Monday 25th March 2024

Managed to haul myself out of bed after a fitful night's sleep, and prepare the breakfast table. Jim and Kath were slow to rise after last night's late night. I cooked Turkish eggs for breakfast, and once we had all recovered some momentum, we headed out for a constitutional. Walked them up to see the Banksy round the corner, then on to Archway. Stopped a quarter of the way up Highgate Hill for coffee at Archies...Jim and I left Katherine and Aki there, and we headed back to Sussex Way as Jim was to join a zoom meeting with Barney and his financial advisers ahead of an imminent £600,000 four year contract. Aki walked Katherine up the hill to Waterlow Park and the art gallery at Lauderdale House. They got back home around 1630, and we chilled out before walking over to Osteria Tufo for dinner. Barney already sat waiting for us (he reckoned Jim had told him 1800, even though I'd sent Barney a text with the 1830 booking time). 

Everyone enjoyed the restaurant, despite the opera singing waiter being absent...Aki and I shared a burrata starter and some n'duja toast...I had the pappardelle with a pork sausage ragu. Genna was able to join us toward the end of the meal, and had herself a burrata starter whilst the rest of tucked into tiramisu and carnoli. During conversation, she mentioned that as a 10 year old she had won a local embroidery prize...she and her mum lived in Hexham...her mum's still there. I mentioned Kath and her denim shoulder bags, and Hexham Market, and Genna reckoned her mum had bought one! Walked home, leaving Genna and Barney on Seven Sisters Road. Back in the flat, we watched "Tokyo Stories", a 90 minute documentary looking at the recent Ashmolean "Tokyo" art exhibition, which focussed on contemporary Tokyo artists and the influence of Japanese culture on the modern art produced in the city. Bath and bed...