Thursday 30th January 2025

Woke around 0800. Got up and porridged. Put a packed lunch together and headed north once again. Stopped at Brookfield Centre, Cheshunt for coffee, and made a final visit to Pearce's Farm Shop before heading on to Buntingford, Aspenden, and Cottered. Ate my lunch in the car. Then headed down to cover three little villages to the east of Stevenage, before turning for home down the A1(M). Stopped at South Mimms service station for a coffee to celebrate finishing the inspections, then headed for Holloway. Aki cooked a pumpkin and mushroom risotto for dinner. Watched a bit of telly before bath and bed...

Wednesday 29th January 2025

Woke around 0830. Got up and made tea. Porridged at the laptop, as I wrote up some notes from yesterday's inspections. Put a packed lunch together and headed back out on the road. Stopped off at Brookfield Centre, Cheshunt, for coffee, then headed for Pearce's Farm Shop, before aiming for Buntingford, and several satellite villages to the east. Had my lunch in the car. Got home after dark...traffic was appalling...very slow going down the A10. It seemed as if there was some kind of blockage on the M25, which was backing up traffic for miles. 

Tuesday 28th January 2025

 

Woke around 0845…Aki had got up in the night with a coughing fit and had decided to sleep on the sofa. She looked well rested when I came in to make tea and put a packed lunch together. Porridged. Set off for Hunsdon a little later than planned. Stopped for petrol and coffee at Manor House. Grey day with outbreaks of heavy rain. Lunched at Pearce’s Farm Shop. Then inspections in Braughing, and Albury. The single track lanes were heavily puddled, and I was glad I wasn’t required to drive the ford at Braughing, which appeared to be in full flow. Packed in around 1600 as the weather was getting me down...headed for home down the A10. Got in around 1745. Warmed up the fish curry for dinner, which we ate with rice. Watched "Twin Peaks"...Aki seems to think it more like Eastenders than I recall! Bath and bed...

Monday 27th January 2025

Aki up early to get herself to UCHL for an 0830 appointment with the audiologist. I got up and porridged after she’d set off. Worked at the computer until 1215, by which time a hungry Aki returned to make lunch. Did another hour at the chalk face. Cooked  a chicken and lentil dish for later in the week. Popped out to Waitrose to get some supplies. Kath rang to say she was worried that dad might have been scammed. Gave him a ring…he had received a message on his computer saying that Talktalk hadn’t received payment and his telephone and broadband provision had been cut off…he’d given his bank card details and provision seemed to have been restored…alarm bells rang when he confessed to having long ago ended his Talktalk contract! I urged him to phone his bank. Got a text from Kath later to say he’d been advised to cancel his bank card. Hope it all works out! Warmed up a vegetable lasagne for dinner. Watched a bit of telly before bath and bed…

Sunday 26th January 2025

Woke around 0900. Aki brought me a mug of tea. Got up and cooked brunch. Grey day with occasional showers. Aki still coughing violently! Sat about reading, and listening to music. Phoned Kath...she has a job interview next week...bridal alterations...right up her street. Phoned ma and pa...they seemed OK. Sounded like dad has given up hand-sawing his own stair handrail for the front steps, and is looking to make a purchase instead. Sounds sensible! I cooked a spiced roast chicken with coconut gravy for dinner, and crispy roast potatoes with breadcrumbs, roast carrots, and spring greens. Chocolate brownie and ice cream for afters. Aki decided she was too ill to venture out tonight, so I travelled to Dalston alone. Queue was already building when I rocked up at Cafe Oto for Milkweed’s sell out gig. Managed to bag a seat and a beer…but gig didn’t start till 2045. Ten members took up their instruments, sat in a circle as if around a primitive campfire. The one-hour piece had been inspired by ancient Irish chronicles pertaining to the myths of Ulster. There was a theatrical undertow to the performance, and I really enjoyed the music…most of the time it sounded like the Velvet Underground trying to remember how to play All Tomorrow’s Parties whilst chemically inebriated…great stuff. Aki was out of the bath by the time I got home…I caught up with The Ten and a bit of MOTD before bath and bed…

