Sunday 8th February 2026

Woke around 0630…dozed back off until 0900. Got up to eat Aki's cooked brunch, before she cycled off to Rowing Club. I sat down to watch the Women's Downhill...Lindsey Vonn was due to ski minus her left ACL, having crashed on the slopes a week and a half ago...mad! Sure enough, she crashed out at the top of the course, and we could hear her yelping in agony as she lay in the snow. She was helicoptered off the mountain! Aki back in time to change, then we headed in to town to meet up with Miho, who had flown over from Japan to see some ballet. We hooked up with her over a coffee at Dover Street Market, then wandered slowly up Regent Street to the Regent Street cinema to watch a couple of Buster Keaton shorts, soundtracked by REM tunes from their Monster album. We enjoyed the old movies, but the soundtracks didn't work...too loud, and failed to add anything to the viewing experience...all rather odd, really. We decamped to Grilandia in Hanover Street for dinner...a new Lebanese restaurant...it was OK, but basically a glorified kebab shop! Walked Miho back to Piccadilly and her hotel, and we caught a Piccadilly Line train back to Cally Road, and a No.91 bus home. Caught up with some Olympics highlights, and watched MOTD2 before bath and bed...

Saturday 7th February 2026

Got up around 0830 to prepare for the tiler. Paul showed up on time at 0930. I cooked brunch…Paul had finished grouting and left before we finished eating. He’s done a decent job. All the areas Chris worked on yesterday are hurting…my bad hernia repair, and my neck. Hope things settle down over the weekend! Watched some skiing and curling from the Winter Olympics. Popped across to Waitrose to get some odds and ends. Walked back in the drizzle. Cooked a sticky chicken traybake with plums, served with freekah and vegetables, and made a damson jam puff pastry wreath, which was very tasty, served with custard. Watched more Olympics…enjoyed the Men’s Big Air…gobsmacking! The free dance figure skating was good, too. Caught highlights of Arsenal’s 3-0 win over the Black Cats on MOTD…

Friday 6th February 2026

Alarm at 0730. Got up and laid the dust sheets ahead of the arrival of the tiler, Paul, who showed up on time at 0815. He'd brought his mum's disabled badge, so didn't need to get him a parking permit! Tim showed up briefly. Paul did a good job of the tiling. I had to push off at 1115 and head for Newington Green for my appointment with the cranial osteopath. Took a couple of buses to get there. Session went OK...booked in for another next week. Popped over the road with a jacket that needed the sleeves shortening. Greek couple run the joint...bit pricey, though! Still, thought I'd give them a go. Took a bus back up to Clissold Park, then walked home from there. Aki had tidied up and mopped the bathroom floor by the time I got in. Pea and ham soup for lunch. Wandered over to Waitrose to do a bit of a shop. Finished off the ham and potato pie for dinner, with sweet potatoes and vegetables. Watched a bit of the Winter Olympics Opening ceremony…

Thursday 5th February 2026

Woke around 0800. Read in bed before rising for porridge. Sent Kath a Happy Birthday text...65 today!!! We ventured into town, taking the Victoria Line to Oxford Circus, and making our way to John Lewis's. Bought a new Bosch induction hob...comes with half-price installation...hopefully will be delivered and installed next Thursday. Took the Central Line to Lancaster Gate and walked though Hyde Park in the drizzle, to see the Peter Doig exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery. I wasn't very taken with the works, but quite enjoyed the sound system, which was pounding out some Caribbean reggae vibes. Walked south to South Kensington tube station, and headed for Pimlico. Stopped on the way for lunch at the V&A. 

Saw the impressive Lee Miller exhibition at the Tate...remarkable career that went from fashion to the avant-garde, and finally to her documenting WWII in the Blitz in London, the D-Day Landings, and the liberation of Buchenwald. What a life! Headed for home, pausing on the stairwell to get a photo with Chris Ofili's wall painting paying tribute to the victims of the Grenfell Fire. Walked home from Finsbury Park in pouring rain. Aki cooked hake and beans for dinner, followed by cheese and biscuits. Nowt on telly. Researched restaurants for Sunday dinner. Early bath and bed...

