Saturday 30th December 2023

Another night’s sleep disturbed by abdominal pain. Got up around 0930 and descended to the dining room for breakfast. Bob cooked us bacon and eggs, and Lottie offered up her chunky homemade bread, suitably browned in the toaster. Packed the car and set off for home. The satnav took us down to Leicester via the A46, where we joined a congested M1. Got home around 1430, stopping off at Cocoro in Highgate to pick up a sushi lunch. Flat was very cold, and the boiler pressure non existent. Filled the boiler then walked over to Safeguard on Holloway Road to make use of their DHL delivery and collection point, posting off our old iPhones in the hope that we’ll get some cash back in return. Walked down to Waitrose in the drizzle and did a shop. Back home, I took advantage of the fridge being empty to give the shelves and drawers a clean before we put our shopping in there. I cooked a cavolo nero and Parmesan sauce to have with gnocchi and nuts for dinner, with cheese and biscuits to follow. Watched “Crock of Gold”, the rock doc following the life and career of Shane MacGowan, deceased. It needed subtitles in order to get the gist of what the auld fella was slurring...he was introduced to beer at the age of six by an Irish uncle, and had basically been caning it ever since!!!

Friday 29th December 2023

Woke a little later than planned. Pretty lousy night’s sleep, disturbed by abdominal pains, but managed an evacuation in the morning. Descended for breakfast…still trying to use up the foodstuff that’s filling the fridge, so Aki and I fried up the last of the nut roast, with egg, bacon and tomato. Put a small packed lunch together…a slice of chicken pie with some salad. Packed our belongings into the car and said our farewells…ma and pa waved us off from the porch. Filled up with petrol at the airport and headed south down a busy A1M. Slow going at times. It was wet and windy by the time we rocked up in West Bridgford. We were greeted by Bob and Lottie, and had a festive catch up over a cuppa, before driving them in to the Lace Market and parking in a multi-storey. Peggy’s Skylight hadn’t opened their doors yet, so we perambulated Market Square, where a Frost Fair was in full swing. 

Stuck our heads in at what used to be Yates’s Wine Lodge, where many a drunken evening in the late 1970’s ended up.  Peggy's turned out to be a slightly larger venue than anticipated, and we were guided to a table in a very central position, in front of the bar. Spotted Errol and said hello, and exchanged a few pleasantries. Ordered some nibbles before Errol and the band took to the stage. Great set which went down a storm with the locals, eliciting a standing ovation and two encores! Said goodbye to Errol, and promised to catch him at Effra Hall in the New Year. Wandered around the corner to a little Neapolitan pizza parlour…the white base pizzas were enormous so we shared, with a side salad. They were very good. Repaired to the car park and drove us all back to West Bridgford. Sat in the living room drinking lemon tea and eating Lottie’s homemade Xmas cake. Bob had borrowed a password for Disney+ and we watched Part One of Peter Jackson’s “Get Back” documentary, following the creative process that lead up to the Beatles’ final live performance atop the Apple Corps office in Savile Row in January 1969. Fascinating stuff…

Thursday 28th December 2023

Woke late again. Aki got up and made tea. Descended for porridge. Aki had booked an emergency slot with Ma and Pa’s dentist in the village so drove her down there. I wandered over Pont bridge for a coffee in Cafe by Design, a rather odd reutilisation of what was once Lloyd’s Bank, where I held an account! Aki came and found me there after parting with £200 at the dentist’s! Back in High View, Aki cooked a ham and pea soup for lunch. Not much excitement to be had for the remainder of the day…it got very gloomy outside, so we didn’t fancy venturing abroad. I cooked dinner, warming up the chicken, leek and ham pie, accompanied by mashed potatoes and vegetables, and as much of the Xmas day leftovers as we could stomach. Kath had a client to attend to come evening. Watched Bob Monkhouse’s Last Stand…a strange amalgam of his signature comic stand-up, and tales of his early days, rudely interrupted for some bizarre reason by an interview with Mike Yarwood…a strange piece…Bob died three months later.

