Tuesday 29th April 2025

Woke around 0830…got up and made tea before getting back into bed. Porridged at the computer, finishing off the Clarion job. Watched some snooker. Aki made ramen soup for lunch. Watched Ronnie the Rocket take his quarterfinal by the scruff of the neck…looking good! Did a little pruning of the out of control clematis in the back garden…didn’t over exert myself, though. Early dinner…warmed up the last of Aki’s fish curry. Walked to Stoke Newington with my guitar strapped to my back…had to negotiate crowds of Arsenal fans who had congregated outside several pubs along the way…big game v PSG tonight. Walked through a busy Clissold Park…I couldn’t resist the call of Peggy's ice cream parlour as I wandered past. Singing rehearsal this evening, plus a little guitar playing. One of cast members, Julie I think her name is, came up to say she’d seen the Writer’s Room Showcase on Sunday…she had been there to support one of her chums who had written one of the pieces…she said I’d been brilliant. Repaired to the Jolly Butcher’s after rehearsal, wanting to avoid the crowds coming away from the Emirates stadium. Sat with Colin and Angharad. They seem very pleased with how the songs are coming along. Caught a No.106 bus home…Aki running a bath when I got in. 

Monday 28th April 2025

Woke around 0800. Got up and made tea. Put a packed lunch together. Porridged. Headed up the M1 to Milton Keynes, stopping off at Toddington Service station to grab a coffee. From MK I headed east…stopped for lunch in the car park at Pearce’s Farm shop near Puckeridge. Bought a couple of ready meals to stick in the freezer. Then drove cross country to Bishops Stortford. Parked in the town centre and walked to the inspections in a modern block abutting the river…took a while to get in as there was no communal door key in the key safe…had to wait for a tenant to venture out. Drove home via the M11. Got home around 1630. Aki cooked pork fillet for dinner, with asparagus and boiled potatoes. Watched a bit of telly before bath and bed…

Sunday 27th April 2025

Woke around 0715. Dozed for a bit before getting up to make tea. Porridged. Aki suffering a bit this morning…her skin very inflamed, especially on her legs…don’t know what’s bringing it on…she’s taking anti histamine in a bid to lessen the itching. Watched some snooker. packed some costume for this evening's showcase at the Tower. We walked down to Xian Impression, opposite the Emirates Stadium, for lunch...very tasty as usual. Walked over to the Olden Garden...Katherine and George had alerted us to a plant sale there this afternoon...we found George dealing with a bit of a queue, so didn't stick around. Aki went browsing, whilst I headed on foot for Stoke Newington. 

Got to the theatre about half-an-hour before my call, so was able to grab copies of my scripts to mark up...sat in the bar area with them, and a Magnum ice cream. Rehearsal went OK...not too enamoured of the writings I'm cast in, but squeezed a bit of comedy out of them. Only had a 15 minute break before the audience was allowed in...we played in the Smith Studio. The audience was largely made up of the nine Tower Writers who had proffered pieces for the evening's showing. I enjoyed it rather more than I'd anticipated...got my laughs, and was entertained by the pieces I wasn't in...Martin South was on particularly good form. I told him we needed to partner up in something silly one of these days. I didn't stick around after the performance...caught a couple of buses back to Tollington, and walked home. Aki up watching telly. Caught The Ten, and MOTD, which featured Liverpool securing the Premier League title with an emphatic win over Spurs...

Saturday 26th April 2025

Woke around 0800. Got up and made tea. Read in bed for a bit. Aki cycled off to the Farmer's Market to get bread. I prepared brunch. Watched some World Championship Snooker. We headed for Finsbury Park around 1300…Aki to get a train ticket from the station ticket office…I walked on to Stoke Newington with my guitar strapped to my back. Picked up a chicken sandwich in Gail’s on Church Street. Moby Dick cast met in the Tuerk rehearsal room…there’s a lot of us. We did some choral work on a couple of songs before splitting into cast and musicians…there’s cast went upstairs to work on movement, while I stuck with the band. There are seven of us…two violins, accordion, flute, bass, percussion, and me on guitar. Worked through a couple of songs, and some incidental music Colin Guthrie has written…sounded great. Kate Conway’s violin playing is sublime…very exciting! Broke at 1800…I hightailed it home for dinner. Aki cooked a tasty Gina fish curry. Caught the back end of the Palace v Villa FA Cup semi final…Palace were very impressive!

