Friday 21st August 2026

Woke around 0700...sat up in bed to relieve the back pain, and managed to doze back off for a little while. Got up and breakfasted at the dining table. Dad in very musical form this morning, for some reason...he sang at the top of his voice as he stewed some plums to spread on his porridge! We had to close the dining room door! Put some washing in. Helped Aki water the tomatoes in the greenhouse...no sign of Ratty. Aki and I walked down to The Broadway to buy bread at Davidson's, and enjoy a coffee at Number 9...service was painfully slow! Thank God it wasn't busy!!! Nice but dim staff in there. Walked back to High View to put some lunch together...Aki vacuumed downstairs. Managed to persuade the auld folks to climb into the Passat and head out with us to Sunderland. The traffic was dire...worse than London! Took about an hour to get to Roker. Wound our way down onto the seafront. Managed to drop mum and dad off at the door to the newly opened Elephant Rock Cafe, almost on the beach, north of Roker Rocks and the lighthouse. It was small, and neatly done, but really nowt to write home about. Enjoyed a cuppa, and shared a slice of cake between us, before heading back along the windy seafront to the car. Drove across town to Sheepfolds, and popped our heads in at Propa Pies, Si King's pop-up style pie and mash shop. Ordered three pies, and took them back to High View to have for dinner. Avoided the painful route we'd come, and instead dived beneath the Tyne via the Tyne Tunnel. The pie and mash was very tasty...the gravy even more so...delicious! Plum crumble and custard for afters. Watched a bit of telly before bed...

Thursday 20th August 2026

Woke around 0500. The sound of rain on the window kept me awake for a bit, and I went through the Rhidian Brook poem a few times, and got a bit of roof fret! It was 0845 when I woke again. Got up and had tea and cereal in the dining area with mum, dad, and Aki. Grey morning. Kath turned up around 1000 to say farewell...she's off to Sweden tomorrow. Sorted dad out with signing on to his Virgin Money online account...took ages! But got there in the end...I typed out step by step instructions for him to follow, and told him to practice every day! Soup for lunch...though couldn't find half of it...I'd bought some chicken soup in Waitrose in Hexham to mix with the root vegetable soup, but it was nowhere to be seen...very odd, though mum has a tendency to move stuff about without her knowledge! Mixed the root vegetable soup with a pack of chicken stock we found in the fridge...worked very well. Aki and I took our constitutional, and walked down to the Co-op on The Broadway to buy some odds and ends...notably, chocolate biscuits! The rain stayed away. Aki made a chicken curry for dinner, with rice and vegetables. A large brown rat was spotted cavorting about in the back garden! Watched a bit of telly...enjoyed watching Gene Hackman's 'Popeye Doyle' in "The French Connection"...ma and pa managed to nod off on the sofa!

Wednesday 19th August 2026

Woke around 0700. Dozed until 0900. Got up at 0930 and breakfasted with mum, dad, and Aki. Showered, Drove us all down to the village...mum had an appointment with the nurse at the GP surgery. Aki popped round the corner to Waitrose to buy some fodder for tonight's dinner. Dad accompanied mum in to see the nurse...a blood test was done on mum, and they both got pneumonia jabs, which saves us having to go back again tomorrow! Picked Aki up at Waitrose, and headed back to High View. I put some lunch together...basically, re-constituting ma and pa's leftovers from last night. I ate the salmon salad supper that Kath had failed to turn up for. Aki and I walked down to The Broadway to buy some fresh chilli and get some steps in. Came back to find dad up the garden with his stroller, picking plums! God knows what they are going to do with them. Aki cooked a prawn, tomato pasta dish for supper, followed by rhubarb and custard. The usual complaints from ma and pa about the cold bowls...they are are such slow eaters that, of course, the dinner gets cold! I warmed them back up in the microwave. Watched a bit of telly...enjoyable repeat of Seebag-Montefiore's exploration of ancient Rome for the BBC.