Wednesday 4th February 2026

Woke around 0800 after a relatively decent night's sleep. Aki had cycled off to Rowing Club by the time I rose. Porridged. Read some Tomalin on Dickens, and did some exercises before Aki got back. Made some lunch. We walked down to Angel. Nearly got run over on the pavement by two youths doing 30mph on electric bikes as they fled from police! Did a shop in Sainsburys, and hung about in Hotel Chocolat for a bit before jumping on a No.43 bus back to Holloway. I made a ham, leek and potato pie for dinner. Nowt on telly. Read some, before bath and bed…

Tuesday 3rd February 2026

Woke around 0700 and failed to get back to sleep…sat up and read in bed before rising to porridge. Quite noisy outside…tree surgeons were pollarding the massive tree opposite. Aki sloped off to t’ai chi, and I headed for the gym. Managed 15 minutes on the bike, and some leg curls. Got home and made some ham and pea soup for lunch. We ventured into town and met up with Katrina outside Holborn station. 

Walked her round to the Garden cinema to watch Richard Linklater’s “Nouvelle Vague”, an entertaining, flawless movie which follows Jean Luc Godard’s making of A Bout de Soufflé…movie of the year! Had me grinning from ear to ear. Caught a No.91 bus back home. Aki made a pork stir fry for dinner. As I was cleaning down the surfaces afterward, I noticed a crack in the induction hob...it's front-to-back across two cooking zones...the whole thing will need replacing and installing by an electrician! Watched Arsenal v Chelsea in the League Cup semi-final...a tense game which ended 1-0 in the Gooners' favour. Bath and bed...

Monday 2nd February 2026

Woke at 0145, and again at 0545. Took ages to get back to sleep. I'm going to have to get myself some sleeping pills or something! Got up around 1000 and porridged. Did a couple of hours work at the laptop before putting some lunch together. Did my expenses, and put my timesheet in for processing. Read some. Borrowed next door's garden hose, and stuck it down the shower trap, thinking to check that the leak hadn't been a bit further down the pipework, so ran some water down there for around two hours. See if anything bubbles up over the next 24 hours! Warmed up the lasagne from Da Mario's for dinner with some vegetables, followed by chocolate brownie and ice cream. Watched Black Ops. 

Sunday 1st February 2026

Woke around 0545…took an hour or so before nodding back off. Got up around 1015…Aki cooked a tasty omelette brunch. We listened to the Australian Open tennis final…Alcaraz beat poor old Novak once again...though Novak was very gracious in defeat. Roz phoned with bad news of Cath, Phil’s partner…she had undergone tests for heart problems which have revealed a thymic carcinoma…apparently stage IV and incurable. Roz said Phil was in shock, and wanting space to come to terms with it all…very sad. Headed for Clapton in the drizzle, taking a No.254 bus to Clapton Pond. Walked down to Lesley's at No.56 Fletching Road...she was hosting Katrina's 70th birthday bash. Good turnout. Simone was there...hadn't seen her for years; Tony turned up, as well as Carl and David. Enjoyed a bit of catching up, a great finger buffet, and some tasty birthday cake. Chatted to a chap named Ron, who's wife is an old chum of Katrina's...he'd worked as an archaeologist on numerous digs in the City of London, and made replicas for showing in the Museum of London. We slunk away with a little doggy bag around 1830, by which time it was pouring down with rain. Aki made ramen soup when we got in. Watched a bit of telly...a Italian serial adaptation of The Leopard, and MOTD before bath and bed...

Saturday 31st January 2026

Yet another fitful night’s sleep. Got up at 0945 and read in bed for a while, but was interrupted by the postman ringing the doorbell...Aki's hygrometer had arrived. Made brunch. We walked over to Waitrose to do a bit of a shop. Cooked a gammon shank for dinner, with sweet potatoes and lots of vegetables, followed by chocolate melt-in-the-middle puddings with ice cream. 