Friday 25th April 2025

Woke at 0800. Aki already up readying for Rowing Club. Got up and porridged. Aki cycled off…I jumped in the car and headed for Hackney on inspections. Nice sunny morning. Got to the block of flats on Amhurst Road…code for key safe that Clarion had given me was wrong…had to phone Clarion a couple of times…eventually got in. Surprise, surprise…same problem at the flat in Woodford. Got home for a late lunch. We headed for south London mid afternoon…took a Victoria Line train to Vauxhall, changed to the overground, then a couple of stops to Earlsfield. Walked up to Tammy and Franco’s. Franco just back from a skiing trip northern Iceland. They served up a tasty dinner…barbecued beef, served with steamed asparagus and a hazelnut dressing, and a cauliflower salad with yoghurt. Talked Rolling Stones, as Franco and I are lifelong fans…we arranged to go see Rollo and the Tailshakers in Kingston at some point in the not too distant future. We left Earlsfield around 2115 and headed back to Holloway…very pleasant evening.

Thursday 24th April 2025

Woke at 0800. Got up and made tea. Porridged. Headed in to the City for a meeting with Aki’s financial adviser, Stewart Johnstone. Caught a train to Moorgate, and walked through Finsbury Circus to meet in a coffee shop…but it was so busy, and so noisy, we repaired to the empty pub opposite. Stewart recommended we don’t panic over Trump, and keep our money where it is. My pension plan has only shown a 1.6% increase over the last 12 months…but that’s better than Aki’s. We parted company with Stewart and headed back home for some lunch. I hightailed it up to Archway for my pre-op assessment at the Whittington Hospital. Waited over half an hour to be seen. They took height and weight measurements, blood pressure, nasal swabs, a blood sample, and an ECG...telephone triage booked in for next Tuesday. Walked home. Warmed up the chicken chasseur for dinner, with mashed potatoes and vegetables. Took a tube train to Leicester Square to see "Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii" fifty years after seeing it at the Odeon, Westgate Road! Watched it in IMAX...sound was great. The restored print didn’t look too good on such a huge screen…thoroughly enjoyed the trip down memory lane, though! Walked up to the bus stop on Tottenham Court Road…very busy in town…an awful lot of tourists about, and summer’s not here yet!

Wednesday 23rd April 2025

Woke around 0700...in much discomfort in the bad hernia repair area, so got up and made tea. Porridged. Aki decided not to go rowing, as it was drizzling. Did my exercises, then sat at the computer to do some work. All done by 1130. Cobbled a light lunch together...cupboards virtually empty! We walked down to the Central Library, then back up to Waitrose for some provisions. Aki baked trout for dinner. Got a email from Phil saying he had changed his email address some time ago and therefore had missed my enquiry as to whether they’d be up for housing us for a couple of nights after we’ve been to Cornwall…he says Cath still awaiting a delayed op on her smashed ankle, and they haven’t rebuilt the kitchen yet, but we are welcome to stay over. Watched a bit of snooker before bath and bed.

Tuesday 22nd April 2025

Got up around 0900. Stef called us down for breakfast in the kitchen/diner. Ray drove us to the sea front west of Eastbourne, and we walked back along the esplanade to the pier, and from thence into town for an early lunch at a little vegetarian cafe. I tucked into the moussaka; Aki enjoyed the salmon quiche. Walked back to the car, and Ray drove us back to Willingdon. We loaded our bags into our car, said our goodbyes, and drove home via the M23...took about 3 hours! Aki managed to cobble together a quick tagliatelle carbonara for dinner. Watched some snooker before bath and bed.