Tuesday 18th August 2026

Woke around 0800. Mum looked in on us on a couple of occasions...presumably having forgotten who might be in the bedroom. Got up and made tea. Breakfasted at the dining table with mum and dad. Aki and I walked down to The Broadway to buy some salmon to make this evening's supper. I had a takeaway latte from No.9, then we walked back up to High View. Came back to find mum and dad grappling with a step ladder in a bid to take down the outdoor lighting that Jim festooned the pergola with...I took over before there was an accident! Aki cooked an omelette for lunch...very tasty. I made packed 'suppers' for me and Aki to take to Hexham...put together three salad bowls for mum, dad, and Kath. Glenys rang to wish mum a belated Happy Birthday. She sounded in pretty good shape...she said she'd enjoyed dad's novel. I drove Aki over to Hexham to meet up with their Rowing Club team for a punt on the Tyne. Met up with Rob, who Aki had met on the Douro adventure, and a couple of gals...together they made up a quad, and lowered themselves into the River Tyne. I drove round the corner to do some shopping in Waitrose, then walked to Mr Ant's Bar on the off-chance that Steve Davidson was manning the pumps. I was the only customer...no sign of Ste the Policeman, though the barmaid said he'd worked the afternoon shift. She said he usually came in on a Friday night to listen to the live music...not sure I fancy that! Drove back down to Tyne Green to pick up Aki...they were just pulling into the south bank when I got there. They'd done several 750m lengths up and down the river to the west...can't go eastward because of the weir. Aki ate her packed dinner in the passenger seat as I drove her back to High View...but I don't think she was very impressed with Hexham Rowing Club! 

Monday 17th August 2026

Woke around 0830. Got up and brought Aki a cuppa tea. Breakfasted in the dining room with ma and pa. Showered. Jim and Emma prepared to drive up to Scotland for a break...but the van wouldn't start. I drove the rest of us into the village...dropped dad and Kath off at the swimming pool, then drove mum and Aki to the cafe at the former Lloyds Bank in the village. Enjoyed a latte, then picked up Kath and dad from the baths. Drove back to High View...Jim and Emma were waiting for the AA man to show up. I put some lunch together. Jim and Emma finally headed north, followed closely by the AA man! Pottered about for the rest of the afternoon. Needed a lie down...to take the weight off my troublesome right hip. Prepared dinner...warmed up some beef stew that had been languishing in the fridge, adding some mushrooms, baked potatoes and plenty of vegetables. Rhubarb and custard for afters...the rhubarb mum picked from the back garden...it was a bit too sharp! Nowt on telly. It rained!!! 

Sunday 16th August 2026

Woke around 0700 in discomfort. Sat up in bed for half-an-hour or so before rising to make tea. Mum marking her 93rd birthday today. Cards and lots of chocolates! Breakfasted at the table with mum and dad. Kath had gone off to the gym...no sign of Jim or Emma. Aki and I drove down to Waitrose to shop for something special to cook this evening...ended up with flat iron steak. Rather chilly out...very chilly by the fridge freezers in Waitrose! Drove back to High View. Heated up some chicken and vegetable soup for lunch, with toast. 

Prepared the vegetables for roasting later on. Read the paper. Aki modelled her geisha look in honour of mum's birthday. Jim and Emma joined us for dinner. The steak course was followed by birthday cake and ice cream. Watched Amy Hunt achieve greatness in the athletics. Aki still suffering a funny tummy...reckons it's gastroenteritis...she sloped off to bed at 2200. 

Saturday 15th August 2026

Woke around 0830. Lounged in bed for a bit, but was disturbed by Brett Rodgers OBE following Aki into our bedroom to gain access to the rear garden for plant watering instructions. Got up and porridged. Finished packing. We headed for KX at 1030, hopping on a No.91 bus with our luggage. Got to KX in good time, and sought out coffee from Starbucks...over £10 for two coffees!!! Clambered aboard the 1130 to Newcastle and took our seats. Uneventful journey. Enjoyed our packed lunch. Rolled in to Newcastle at 1415. Had time to buy chocolates for mother at M&S before meeting up with Kath in the car park for a lift to High View. Journey slowed by vast crowds heading for St James's Park to watch Newcastle take on Bayer Leverkusen in a pre-season friendly. Ma and pa in relatively good shape. Sat out in the garden for tea. Jim and Emma around...Jim has had his ears pierced...looks quite good on him, with his biker beard...just needs a big tattoo on the side of his head to complete the look! Kath made a pasta bake for dinner...I made up some custard to have with an apple bake that Emma had made...worked well. Sat about and chatted for a bit. Watched some European athletics...Amy Hunt got her third gold of the meet in the 4x100m relay.. Aki went to bed early early complaining of tummy problems. Mum was sick in the bathroom sink! Hope it wasn't my custard!!!