Friday 30th January 2026

Aki up early and had headed off to Rowing Club by the time I rose. Porridged. Cut my hair, or rather, shaved my scalp. Caught two buses to Newington Green for an 1115 appointment with the cranial osteopath, Chris Harris. I had seen him some ten years or so ago in relation to discomfort surrounding the bad inguinal hernia repair...he failed to have any effect, it must be said, but I figured that he was battling a foreign object in the form of the mesh the surgeon had inserted, whereas my current neck problems may well be a much better match for his skills...worth a go, I thought. It was an initial consultation today, which went reasonably well, and we had a bit of a catch up into the bargain. £85 for the 3/4 hour session! I ventured next door to Jolene's for what I considered a well-deserved coffee, and a cardamom bun...delicious! Caught a bus back up to Clissold Park, and walked home from there via Da Mario's Italian deli, where I picked up some filled tortelloni, and a beef lasagne. Aki already back when I got in. I made lunch. Did some work at the computer for a couple of hours. Aki cooked a stir-fry with pork and ho-fun noodles. Headed in to town to see a French mime company at the Peacock Theatre, as part of this year's MimeLondon Festival. Met up with Kevin from No.93, and his son Theo, in the theatre bar. The show, Fish Bowl, was very entertaining…silly, inventive, often hilarious…had the tears rolling down my cheeks by the end. Great stuff! 

Thursday 29th January 2026

Took ages to get to sleep...it must have been around 0200. Woke at 0430. Aki up early to head off to the hairdresser. I got up around 0945. Porridged. Phoned the police to report two suspicious letters addressed to a Mr James Hurrde at this address...one turned out to be from the DVLA stating that the guy's direct debit had failed and his car would be taken off the road; and another was a parking fine for parking the same car in Morrisons car park around the corner for 27 hours!!! I also had to report it to ReportFraud action line, and to the DVLA. Hope they get it sorted out between them! Did a little work at the computer uploading yesterday's property photos. Aki back in time for lunch, sporting a fresh hair cut. Finished off my cock-a-leekie soup, adding a shredded chicken thigh that had been in the fridge for the best part of a week. Very tasty! Managed another couple of hours at the laptop in the afternoon. Aki cooked salmon teriyaki for dinner. Watched a bit of telly. Finished Martin Chuzzlewit...A Christmas Carol and the novellas up next! Early bath and bed...

Wednesday 28th January 2026

Woke at 0100, 0200, and again at 0300!!! Took a while to get back to sleep after the 0300 awakening. Aki up early…she’d cycled off to Rowing Club by the time I got up and porridged. I headed out on inspections for B3 Living. Drove up to Enfield, then on to Waltham Abbey, Cheshunt, and Hoddesdon. Stopped for a lunchtime special at Captain Cod in Hoddesdon High Street. Delicious! Drove on to Roydon near Harlow, then north up the A10 to Buntingford. I was turning the car around in a cul-de-sac here when a woman came out of her house, as I was about to take a photo, and asked if I’d come to pick up the rocking horse! Cue some jokes about horse boxes. Final stop was the village of Pirton, northwest of Hitchin…then turned for home in the gloaming. Stopped for a doughnut at South Mimms service station, then home via the A1. Aki warmed up the last of the chicken chasseur for dinner. Watched some more of Abel Gance’s “Napoleon”…Antonin Artaud’s Marat got stabbed in his bath by Charlotte Corday. Then a long sequence detailing the Battle of Toulon…couldn’t help wondering how many extras had died in the making!

Tuesday 27th January 2026

Woke at 0230, and again at 0500. Seems to have become a pattern! Very frustrating! Woke again around 0900. Got up and porridged before heading round the corner to the GP. Saw a bloke about my sore mouth and tongue, and he prescribed an aspirin gargle, and referred me to ENT so they can take a look with a camera. Went for coffee and a cinnamon bun at Big Jo's afterward. Got home before Aki returned from Tai Chi. Did my exercises. Prepared lunch. Did a couple of hours' work at the computer. Ventured out in the early evening…Katherine at No.127 has gotten very involved with local food horticulture and she had alerted us to a meeting concerning the politics of food…she was involved in putting on the evening, at the Community Centre at the bottom of Crouch Hill. Good turnout…filled six very large round tables in the hall, and various guest speakers got up and informed us of what was going on locally. We broke for some free food…a rather insipid chick pea and potato curry and rice…then sat round our various tables for some group discussion. Very inspiring bunch on my table…including one of the guest speakers, Damian, who runs the Felix Project. Basically trying to utilise fruit and vegetables that get rejected by the supermarkets…but on a very ambitious scale. Walked home in the drizzle…

Monday 26th January 2026

Woke at 0700 with back pain…sat up in bed until the alarm at 0800. Got up to prepare for the arrival of Tim and a replacement bathroom tile delivery. Laid out the dust sheets...Tim showed up at 0900, and the tiles were delivered shortly thereafter. He did a little tidying up, then left, saying he'd sub-contracted out the tile cutting, and hopefully he'll be round on Friday, or the following Monday, to do that. Did some work writing up Friday's inspection sheets. Pea soup for lunch. Ventured out. We walked up to Chris Stevens to source some tile grout, then walked down the Holloway Road to drop a couple of books off at the Central Library. Aki steamed some trout for dinner with butter beans and preserved lemon. Watched The Night Manager…still catching up with Season 1.