Monday 21st April 2025

Got up around 0830. Tony served up avocado on toast with poached eggs on top for breakfast. We packed our bags, and I brought the car round. We said our farewells and drove over to Fairlight for tea and hot cross buns with Rob and Shelly, who introduced us to her shih tzus, Henry and Gulia, and Smarty the Parrot. Rob looking well...he recounted the tale of his fight with, firstly, oesophageal cancer, and then a brain tumour! 

He'd been given to expect a terminal diagnosis, but he evidently put up a good fight, supported by a determined Shelly. They promised to come see Moby Dick. We headed back west, driving to Willingdon for a late lunch of mushroom soup at Ray and Stef's...hadn't seen them since the pandemic. They've had a rear extension built to the kitchen/dining area, with big French doors out onto the garden, and a first floor extension to provide Stef with an art studio. We went for a walk on the Downs just across the road, and were entertained by the frolicking lambs. Ray cooked a chicken dinner. Repaired to the living-room to watch one of the Death of England trilogy plays on the National Theatre streaming website..."Michael"...a tour de force one-man performance from one Thomas Coombs.

Sunday 20th April 2025

Woke around 0800…bad hernia repair giving me gip, so got up and descended to make tea in the kitchen. Popped out to the car to retrieve phone charger…cold out! Tony cooked shakshouka for brunch. Tony drove off to pick up Katrina from the station at 1230. Nice to see her...she had spent most of the previous three weeks in Edinburgh by the hospital bedside of an ageing aunt, who had passed away on Thursday, so could only manage a flying visit to Hastings, as she needs to return to Edinburgh next week for the funeral. 

She seemed in fine fettle, all things considered. We all ventured out to walk Piper on the East Hill, then found our way to the Old Town for a late Sunday lunch at The Stag. We sat in the back parlour...I enjoyed my roast chicken. Aki had lamb. Walked back up the West Hill afterward. Sat about chatting until it was time for Tony to drop Katrina back at the railway station. Watched some telly before showering, and bed.

Saturday 19th April 2025

Woke at 0845. Hauled ourselves upright and descended to the dining room for breakfast. I enjoyed the eggs royale. Drove on down the A21 to Hastings, and found Tony busy vacuuming ahead of our arrival. We had a cuppa tea in the front yard, then jumped in his Seat and he drove us to Guestling for a walk in the bluebell woods with Piper. Parked up by an impressive little church and churchyard, St Laurence’s parish church. Drove to Pett hoping to find lunch in the Two Sawyers, but they had closed the kitchen by the time we rocked up. 

Decided to lunch back at Tony’s…Aki and he put a salad lunch together and we ate outside in the back garden. Ventured across the road to The Beacon for dinner…they’d set up a pop up pizza oven, but I went for their bahn mi pork belly sandwich, as the pizza toppings were all a bit too weird...kimchi and pineapple? Returned to 12a St Mary’s Terrace and watched an unknown Chinese chap knock the World Champion out in the first round of the Snooker World Championship from Sheffield.
 

Friday 18th April 2025

 

Terrible night’s sleep…dunno why. Hauled myself out of bed to cook breakfast, put a packed lunch together,  then we packed our bags and stuck them in the car boot. Bit late getting away, though. Headed through the Blackwall Tunnel, having paid the £4 toll online. Then drove down the A21 to Balham Abbey. The ruins became a tourist hotspot for early 19th Century gentlefolk, having been bought by the Pratt family, the Earls of Camden. We found a bench and had our late lunch. 

Drove on to Tunbridge Wells and checked in at the Mount Edgcumbe, a small boutique hotel I’d stayed in a few years ago when working in the vicinity. It is now looking a little tired around the edges. We took a walk down to the Pantiles. Came across the spring that lead to the founding of Tinbridge Wells…there is a vending machine adjoining from which to purchase bottles of the mineral water that had royalty flocking this way back in the 18th Century. Strolled back through the town…happened upon a plaque that marked the site of the Subbuteo factory of yore. 

Sat out in the beer garden at the hotel enjoying the view of Edgcumbe Rocks. Dined at 1845…lovely spacious dining room with generous glazed doors giving onto a pleasant tree filled vista. The food wasn’t bad…I went for steak and chips. Retired to our room too full and exhausted to venture out for an after dinner walk. Took turns in the bath, and caught some Rilling Stones coverage on BBC4 before flaking out!

