Saturday 14th December 2024

Woke around 0700, having slept through. Dozed on until 0930. Aki brought tea in bed. Didn’t have time for breakfast as we had arranged to meet Louise at Boulangerie Pierre Alix on Holloway Road…following my cancellation of our get together last night, she had crashed at her niece’s flat on Cally Road. We had a catch up over coffee and croque monsieur. She has been offered a job in Perth, so is considering returning to Oz in the NY. 

I left them chatting at 1200 and popped next door to the pharmacy to get my ears cleared. Pleasant Muslim woman wielded the apparatus…and did both ears…total cost £80!!! Ouch!!! But I was delighted to be able to hear clearly again, and bounced back into the cafe with a gratified grin. We parted company with Lou…Aki cycled home, and I walked m, via Selby’s to buy Xmas chocolate, and Morrisons to get rolled puff pastry. Made lunch. Made a sticky onion tart to take to the party, and cooked a bought apple and vanilla tart. Tom the Greek had opened the church hall at 1700, and I went round to put some lights up and sort out tables and chairs. Sush from No.5, and Andrew from No.49 were in there beavering away, and people turned up bearing various foodstuffs. I found Tom in the kitchen making a Greek pasta dish! Looked great! People rocked up from 1800, but it took a while before I felt enough had turned up to justify a singalong…quite a few regulars missing this year. But Oty, Aki, Leila and I kicked off proceedings at about 1930…I gave a few words in Greek by way of thanks to Tom and the church…”AEK Athens 3 Olympiakos 0 Panathinaikos”…seemed to hit the spot. The singalong went down well, and we managed to persuade 13 year old Jake from No.86 to join us on cahon…apparently he’s getting drum lessons from Keith the drum tutor at No.34. I’ll be able to start putting a young band together next year! We slipped away at about 2100 and went home to tidy up. Kathleen from No.49 rang our doorbell at 2215 and foisted a bag of laurel leaves on us, which had been used to decorate the tables at the bash…I can recycle them at the Gig Night tomorrow. Watched MOTD before bath and bed…