Tuesday 16th January 2024

Woke at 0845 feeling a bit weary. Hauled myself out of bed to make tea. Porridged. Sat at the computer for an hour or so. Warmed up the parsnip soup to take on today's travels. Headed back toward east London. Stopped off at the Kingsland Shopping Centre to use the facilities and grab a warming coffee. Inspections in Dalston. Had my soup sat in the car on an infill development near London Fields, then headed toward Hackney Downs. Ended the working day in Finsbury, which meant incurring the congestion charge. Drove home. Aki departed for dinner at Rasa in Stoke Newington to mark Piers' 80th birthday. I warmed up some lentil dal, and popped round the corner to get a takeaway chicken tikka kebab and a naan to have with it. Tasty. George from No.127 turned up for a lift to Stoke Newington. As one of the newest members of the Rowing Club, he was keen to show up for tonight's gathering in the Auld Shillelagh public house on Church Street. I don't think I'd been in there before...a long, very narrow Irish pub, which reputedly sells the best pint of Guinness in London...I contented myself with a half. We were a bit early, so had to wait for the other invitees to turn up...I knew some of them. Kearsey, and Kate, and got chatting with John and James about the local music scene. We left around 2130, as Aki was keen for an early night, as she has a morning meeting in Camden Town tomorrow. Dropped George off outside No.127...