Thursday 17th April 2025

Woke around 0700. Dozed until 0830…Aki brought me a mug of tea. Got up and porridged. Worked at the laptop on the dining room table, and then migrated onto the computer. Put some lunch together before venturing out on inspections in Edgware, and Golders Green. Got home by 1600 and worked at the computer until dinner time. Aki had bought buttered chicken breast, which she roasted with potatoes…very tasty. I strapped my guitar to my back and headed for Highbury Corner…sing around at the Folk Club. Aki was headed for Book Club at No.36. Surprised to bump into Tom at the Folk Club…he used to live at No.25, but now resides in Norbury. I sang The Mingulay Boat Song, but forgot the words halfway through verse two! Seemed to go down well with certain sea faring fans in the audience. John Hegley turned up and did a couple of new poems. I sang She Moved Through the Fair in the second half, which I managed to get through without messing up. Had a brief chat with him at the end…he promised to come see Moby Dick. Caught a No.43 bus back to Holloway. Aki in the bath when I got in…

Wednesday 16th April 2025

 

Woke around 0800. Aki cycled off to Rowing Club. I headed for Stamford Hill on inspections for Agudas Israel Housing Association. It seems to be a Jewish holiday, with loads of chaos wandering the streets in their big furry hats. Needless to say, I failed to get into any of the subject properties. Headed onward to Canvey Island…quite a sizeable Jewish community had built up there over the last decade or so. Again, no luck getting in to any houses…suits me! 

Had completed inspections by lunchtime, so paid homage to Wilko Johnson by seeking out his favourite pub, the Lobster Smack, for lunch…had the fish sandwich and chunky chips! Took a look at the jetty made famous by the Dr Feelgood song, and ventured over the sea wall to have a go at replicating their first album cover. Drove home. Got home at 1530. Picked up my altered trousers from the dry cleaner up the road…they look good. Did some work at the computer. Aki put a garlic and mushroom pasta dish together for dinner. Ran through some songs ahead of tomorrow night's planned visit to Islington Folk Club. Watched the highlights of the European Champions League quarter-finals. Arsenal kept Real Madrid at bay, and will play PSG in the semi-finals...

Tuesday 15th April 2025

Fitful night’s sleep. Got up around 0900…porridged. Set off for Knebworth on inspections, and from thence on to Stevenage before forking north-eastward to Royston. Lunched in the car on Therfield Heath. Then it was back to Letchworth and Baldock before turning for home. 

Popped in to the Baldock branch of Tesco to use the facilities…an extraordinary building! Built in 1924 for the Kosmos film processing company, they went under before moving in, and it became a stockings factory. The facade is Listed. Stopped off at Pearce’s Farm Shop on the A10 and bought a frozen ready meal for dinner tonight. Got home around 1800. Listened to the latter stages of the Villa v PSG quarter final…Villa losing out 4-5 on aggregate. Bath and bed…
. 

Monday 14th April 2025

Got up around 0800. Made tea. Porridged. Jumped in the motor and headed north for inspections in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, via Borehamwood and South Mimms. Nice day for it. Ate my packed lunch in a car park in the pleasant village of Harlington. Finished the working day in Stotfold, and after a brief pit stop at Baldock services, headed back down the A1M. Got home at 1800. Aki cooked salmon teriyaki for dinner. Watched a bit of telly. Aki feeling a bit under the weather…early bath and bed.

Saturday 12th April 2025

 

Woke around 0900. Hauled ourselves out of bed and made tea, then walked up to the Farmer’s Market to buy bread.  Aki put together a hearty brunch. Headed for Dalston, taking the tube to Highbury and then a Mildmay line train the Dalston. Got to the theatre a bit early, so had a quick shake in Cafe Oto next door before hooking up with Piers in the foyer of the Arcola Theatre. Had tickets for the matinee of “Cry Baby”, a stage adaptation of John Walters’ film of the same name…a brash, gently subversive romp of a musical…loads of choreographed set pieces, sometimes utilising the whole cast of about 20 in a very confined stage space…very impressive. 