Wednesday 27th December 2023

Windy night as another storm blew in from the west. Heard Kath getting up for work at 0700. Slept through until 1030. Descended for tea and breakfast. Miserable weather…looks like a day trapped indoors. Lunched on a festive leftover hash with poached eggs. Aki, Kath and I took a walk down to Darras Hall shops during a break in the bad weather…popped in to the Co-op for some bits and pieces, then cut back via a bit of the old railway line. It started raining again as we walked up Whinfell Road. Dad cooked a turkey tikka masala for dinner, with rice made in his new mini rice cooker…its size meant he had to cook two separate portions in order to feed the five of us. It was a bit wet, for some reason. Xmas pud and custard for afters. Watched “Yesterday” on iPlayer…we’d seen it first time round, but enjoyed it nonetheless. Hamish Patel has a effortlessly understated comic persona, and of course we got to glimpse the Itchy Teeth boys giving it some as his backing band…great stuff! As Aki was flossing before bed, she managed to dislodge a gold crown from a rear molar!  

Tuesday 26th December 2023

Slow start…needed a lie in after yesterday’s gargantuan efforts. Got up to find the sun was shining…a beautiful winter morning. Porridged downstairs, then showered. Jim and Emma turned up with her grandchildren, Finn and Cillian. Had a bit of fun chasing them about until we were too exhausted…watched Jim follow the unstoppable force that is 2 year old Finn about the house in a bid to prevent him wrecking the joint and pulling all the doors from their hinges! They eventually left us in peace and we had lunch at the dining table. Drove us all out to Newburn and we had a walk beside the River Tyne. It was sunny but bitterly cold. Ma and pa went back to the car whilst Kath, Aki and myself undertook a short circuit. Got back to the car park to find no sign of ma and pa. Aki and Kath went to see if they were in the pub, at which point ma and pa emerged from the bushes where they had been hiding for some reason…they hadn’t been able to work out how to turn the ignition key in the car, so hadn’t been able to get the heater going! Drove back up the hill to get some odds and ends in Sainsbury’s, then turned for home. Warmed up Aki’s tasty fish pie for dinner, and finished off the Brussels sprouts, followed by Xmas pud and ice cream. Watched a bit of telly. Especially enjoyed the documentary on the extraordinary life of Noel Coward…a great talent. Stayed up to watch MOTD before retiring for the night.

Monday 25th December 2023

Woke to find that Santa had visited us in the night with a stocking full of chocolate. Got up and made tea, which we drank in bed before heading downstairs for some breakfast. Wished ma and pa a Happy Xmas. Kath had had to go visit a client first thing, but turned up around 1100. Did some prep in the kitchen. Jim and Emma showed up around 1300 and we opened presents. Kath had managed to find me a nice hardback edition of Nicholas Nickleby. Ma and pa had gotten generous with the cheque book…hope it doesn’t mean them having to turn the thermostat down come the New Year!!! 

Aki put together a good looking salmon starter, while I heated up the ovens and stuck the turkey crown in. Had to time when to start cooking the carrots, potatoes, the parsnips etc…the top oven just seems to work itself up uncontrollably to 300C or something, quickly incinerating the vegetables! Had to keep taking them out to hold back the growing tide of carbon! The nut roast looked blackened on the outside. Got everything to table eventually, accompanied by bread sauce, mushroom, and turkey gravies, cranberry sauce etc. Emma enjoyed the frazzled nut roast. Xmas pud for afters with stem ginger ice cream, followed by cheese and biscuits. Retired to the living room to play the Book Game. Dad introduced a line about someone with a smelly swollen leg, a theme which various competitors repeated during the course of proceedings to great comic effect. Emma and Jim drove off into the night, and the rest of us nodded off in front of the telly…
 

Sunday 24th December 2023

Slow start…very weary after our travails. Eventually descended for porridge. Wet and windy day. Aki and I drove down to Waitrose in Ponteland to do a final pre-Xmas food shop, then returned to High View for some lunch. Julie made a flying visit to wish ma and pa a Happy Xmas…she had Vera in the car, and ma and pa insisted on braving the elements in their slippers in order to go and say hello! Started cooking ahead of tomorrow. Put together the nut roast to stick in the oven tomorrow afternoon. Aki made a tasty fish pie for dinner. I then made the bread sauce, the mushroom gravy, and some stem ginger ice cream. Watched a bit of telly…enjoyed Dawn French’s one-woman show, and got to bed after MOTD…