Sunday 25th January 2026

Woke at 0130, and again at 0730. Managed to nod back off relatively quickly…don’t know why I can’t sleep through any more…very frustrating! Woke again at 0900. Back hurts. Aki cooked brunch before she braved the drizzle and cycled off to Rowing Club. Did a little work at the laptop, uploading Friday's property photos. Ventured in to town. Coffee and Chuzzlewit at Foyles, then walked up to Hobgoblin to buy a kazoo or two to help pipe in the haggis this evening. Caught a bus to Camden and popped in at GuitarGuitar to buy a stand, then headed for home. Got in just ahead of Aki who had been celebrating one of her rowing colleague’s birthday in the cafe. Drove up the road to No127 to deliver a couple of Burn’s songs at Katherine and George’s Burns bash…Ben joined me on violin for my rendition of Now Westlin’ Winds…then Aki and I jumped back in the car to hightail it round to Helen and Martin’s for their Burns Night supper. They had a couple of Japanese guests, plus their church pastor and his wife, and their niece Ruby, as well as Iveta, who we had met at their Burns Night bash a couple of years ago. We shared some verses from the Ode to a Haggis, then tucked in to cock-a-leekie soup, haggis, neeps and tatties, and cranachan, interspersed with malt whiskey tastings. Aki and I brought the evening to a close with a rousing rendition of Green Grow the Rushes-O…

Saturday 24th January 2026

Woke around 0400…reckon it took me two hours to get back to sleep! Got up around 1000. Aki cooked a late brunch. Surprisingly sunny morning. Set off for a walk. First stop was Tesco on Stroud Green Road, where we purchased some bits and pieces before heading up and over Crouch Hill for a look at the recently refurbished Hornsey Town Hall. I hadn’t realised it’s now a hotel, with 68 rooms! One of the receptionists showed us a couple of bedrooms…nicely appointed. The first one we saw still had Borough Treasurer written in gold lettering on the door. There’s a cafe, but it was closed for a private event, and a restaurant is planned, as well as a rooftop bar! Had a late lunch in a little Turkish cafe on the main drag…we shared a tasty falafel wrap. Caught a No.91 bus back to Holloway. Cooked a chicken chasseur for dinner, with freekah and vegetables. Watched the first couple of hours of Abel Gance’s 1923 silent epic, Napoleon. It’s extraordinary stuff…the artistic invention in the edit, the central performance, the cast of thousands. Marat is played by Antonin Artaud, the founder of the Theatre of Cruelty. Watched Sunderland go down to a 3-1 defeat at West Ham on MOTD before bath and bed...

Friday 23rd January 2026

Alarm at 0800. Got up and porridged. Put a packed lunch together before heading east in the car…on inspections, but the tile shop in Chadwell Heath was our first port of call. We managed to persuade the team there to refund us on seven tiles, despite being over the 30 day limit. Much relieved, I then drove Aki to Yuki’s in Hornchurch, and left her there to have a catch up with her old chum. I headed for inspections in Mountnessing…but was severely hampered by a huge diversion which forced me back into Romford…must have added five miles to my trip, and half-an-hour!!! Stopped in Brentwood to buy some lunch items in M&S, then drove on to Mountnessing. From thence I headed for the M25, and then the M11, stopping at Birchanger service station to eat my lunch in the car park. Inspections at a couple of infill developments in Bishops Stortford, then on to Elsenham, and finally Newport, near Saffron Walden, as the light started to go...had to wait about ten minutes at a level crossing...thought the light might disappear on me before I got round the Newport stock, but just made it. The camera on the iPhone13 is remarkably good in low light. Headed for home in the dark. Got in around 1900. Aki cooked pork medallions for dinner with lots of vegetables. Watched The Traitors Finale with about 10 million other viewers around the country...