Everyone was very young and energetic, and there were some great singing voices. We caught a bus to Stoke Newington for dinner at Rasa on Church Street…quite a feast…delicious as always! So good! Parted company with Piers at the bus stop and caught a 106 bus back to Finsbury Park. I walked up to the North Nineteen to see Rollo and Lewis…Aki too tired to venture out again. 

Met Carlos and Jane from No.36 in there. Rollo was on good form despite a late night last night…he and Lewis ceded some gig time to a trio they’d invited along, but they weren’t terribly good…the female singer sounded very middle class…not a blues woman’s bone in her body, let alone her voice. Got home at midnight and fell into bed!

Sunday 13th April 2025

 

Woke around 0900. Aki brought me a mug of tea in bed. She cycled off to Rowing Club. I cycled down to City Road to meet a bloke who is selling a Dahon folding bike…he’d bought it to facilitate a railway commute from Liverpool Street to Broxbourne but had tired of the hills so bought a car! The bike looks pretty new…have it a test ride up to Angel and back. It was IK but I don’t think it’s the answer to my prayers…told Denis I’d be looking elsewhere. Cycled home. Walked down to Euphorium on Upper Street and bought coffee and a toasted sandwich which I partook of on a bench in Highbury Fields. Walked home via Waitrose. We walked up to the North Nineteen for band rehearsal…our first one of the year…we were too ill to join the February session. Katherine was absent having tested positive for Covid, and Christine was off sick too. Ben, George, Celia, and Lorraine showed up and we worked through a possible repertoire for a gig mooted for June. Enjoyed a couple of beers. Walked home for dinner…

Friday 11th April 2025

Aki up early to cycle off to rowing club. She brought me tea in bed. I got up and made porridge, which I ate back in bed listening to Today, and then some music while reading Barnaby Rudge. Did a little work prep ahead of some inspections lined up for next week. Walked up to Archway and did a little shopping in M&S. Aki back by the time I got home…I put some lunch together. Drove over to the tip to dump some unwanted clothes and shoes. Warmed up the aubergine bake for an early dinner before heading off for Elephant & Castle. 

Got to Southwark Playhouse in good time, popping into the Mercato opposite for ice cream before finding our seats at the theatre. The show, Wilko: Life, Death & Rock ‘n Roll, followed Wilko Johnson’s terminal cancer diagnosis, him reminiscing about his youth on Canvey Island, and the formation of Dr.Feelgood, culminating in his getting a second opinion and a 12 hour op that left him cancer free…he survived another 9 years. Former Nee Vic colleague Johnson Willis played Wilko and does a sterling job, though his guitar playing was very ordinary. I thought the actor playing Lee Brilleaux was excellent…sang and played harmonica like the real deal. In a bizarre bit of casting bassist John B Sparkes was played by another former Stoke colleague, Georgina Field…odd decision, but she was great. Caught them all for a brief chat in the bar after the show. 

Thursday 10th April 2025

Woke around 0830. Aki already up to ready herself for a site meeting in Haringay. Porridged. Took a walk up Highgate Hill…bought a coffee at Gail’s and found a bench in Waterlow Park. Walked home to find Aki back at her laptop. Made a salad to go with the squash and sage slice I’d purchased. Pottered about in the afternoon reading and listening to music. Warmed up the fish pie for an early dinner then set off for Southwark. Just after Waterloo on the Bakerloo line Aki noted in her phone diary that she had put Friday down as the trip to Southwark Playhouse…I’d had it in for Thursday, tonight…checked the tickets to discover she was right and I was wrong! We bailed out at Lambeth North, intending to walk across Waterloo Bridge as it was such a pleasant evening. The walk took us past the IMAX cinema and I noted they were showing “One to One”, the documentary focussing on Lennon and Ono’s move to NYC in 1971…we purchased tickets for the 2000 showing then walked to the South Bank Centre for a drink overlooking the Thames. The movie was bitty…lots of different material, much of it 70s era TV footage of the cultural and political events shaping the USA at the time…and bits of poor quality home video…this didn’t translate well to the huge IMAX screen as the resolution wasn’t good enough…but it was an intriguing watch, centred around a benefit concert John and Yoko put on in Central Park to raise funds for a mental health facility called Willowbrook which housed over 5,000 child inmates in dire conditions. The money raised allowed one-to-one care to be funded. 