Saturday 23rd December 2023

Rose around 0900 and descended to find the kitchen remarkably tidy after last night’s goings-on. Jim and Kath had gotten to bed around 0300, but looked none the worse for wear. Kath made tea and toast, and we sat at the kitchen table chatting with Barney, Jen, Ro and Rob until it was time to climb back in the car and head north. Jim waved us off, and we drove to the M62 via Huddersfield. Stopped off at Mainsgill Farm shop on the busy A66 and bought a sandwich and a quiche to share for lunch. The place was rammed. Cold, wet and windy afternoon. No sign of the camels...they've probably fled the country! Bought some Brussels sprouts then headed back to the A1 for the final leg of the journey. Diverted to Tesco at Kingston Park to get the Xmas vegetables in. Bags of potatoes, parsnips and carrots going for 15p a shot! Got to High View around 1630. Mum made us tea and we thawed out in the living room after unpacking the car. Kath cooked a carbonara for dinner. Ma and pa seem to be in relatively good shape, though dad is still having to carry about a catheter and bag. Hopefully they will take it out in early January. Ma looks very spritely. Chatted at the dinner table for a while before watching a bit of telly, then bed…

Friday 22nd December 2023

Up early. Breakfasted and put a packed lunch together. Endeavoured to empty the fridge. Packed the car, having made boot room. Set off around 1100. Headed up the M1. Stopped at Leicester Forest East service station and ate our lunch in the car. Very windy. Traffic not too bad, though it was slow through roadworks on the Tinsley Viaduct. Got to Underbank Old Road in Holmfirth around 1700. Kathryn made us a mug tea each, and we had a quick catch up before the guests arrived. Jim was overwhelmed by the Jeremy Corbyn poetry anthology, specially signed by JC, of course...it all got a bit emotional! It was a full house for the annual Christmas bash. Kath had cooked her now traditional lamb tagine, and a divine ginger cake. The usual crowd turned up and we repaired to the cramped living room for the annual cabaret. Aki and I did a couple of festive Bing Crosby numbers on our ukuleles. Alex, Helen and Louie pulled off a brilliantly funny turn as bewigged Elvis Presleys. Jim was allowed to take up a ukulele and join as an honorary Ukulady. Then it was dessert time. Chatted to a few people in the kitchen, notably Rob, Ro’s young Cayman Islander husband…a delightful young fella. Ro has a job interview lined up for early January for the post of Cultural Administrator of the Island's Arts hub. Also talked to another Alex, who I hadn’t met before…turned out he organises the annual Holmfirth Folk festival…he was a bit pissed, and kept forgetting what he was saying...it all got a bit surreal! Aki and I tired around midnight and retired to bed…unfortunately we were billeted in the bedroom directly over the continuing festivities…Aki stuck her earplugs in, and I did some reading before nodding off around 0100…

Thursday 21st December 2023

Porridged and made a packed lunch. Headed north for inspections in Potters Bar, stopping off at Tescos there, before heading for the little village of South Mimms, and from thence north to Hatfield. Drove back down the A1, stopping to eat my lunch at South Mimms service station. Back home mid-afternoon to finish the job off on the computer. Aki cooked dinner. Did some packing in the evening ahead of tomorrow’s trip north. Took advantage of an early night…

Wednesday 20th December 2023

Woke around 0800, but struggled to raise myself. Aki cycled off to Rowing Club, and I got up and porridged. Flung a packed lunch together, and headed northward, stopping off at Sainsburys in Manor House. First inspection was in the village of North Weald Bassett...a modern block of flats in a very strange location, bounded by a semi-industrialised farmyard, a nursery school, and a five-a-side football pitch...felt like the middle of nowhere. Drove on through a busy Harlow town centre, and on to Stevenage, then up beyond Hitchin, stopping at Baldock Services to eat my lunch in the car and use the facilities. Drove across to Dunstable, then back around to Luton, before ending the working day in St Albans. Very slow driving through the little city centre. Got home around 1730. Aki had just gotten back from the crematorium, where sundry Rowing Club members had gone to say bon voyage to one of their aged number who had passed away last week. I worked at the computer until 2030, stopping for dinner...Aki baked a huge trout, which we ate with vegetables, followed by chocolate mousse and rice pudding. 