Saturday 25th January 2025

Woke around 0845. Got up to make tea. Aki cooked a brunch, then we walked up to Yerbury Farmer's Market to buy bread. Aki's cough getting worse. She walked home while I headed for Waitrose to do a bit of a shop. No sign of Vince this afternoon...surprise, surprise. Aki cooked cod for dinner, with baked sweet potato chips, and vegetables. Chocolate brownie and ice cream for afters. Watched some telly. Bath and bed after MOTD...

Friday 24th January 2025

Woke around 1000. No sign of Storm Eowyn during the night…heavy rain had been forecast, and I had expected to be woken as it drummed on the roof. Made tea and got back into bed. Arose around 1100 and porridged. Booked a room at The Ship Inn in Mousehole for the night before our AirBnB sojourn. It means we can have a wander about and discover the fishing village before the hard work starts. Cooked a puttanesca sauce to have for a quick dinner tonight. Popped out to get some cash to pay Vince for his hard work plugging our leaks and unblocking our pipes. When I returned from the bank, he was here...started taking up the tiling in the shower tray...looks like there has been a leakage for some time...reckons it's to do with the poor workmanship of our Polish builders, who failed to properly cement the trap in place...surprise, surprise! Paul from No.27 came round with his Kango, and they stripped the flooring...Vince said he'd come back tomorrow to try and remove the bottom wall tiles prior to the bespoke shower tray team coming over to measure up. Dined on tortellini and puttanesca sauce before heading on foot for Finsbury Park station. Caught the train to Moorgate, and walked round to the Barbican to see a production of "Moby Dick" by a French based company, as part of the Mime Festival. Hooked up with Piers, who nearly didn't make it, as he'd thought the show was down in The Pit. Show was OK as far as it went...a mix of life-size puppets and human actors, and a hugely impressive light show, but ultimately a bit dull on the narrative front. Hope the Tower Theatre adaptation is a bit more exciting. Piers hated it! Accompanied him back to Finsbury Park on the train, where he took the Victoria Line...we walked home.

Thursday 23rd January 2025

Fitful night's sleep as the hacking cough made a return. Got up at 0800 and made tea. Aki still under the weather. Decided not to venture back to Bishops Stortford today. Worked at the laptop for most of the morning. Broke to make lunch. More of the same this afternoon. Uploaded my RICS CPD record with seven days to spare! Ambled over to Waitrose for milk once it had stopped pouring with rain! Warmed up the last of Aki's pork stir fry for dinner, with egg noodles. Watched a bit of telly...not much on, so resorted to Twin Peaks. Bath and bed...battened down the hatches ahead of Storm Eowyn.

Wednesday 22nd January 2025

Woke around 0800. Got up and made tea. Porridged. Prepared a packed lunch. Aki got up as I was leaving. Drove to Manor House to pick up a coffee, then on to Bishops Stortford. Lunched in the car at a Leisure Centre car park just north of the town centre...a bit nicer than the car park at Birchanger Service Station. They have a little cafe, where I picked up a takeaway tea. Called it a day at 1600 and drove home, stopping off at Birchanger Service station to use the facilities. Wanted to get home before Holloway got busy with Gooners...they are playing Zagreb this evening. Got in at 1730. Warmed up a couple of portions of vegetable lasagne for dinner. Watched some telly…including an old BBC programme in which Mo Mowlem sings the praises of Winston Churchill in a bid to get the nation to vote him the greatest Briton of the 20th Century…she made a compelling and moving case.