Thursday 22nd January 2026

Alarm at 0830. Got up and porridged. We headed in to town to meet Tammie at High Street Kensington. Waited for her in Pret, then walked around the corner to Japan House to view the craft exhibition in the basement. A mix of metalwork, ceramics, glassware and timberwork…some of it exquisitely delicate. Watched a well edited short film showing the various artists at work. Browsed in the very expensive shop afterward, then walked west toward Holland Park for lunch at Rosso…only to find the restaurant closed…maybe affected by the burst water main that has caused some water supply to be cut off. We walked back to the station and ate at a little Japanese udon noodle place in the little shopping mall there…it was tasty enough, and relatively cheap. Parted company with Tammie on the Circle line platform and headed back to Finsbury Park. I walked up to Tollington to pick up my trousers after alteration. Popped in on George at No.127 to lend him my Ackroyd “Dickens” biography. Packed our unwanted porcelain tiles into the boot of the car ahead of tomorrow’s planned trip east. The tile shop in Chadwell Heath had promised to buy them back from us. Dal for dinner, with pilau rice, vegetables and paratha. Watched The Traitors.

Wednesday 21st January 2026

Woke around 0700 with back ache...managed to doze back off for a couple of hours, but then languished in bed until 1100. Got up and Aki cooked a late brunch. Did my exercises. Read some Chuzzlewit. Raining for much of the day, so reluctant to venture out for a constitutional. Pottered about on the laptop doing nothing particularly useful for much of the afternoon. Aki cooked mackerel Japanese style for dinner. Watched The Traitors. 

Tuesday 20th January 2026

Woke at 0900. Got up and porridged. Aki headed off to tai chi. Did my exercises. Aki back for lunch...warmed up some spinach and dill soup. Ventured into town, taking the Victoria Line to Pimlico, and then walking to the Tate to view the Turner/Constable exhibition. We came out much preferring JMW's work; some of his small watercolours are exquisite. The Royal Academy only taught watercolour...he had to teach himself how to use oils. Came home and stuck dinner in the oven...a Waitrose chicken and leek pie, served with lots of vegetables, and sweet potato chips. Watched some telly.

Monday19th January 2026

Took hours to nod off. Thus got up very late. Aki up early to take a call from the GP about her skin condition…he prescribed some steroid cream. Got up and did my exercises. I headed for the gym. Did 15 minutes on the bike and some leg curls. Came home and put lunch together. We rehearsed some tunes ahead of this weekend’s Burns Night bash. Did my exercises. Drafted some emails. We rehearsed some tunes.  Warmed up the leftover mushroom sauce from Saturday and poured it over tagliatelle for dinner. Put my neck out in the gym this morning…got worse as the evening progressed! Watched some telly…still working through series 1 of The Night Manager. Tom Hollander very good in it…

Sunday 18th January 2026

Long lie in after yesterday’s efforts. Eventually rose. Aki cooked brunch. Did my exercises. We took a walk down to Upper Street...Aki looking for a flower vase to use for her new Japanese flower arranging hobby...needs to be a specific shape. Ended up in the very expensive designer ware shops, but fortunately couldn't find anything suitable. Stopped for coffee and cake at Paul's, then returned to Holloway on the No.43 bus. Got off at Waitrose and did a little shop. Enjoyed watching Ski Sunday...stunning Swiss Alpine backdrop. Warmed up the chicken curry for dinner, with spiced vegetables and rice. Aki cooked up a dal to serve on the side...very tasty. Watched some telly. Enjoyed David Attenborough’s Wild London, particularly the peregrine falcons…

Saturday 17th January 2026

Woke at 0600…took a long time to nod back off again. Woke at 0900. Aki already up and about. Got up and made brunch before Aki cycled off to the fishmonger on Essex Road. I read some Chuzzlewit then cooked a mushroom sauce to pour over my homemade gnocchi this evening. Tidied up the living room, cleaned the loo, and laid the table. Katrina arrived first, bearing cheese, closely followed by Tony and a bottle of Prosecco. We sat and chatted over some nibbles before serving dinner…homemade chestnut gnocchi with a cheesy mushroom sauce, followed by Aki’s fish stew, then my meringue zabaglioni semi-fredo and raspberries…various cheese and biscuits to follow. Katrina had been tested for throat cancer just before Christmas but was now much relieved to be able to report it had been diagnosed as chronic tonsillitis. Tony juggling work, home improvements, and keeping an eye on his folks. They left around 2300 and Aki and I tidied up before bath and bed…