Tuesday 19th December 2023

Had to haul myself out of bed this morning...feeling very weary. Porridged. Drove over to Manor House to fill up with petrol and pick up a coffee, then north-westward to Wembley. Driving conditions were pretty miserable, with heavy rain all morning. Stopped off at Tesco in Harrow, then drove on to Pinner, before turning for home. Aki had gone into town by the time I got home. Had some of her spinach and dill soup for lunch, and uploaded my day's photos. Headed into town via the Piccadilly Line, and walked from Russell Square to Doughty Street for the show at the Dickens Museum. Aki was already there, and I bumped into Jane and Carlos in the gift shop, before we ascended the stairs to the front parlour to see the one-man show, Dickens's "The Haunted Man", one of his five Christmas novellas, adapted by the actor James Swanton. The performance took place in a little front parlour on the first floor of the house next door to Dickens' former home, and now part of the Dickens Museum. Mr Swanton was very good, his thin features and unruly hair giving him a Scrooge-like demeanour, and he portrayed several characters by changing his voice at the drop of a hat. Jane and Carlos seemed to have enjoyed it. We repaired to the Duke, a 30s era public house around the corner, and enjoyed a swift half of Black Sheep, before heading back to Russell Square. Got off the tube at Holloway Road and walked up to the Upper Place. Pierro wasn't there...he'd apparently departed for Bologna for his Xmas holidays. Aki and I ordered from the Italian Cucina, while Jane and Carlos went for a huge sharing plate from the BBQ Meat counter opposite. Walked home, saying a festive farewell to Jane and Carlos. Fell into bed exhausted after a soak in the bath...

Monday 18th December 2023

Woke relatively early. Porridged, and slung a packed lunch together, then drove south-westward to High Wycombe, where I picked up a coffee at the Next store on the outskirts of town. Then drove to Princes Risborough, before heading for Aylesbury. Ate my lunch in the car. Ended the working day in Bushey, a suburb of south-east Watford, before turning for home. Warmed up the last of the pork and bean stew for dinner, followed by chocolate cake and cream. 

Sunday 17th December 2023

Aki up early to ready herself for Rowing Club. Cooked breakfast, frying off the last of the nut roast...very tasty with a poached egg on top! I contacted Kevin, who had very kindly promised to lift my amp into the boot of my car for me. I drove over to Stoke Newington early, as the Arsenal had a home game, due to kick off at 1400, which risked traffic gridlock. Parked up near B's pad, then walked into Stoke Newington and had a coffee at Pret, before mooching about the shops on Church Street. Bought a sandwich to have later, assuming rehearsals would eat into any possibility of a dinner break before the show. B texted to say she was unwell, and we decided she should pull out, which meant me doing two songs on my own. We spent the afternoon working through the show repertoire...my amp sounded fine. Aki turned up at around 1800, and I sat with her for a bit in the bar and ate my sandwich, before Katherine and George turned up, closely followed by Celia and Bernard. Carol turned up with her tennis partner, so the New Vic Stoke-on-Trent was duly represented. I did a couple of songs from my contemporary folk repertoire in the first half, and led the community singing at the top of the second half of the show, culminating in a raucous rendition of Fairytale of New York, with full band behind me. Really enjoyed it! Didn't hang around afterward, as needed to load up the car and get everything back home...

Saturday 16th December 2023

Got up and cooked breakfast...fried up some of the leftover nut roast, with scrambled egg and cured salmon. I spent most of the day taking my AER busking amp apart, determined to remove the dud battery packs to make the thing light enough to enable me to lift it into the car. Took ages to get the housing opened up, but I eventually managed to remove the 2x 2kg batteries, only to find that the amp didn't work...presumably the batteries form part of the overall circuit. So I had to open the thing up again to put the batteries back in place. I bumped into Kevin on my way to the DIY shop for advice, and he suggested I use his son's portable amp...we marched up to his house at No.93, and tried a small Fender practice amp, which wasn't in good nick, and a Stagg bass amp, which sounded OK. Kevin carried the latter back to our place, but I later resolved to stick with my AER as there wasn't much difference in comparative weight. I was exhausted by the time we got to bed...