Wednesday 9th April 2025

Aki up early to ready herself for cycling to Camden for a works meeting. I got up slowly. After porridging, I walked round to the charity shop to dump some unwanted clothes on them…I was surprised by how cold it was outside…I had to keep an overshirt back, so as to gain an extra layer! Picked up our Grand National winnings…made a £30 profit. Walked down to Upper Street and met Aki in Euphorium for coffee…she then headed for the fishmongers, while I walked on to Uniqlo at Angel. Bought some sweatpants I’d spotted whilst in Japan. Journeyed home via Belle Epoche where I bought a mushroom quiche to take home for lunch. After lunch we ventured into town. First stop was John Lewis where Aki wanted to look at potential monitors for her new MacMini…but they didn’t have much. We bought a wireless Bluetooth speaker, and an Amazon Firestick for our telly. Walked on to Selfridges where Aki looked at monitors and backpacks, but found naught of interest. Hopped on a bus to Tottenham Court Road and visited Currys…no luck there either. Gave up and bussed it home. Aki cooked mackerel for dinner with rice and miso soup. Set the Firestick up…it restores BBC iPlayer to our TV. Watched Eric Clapton: A Life in 12 Bars, then caught European Champions League highlights…Declan Rice’s two free kicks that demolished Real Madrid last night were stunning. Set the JBL speaker up to listen to R6 in the bath…

Tuesday 8th April 2025

Woke around 0830. Aki brought me a mug of tea. Got up and porridged. Another £5,000 wiped off of my pension fund this morning…that’s £20,000 down the Swanee since January 6th!!! Read some Dickens. Started cooking dinner early as we are out this afternoon…cooked a chicken chasseur…just need to warm it up later and add vegetables. Made some lunch. Walked to Finsbury Park to the Park Theatre to see the matinee of “Farewell Mr Haffmann”, a short piece that had met with much success in Paris…this is the premiere of the English translation. Set in Nazi occupied Paris, it tells the story of a Jewish jeweller who signs the business over to his gentile underling in return for being hidden in the cellar. The fellow reveals he is sterile, and insists that, as part of the deal, the Jew has sexual relations with his wife in order to bear a much wanted child…all very silly, but good performances, and a moving finale. Walked home for dinner. Watched a bit of telly. Listened to commentary of the last 20 minutes of Arsenal v Real Madrid…the Gooners won a famous victory, 3-0. Early bath and bed.

Monday 7th April 2025

Woke around 0845. Aki already up. Made tea and read Dickens in bed before finally rising to porridge. Aki cycled off to site meeting in Haringey. I did a little more tidying and sorting in the bedrooms. Difficult to juggle the space, as there’s basically no space left! Made some lunch once Aki back home. I walked down to Angel to pick up some socks I’d ordered from Uniqlo…lovely day for it. Collected my goods from an unmanned machine…worked perfectly. Sat out on the upper deck of Angel shopping centre and had a soft drink, then walked up to Farrow & Ball to request a couple of samples for Aki. Hopped on a No.43 bus back to Camden Road and popped into Waitrose. The socks turned out to be the wrong size…I’ll have to return them! Aki cooked a lentil and aubergine bake for dinner. Nowt on telly, save more bad news as share prices continue to plummet…the Orange Twat has cost me £15,000 since he got sworn in!!! 

