Thursday 15th October 2026

 

Woke around 0500. Took an hour or so to nod back off. Slow start. Descended for breakfast at 0930. Poached eggs and smoked salmon. Did a little work on the laptop before packing my bag and heading into Hove for inspections, then on to Shoreham, and Worthing. Had finished by lunchtime...parked up on Marine Parade and walked to Worthing Pier for a light lunch at the Perch Cafe there. Set off for home via the M23...headed for central London via the A23, then up through Tooting and Wandsworth. The traffic through Earls Court was terrible. Got home around 1800. Aki served up a Moroccan lamb stew for dinner before she headed for Book Club at No.38. I watched The Traitors. Aki returned around 2230...they've opted to read The Brothers Karamazov as their next tome...

Wednesday 14th October 2026

Woke around 0730. Aki got up and brought me a mug of tea. Got up and porridged as Aki cycled off to Rowing Club. Headed for Manor House in the car to fill up with over-priced petrol, then drove to Lancing via the M4, M25, and M23. Stopped at Pease Pottage services to pick up something for lunch. Ate my lunch on the sea front at Worthing, then enjoyed a tea and a pastel de nata at the Perch Cafe before driving on to Goring, Littlehampton, and Bognor Regis. Dove back to Hove via the A27, which was slow going...very busy on the Arundel bypass. Got to the Best Western Hotel around 1830. Got booked in then walked across to the Esplanade and dinner at Marrocco's. Felt rather uncomfortably stuffed afterwards, but managed to waddle back to the hotel. Did a little work at the laptop before FaceTiming Aki. Very depressing undercover report on racist, sexist Reform councillors...

Tuesday 13th October 2026

Aki up with alarm at 0700 to ready herself for a works meeting in Camden. She'd departed by the time I got up and porridged. Mucked about on my guitar for most of the morning. Roofer rang to say the scaffolding is due to go up on Friday, and they'll start work on Monday morning. Aki back for lunch. I put a tasty ham and egg salad together, with stracciatella and pesto. Pottered about not doing very much this afternoon...feeling a bit under powered at the moment. The disturbed sleep patterns are taking a bit of a toll. Warmed up the last of the chicken and coucous for dinner, with vegetables. Very tasty. Watched more 56Up, and a second helping of "The Reluctant Vampire". The original storylines were written by Eric Morecambe, and as young Val struggled to make himself a ham sandwich, his host points out that he's making a mess of it to which Val replies that he's "got all the right ingredients, but not necessarily in the right order!" 

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!!!