Friday 15th December 2023

Managed a little work at the computer this morning, then had to concentrate on preparing the food for tonight's gathering. Got Aki to slice my beetroot cured salmon with her sashimi knife, but it was more difficult to keep it shaped than we'd anticipated. Put half the slices in the freezer for New Year's Eve. Cooked up the nut roast to the Hairy Biker's festive recipe, and made a mushroom gravy, and a bread sauce. Tony turned up a little early, having come straight from work on the panto at the Palladium. Katrina followed half-an-hour or so later, and we sat down for dinner around 1915. I served the salmon with salad leaf, toast, horseradish sauce, pickled cucumber, and red cabbage. It went down well. The nut roast was a success, served up with roast potatoes, parsnips, baby carrots, celeriac, and broccoli, plus bread sauce, gravy, and cranberry sauce. Aki's chocolate cake followed, with whipped cream and mascarpone, followed by cheese and biscuits. Tony was delighted with the anthology of poetry collected, and signed, by Jeremy Corbyn in the the very seat he was sitting in. Waved them off into the night, and set about washing up before bed...

Thursday 14th December 2023

Got up and porridged before putting together a packed lunch and venturing out on inspections. Concentrated on the north London stock, which took me over to Stoke Newington, then north-westward to Willesden and Harlesden. Ate my lunch in the car. Got home in time to eat an early dinner, then drove over to Stoke Newington for rehearsals. Sounding good...especially when the band kick in behind me on Fairytale of New York. Felt too weary to go for a drink with the crew afterward, so drove home to bed...

Wednesday 13th December 2023

Woke around 0730. Aki got up and made tea. Porridged. Did a little work, preparing ahead of inspections tomorrow. Jogged over to Gillespie Park for our 1230 Qi Gong session. Good turnout today, with three or four new faces in attendance. Walked back in time to meet B at our pad for rehearsals. I prepared some soup. By the time B arrived, Aki was fielding a phone call from Vodafone, trying to arrange a new broadband contract, so B and I had our soup in silence, followed by apple crumble and custard. Aki popped out to Crouch End, and B and I ran through some songs. Cooked chicken with creamy mushroom sauce to pour over some pasta for dinner.

Tuesday 12th December 2023

 

Rude awakening this morning. My phone rang several times…as I didn’t recognise the number I turned over and went back to sleep. Then I discerned the doorbell. As we weren’t expecting a delivery, we ignored it, but then the phone rang again and I began to twig…but I was a bit surprised to hear the operative ask me if I’d phoned for an ambulance! I replied in the negative, but was informed there was a crew outside my front door! Got up and got dressed. Opened the door to find three blokes in green uniforms standing in the hallway!!! It seems my not picking up the phone last night triggers an emergency visit....albeit some 12 hours later! Not sure there's much logic in this notion...anyhow, the lads were very nice, nodded their understanding and departed with a backward wave, having declined the offer of a cuppa tea. Had ourselves some porridge for breakfast, then ventured out to run some errands. Treated ourselves to a coffee at the Green Room Cafe, then parted company as I walked southward down the Holloway Road to the Central Library, and Aki nipped home to drop some stuff off before coming to find me. Unable to locate a copy of "Measure For Measure", so put in a reservation request. Aki met me at the Library from whence we jumped on a bus to Essex Road to visit the fishmonger...bought some salmon to cure for Friday night's starter. Walked back home via Waitrose.

Drove over to Springfield Park and the Rowing Club early evening, as Aki wanted to help set up for the Rowing Club Xmas bash. We were booked to provide some entertainment, so had brought our ukuleles. There was a decent turnout of about 30 of us altogether, including George from No.127. We were introduced to a young French lad, who had brought his cornet, intending to join in our repertoire. I managed to persuade him to go solo on a couple of numbers instead, as we weren't going to be singing from the same hymn book, so to speak. The dinner was good...really enjoyed the parsnip soup to start, and the roast turkey and trimmings was tasty, if somewhat lukewarm. I had the xmas pud for afters. I had persuaded our cornet played to kick things off, hiding him around the corner in the bar area from whence he was to deliver "Xmas Tree, Oh Xmas Tree". I hadn't realised just how bad he was... a complete beginner...and as I trotted out front to begin proceedings, I was greeted with not so much a festive tune, as a bunch of loud farting noises! It seemed to produce a wave of suppressed hysterics from the gathered throng! We managed to get through the sing-a-long in one piece, and were greeted with enthusiastic applause at the end. Aki helped pack up and we gave Stephanie, who'd organised the evening, a lift back to De Beauvoir before we turned for home. 