Tuesday 21st January 2025

Woke around 0900…leapt out of bed to make tea…porridged and put a packed lunch together. Aki feeling under the weather…probably picked up my bug! Drove car round to KwikFit on Camden Road…sure enough there were two or three nails embedded in the left rear tyre! Had to fork out £114 for a new one! Headed up the M11 to Bishops Stortford. It was lunchtime by the time I stopped at Birchanger Services. Had my lunch in the car park. Confined myself to external inspections only today. Cold out. Headed home at 1630. Slow going around the North Circular, and towards Turnpike Lane. Got in at 1815. Warmed up the prawn curry…ate with dal and rice. Watched Twin Peaks. Aki feeling under the weather...she's developing the cough I've been plagued with for the last two weeks! Early bath and bed...
 

Monday 20th January 2025

Woke around 0800. Took tea back to bed. Got up and porridged. Aki cycled off to Crouch End for her annual eye test at SpecSavers. I bought a hose clip from the boys at ImproMill, and came home to attach it to the washing machine waste pipe, and an adjacent copper pipe, in order to steady the former once the washing machine starts emptying. Took ages to tighten the clip screw…very awkward space to do DIY in! Made lunch while Aki on the phone to Hachan…she lost her mum last week, after a lengthy battle with dementia. Vince and Paul turned up early afternoon...Vince filled the hole in the floor beneath the kitchen sink. They vowed to return on Friday to start digging up the shower tray. Aki cooked a pork stir fry, with egg noodles. Watched a bit of telly. Aki had a zoom meeting, so I took the opportunity to watch episode 1 of The Traitors. 

Sunday 19th January 2025

 

Woke around 0830. Lazed in bed for a bit before getting up to cook breakfast. Pottered about not getting very much done. Phoned Vince to urge him to come round with his extendable auger…said he’d come around 1530. In the meantime we ran a desperately needed wash…emptying the washing machine waste into several buckets to throw down the loo! Vince eventually turned up with said extendable…and proceeded to saw off the kitchen sink waste at the elbow to minimise the number of awkward turns for the auger. Paul from No.27 came to give him a hand, bringing a drill that he attached to the auger to assist it’s travel…after about 15 minutes of vigorous rodding, something splattered its way out…god knows what it was! Didn’t smell bad, thankfully. Paul sloped off to cook some potatoes for his dinner, and we rewarded Vince with a well deserved cup of tea before seeing him off the premises. Aki cooked salmon for dinner, with haricot beans and creme fraiche. Washed up…in the sink! Watched Twin Peaks before bath and bed…

Saturday 18th January 2025

Woke around 0800. Got up to unlock the gate, then made tea and got back into bed. Still coughing! Alerted the band to the fact that I wouldn't be fit in time for tomorrow's rehearsal...therefore, cancelled my appearance at the North Nineteen open mic on Tuesday. Aki cooked breakfast, then we walked up to the farmer's market at Yerbury school to buy bread, stopping at Sainsbury's on the way home. Cold out. Sat about inputting Moby Dick rehearsal dates into my iPhone calendar. Bit of toast sufficed for a light lunch. FaceTimed mum...and got a young chap named Charlie! Dunno what happened there! Very odd. He asked me how I'd gotten his number...I said "I was phoning me mam". FaceTimed Kath who was about to go to work...several of her colleagues are off sick, so she's having to take on extra shifts! Phoned ma and pa for a wee chat. They sounded in fine fettle. Vince texted us to say he'd been delayed by a callout to a leaking boiler, so he plans to see us tomorrow afternoon. Lasagne for dinner. Watched Twin Peaks in honour of the passing of David Lynch. MOTD, then bath…

Friday 17th January 2025

Woke around 0815. Aki up readying herself for Rowing Club. Still feeling under the weather…cough shows no sign of leaving off. Got up and porridged. Decided to make a vegetable lasagna in my new lasagne dish, so nipped round to Waitrose for some bits and pieces. Came home and roasted the vegetables, made a tomato sauce, and a cheese sauce…think I made too much! Couldn’t fit it all in the lasagne dish. Baked it before Aki got back. She prepared lunch. I washed up…which currently means endless trips to the bathroom to empty the washing up bowl down the loo. No sign of Vince this afternoon…assume the auger hasn’t been delivered yet. I cooked a prawn curry for dinner, which we ate with rice and dal. Watched WILTY. We sat at the laptop for an hour booking hotels in Japan and planning our routes. Bath and bed…

