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.