Sunday 6th April 2025

Noisy music from a nearby party kept me awake until 1245 when I finally nodded off. Woke around 0845…so  it seems to have cured my jet lag! Aki already up readying herself for rowing club. I got up and made tea. Porridged. Aki cycled off eastward. I spent an hour taking up my new jeans prior to taking them up the road for alteration. Finished my ironing. Made myself some lunch., then prepared the fish sauce for tonight’s fish pie. Aki returned…we walked down to the central library to pick up a book she had reserved, then took a turn around Highbury Fields. Made fish pie for dinner, followed by cheese and biscuits. Nowt on telly. Phoned ma and pa…they seemed in good spirits…Kath has a job interview with her former employers tomorrow, then starts the job at Hetton on Tuesday. Had a chat with Jim. He and Emma are planning a wedding for 27th February next year. Read some Dickens before catching The Ten, and MOTD2.

Saturday 5th April 2025

Woke around 0745…got up and brought tea back to bed. Aki cycled off to buy bread from the Farmer’s Market…I prepared brunch. Lovely sunny day. Did some tidying up in the bedroom. Exercised. George from No.127 knocked on our door to tell Aki that Waitrose were selling tomato plants on the cheap. Asked how we'd gotten on in Japan, I replied that we'd come back to a shit hole...he and Katherine having just gotten back from Kerala, stated that they though London looked like Zurich in comparison...it's all relative! Popped out to put bets on the Grand National...very helpful Paddy Power employee in there who recommended I place each way bets, as they are paying out on the top eight finishes, rather astonishingly! Senior Chief came in 7th at 33/1…our other two horses were nowhere to be seen. Still, it should mean we get our stake money back. Walked to Stroud Green to do some shopping in Tesco. Back home, warmed up some packet rice, and dal, for dinner. Watched “The Ecstasy of Wilko Johnson” via YouTube, ahead of next week’s visit to see the stage version in Southwark. MOTD followed by bath. Very noisy music from a nearby party meant I stayed up surfing the computer for a bit…looking for recommended wireless Bluetooth speakers…

Friday 4th April 2025

Woke around 0800. Aki already up readying herself for Rowing Club. Made tea. Porridged. Aki cycled off. I set about sorting out my clothes…need a clear out…also did some washing, and hung it out to dry in the backyard…warmest day of the year so far! Made lunch on Aki’s return. We ventured into town. Aki keen to look into buying a new computer before the end of the tax year…she went for an iMac Mini after lengthy conversations with the staff. I bought jeans in the Levi shop on Long Acre...Aki bought a bucket hat and a bum bag. Walked down to Trafalgar Square to get a No.91 bus home. Cooked meatballs with mushrooms, and red pesto for dinner…with linguine. Watched a bit of telly before bath and bed.

Thursday 3rd April 2025

Woke around 0730. Wished Aki a happy 68th birthday…had left her a card and some posh chocolates on the dining table. I popped out to buy croissant for breakfast, which we enjoyed with frothy coffee. Walked Aki down to Upper Street to meet Tammy outside Ottolenghi’s…Tammy was treating Aki to a birthday brunch. I strolled on to the dentist…they could find no record of my previous visit, which I confessed must have been about 10 years ago, as I hated dentists! They put me on a waiting list. 

Caught a No.19 bus from Islington Green to Tottenham Court Road. Had soup in Foyle’s cafe, and read some Dickens. Walked across to Covent Garden and bought a shirt jacket in Muji, then had a browse in Agnes B, and Paul Smith, around the corner. Walked down to Trafalgar Square and hopped on a No.91 back to Holloway. Popped into Waitrose to buy milk. Aki back when I got home…the Birthday badge on the card I’d bought her had prompted the waitress at Ottolenghi’s to bring out a small birthday cake in her honour! 

I told her she should wear it every day. Ventured out for an early dinner at the Great Indian in the company of Helen and Martin. They’d recently returned from a sojourn in Australia, visiting their daughter, who’s working for a big vineyard concern near Melbourne, then touring south-eastern Australia, ending up in Sydney. We shared five different meat and vegetable choices, plus rice and roti…it was very good! Repaired to the North Nineteen for a beer before going home for an early bath and bed…

Wednesday 2nd April 2025

 