Thursday 16th January 2025

Night’s sleep occasionally disturbed by my cough. Still feeling under the weather. Aki brought me tea in bed. Got up and porridged. Rehearsed some song and guitar before lunch. Vince popped in this afternoon to say he’d ordered himself a 12mm auger, and is hoping it’ll arrive in the post tomorrow. I ventured out to get some milk. Warmed up the last of the chicken chasseur for dinner. Watched a bit of telly. Interesting documentary on dementia…

Wednesday 15th January 2025

Woke around 0830...feeling a bit under the weather, so decided to stay home today. Aki got up and cycled off to Rowing Club. I got up and porridged. Worked at the computer for the rest of the morning. Broke for lunch, by which time Aki was back. Vince turned up with his rodding equipment. Tried rodding below kitchen sink, and below washing machine waste...neither resulted in unblocking the system. It’s all getting a bit frustrating…having to do the washing up in the bath, and  unable to use the washing machine or dishwasher. Vince left promising to come back with an 8mm auger…though didn’t sound too convincing about where to find one. We warmed up the last of the parmigiana lasagne for dinner. Nowt on telly. Listened to some of the Arsenal v Spurs game on R5Live. 

Tuesday 14th January 2025

Woke around 0830. Got up and made tea. Porridged. Kitchen sink still blocked. Headed back to Hertfordshire to knock on doors in Much Hadham, Widford, and Stanstead Abbots. Had my lunch in the car on a 50s Council estate in Hadham Cross. Getting gloomy by 1600 so turned for home. Got an alert on my dash that the left rear tyre was compromised! I was driving past Turnpike Lane at the time. It didn’t feel or sound like a flat tyre, so continued home. Will check it out tomorrow. Aki cooked trout for dinner. 

Monday 13th January 2025

Woke around 0900. Aki brought me a mug of tea and I surfed my iPhone for a bit. Got up and porridged. Tried to progress repairing the pipework under the kitchen sink, but failed. Phoned Vince and he agreed to come down and take a look for us. Played some guitar and sang some of my folk repertoire before making lunch. Popped out to Waitrose to get a few bits. Vince turned up with walking stick…he had knee replacement surgery six weeks ago. Felt a bit trepidatious seeing him get down on his knees under the sink! Drove him up to Toolstation on North Road to get an S-bend, then up to Chris Stevens to buy some more unblocker solution. Vince fitted a new upstand for the washing machine waste, clearing it away from the electrics. Poured some unblocker solution down there, and down the kitchen sink. It failed to shift the blockage. Vince vowed to return. Managed to cook up a quick pasta dinner before heading for Stoke Newington. Good turnout for the Writers’ Room session, lead by a very impressive young lady named Anna Blackburn, who works as an actor and director. We worked on nine script excerpts, in the company of the authors…it was very inspiring…hope the writers got something out of it. Got home around 2130.

Sunday 12th January 2025

Woke around 0830. Got up and made tea. Sink still blocked. Cooked brunch then headed for Stoke Newington on foot. Cold outside. My hands got cold, even with gloves on. Bought a tea at the cafe opposite the Tower Theatre, to warm my hands on. Colin Guthrie came out of the studio to get me, and I was surprised to find two other actors auditioning for Stubb…we auditioned in front of each other…very weird…typically amateur of the set up. Even more bizarrely, one of my competitors was the director’s fella, Paul, who I thought was co-writing the piece! I was singularly unimpressed! Nick Hall stood in as Ahab…he’s a good pick for the role. Walked to the bus stop afterward not too sure what to make of it…happy to play in the band, though, rather than play Stubb…we’ll see what transpires next! Got home well ahead of the congestion resulting from the Arsenal v Man Utd FA Cup game. Watched it on telly. 

