some tasty birthday cake. Chatted to a chap named Ron, who's wife is an old chum of Katrina's...he'd worked as an archaeologist on numerous digs in the City of London, and made replicas for showing in the Museum of London. We slunk away with a little doggy bag around 1830, by which time it was pouring down with rain. Aki made ramen soup when we got in. Watched a bit of telly...a Italian serial adaptation of The Leopard, and MOTD before bath and bed...