Monday 11th December 2023

Didn’t sleep last night. I was overtaken by abdominal pain shortly after getting in to bed, so got up and paced about a bit, to no avail. Aki got up at 0700 in order to ready herself for a trip into the Camden office. By the time Bob and Lottie got up, my abdominal pain was crippling. I sent Bob out to get me some Laxido before they sped off back to Nottingham. I spent most of the next 7 hours perched on the loo, in agony! I rang 111 at about 1300, in a desperate bid to get some kind of hyper-strong laxative delivered to my pharmacist over the road, but was told a clinician would ring me back. I was still locked in the bathroom when Aki got back from Camden. Finally got some relief mid afternoon, but felt very bruised! Aki cooked a lentil soup for dinner while I dozed on the sofa. Bob and Lottie texted to say they’d got home in one piece. Enjoyed a simple dinner, and chilled out on the sofa trying not to fall asleep in front of the telly. The clinician finally got around to calling me back as I was readying myself for bed...I left them to leave a message, as I'd been awake for about 35 hours, and needed to crash out.

Sunday 10th December 2023

Got up for an early breakfast, then set about tidying the flat and swapping the bedding. We are sleeping in the storage cupboard tonight! I prepared an apple crumble, and started cooking the chicken traybake, just as Bob and Charlotte arrived. I hastened out to stick a permit on the dashboard of their little sporty Mazda, but realised it was a match day, Arsenal Women due to host Chelsea this afternoon. I jumped in the passenger seat and guided Bob round to unrestricted parking north of Tollington Way. They were a bit earlier than expected, so had to wait a bit until food was served. We caught up over the dining table. They are planning on driving their huge camper van to France next year. We all headed into town after dark, getting out at Oxford Circus to see the Xmas lights…the place was heaving. Took a dive down an alley into Soho and popped into the Stones’ shop on Carnaby Street…the shop assistant tried to sell us a limited edition print of one of Ronnie Wood’s appalling paintings…for £2,000! 

Had a beer in the Sun & 13 Cantons in Bleak Street, then walked across to Ronnie Scott’s. Bob and Lottie’s son Sam’s swing band, The Big Easy, had gotten themselves a gig in the Upstairs bar. Very accomplished young sextet…I was particularly impressed by the guitarist. Excellent sounds. Aki pushed off early, as she has work tomorrow morning. Myself and our guests got in just before midnight…

Saturday 9th December 2023

Woke around 0800. Aki got up and found her Happy Anniversary card, and box of truffle chocolates. I got up and warmed up the croissants I’d bought yesterday, which we ate with Nutella and jam, and washed down with coffee. We did a little sorting ahead of the arrival of tomorrow’s guests. Wandered over to Waitrose to buy beef steak for dinner tonight. Tried on some gilets in Selby’s. Liked the Barbour one. Came home via the library, dumped the shopping, then ventured out to the Upper Place for lunch at Pierro’s Italian cucina…we shared a couple of very tasty plates! Yummy! 

Came home and did some cleaning, vacuuming, and dusting. Cooked beef fillet steak for dinner, with sweet potato chips, baked tomato and mushroom, and vegetables…Aki made a tasty pepper sauce to go with it, and we washed it all down with a glass of champagne. Watched “Three Faces”, an Iranian film we found on the iPlayer.

Friday 8th December 2023

Aki up early to ready herself for Rowing Club…she’d cycled off by the time I got up. Noticed one of the neighbours was advertising a free marble cake stand, and I managed to get in first. Arranged to pick up from around the corner after lunch. Did a couple of hours at the computer then headed out to look for an Anniversary card for Aki…it’s our thirteenth anniversary tomorrow. Walked to Finsbury Park, popping in at the little gift shop on Stroud Green Road, then walked up to The Dairy for lunch…the pub had been recently refurbished but the food has definitely taken a bit of a nose-dive. Enjoyed a glass of Guinness, then walked up the hill and down into Crouch End. Popped into M&S and bought croissants for tomorrow morning. Walked home via No.91 Windsor Road, and picked up the cake stand…Kathryn gave me a tour of her one-up-one-down house…it’s a tiny modern infill plot, but I liked the basement garden, which is book-ended by tall full length mirrors, making the outdoor space feel twice the size it actually is…very clever! Set off early for Stoke Newington in the car…just as well, as the traffic was appalling. Aki jumped out near Stoke Newington station, as I knew we wouldn’t make Rasa by 6pm…she got there and bagged a table while I found somewhere to park near the theatre. Katrina and Lesley had arrived by the time I joined. Really enjoyed the food…it’s a South Indian vegetarian restaurant of long standing…cheap and very very tasty…I especially enjoyed the rice pudding with a hint of cardamom!!! Got to the theatre with minutes to spare…watched the Tower production of “Stones in His Pockets”, which had been a big west end hit in the late 90’s. The two lads did a grand job, though their character delineations could have been a bit more marked. 