Saturday 11th January 2025

Woke around 0900. Got up and made tea then walked up to the Farmer’s Market to buy bread. Aki preparing brunch when I got back. Couldn’t do the washing up afterward as the sink blocked! Spent half an hour taking the trap to bits and cleaning it out…a lot of gunk got spat out of the overflow, but no joy. Aki nipped round to the DIY shop and bought a litre of high performance no acid unblocker. We decided to leave it til later as we had tickets for a matinee…caught a bus to Stamford, then another down the A10 to Dalston. Sat in the foyer of the Arcola Theatre where we met Katrina…the show, Tarantula, a new solo piece by Philip Ridley, was on in the small studio…it was a full house. Aki recognised a lavishly moustached fellow sat behind us…he’d been a contestant on MasterChef! 

The 90 minute piece took place on a bare set…just a rubber mat for a floor…but Georgie Henley filled the space with character, and Philip’s stunning script filled our imaginations…Georgie was given a well deserved rousing reception at the end…she’s got to do it all again this evening! We walked up Kingsland Road and got a bus to Stoke Newington. Managed to get a table at Rasa for dinner…very tasty as always, and great value in this day and age! 

Katrina told us that Tony is selling his Hastings house…his mum and dad are selling their Seaford bungalow, and they’re all going to live in Egham, near Tony’s elder brother, so as to look after mum and dad in their declining years…dad has dementia, and mum is struggling to cope. Said our goodbyes to Katrina on the corner of Church Street and High Street, and caught a couple of buses home. Tried the sink unblocker, but it didn’t work…suspect it’s something to do with the waste from the washing machine…

Friday 10th January 2025

Woke around 0900. Got up and porridged. Aki cycled off to Essex Road to buy fresh fish. I worked at the computer before breaking to put some lunch together. Worked at my laptop after lunch. Broke early to rehearse some song. Aki cooked a fish supper. Watched some telly.

Thursday 9th January 2025

Alarm at 0745. Hauled myself out of bed to make tea. Porridged. Headed for my car. Bit icy this morning, so had to apply de-icer to my windscreen...got collared by Andrew from No.49. He kept me talking in the sub-zero temperatures for about 15 minutes! Eventually made my escape, and headed back up the M11, stopping at Costa at Manor House for coffee on the way. Stopped at Birchanger Green Service station to use the facilities, then drove into Bishops Stortford. Parked up, and walked around the Oak Street/Trinity Way sheltered scheme, knocking on doors. Got into 10 units before heading back to the car to warm up. Drove back to Birchanger Green, and ate my packed lunch in the car in the car park. Got chatting to the tenant of No.6 Burley Road during the afternoon shift, as he had several guitars in the living-room, and photos of the Sex Pistols on the stairwell walls...he had been in a band, and gave me a CD...they were called Guns of History...fortunately, I no longer have a CD player in the car! Finished for the day with some internals on Scott Road, then headed for home. Popped in to Waitrose to pick up some odds and ends for Aki. Got home and warmed up the parmigiana lasagne for dinner. Aki had a small portion prior to heading up to No.127 for the Book Club meet. I stayed home and read some Dickens and ran through the Robbie Burns song. I sent the Book Club a short email stating that I had to decided to step away after an entertaining seven years...

Wednesday 8th January 2025

Woke around 0845. Got up and made tea...took one to Aki who was still in bed. Porridged. Did some work at the laptop. Broke to put some lunch together. Aki cycled off to a site meeting on the Haringey Ladder. I worked at the computer. Phoned mum…she seemed to have much recovered after yesterday’s inconveniences. Dad cooking a chicken tikka for dinner tonight! I cooked a chicken chasseur…very tasty. Ate with mashed potato and carrots. Cheese and biscuits for afters. Rehearsed the Robbie Burns song before bath and bed...

