Thursday 25th January 2024

Got up around 0800 and took the door off the under sink cupboard in the kitchen. Managed to remove the bottom shelf, thus opening up the space as much as is going to be possible. Walked over to Tesco and bought two large 5 litre bottles of water. Gave one to Lynne upstairs. Got hold of Vince, who came down and took a look. He managed to work the offending cold water tap riser back down into position, so we were able to turn the water supply back on, but we will have to wait until later tonight to see if it holds when the mains system pressure goes up in the evening, which was probably what happened last night, the added pressure forcing the pipe out of it's sleeve. The elbow is hidden almost beneath the screed at the very rear of the under-sink cupboard, so if we need to get to it to replace it, then we will have to dig a bit of the screed up! Very awkward working position. 

I found a mouse in the electric trap we'd put under the sink cupboarding about 6 years ago...lord knows how long it had been in there...it was stiff and crispy, but still covered in fur. I disposed of it and cleaned up. Parsnip soup and a hunk of bread for lunch. Had to abandon plans to go out on inspections today. Rehearsed our Burns Night songs. Read some Sebastian Barry, and did some exercises. Wandered up to No.127 for 2100, our instruments in hand. George and Katherine hosted ten of us altogether, with Ben and Gayu from No.38 also invited. We didn't know the other four, a lady of Russian descent who delivered a Burns poem in Russian (Aki did one in Japanese), an interesting guy named Tony, and a couple from Tufnell Park with Scottish links. The food was good...meat and vegetarian versions of the haggis, served with neeps and tatties, but a bit dry for want of a gravy. The cranachan dessert was fab. We sang "Ae Fond Kiss", and "Green Grow the Rashes, O", and sat around chatting until 2300. Wandered back down Sussex Way with Ben and Gayu and the couple from Tufnell Park. No sign of leaking pipework beneath the kitchen sink, so showered and retired to bed.