Thursday 7th December 2023

Got up and porridged. Set off on inspections out west, but headed east initially to put some petrol in the car, and check the tyre pressure on the front-right tyre, which I suspected had a slow puncture. By the time I got to the petrol station, the tyre looked very flat, so I pumped some air into it and drove to Holocene on Camden Road. They did a quick repair job on it, and I was back on the road for £30. Popped back home for some lunch before finally heading for Shepherds Bush, then up to Wembley, where it started to rain and got very gloomy. Got home in good time. Aki had been to the JCUK festive gathering, so got back after me. Warmed up the pork and bean stew she’d made yesterday, and prepared mashed potato and some greens. Brett from No.7 turned up around 1900 and we fed her before repairing to the sofa to watch “Squaring The Circle”, Anton Corbjin’s moving tribute to the ground breaking Hipgnosis design team who came up with classic album covers for Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, et al in the 1970s. Very enjoyable journey back in time…

Wednesday 6th December 2023

Aki up early to ready herself for Rowing Club, as the weather forecast was favourable. I porridged, then did three hours at the coal face before walking round to Gillespie Park for Qi Gong. Aki made it just in time, having cycled from the Rowing Club. George from No.127 was there too. Aki cycled home via Waitrose; I walked home via The Arsenal stadium. Did a little more work after lunch. Drove over to Stoke Newington in the evening…traffic was bad, so failed to get to B’s at the appointed time. Managed a rushed run through, then drove down the road to the theatre. Colin was waiting for us. Took him through our two songs, then Andy the bass player turned up, with Matt not far behind him. Rehearsed “Nights in White Satin” and “Merry Xmas Everyone”. Repaired to the Jolly Butcher round the corner for a swift half of Guinness before driving home…

Tuesday 5th December 2023

Woke at around 0730, so got up and made tea. We'd run out of porridge, so made do with a bit of cheese and toast instead. Warmed up the dill soup to take with me on my travels. Set off for Hertfordshire at 0945, stopping off at South Mimms service station on the A1 to grab a coffee. Inspections followed in St Albans, Sandridge, and Wheathampstead. Stopped for lunch in a car park on a big retail park in Stevenage, thence on to Hitchin. Turned for home once darkness threatened. Got home around 1800. Aki cooked haddock with miso paste, eaten with rice, bean shoots, and miso soup. 

Monday 4th December 2023

Got up a bit later than planned, feeling very weary. Porridged. Did a little work at the computer, then headed out on inspections in Kilburn, Brondesbury Park, and West Hampstead. Returned home for a late lunch, and did another hour at the computer. Rehearsed my guitar parts ahead of this evening's rehearsal at the Tower Theatre. Cooked ravioli for dinner, with chilli pesto and peas. Drove over to Stoke Newington for band rehearsal. Worked with Zelia on Nat King Cole's "Christmas Song". Chaachi sounded good too...don't think my guitar playing adds much, but will keep practising. Enjoyed Vyvian's rendition of "The Usherette's Blues", a cleverly wrought comic song in which an usherette bemoans the fact that her job means she never gets to see the end of any of the films that are on when she's doing her shift. 

Sunday 3rd December 2023

Slow start after yesterday's busy day. Got up and cooked brunch. Katherine's brother, Alex, popped round for a coffee, as he's stopping with an old school mate around the corner in Finsbury Park. Entertained him with a few old photos of a Xmas gathering at his sister's in 2010. After he'd left for his mate's pad, we walked across to Waitrose and did a shop, as the fridge was looking a little empty. Got back and had a snack, then walked up to the North Nineteen for band rehearsal with the Scottish flautists and fiddlers. Got home around 1830 and cooked confit of duck for dinner, with roast potatoes and parsnips. Creme caramel for afters. Watched a bit of telly before bath and bed...
 

