Monday 5th June 2023

Alarm at 0730. Sluggish in rising, but eventually got up to make porridge. Did a couple of hours at the computer. Heated up some soup for my packed lunch and set off for inspections in Islington, firstly the Canonbury and Highbury New Park areas. Got in to one unit on Petherton Road. Stopped at Belle Epoche to buy some lunch for tomorrow. Ended the working day traipsing around the New College Mews development, a strange 80s era scheme of pokey 'mews' houses, and flat conversions in an old two storey warehouse. Pretty poor quality stock, and lots of complaints about Peabody. Got home around 1700. Aki had baked hake fillets with ham, which we ate with mashed potatoes and vegetables. Headed for Finsbury Park tube station, and got out at Shepherds Bush Market. The Bush Theatre is on the opposite side of the Uxbridge Road. Full house to see Lenny Henry deliver his one man 'play' exploring the Windrush scandal. Lenny was in good form, delivering plenty of laughs as he built up a picture of a young immigrant who had come over to England in the fifties with his mum, been schooled here, worked, played, and brought up family here...in short, becoming unquestionably British, only to fall victim to May's Hostile Environment programme, finding himself in a deportation centre. He got a standing ovation from a full house at the end, blew us all a kiss, and departed the stage.