Sunday 4th June 2023

Woke around 0800. Got up and made tea. Cooked brunch before Aki cycled off to Rowing Club. Tidied up the flat a bit prior to Bianca turning up for rehearsal. She was half-an-hour late. Ran through "Stormy Monday" and "I Can't Stand the Rain", and had a go at "Malted Milk". I promised to get to know Ray Charles' "I Got a Woman" for next time. Served up Aki's parsnip and turmeric soup for lunch...B said she wanted the recipe. Pencilled in another rehearsal for the end of June. Aki returned, having lunched at the cafe next door to the Rowing Club. Strolled up to meet Katherine and George at the bus stop near Sainsburys on Holloway Road, carrying our instruments...we had arranged to do this month's folk band practice session at Celia's mum's flat...she's 101, and had been invalided by a nasty accident on the tube a few months ago, which had resulted in a badly broken arm, meaning she couldn't get out and about anymore. She lives on the fourth floor of a 6-storey block of flats near east Finchley tube station, and Katherine, George, Aki and I piled into the small lift with our instruments. Celia was already there, as were Christine, and Lorraine. We decided to play in the living room...there was an invitingly large roof terrace we thought of playing on, but it was getting the full sun from a cloudless sky, and the acoustic wouldn't have been great. Played for Celia's mum until 1800. She seemed to enjoy the distraction. Said our farewells and caught a No.263 bus back to Holloway. Warmed up the last of the parmigiana lasagne for dinner. Watched a Japanese film, "Plan 75", which explored themes of aging...in a not too distant future, the Japanese government had decided to offer people over 75 the option of having their lives terminated. It may soon become reality!