Monday 30th March 2026

Woke at 0300, and at 0600. Alarm at 0800. Got up and descended to make tea. Porridged in my room. Grey, damp day. Drove to Tesco and did a little shopping...filled up with petrol...and picked up a coffee. Got to the theatre around 1000. Morning sound checking the songs in Act II, then we started Act II technical rehearsals. Tea break was marked by cake to celebrate Georgie's birthday. Broke for lunch at 1400. FaceTimed Aki, who was at Izumi's. Long afternoon session, but made good progress toward the end of the show. Broke at 2000. Feet ache. Feel very weary indeed. Ate my pre-prepared prawn salad then drove back to Bakewell Street. Lindsey was sat at the kitchen table on a zoom meeting. She said she had had a tough day...the deal to sell the business almost fell through! Retired upstairs to my room. 

Sunday 29th March 2026

Woke at 0430...my usual 0330, but the clocks had gone forward an hour! Managed to nod back off after half-an-hour, waking again at 0945. FaceTimed Aki from her hotel room in Nagano. The Buddhist ceremony had gone well, though she hadn't expected to have to pick up one of her deceased brother-in-law's bones, and drop it into the family vault! I descended to the kitchen to make tea...ate my porridge in my room. Lindsey doing a big wash, so I took up her offer to wash me smalls. Drove into Newcastle. Parked up at Morrisons and walked into town in the drizzle for a coffee, only to discover Piccoloco was closed on Sundays...had a cappuccino at Bread & Bake next door, then drove to The Secret Garden in Clayton for Sunday lunch with Sam, David, and Georgie. Very odd venue...a small 60s era unit in a little parade of shops, that has been done out in garish neon...a floor singer serenaded us through our two courses. There was half a flamingo in a feather boa in the Gents! Food was OK...the prawn cocktail didn't have any prawns in it, though...shrimp! The pork belly was OK, with roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, and a Yorkshire pudding! Dropped David off at Morrisons on my way back to Penkhull. My washing had been done, so I re-made my bed. Had a lie down for half-an-hour then got up and dined on a chocolate pudding, before driving to Hartshill to meet up with James and Anne for Vinyl Destination at The Sanctuary. Had a Guinness and listened to some Cat Power, Comsat Angels, and The Count Five. Got back to the digs around 2045. Made tomorrow's prawn salad. Listened to some music and watched some TV in my room before collapsing into bed...

Saturday 28th March 2026

Alarm at 0730. Fitful night's sleep, but not too bad. Woke at 0330, but got back to sleep after half-an-hour. Calf muscle in my left leg went into spasm on waking! Desperately need a rest! Got up and made tea. Porridged in my room. Aki FaceTimed from a hotel room in Nagano...she and Naoya had driven up with his father's ashes...Buddhist ceremony tomorrow at the graveyard family plot. Drove in to Basford for a 0930 start. Ran Act I at 1100...ran into immediate problems with the head mics, which demanded a computer reset. Run went pretty well thereafter, I thought, though there were some hiccups along the way. Broke at 1330. I cooked my chicken and mushroom pie in the oven and ate in the atrium. Drove back to Bakewell Street. My shirt had been delivered by Toast...but it's way too big, so will have to be sent back...what a palaver! Drove into Hanley and dropped the shirt off at the Post Office in the Potteries Centre, then had a wander around the city centre...very depressing! What a hole!!! Bought a microwaveable heat mask for my eye in Boots, and one for my neck in Superdrug, then wandered down to take a look at Little Dumpling King, a highly recommended eatery...looks worth a visit. Paid homage at the feet of Sir Stanley Matthews in the city centre, then drove back to Bakewell Street. Feel so tired...as if I've been run over by a steamroller! Pottered about for a bit, then drove to Hartshill for dinner at Kismet...but they were busy, and couldn't fit me in...so I ordered a takeaway, and had a swift half in the Old House At Home. Ate my dinner in the morning room at Bakewell Street, watching the last two episodes of series 2 of Trying...got a bit soppy, but lots of quirky comedy still to be had...delicious! 

