Wednesday 1st February 2023

Woke around 0800...slow start. Got up around 0845 to make porridge, after having a mug of tea in bed. Did an hour at the computer, then made a packed lunch and headed out east. Stopped off in Walthamstow, and shopped for some lunch items in Wood Street Food Hall, and got a coffee in Dudley's. Headed down to Leyton, then across to Leytonstone, and had my lunch in Tesco's car park. Ended the day in Poplar, then headed for home. Got in around 1700. Managed an hour's work. Aki had made a strawberry sponge cake to mark Katrina's birthday, and we set off in the car at 1830. Traffic was bad, so didn't get to Clapton until about 1930. Katrina had guests. Lesley, who lives round the corner, Keith, an old college chum who had come down from Consett, and Debbie, who has been working on the "Vera" production team, but lives in Whitstable. Pleasant evening chatting, drinking, and eating. Katrina had made a pickled red cabbage soup with walnuts, which she served with scalded rye bread. Cheese and biscuits to follow, then we stuck an indoor firework in the strawberry sponge cake and sang "Happy Birthday". Left them all to it at about 2230 and drove home. Shower and bed...