Wednesday 18th March 2026

Alarm at 0730 after another fitful night, despite taking a couple of magnesium tablets before bed. Woke at 0200...don't think I nodded back off until around 0500! Got up and showered. Descended for breakfast. No sign of mein hosts...they didn't come home last night. Drove in to the theatre for a 0930 start. Neck giving me a bit of gip, but headache diminished. Ran Act II before lunch. Beautiful, sunny day, so I walked down into Newcastle and bought a potato pie at the Greek Bakery, which I ate with my salmon salad on a bench in the ornamental gardens before walking back up the hill to the theatre. Worked bits during the afternoon call, including several goes at Hit The Road Jack, which left me exhausted! Broke at 1800 and made my escape. Drove back to Bakewell Street and dumped stuff, then drove in to Newcastle in search of dinner. Parked up at Sainsburys and did the shop, then walked across to the Thai restaurant...enjoyed the crispy duck in tamarind sauce, and egg fried rice. Got back to Bakewell Street around 2130. FaceTimed Aki before News and bed...

Tuesday 17th March 2026

 

Alarm at 0730. Hauled myself out of bed and showered...after a decent night's sleep, for a change. Headache seemed to have lifted. Porridged, then headed in to the theatre for a 0930 start. Staggered through Act I before lunch break. I popped over the road for my osteopath appointment with Sharon...nice lady, but her premises give off a very third rate vibe. She pulled my neck about and massaged the knots in my shoulders...I came away with my headache restored! Hope things calm down later in the day. Rehearsals were back underway when I got back to the theatre...had to hastily eat my lunch then join the fray. Broke for dinner...microwaved a tasty prawn curry and greens...then we managed to stagger through Act II. Call ended at 2030 and I joined the gang for a swift half of Guinness in the Hop Inn to mark St Patrick's Day. Shirley gave me some magnesium tablets to try out...she swears they give her improved nights' sleep. Drove home and FaceTimed Aki before collapsing into bed...

Monday 16th March 2026

 

Alarm at 0730. Breakfasted on porridge in my room. Aki packed her bags, and I drove her down to Stoke station to catch the 0953 back to London. Drove to the theatre, parked up, and then wandered across the road to enquire of the osteopath on the corner of Albert Street...she booked me in for a consultation and session tomorrow lunchtime. Met for warm up at 0930, and worked through Act I. Broke for a packed salad lunch before marching on through Act I, bit by bit. Microwaved pasta and meatballs during the dinner break, then we managed to get to the end of Act I ahead of a planned stagger through tomorrow morning. Call ended at 2000 and I drove back to Bakewell Street. FaceTimed Aki before bed...

Sunday 15th March 2026

Woke around 0830. Got up and dressed, then made our way up to the dining room for buffet brunch. Enjoyed the oatcakes. Checked out and drove down the road to Tittesworth Reservoir and took a short walk around the northern end before it started to threaten rain...hightailed it back to the Visitor Centre, then drove on into the Peaks. Stopped at a micro brewery in a village called Wincle. Had a coffee in the Sample Room, and bought a pork pie. Also bought a bottle of Old Hag to give to Jim on his next birthday, though chances are I'll have drunk it before then. Drove over the moors to Buxton, by which time the heavens had opened. Stopped on top of the moors to phone mum to wish her a Happy Mother's Day, and scoff our pork pie. Sat in a cafe in Buxton High Street nursing tea while waiting for the rain to cease. Walked along The Crescent and spent time in the Pavilion Gardens, before walking back to the car. 

Still had time to kill before our 1830 dinner date at The Reform Inn near Leek. Drove down the A54, stopping at the Mermaid Pool to take in the rain swept views. Visited a farm shop, which was one of the poorest stocked I'd ever seen...some chutneys, and big bags of potatoes, and that was about it. It's also a camp site...with a single portaloo, and two outdoor wash basins...grim! Drove down into Thorncliffe and stuck our heads in at The Reform Inn...got lucky and secured a table in the busy dining area for 1715. The food was great...I enjoyed topside of melt-in-the-mouth beef, and Aki had lamb...delicious. It was a three course Mother's Day menu, so we were pretty full up by the time we'd eaten our desserts! Drove back to Bakewell Street in the dark over Staffordshire's pot-holed roads. Parked up and walked our dinner off...walked up to the village green and popped into the Co-op...got caught in a violent hail storm on the walk back to Bakewell Street!