Friday 27th March 2026

Alarm at 0730. Lay in for 15 minutes before rising and descending to the kitchen to make tea. Ate my porridge in my room. Feel pretty achey this morning...headache still hovering in the wings, and my bad inguinal hernia repair giving me a lot of gip! Left the strapping on my left ankle in place overnight. Drove into Basford for a 0915 start. Continued working through Act I, focussing on lights and sound. Long, drawn out process. Lunched on burrata and sun dried tomatoes, and a mushroom and chicken pasta microwaved meal. Long afternoon/evening session. Finished around 1930. Sat in the atrium and ate my pre-prepared chicken and avocado salad. Too whacked to join the gang for a beer at the Hop Inn...drove to Tesco to do a bit of shopping. Filled the fridge back at Bakewell Street. Retired to my room with a mug of mint tea and a bag of nuts!

Thursday 26th March 2026

Alarm at 0730. Left eye completely closed. Descended to make tea...brought my porridge back upstairs to eat in my room. FaceTimed Aki, but she was in a restaurant with her niece, and her fella...I gave them a wave before terminating the call. Drove in to the theatre for a 0915 start. Tweaked something in my left foot during the warm up. attempting a couple of Nureyev leaps! Got more painful as the technical rehearsal wore on. Had it strapped up before attempting the Kiss of Life choreography. 

Seemed to do the trick. Cooked a small pizza for lunch. Ate in the atrium. Plodded on with the tech for the long late afternoon session. My headache started to make an unwelcome return! Took a couple of ibuprofen. Broke at 1945. Ate my packed lunch at my dressing table before driving back to Bakewell Street. Watched the second half of the World Cup qualifier between Wales and Bosnia...corking goal from Dan James! Game went to extra time...Wales losing out i the penalty shoot out.

Wednesday 25th March 2026

Woken by my phone at 0720...it was Aki phoning from Izumi's flat in Tokyo. She'd gotten her time calculation an hour wrong. She said she'd phone back, so I went downstairs to make tea and brought my porridge back to my room. Aki rang back...she's off to meet her Ilya colleagues this evening. My left eye more swollen than it's been, but not as painful, so hopefully things are on the mend! Drove in to Basford for a 0915 start. Gentle warm up in the SJR. Then into costume, donning our battery packs and head mics, for an elongated sound check. Tea break saw a theatre community get-together in the atrium to wish Debbie Hall a long and happy retirement...she has worked in the Vic wardrobe department for 35 years! Back into the theatre for more of the same, then broke for lunch. Ate my chicken salad in the atrium, chatting with Polly and Bob about past shows. Finished sound checking after lunch, which meant starting the technical rehearsal, taking it from the top of the show. All went smoothly, if rather slowly. Call ended at 2000. Ate my microwaved ham and mushroom pasta dish in the atrium before driving back to Bakewell Street.

Lyndsey was hanging about...she's about to put a bid in on a bungalow in Embleton, within walking of Dunstanburgh Castle. It's a two-bed 1970s unit with faux stone clad external walls...needs work. Guide price of £250,000 doesn't seem unreasonable...she's thinking of offering £257,500. See what happens! Made my packed lunch for tomorrow...managed to drop half a tub of garlic aioli on the floor! Got it cleaned up before Lyndsey got back from walking Wilson. Made myself some tea and headed for my room.

 

Tuesday 24th March 2026

Fitful night's sleep. Woke around 0800 and sat up listening to Today on R4 for an hour before descending to make tea. Porridged in my room. Showered. Spent an hour on the laptop looking for alternative quotes for my car insurance, which comes up for renewal at the end of the month. Comparethemarket.com suggested £550 with Direct Line, but when I put my details in to their website, they quoted me £950! So decided to stick with Churchill at £750. Daylight robbery!!! 

Drove in to the theatre. Pottered about for a bit before walking down King Street into town. Sought advice about tackling my sty at Boots...they suggested warm compresses, so I bought some cotton pads for the purpose, and some razors. Enjoyed a coffee in Piccoloco. Walked back up to the theatre via the Greek Bakery. Lunched on chicken tikka masala and rice from the atrium microwave. Company called at 1600 for a Health & Safety briefing, and a look backstage. Set looks great...a recreation of a working men's club, complete with dance floor and sticky carpet. Broke at 1830. The lads walked off into town for a beer, and I promised to meet them at the Heart of Siam for dinner. Drove down...parked up near the restaurant...had to sit in the car for about 15 minutes waiting for the pouring rain to stop. Made a dash for the restaurant...eight of us in all. Great food. A very pleasant evening. Drove back to Bakewell Street around 2130...put tomorrow's packed lunch together before ascending to my room...