Friday 16th January 2026

Woke around 0845. Aki had already cycled off to rowing club. Porridged, then headed for the Whittington for a blood test. Walked back down the Holloway Road afterward and did a little shopping in M&S and Waitrose. Came home and prepared lunch. Aki back in time to cook and add an omelette to the mix. Ventured into town to see Hamnet at the Garden Cinema. Needed a box of tissues! The scene depicting Hamnet’s death elicits an astonishing performance from Jessie Buckley…it’ll probably secure her the best actress Oscar. We adjourned to the Japanese restaurant around the corner for dinner. The black sesame ice cream was delicious. Got a slow No.91 bus home and watched The Traitors before bath and bed…

Thursday 15th January 2026

Woke around 0900. Read in bed for a bit. Aki already up and porridging when I surfaced. I did some exercises the headed for the Sobell Centre in the drizzle. Did 15 minutes on the bike, followed by some leg extensions. We decided to have dinner for lunch, as Aki is hosting the Book Club this evening. Cooked confit of duck with boiled potatoes and vegetables. Did some voice work and sang some songs. Prepared a savoury tart to feed the gathering. Had some soup before people arrived. Full house turned up to chat about their views of Mrs Dalloway. Chatted to new recruit Alice from No.87…turns out she’s married to Rupert Orton, erstwhile guitarist with the Jim Jones Revue, and brother of songstress Beth! My savoury tart went down well, as did Katherine’s quince tart. I retired to the office zone with my headphones and watched The Traitors. People departed around 2200 and Aki and I tidied up before bath and bed…

Wednesday 14th January 2026

Woke around 0715. Dozed for another hour or so. Aki got up the ready herself for rowing club. Got up and porridged, by which time Aki had cycled off to Stamford Hill. I took myself off into town. Dropped my old work laptop off at the Margaret Street office. Had to get the lift up to the third floor…massive office covering IT, residential sales, letting, and marketing…must have been about 300 people in there sat at their computer screens! Went in search of a specific pair of shoes…but no luck…tried shops in Berwick and Poland Street. Gave up and headed home on a No.29 bus. Did a little shopping in Waitrose. Aki back for lunch…hot smoked salmon and salad. Did my exercises. Warmed up the last of the lentil lasagna for dinner…tasty! Watched The Traitors…some ingenious twists have been worked into the game. Very entertaining. 

Tuesday 13th January 2026

Woke around 0745...dozed back off for  bit. Aki up and about around 0930. Got up and porridged. The night in the spare room had yielded no benefits in respect of her skin condition. She went off to tai chi with Jane from No.36 and Katherine from No.127. I did my exercises. Aki back for lunch…I defrosted and warmed up some pea soup. Tidied the desk up a bit. Early dinner…Aki cooked a chicken curry. Had planned to venture up Highgate Hill for the beginner’s Irish session at the pub Brendan The Navigator. I took my mandolin. Aki decided to come along for the ride. We walked to the bus stop in the rain and got to the pub in time for the 1830 start. The session was run by a whistle player called Pete, and a squeeze box player called Caitlin. There were two other whistlers, a guitarist, an accordion player, and a fiddler, and we were joined by some young children on violin, and concertina. There was no sheet music to work with…it was lucky the guitarist had come along as I was able to watch his left hand and pick up the chords…but it wasn’t a very satisfying evening. Don’t think we’ll be back. The pub is a bit grim…the gents toilets were two portaloos out back. We caught a bus back down to Holloway, and walked home. Watched the last half hour of the League Cup semifinal game between Newcastle and Man City…the latter take a 2-0 lead back to the Etihad.