Tuesday 7th January 2025

Alarm at 0730. Got up and made tea. Put together a packed lunch to take on the road with me. Porridged. Headed for Sawbridgeworth to do some knocking on doors…required to get into 50 units between now and end of month. It was sleeting rather heavily when I set off, but soon cleared up. A bit cold out, though. Stopped in Manor House for petrol, and a coffee. Managed to get into 7 units before breaking for lunch. Parked up at Pishiobury Park to eat my packed lunch. Got into 3 more early afternoon…had finished in Sawbridgeworth by 1500…too late to head on to Bishops Stortford. Turned for home. Got into at 1615. Did some work at the laptop. Kath rang to say mum not well…she has had a bad reaction to some prescribed indigestion medication…Kath keeping an eye on her between shifts. Warmed up a chick pea curry that had been languishing in the freezer. Ate with rice, and naan.

Monday 6th January 2025

Woke around 0930. Got up and made tea. Got back into bed and read some Dickens before rising for porridge. Did some prep work ahead of inspections in East Herts this week...weather permitting! Lunch. Ambled down to the Central Library after lunch to return a book on Aki's behalf, then wandered up to Waitrose to get some bits and pieces. Popped into the stationer's on Holloway Road to get a ream of paper...which now costs twice what it did last year! Thankfully, Savills will be paying for it! Did a little more work at my laptop before dinner. Aki cooked salmon, Japanese style. Nowt on telly. I rehearsed Aki on guitar for the Burns Night song, and recorded it, sending the result over to the WhatsApp Group so the rest of the band can try and play along. See what happens with that! Early bath and bed...

Sunday 5th January 2025

Woke around 0900...felt very cosy underneath our two duvets. Made tea and got back into bed. Got up to breakfast on toast and cheese, and lime marmalade. Read some Dickens before venturing out into the weather. Last night's snow had been washed away by the ensuing rain. Walked over to Waitrose and did a hefty shop. Carried our loads back home. Lunched on a Coronation chicken sandwich I'd bought at Davidson's on Darras the other day, which had proved surplus to requirements at lunchtime yesterday. Listened to some music before prepping dinner...made an aubergine parmigiana lasagne. It was tasty enough but didn’t make quite enough sauce. Watched “Lanuna: A Yak in the Classroom”, a rather charming tale of a teacher posted to a remote school in the Himalaya. Caught Liverpool v Man Utd on MOTD2 before bath and bed…

Saturday 4th January 2025

Alarm at 0800. Got up and made tea, then did some to-ing and fro-ing with luggage ahead of packing the car. Aki came down and made porridge, and we ate at the dining table with mum and dad, before Kath surfaced. I ventured outside to defrost the car before reversing it up the driveway, then packing our stuff. Said our farewells and drove gingerly down an icy High View. Stopped for coffee at Wetherby Services, and for our packed lunch in the car park at Tibshelf Services. M1 was busy, but kept moving. Got home around 1630 and unpacked the car. FaceTimed Kath to say we'd arrived safely ahead of the snowstorm. Aki put together a simple meal...dal with spinach and rice, followed by cheese and biscuits. Watched "All of Us Strangers", an intriguing film about traumatic childhood memories, starring Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal. By the time the bath was running, it was snowing heavily outside.

Friday 3rd January 2025

Woke around 0815. Got up and brought tea back to bed. Eventually descended for porridge. Aki arranged for a prescription to be sent to Boots on Darras Hall, so we drove down. Popped into Davidson's to get takeaway coffees. When we returned to the car, we discovered the door fob didn't work. We had to walk back to High View bearing our coffees. I picked up the spare car key and walked back down to Darras...managed to get the car door open, but it wouldn't lock! It would appear that either both batteries had gone at the same time, or there's something amiss with the on-board computer system. I drove up to Western Way Garage, but it was shut. Drove back to High View for lunch while we planned what to do next. Aki found a handy YouTube clip showing how to access the lithium battery in the fob...dad found a couple of spares, and hey presto we were back in working order! I celebrated by driving down to Waitrose to do a final shop. Returned to High View to get the ragu on the hob. Once that was cooking, I made some meringues with the left over egg whites, to plonk on top of the chocolate orange pudd. Worked a treat. Watched a bit of telly before opting for a relatively early night...plunging temperatures tonight, and the threat of heavy snow tomorrow afternoon, so we need to get a reasonably early start for London.

