Saturday 4th February 2023

Woke around 0830 after a somewhat fitful night's sleep. Aki still coughing a bit, so got up and made her tea with lemon and honey. Sat up in bed reading for a bit before getting up to cook brunch. Ventured out for some exercise…we walked down to Highbury Fields, then back up Highbury Grove, past my old bed sit at No.5, and stopped for coffee and cake at a little cafe in Highbury Barn. Walked back home via Morrisons…longest checkout queues I’ve ever seen! Nodded off on the sofa watching the England v Scotland rugby match…Aki cooked mapo and rice for dinner. 

Drove to Stoke Newington and parked up outside the theatre. Bumped into Phil Ley in the bar and had a catch up. Saw a Samuel Beckett double bill, the first a short three hander with the actors stood in bins with only their heads visible…and the second a radio play delivered via microphones from the dressing room whilst we gazed on an empty stage for an hour…the polar opposite of last night’s spectacular!!! Repaired to the bar afterwards and enjoyed a drink with Phil and said hello to Julia, who was in the first piece...she had been in our Ayckbourn production. She did a good job in straiteneed circumstances. Drove home for MOTD…