Saturday 7th November 2026

 

Alarm at 0800. Got up and made tea. Val from RoofPro turned up around 0930. I put the ladder up for him around the back...he cut and fitted a protective layer that he put on top of the membrane on the party wall parapet, ostensibly to protect the membrane from any flying ash from Sush's and Rebecca's rooftop cigarette smoking! It took him about three hours. In the meantime, Aki cooked brunch. 

Once Val had gone, we rehearsed some Xmas songs. Lunched on tinned beef consomme. It was OK, but don't think I'll be stockpiling it! Pottered about until it was time to drive ourselves up to Muswell Hill for Shelly's annual firework party. Got there a little after 1800...we were early. Caught up with Becky, Kearsey and Joanna...Dee also rocked up. Got chatting to a neighbour of Shelly's, David, who revealed he had seen the Sex Pistols at the 100 Club in 1976!!! Shelly and her son lit the fireworks in the back garden...some very powerful and impressive examples! Must have cost a small fortune! Got to see the display over Ally Pally to our north-east...the drone display was amazing, particularly the flying saucer! Got stuck in to the chilli and rice...very tasty...so much so, that I returned for seconds, and thirds! Eventually left around 2200...dropped Becky and Joanna off at Highgate tube station, and then took Kearsey to the Harringay Ladder before heading for home...

Friday 6th November 2026

Woke around 0700. Back was giving me a bit of gip, so I got up and made tea. Sat up in bed for a while. Aki readied herself for Rowing Club. I got up and porridged as she cycled off to the east. Gary rang to say that Charlie had failed to turn up this morning, so they would be back on Monday, though he'd pop in later to check a couple of things out. Worked at the laptop all morning. Aki back for lunch. I through a mackerel salad together. Did another hour or so at the laptop after lunch, then we walked across to Waitrose to do a hefty shop...spent just shy of £100!!! Roast partridge for dinner, with sweet potato and vegetables. It was OK...not as tender as chicken, and quite difficult to get off the bone. Watched a bit of telly and rehearsed some Xmas tunes...

Thursday 5th November 2026

Woke around 0530...eventually nodded back off again. Woke at 0845. Got up to make tea. Porridged. Gary and Charlie showed up at 0930. Charlie hoisted the zinc up to the roof...they are intending to lay the zinc valley gutter today. I got up on the roof at the back to do a bit of tidying up and take a couple of photos. I then folded the ladder away. Did some work at the laptop. Aki threw a tasty ham salad lunch together. The roofers left at 1600. I got changed and made off to meet some old college mates in a pub, the Wenlock Arms...had to take a No.43 bus down to the City Road. I was evidently last to arrive. Colin was en route home, having visited his mum in Nuneaton. It sounds as though she is at death's door! He told me that his son, Michael, now living in Berlin, had taken up amateur acting, and had won the Best Supporting Actor prize at a recent short play festival! He's playing a rock star in a production in the New Year...we said we'd try and make a bit of a group outing of it come February, if the dates work for everybody. Geordie has lost a bit of weight...and confessed that he goes swimming five times a week! Little Pete seems happily retired, he and his wife travelling the globe...they are planning a trip to the Arctic Circle next year! Widdup looked in good shape...still working on a part time basis from offices in Golden Square. We repaired to The Narrowboat for dinner. I enjoyed a very rare bavette steak and chips. Walked them back towards Angel where they jumped on a bus to Euston. I walked up Upper Street and jumped on a No.43. Seven Sisters Road was blocked off at the junction with Hornsey Road, due to a fire next door to the Turkish supermarket. Chaos! Aki still out when I got in...she'd gone to Conway Hall with members of the Book Club for a 100th anniversary celebration of the life and works of John Berger. She got back around 2315 and climbed into the bath I'd just run...