Monday 23rd March 2026

Reasonable night's sleep, though disturbed by some sporadic neck pain. Got up around 0830 and showered. Made a cuppa tea, then headed in to the theatre. Popped into the dressing rooms to bag my old berth, then headed up to the restaurant for a fry up with some of the cast members. Repaired to the rehearsal room for a final full run before we transfer over to the theatre space tomorrow. It all felt a bit Monday morningish, but we were done by 1440...I sloped off for my osteopath appointment at HJO...young Asian chap, born and bred in the Potteries...nice bloke.

His premises were a notch or three above those of Sharon Bradbury. He was very good...had a good go at the nerve pinch points, and cracked my upper back! Walked back up to the theatre. Sorted my dressing room out a bit, and started the process of shaving off my beard...left a goatee, and mutton-chop sideburns, for now. Aki phoned from Heathrow...she had checked in, and was preparing to board her flight to Japan. My left eyelid looks a bit red and swollen...has been a bit painful since Saturday...don't know what's going on there! A sty, perhaps? Don't think I've ever had a sty. Drove down to Sainsburys to do a shop, then took a walk around the town centre before popping in at the Dancing Octopus for haddock, chips and mushy peas. Ate them in the car in the Sainsburys car park. Drove back to Bakewell Street and loaded up my fridge. Watched 'Trying' on my laptop...laugh-out-loud good! The News then bed...

Sunday 22nd March 2026

Woke around 0915. Got up and cooked brunch. Lazy morning. Packed ahead of my journey back to Stoke this afternoon. FaceTimed Kath who gave us a tour of her re-decorated bathroom; phoned dad expecting him to be able to hear better with his new hearing aid…but he had to take it out in order to hear me over the landline! Jim texted a photo from St James's Park after Newcastle had gone down 2-1 to the Mackems! Everyone appeared to be waving the White Flag! Popped out to buy sweet potato while Aki prepared a roast chicken late lunch. Headed off to Euston to catch the 1552 back to Stoke. Walked up to Richmond Street from the station and jumped in the car, and headed back to Bakewell Street. Greeted by Lyndsey, who was awaiting the arrival of a former lodger...they were planning to head out for a curry. A little disturbed to find that Lyndsey was suffering from a hoarse voice...don't want to catch that! Astounded to learn that Aidan had travelled to Plymouth yesterday to watch Huddersfield Town go down by 3-1!!! I sorted my socks and underpants out...Aki had kindly washed the lot on Saturday. Listened to the latter moments of the Arsenal v Man City League Cup Final. Phoned Aki, who was endeavouring to complete her packing ahead of flying out to Japan tomorrow evening. Watched the last two episodes of Small Prophets...a work of quiet genius! The final episode ended with the words To Be Continued...

Saturday 21st March 2026

Managed to sleep through till 0900. Aki brought me a mug of tea which I drank in bed before rising to cook brunch. Feel completely knackered...like I've been hit by a car! Lovely sunny day, so we walked to Highbury Fields for lemonaid and cake at La Maison, before continuing on down Upper Street...Aki wanted to get some moisturiser from Neal's Yard. Took a No.43 bus back to Holloway and popped in to Waitrose before walking home. Aki pan fried cod for dinner, with beans and vegetables, followed by cheese and biscuits, then ice cream and amaretti. Watched a Japanese film called Family Romance LLC...a bizarre piece of fakery directed by Werner Herzog, of all people! Gave up after about an hour. Watched an hour or so of the documentary Man On The Run, looking at the post-Beatle career of Paul McCartney, before tuning in to The News to see how Trump's disastrous Middle East war is going. Bath and bed...

Friday 20th March 2026

Alarm at 0730...relatively decent night's sleep for a change. Got up and showered before descending to porridge and put together a couple of meals for the day ahead. Drove in to Basford for a 0930 start...knackered...need a holiday! We worked bits and pieces ahead of an afternoon run in front of Therese Heskins, the AD, and various back room staff. It all felt rather under-powered...I was certainly exhausted, and my performance therefore felt a bit marked. Got through it though, and we broke at 1700. I drove back to Bakewell Street and microwaved some cheesey beans on toast for dinner, then drove to Richmond Street and parked the car, permitting me a shorter walk to the rail station than that I embarked upon a couple of weeks ago. Caught the 1853 to Euston, and then took a No.91 bus to Holloway, getting home around 2100. Caught up with Aki before soaking in a hot bath...and bed!

