Tuesday 17th February 2026

 

Woke around 0600...took a while to doze back off. Aki woke me at 0930, and I got up to porridge. She sloped off to tai chi...I emptied the drawers from one of the chests of drawers in the bedroom, so that I could move the carcass to reveal the wall behind...as I surmised, the black mould is back...gave it all a good spraying, and did some vacuuming. Aki back for lunch...beetroot soup. Ventured into town to see "Wuthering Heights" at the Regent Street Cinema...a new adaptation. It's too glossy by half, having the feel of a sub-standard Tim Burton movie. Shallow, and rather dull. Aki went off to M&S to try on a jacket, and I went to John Lewis's to buy some bits and pieces in the Food Hall. Met up with Aki in M&S...we had a nice chat with a member of staff, who told us she hailed from Doncaster...we talked about Brexit and the surge in support for Reform, and rued the current state of the nation! Caught a No.29 bus, but it conked out in Camden Town and we had to decant onto a No.253. Aki cooked a mushroom risotto for dinner. Watched the Men's Big Air Final...nuts!!! 

Monday 16th February 2026

Woke around 0600...dozed off again eventually. Got up around 0930. Porridged. Did my exercises and watched some Winter Olympics. Did some packing ahead of decamping to Stoke next weekend. Put lunch together. Walked over to the Park Theatre to watch a rehearsed play reading, directed by a friend of Helen and Martin. The audience was rather small. The play, "My Girl", has been written by a New York comedienne of Palestinian descent, named Marena Riyad, and is basically a takedown of the flakey Palestinian men she has dated...Marena basically plays herself, but the action is slow and over-long, until we hit Act IV, which sees her deliver her message via a taut stand-up routine...good stuff, but needs some judicious cutting...they plan to take it to Edinburgh for the Festival in the summer. Walked home in the gloaming. Warmed up the last of the chicken and plum traybake for dinner, served up with sauteed potato and lots of vegetables. Aki had a zoom call. I watched some Winter Olympics.

Sunday 15th February 2026

A relatively decent night's sleep...woke around 0630 and dozed fitfully until 1000. Discovered Aki on the phone when I got up...her nephew, Naoya, had rung to pass on the news that Nobaru, Aki's brother-in-law, had passed away last night after a battle with lung cancer. She had been hoping to see him next month to say her farewells, but she will now re-direct her energies to assisting Naoya sort out his father's estate. Aki cooked eggs shakshuka for brunch. Watched some Winter Olympics. Very wet day, so stayed put. Aki served up fish curry, rice, and daal for dinner. Watched some telly...particularly enjoyed Lisa McGhee's new piece, How To Get To Heaven From Belfast...classy stuff. Watched Sunderland scrape through to the Fifth Round of the FA Cup with a 1-0 win at Oxford United, on MOTD2. Bath and bed...

Saturday 14th February 2026

Aki woke me up at around 0900 with a Valentine's card. Got up and made brunch. Watched some Winter Olympics, then headed out for a walk, as the sun had made a rare appearance. Took a No.91 bus up Hornsey Rise, then walked along the disused railway line to Highgate, and wandered into Queen's Wood. A little muddy underfoot. There was a long queue outside the cafe, so we walked on to Highgate Woods, and had tea and pain au chocolat at the Pavilion Cafe there. 

Walked back down the A1. Popped into a new vinyl record shop, and bought a couple of vaguely interesting cheap second hand LPs for framing on the hallway wall. Bought Japanese rice and black sesame ice cream at Cocoro, then caught a No.43 bus back to Holloway. We had a four course Valentine's dinner...the beetroot soup I'd made yesterday, with sliced radishes and yoghurt, followed by bavette steak with sauteed potatoes, vegetables, fried portobello mushroom, tomato, and peppercorn sauce. Turkish cream sponge cake, followed by cheese and biscuits. Watched the Women's skeleton final, and some ice skating, then FA Cup MOTD...Burnley humbled by League One Mansfield Town. Bath and bed...my bad hernia repair giving me much gip this evening...hope things calm down tomorrow!

Friday 13th February 2026

Woke around 0530. Took a couple of hours to nod back off! Aki cycled off to Rowing Club before I managed to rise. I walked round to Big Jo's for coffee and cinnamon bun, then wandered over to Waitrose to buy bavette steak, and Prosecco, for tomorrow night's Valentine's Day menu. Had time to drop everything back at home, then head for Newington Green via two buses. Got there a bit early, so had a coffee in Brags & Brams, with a nice window view of Newington Green. I liked the cup and saucer...I assumed they were made from bamboo, but it turned out they were made from re-cycled coffee beans! Walked across the Green for a half-hour osteopathy session with Chris Harris. Picked up my jacket from Stitch & Stitch, then walked to Highbury Corner in search of a Valentine's card. Found one at a little florists' shop, then headed home on the No.263 bus. 

Aki had cooked ramen for lunch...very tasty. Watched some Winter Olympics. Cooked up some beetroot soup...most of it destined for the freezer. Then cooked a creamy mushroom and parmesan sauce which we had with tagliatelle and peas. Finished off the damson jam wreath and custard for afters, then headed for Notting Hill. Had tickets to see Kyoto-based Chiten Theatre Company and their adaptation of Dostoevsky's novella, "The Gambler". It was highly stylised, involving a long table which rotated for most of the piece on a floor pained as a roulette wheel. The performers yelled out bits of text, in between hammering on the table with pool game balls...it was quite invigorating for the first 15 minutes or so, but became increasingly unengaging as the eight actors continually moved in a circular motion with the table...nowt much else happened, really...a show that literally went round in circles...not sure what Fyodor would have made of it...I had to fight to stay awake! 

Thursday 12th February 2026

Woke around 0730...got up at 0830 and porridged. Had to leave for Manor House before the John Lewis van turned up with the new induction hob. Drove to the Green Lanes retail park and parked up, then wandered slowly up Green Lanes to the West Green surgery. The nasal endoscopy went well, and the doctor confirmed that nothing appeared to be of concern, but prescribed a couple of things to combat possible reflux when lying prone in bed at night. See what happens. Walked back down Green Lanes past the countless Turkish cafes, restaurants, and bakeries, displaying their mouth-watering wares...couldn't resist buying a generous slice of chicken pie to share with Aki for lunch, and a cream cake to share for our Valentines dinner on Saturday night. Drove home to find the new hob had been successfully fitted, and was ready to go...instead I microwaved the chicken pie! Watched some Winter Olympics. Aki cooked a tasty fish curry for dinner, with daal, and rice. She had a zoom call rehearsal with JCUK...one of their number has written a short skit, and Aki's doing sound. 

Wednesday 11th February 2026

Woke at 0400…took a couple of hours to get back to sleep! Got up around 0830. Aki cycled off to Rowing Club, and I waited for Chris, the plumber, to show up. He arrived on time at 0900. He finished the siliconing in the shower, then tried to fix the water filter under the sink...looks like we need to order a new housing. He put new washers on the kitchen mixer tap...I had to run down to the Nationwide to get him £100 in cash afterward. Aki returned for lunch. Watched Winter Olympics coverage, did some exercises, and practised some folk songs before warming up the chicken and plum traybake for dinner, which we had with sweet potato and vegetables. Drove to Stoke Newington in the rain and hooked up with Katrina in the bar at the Tower Theatre to see an adaptation of "Brighton Rock", directed by Phil Ley. The lad playing Pinkie was very good, and As did a reasonable job of portraying Ida; the guys playing the hoodlums were rather unconvincing, though...they looked like they'd stepped out of an episode of "Steptoe & Son"...they brought no menace to their roles.