Saturday 2nd December 2023

 

Arose and cooked a late breakfast. I popped out to get some odds and ends...bought some fresh ravioli from Pierro in the Upper Place, and had a browse in the glassware section of Selby's, before a quick run round Waitrose. Aki prepared some avocado and dark chocolate tartlets to take to Brett's at No.7 this evening. Enjoyed an early dinner, finishing off the chicken curry. Oty and her dad came round at 1715 to run through the Xmas song list before we headed for No.7. Rather a poor turnout early doors, but we had to deliver our songs well before 1900 in order to hightail it to Deptford. Enjoyed some snack food before we ran for the bus...especially enjoyed Rebecca's onion quiche; must ask for the recipe! 

Got on a No.29 bus to Finsbury Park, but traffic was dreadful after the Arsenal game, so got off a couple of stops before the tube station and trotted down to the Victoria line. Changed at Green Park, getting off at Canada Water and getting a No.188 bus to Deptford High Street. Amazed to find we got to the Watergate in good time. Barney's girlfriend, Jen, welcomed us at the door...she'd done all the organising. Barney was in the dark, and due to turn up at 2030. So the back room was full of Barney's old school mates and current friends and colleagues. We all hid in there until Barney turned up in the company of his mum and dad, and sister Ro and her husband Rob. Met Joy Crookes (pictured on the far left) who co-wrote, and sang, "Feet Don't Fail Me Now" with Barney, which has been coining it in for them as a big car f=maker has been using the song for it's recent advertising campaign. Met an agent who is apparently after signing Barney up for £500,000 (Barney is holding out for a better deal), as well as his manager, and various other interesting music industry types. Katherine's brother Alex turned up, and Aki and I sat and had a chat with him over a beer before we headed back home. 

Friday 1st December 2023

Very slow start this morning. Eventually rose for a late bowl of porridge. Cold day…wrapped ourselves up for a trip into town. Paid a visit to the newly re-opened HMV store in Oxford Street. It wasn’t very impressive. Prefer Rough Trade in Spitalfields. Wandered about in John Lewis’s for a bit then came home via M&S at Finsbury Park. Breaded Dover sole for dinner, with sautéed potatoes and tartare sauce. Watched a bit of telly and rehearsed some guitar before bath and bed…
 

Thursday 30th November 2023

Got up and porridged. Spent the morning on the computer finishing off the B3 job. Soup for lunch. Rehearsed some guitar in the afternoon. Finished off the lasagne for dinner, and made a creamy mushroom and walnut sauce to go with it. Walked up Highgate Hill to Lauderdale House for the Barb Jungr gig. Very cold outside! The walk warmed us up a bit, though. Full house at Lauderdale. Got seats at the back with a little table, and bought a couple of drinks at the bar. Quite a lot of respectable looking Jewish people in the audience…I’m guessing Barb is Jewish, her mum being German and her dad Czechoslovak. She delivered her album of cover versions with the help of a piano, bass and drums trio, and although her vocal interpretations can stray somewhat off the mark, she’s very personable, and her patter between the numbers always entertaining. A good night. We walked back down the hill toward bath and bed…

Wednesday 29th November 2023

Woke around 0830. Aki already up and about, as she prepared to head for Rowing Club. I got up and made tea, then went back to bed to read "Silence" for half-an-hour. Rose and porridged, then sat at the computer until 1230, when I broke to put lunch together. Aki got home just as I was leaving the flat. I headed for a bus stop on Holloway Road, and got to the Whittington Hospital in good time for my 1330 appointment. I thought I was going for a follow-up post endoscopy, but it turned out to be a clinic for the Hernia Hub. The consultant had a look at my umbilical hernia, and told me that as I had had previous keyhole surgery, they would need to cut in from the front next time, but as it wasn't causing me any discomfort at present, then I'd be advised to avoid the surgical route for the moment...I heartily agreed. He reckoned there was little or nothing that could be done about the pain engendered by the inguinal hernia repair, and that I'd probably have to grin and bear it for the rest of my days. Walked back down the hill, popping in to M&S for some bits and pieces. Got home and did another hour or so at the computer. We sliced the meat off the chicken carcass and made a Thai red curry, which we ate with rice and vegetables.