Monday 12th January 2026

Woke around 0330 with chronically dry throat…seems to be getting slowly worse. Managed to nod back off again eventually. Woke around 0930 after strange dream about first day of Good Golly rehearsals in a labyrinthine building which the theatre seemed to share with a populous secondary school. Got up and headed for the gym. Did 15 minutes on the bike, followed by some leg curls. Walked up to Tollington Dry Cleaners afterward to take in a pair of trousers that need the legs shortened. Popped in at the GP surgery to pick up a blood form ahead of Friday’s blood test. Came home and made brunch. Tidied up the spare bedroom…Aki wants to try sleeping in there tonight to see if she can better control the room humidity…she feels this may be key to controlling her terrible skin complaint. Managed to aggravate my many hernias lifting the upstairs neighbour's food waste bin...god knows what's in it! We took some detritus to the tip, and then did a shop at Waitrose. Aki cooked a carbonara for dinner. Watched some telly…

Sunday 11th January 2026

Woke around 0800. Read in bed for a bit. Aki decided not to go rowing…too cold out, and drizzle was forecast. Put a brunch together. Did my exercises. Cooked a roast beef lunch with cauliflower cheese. Spoke to mum on the phone. Wandered up to No.127 for band rehearsal. Focussed mainly on some Burns material. No fiddlers showed up so it fell on George and his flute to carry the tune. Next meet is at Katherine and George’s on Burns Night. Walked back home and had some soup. Watched some telly. Bath and bed…

Saturday 10th January 2026

Woke around 0700…got up at 0800 to find the heating wasn’t working! The thermostat control reckoned it was 0640 on the 2nd January 2010!!! How did that happen!?! Climbed back into bed to keep warm! Aki cooked brunch before heading out to meet Carlos and Jane…they were taking her to watch Arsenal Women v Man Utd at the Emirates in 2C temperatures! I went into town. Bought a cap to go with my rust coloured suit, then headed for soup at Foyles cafe…it was rammed. Walked down to Covent Garden to buy reading glasses at Izipizi before heading home via the Piccadilly line. Warmed up lasagna for dinner. Watched the Spurs v Villa FA Cup game and stayed up to watch MOTD before bath and bed…

Friday 9th January 2026

Woke around 0900. Got a call from Trade Force to say our boiler engineer was on his way, so leapt out of bed to await his arrival. He turned up shortly afterward…nice bloke…we made him a cuppa and he gave us a clean bill of health. I made some cockaleekie soup…had to pop over to Waitrose for some prunes. It was OK…I was expecting more flavour though to be honest. Did my exercises. Practised some songs. Read some Dickens. Aki cooked hake and beans for dinner. Watched The Traitors. 

Thursday 8th January 2026

Woke around 0900…headed for the gym and managed 15 minutes on the bike, plus some leg extensions. Bumped into Gareth from No120…he was booked in for a bit of badminton. Aki made ramen soup for lunch. Did a little voice work and rehearsed some songs. Read some Chuzzlewit. Warmed the last of the chicken cacciatore with lots of vegetables and some Puy lentils. Watched Traitors. Bath and bed…

Wednesday 7th January 2026

Aki up promptly to ready for rowing club. She had cycled off by the time I got up and porridged. Did my exercises. Aki back in time for some soup for lunch. Finished working through my crowded wardrobe…managed to throw out three or four items. Popped over to Waitrose to do a bit of a shop. Spent an hour putting together a lentil, spinach, mushroom and butternut squash lasagna…it was OK but the flavours didn’t shine. Watched The Traitors followed by MOTD…Sunderland got trounced 3-0 at Brentford! We are now below Newcastle…finding our proper level at last! Gabby Logan disappeared from the presenter’s chair a quarter of the way through the programme…a family emergency was cited…learned later that her dad, Terry Yorath, had passed away.

Tuesday 6th January 2026

Woke around 0830. Aki got up, and managed to do what I’d been trying to do for several hours yesterday…unscrew the underfloor heating actuator. The pin is very stiff, and I sprayed some WD40 on it…see what happens. Got the plumber coming round on Thursday to service the boiler…see what he makes of our efforts. Porridged. Aki headed out to t’ai chi. Did my exercises. I put lunch together when Aki returned. Read for a bit. Started working through my clothes…need to chuck some stuff out. Fish pie for dinner. Ventured into town to see “Marty Supreme” at Regent Street Cinema. It was pretty packed…great film…a wild ride! 