Woke at 0600 and dozed for an hour or so. Got up and brought tea back to bed. Read some “Rudge”. Aki cycled off to Rowing Club. I did my exercises then headed into town…took our unwanted egg poacher round to the charity shop…bumped into Sechs from No.29 and alerted him to the fact that I’d put my guitar on Gumtree…might be a useful upgrade for Oti. Headed for Leicester Square and repaired to Foyles for a coffee and some Dickens. Bought an introduction to Astronomy…in the hope of an educational retirement. Walked up to Uniqlo and bought a couple of cheap tees, then made my way to Hoka in Covent Garden…I’d read an article recommending their hiking boots, so thought I’d buy a pair in the hope of a fit and healthy retirement! Bought Aki some posh birthday chocolates, then jumped on a No.91 bus back to Holloway for a late lunch. Aki was back and had had hers. Sat about listening to music before preparing dinner...warmed up the remainder of the fish stew, with added pancetta, fried potatoes, and broccoli. Watched an intriguing programme that followed the restoration of the ship’s cabin in which Ernest Shackleton died in 1922. Early bath. I stayed up to watch MOTD.

Tuesday 1st April 2025

Woke around 0700. Got up and brought tea back to bed. Read for a bit. Porridged. Got the ladder out of the garden shed and climbed onto the roof to clean the skylight. It appears Sush has added a large overhanging pitched roof to their first floor back addition…it ain’t pretty! It looks like a rural bus stop! It turns out it was his response to a leaking flat roof…and it adds a little storage for some of his building gear. Aki not pleased, as we can see it from our office. Tokiko arrived for lunch…and to pick up some purchases Aki had made on her behalf back in the Motherland. Aki put together a tasty salad Nicoise, and I made a quick dessert. Pottered about in the afternoon. Advertised my Takamine electro-acoustic guitar on Gumtree…see if I get any nibbles. Aki made Japanese style chicken and rice filled omelettes for dinner…and used her new cabbage slicer to good effect…my new favourite meal. Nowt on telly…early bath and bed…

Monday 31st March 2025

Woke around 0700. Got up and made tea, and got back into bed. Read for a while. Got up and porridged. Did my exercises. Aki sorted out some bits and pieces for the tip, which we loaded into the car. Just as we were about to depart, Vince happened by with news that his 97 year old mother, who lived at No.43, had passed away a week or so ago…the family have Italian roots, and her ashes are to be taken to a mountain top monastery in Amalfi, where they will be interred next to Vince’s father’s. Late lunch after returning from the tip. Walked to Stoke Newington in the sunshine on the off-chance that Aki’s missing spectacles might be in the damaged backpack we’d returned to Know & Love on Saturday…the bag was found to be empty. We marched on to the Tower theatre to check beneath the seats we’d sat in on Saturday afternoon. No luck there either, and nothing had been handed in at the box office. Caught buses back to Holloway and did a little shop in Waitrose. Fried up some venison meatballs for dinner, smothered in arrabiata sauce, and linguine. Finished cleaning up my Takamine guitar, and put a new set of strings on, prior to trying to sell it. Hoping to get £300 for it…

Sunday 30th March 2025

Woke at 0730…the clocks having gone forward. Aki got up to ready herself for Rowing Club. She brought me a mug of tea. Got up and porridged. Nice sunny morning…opted to cycle to Stoke Newington. Had to blow up my bike tyres first, it bring some months since I got me leg over! Got to the theatre in time…bought coffee from the cafe opposite. There were about 8 of us for the director’s workshop…lead by Simona, with help from Lande Belo, and Dan Usztan. Varying experience among us would be directors, but I thought a couple of the young ladies showed great promise…see what happens. Broke at 1245…cycled down to the River Lea and joined Aki and her crew for lunch at the cafe next door to the Rowing Club. Cycled home via Stamford Hill and Finsbury Park…the experience rendered very unpleasant by the appalling state of our roads. Watched Manchester City dump Bournemouth out of the FA Cup. Phoned mum to wish her a happy Mother’s Day…Kath and Jim were there, and they were sitting out in the garden enjoying some sunshine. Knocked together a fish and black bean stew…wasn’t very good, but filled a hole. Aki spent most of the evening vainly searching for the new prescription glasses she’d commissioned while in Tokyo…they didn’t last long! Bath and bed…