Thursday 2nd January 2025

Woke around 0945. Hauled ourselves out of bed and descended for tea, and porridge. Jim and Emma surfaced, having spent the night in their van on the driveway. They abluted, then departed for Killingworth. Aki prepared a small Japanese New Year lunch. I managed to cut a finger whilst trying to chop the lobster up! Couldn't play guitar...had planned to record my version of "Now Westlin' Winds"...it'll have to wait. Kath back in time to join us for lunch. Prepped tonight's dessert...a chocolate orange pannetone bread pudding! Dad took mum down to the GP for a check up. Came back reporting that she had passed her blood test with flying colours, but had failed utterly with the cognitive tests the doctor put to her. Dad came back shaking his head, though they were able to laugh it all off! 

The doctor is calling mum in for further tests at some point in the not too distant future. Really need to get that LPA sorted out! Warmed up the lamb stew for dinner, adding some vegetables, and some dumplings. Sadly, I could only find plain flour...what I thought would be self-raising turned out to be granulated sugar! I added some baking powder, but I guess it's old enough to have lost it's potency! The pudding made up for it though. Watched an entertaining documentary about Roger Moore, narrated by Steve Coogan doing a passable impersonation of the great man. Read some Dickens when everyone had retired for the night...though not before catching Kate Layden's memorable turn in one of the opening scenes of "The Full Monty"...the film came out shortly before we worked together on "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at Stoke. 

Wednesday 1st January 2025

Woke around 0945. Descended for tea, and porridge. Kath did mum's hair in between client visits. Sat about not doing very much. Started prepping the lamb stew. Used one of ma and pa's old beef stock pots...didn't taste too good! Jim and Emma turned up for some lunch. I fried potato cakes, and nut roast, adding spinach, meat, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce. It seemed to go down well, but was a bit of a palaver serving it all up! We opened our presents from Jim and Emma, and they opened theirs from us. They gave us a load of cheese and chutney, half of it past it's use by date! Jim has very little work lined up for the New Year...needs to get himself signed up with a Recruitment Agent.

Aki cooked a fish curry for dinner. We had enough leftover dal to feed Emma. Mince pies and ice cream for afters, followed by cheese and biscuits. Watched a bit of telly...including an episode of "Sykes" with a guest appearance by Peter Sellers...very entertaining! Jim and Emma sloped off to bed down in the van on the driveway. I stayed up and read some Dickens before bed...
 

Tuesday 31st December 2024

Woke around 0830. Windy and grey outside. Descended for a mug of tea, and a bowl of porridge. The weather started to get a bit frisky. I drove Aki and I down to Waitrose to do a shop. It was very busy, despite the inclement conditions. Got back to find mum preparing lunch...Kath turned up just in time. The weather got markedly worse, the wind bowing the trees, and throwing the rain at the casements. Dad took delivery of his new Pure Evoke sound system. Aki and I spent an hour or so setting it up. Sounds OK, though I think the Panasonic in the dining room has better sound quality, but it'll do for listening when in the living-room...though they could, of course, have listened to the radio on their TV! Oh well. Looks good, though. Practised "Now Westlin' Winds" upstairs for a bit, whilst running an RICS CPD on demand session on damp in traditional buildings. Warmed up Kath's sausage casserole for dinner, adding sauteed sweet potato, and peas...tasty. Pancakes with ice cream and cherries in kirsch for afters. Watched a bit of telly...particularly enjoyed WILTY.