Monday 5th January 2026

Woke around 0500…dozed until 0900. Read in bed for a bit. Headed for the gym at 1030. Did 20 minutes on a bike, then some leg curls and leg extensions with weights. Had a wander round…the Sobell Centre had had a nice facelift since I last attended (pre-covid!). It’s a great facility to have on your doorstep. Walked home. Aki returned from the GP with a bagful of prescription drugs…she’s desperately trying to calm her itchy skin! Soup for lunch. Aki ventured out into the Arctic once more to go visit the dentist following yesterday’s toothsome disaster. I did some voice work and rehearsed my Burns tunes. Aki returned with the gold bullion reinstated in her lower jaw. Phoned the people who supplied our underfloor heating system…they urged us to remove the actuator, but we couldn’t get it to unscrew. So another chilly night in store…-5C forecast! Chicken with a mango sauce for dinner. Watched some telly before bath and bed…

Sunday 4th January 2026

Woke around 0700…dozed until 0900. Aki cooked breakfast before cycling off to rowing club. I went into town to try on a casual suit in Toast, just off Oxford Street. After much debate I went for the rust rather than the blue version…will look good in Palermo! Walked across town to Foyles…had some soup in the cafe and perused an Italian tutor. Got a No.29 bus back home. Worked on taking my new suit trousers up. Rehearsed some Burns tunes before warming up a ready made moussaka for dinner. Aki’s 40 year old gold filling fell out! Chocolate melt in the middle puds with ricotta ice cream for afters. Watched The Night Manager…thought we were watching the new series but it turned out to be episode 1 of the first series…stuck with it. MOTD, bath and bed…
 

Saturday 3rd January 2026

Woke around 0900. Languished in bed for a bit. Aki popped out to buy bread…too cold to cycle up to the Farmer’s Market, so she walked round the corner to Big Jo’s. I made brunch then did some exercises. We walked down to the Central Library to pick up a couple of guide books on Sicily ahead of a planned trip in September. Bought straciatella ice cream in Harvest then walked back up the Holloway Road to Waitrose. Aki cooked teriyaki salmon for dinner. Watched The Traitors, followed by MOTD…bath and bed.

Friday 2nd January 2026

Woke around 0700…dozed on until 0830. Stayed tucked up in bed reading. Got up for porridge. Did my exercises. Worked on guitar part for Ae Fond Kiss. Made a tasty pea soup for lunch. Rehearsed some tunes with Aki. Booked some train journeys! Ventured across the road for dinner with Jane and Carlos at No.36. Sat in the front parlour listening to John Mayall records and eating blinis before retiring to the kitchen table to partake of Jane’s coq au vin…my chicken thigh looked a bit undercooked and the dish was rather lukewarm…not as good as my chasseur. Ice cream and rhum baba for afters. Nice to see ‘em. Got home around 2245…bath and bed…

Thursday 1st January 2026

Woke around 0800. Aki got up to prepare her annual Japanese breakfast…very tasty! She then handmade some sushi to take to Ellie’s this afternoon. She cycled off to rowing club. I vacuumed. Wandered over to the shop to get celery and potatoes. Aki returned to pick up the sushi…I decided to stay home and cook a chicken cacciatore rather than venture over to Walthamstow with Aki…felt I’d be a bit out of place among the five or six girls…let them get on with it. Changed the strings on my MacClaren guitar. Started learning a couple of tunes ahead of Burns’ Night later in the month. Dined alone shortly before Aki got home from Walthamstow…she had eaten there so didn’t need feeding. Watched a bit of telly…particularly enjoyed a re-run of the first episode of “Outnumbered”…the kids in it are fantastic. Watched MOTD and sat on the edge of my seat as Sunderland somehow wrangled a point in an exciting 0-0 draw with mighty Man City!

Wednesday 31st December 2025

Woke around 0900 after a fitful night’s sleep. Aki suffering from very itchy skin. Has arranged a GP appointment for next week. Read in bed. Got up and breakfasted before Aki cycled off to the fishmonger’s on Essex Road…cold out! Mounted Lynne’s new doorbell. Made lunch. Pottered about. Did some exercises. Aki cooked a fish stew for dinner, with tuna carpaccio for starters. Watched “When Harry Met Sally” in honour of the great Rob Reiner. Bathed before watching a bit of Jools’ Hootenanny and seeing the new year in with coverage of the fireworks on the Thames…