Wednesday 4th November 2026

Woke at 0615. Got up and did some work at the laptop for an hour. RoofPro guys turned up at 0830...didn't recognise any of them...one or two only speak Ukrainian! Got them on to the roof at the back, then waited for Gary to show up...he and his lads got here around 1000, by which time I'd helped the RoofPro lads bring some of their stuff through. Aki returned for lunch. I made do with almond butter on toast, as I kept having to attend to the two sets of roofers. The RoofPro bunch had finished by 1430...I'd thought they were due to take two or three days, so was a little surprised. I think we were sent the B Team, to be honest. Gary and his lads left at 1600. Watched the TV News platforms covering the joyous reaction to the US mid-term Democratic tsunami...great stuff! Warmed up the last of the chicken lasagne for dinner. A bit of telly before bath and bed...

Tuesday 3rd November 2026

Woke to alarm at 0800. Got up and made tea. Porridged. Gary and his team turned up around 0930. Got them parked, and left them to it. It was raining by lunchtime...hadn't been in the forecast; worried about whether RoofPro will show up to do the rear parapet tomorrow if the weather ain't behaving! Aki cycled off to the fishmonger. I got lunch together when she returned. Did a couple of hours work at the laptop. Message from RoofPro to say they planned to rock up in the morning. Aki cooked sardines for dinner...very flavoursome, but slow work, what with all the little bones. Watched a bit of telly...not much on, though. Rehearsed some Xmas tunes on our ukuleles before bath and bed...

Monday 2nd November 2026

Woke around 0430...took a while to nod back off. Alarm at 0800. Got up and descended for breakfast with ma and pa in the dining room. Jim turned up, having driven Emma into work. I set about securing the piece of the downstairs bathroom wardrobe we'd half done yesterday. Managed to find the screws for the sliding door track...Jim had made a bit of a mess of taking it apart...more demolition job! Packed my bags. Got dad to sign a couple of copies of Dagga...I asked him to write Merry Lollybrodmas in the one to Tony, but he wrote it as Lollybrodness...presumably a lake situated near the capital! Said my farewells...Jim drove me to Callerton Parkway. Got to the Central Station in good time. Bought some lunch items in M&S, and a coffee from the Centurion. Waited in vain for the 1158 train from platform 4. A train turned up at 1205, but it wasn't the KX train...they changed the platform at the very last minute, and we all had to run back over the bridge to platform 2 through the crowds who had just gotten off!!! Train was about 20 minutes late getting in to KX. Took a No.91 bus back to Holloway. Got home in time to change and accompany Aki to the GP for our flu jabs. It was our first visit to the new premises...bizarrely it's situated on the first floor of a modern block; what happens when the lift breaks down!? But it feels very spacious compared to the former premises, and, at least for now, is clean and neat. Tanya saw us both, and administered our jabs in her consulting room...we had a wee chat...she's very good. Walked back home for dinner...

Sunday 1st November 2026

Woke at 0330...took an hour or so to nod back off. Got up at 1000 and breakfasted with ma and pa at the dining table. Kath had gone to the gym. Drove down to The Broadway to buy biscuits at the Co-op, and got a takeaway coffee from Elkwater...a lass was strumming an amplified guitar and singing, entertaining the regulars. Drove down to Dobbies to pick up a couple of ready meals for the freezer. Bought some frozen Yorkshire puds to go with the evening roast. Drove back to High View to find Kath preparing lunch. I was planning to poach eggs, but discovered they were about three weeks past their use by date, so had to chuck 'em in the bin. Helped dad in trying to put the downstairs bathroom wardrobe back together...slow going. Managed to secure part of the vertical frame to the concrete structural wall...it was like drilling granite! Had to abandon my efforts and start cooking the Sunday roast. Kath did a crumble, and made cauliflower cheese. It was quite a feast for the six of us...felt a bit like Xmas dinner! Dad didn't eat much of it though. Watched Blue Planet III. Aki FaceTimed...she'd enjoyed the afternoon gig at Chats Palace, and had managed to catch up with Marianne, Katrina, and Lesley. Watched MOTD before bed...