Saturday 14th March 2026

Woke around 0330...neck pain and headache. Took ages to get back to sleep. Aki had a fitful night of it too. Got up at 0830 and showered, then descended to make tea. Brought porridge up to my room for breakfast. Weather looking better than expected, so drove up the Leek Road to Rudyard Lake, famed as the site of Mr & Mrs Kiplings' honeymoon, from whence young Rudyard got his name. 

Headed into Leek to hook up with Andy Billington, and Rachel...Andy had been stage manager on the original 1989 production of Good Golly, where he had met Rachel, who was a Box Office trainee. We met them for lunch at The Spout. Had a good catch-up. The woman who manned the till turned out to have seen the original 1989 production, as well as the 1991 and 1993 iterations! Bade our farewells, and had a little mooch about the small town centre. 

Weather still holding so drove up the A53 to venture up onto Hen Cloud. Very busy! Made the summit and enjoyed the views in the sunshine, then trooped back down hill to the car. Checked in at the nearby Three Horseshoes Inn. It's a spa, and wedding venue. The bath in our room had water jets, so we took turns in the bath...got myself a bit of a massage! Had dinner in the dining room...Aki had sea bass, and I enjoyed a thick pork chop. 

Repaired to the pub afterward and played darts...been a long time...it took an age to get down from 501, and neither of us could hit a double, so we both ended up stranded on double one...gave up, exhausted and fell into bed...

Friday 13th March 2026

Woke to alarm at 0730. Hauled myself out of bed and showered. Descended for porridge. No sign of mein hosts, so set the house alarm before driving off to Basford. Nice day...though a bit cold in the breeze. Worked though the dance routines for This Old House, and It's in His Kiss before lunch break. Ate my packed lunch...two courses...soup, followed by salmon salad. Worked on the Stand By Me sequence, and finished the rehearsal with the Hit the Road Jack, routine. My neck pain and headache surged afterward...I think it's my wobbly drunken head acting that is doing the damage. Took more ibuprofen. Gave David Ahmad a lift to Stoke station...he was headed back to Finsbury Park, and had tickets to see the West Ham game. Picked Aki up off the 1626 Euston train, and drove her up to Bakewell Street. Got her settled, then we walked round to Sean and Jenny's on Westland Street in the drizzle. Sean's brother Peter opened the door and let us in...Sean then drove us down to Newcastle...we had a dinner appointment at 1830 at Amore in Pepper Street. Funny little place...looks like an old semi-industrial units. The food was homely, and we all enjoyed it. Chatted to Sean and Jenny about the possibility of hooking up with them in Lucca sometime next Spring. Sean has a TV job coming up, playing a murderer in an ITV detective show...and before that he's playing Lady Margaret in Richard III at Stafford! Sean drove us back to Bakewell Street. Watched the News on the laptop. Aki showered before bed...

Thursday 12th March 2026

Alarm at 0730. Hauled myself out of bed around 0810...ate my porridge at my laptop in my room. Drove in to the theatre in the rain, for a 0930 start. Had intended to walk down to the pharmacy to buy ibuprofen, but didn't have time. Did my own physical warm-up...decided I could no longer risk trying to emulate the young 'uns after yesterday...inguinal hernia repair not feeling too bad, but feels like it won't take much to cause me gip, so took it easy today. Continued working Act II today...slow going, but it's all coming together. Ventured over to the theatre for lunch...forgetting it was a matinee performance day...the place was packed with grey-headed couples. Managed to get served quickly, though...went for a sausage sandwich and chips...ate with some cast members in the atrium, as we couldn't get a seat upstairs. More of Act II in the afternoon session. Broke at 1730. I was told I wasn't required for the evening session, so ate my prepared salmon salad in the Green Room with the others, before sloping off in the pouring rain. Needed some leaf salad, so drove out to Wolstanton to investigate the M&S Food Hall...ended up spending £45!!! Drove back to Bakewell Street and filled the fridge.