Thursday 19th March 2026

Alarm at 0730. Descended for breakfast...Aidan was in the kitchen preparing to head off to Birmingham for a building insulation show at the NEC. I drove in to Basford for a 0930 start. Rehearsed bit 'n pieces in the morning. Wig fittings for my Wilf, and College Lecturer characters. Glorious day...sat out in the sunshine to have my soup at lunchtime. We did a run of the whole show in the afternoon. Broke at 1900. Had microwaved lasagne for dinner, then drove down to the Sanctuary Ale House. 

James's Open Mic Night was in full swing when I rocked up with my guitar. I did some blues numbers before Bob Eaton got up and did some of his self-penned show songs...really good songs...wry, humane, and very charming. Then the Molly gang did We Gotta Get Outta This Place, and Get a Job, acapella, and Matt did Sweet Little Sixteen. I had a kind of impromptu jam with James and his whacky mate Russell, which took us up to closing time at 2200. Paul and Sylvie Jones, and Sean and Jenn, turned up in support. Great evening, topped by one of the punters revealing that her dad had been on the Hawes Street Tenants Committee in the 1980s, at the heart of the Good Golly Miss Molly story...

Wednesday 18th March 2026

Alarm at 0730 after another fitful night, despite taking a couple of magnesium tablets before bed. Woke at 0200...don't think I nodded back off until around 0500! Got up and showered. Descended for breakfast. No sign of mein hosts...they didn't come home last night. Drove in to the theatre for a 0930 start. Neck giving me a bit of gip, but headache diminished. Ran Act II before lunch. Beautiful, sunny day, so I walked down into Newcastle and bought a potato pie at the Greek Bakery, which I ate with my salmon salad on a bench in the ornamental gardens before walking back up the hill to the theatre. Worked bits during the afternoon call, including several goes at Hit The Road Jack, which left me exhausted! Broke at 1800 and made my escape. Drove back to Bakewell Street and dumped stuff, then drove in to Newcastle in search of dinner. Parked up at Sainsburys and did the shop, then walked across to the Thai restaurant...enjoyed the crispy duck in tamarind sauce, and egg fried rice. Got back to Bakewell Street around 2130. FaceTimed Aki before News and bed...

Tuesday 17th March 2026

 

Alarm at 0730. Hauled myself out of bed and showered...after a decent night's sleep, for a change. Headache seemed to have lifted. Porridged, then headed in to the theatre for a 0930 start. Staggered through Act I before lunch break. I popped over the road for my osteopath appointment with Sharon...nice lady, but her premises give off a very third rate vibe. She pulled my neck about and massaged the knots in my shoulders...I came away with my headache restored! Hope things calm down later in the day. Rehearsals were back underway when I got back to the theatre...had to hastily eat my lunch then join the fray. Broke for dinner...microwaved a tasty prawn curry and greens...then we managed to stagger through Act II. Call ended at 2030 and I joined the gang for a swift half of Guinness in the Hop Inn to mark St Patrick's Day. Shirley gave me some magnesium tablets to try out...she swears they give her improved nights' sleep. Drove home and FaceTimed Aki before collapsing into bed...

Monday 16th March 2026

 

Alarm at 0730. Breakfasted on porridge in my room. Aki packed her bags, and I drove her down to Stoke station to catch the 0953 back to London. Drove to the theatre, parked up, and then wandered across the road to enquire of the osteopath on the corner of Albert Street...she booked me in for a consultation and session tomorrow lunchtime. Met for warm up at 0930, and worked through Act I. Broke for a packed salad lunch before marching on through Act I, bit by bit. Microwaved pasta and meatballs during the dinner break, then we managed to get to the end of Act I ahead of a planned stagger through tomorrow morning. Call ended at 2000 and I drove back to Bakewell Street. FaceTimed Aki before bed...

Sunday 15th March 2026

Woke around 0830. Got up and dressed, then made our way up to the dining room for buffet brunch. Enjoyed the oatcakes. Checked out and drove down the road to Tittesworth Reservoir and took a short walk around the northern end before it started to threaten rain...hightailed it back to the Visitor Centre, then drove on into the Peaks. Stopped at a micro brewery in a village called Wincle. Had a coffee in the Sample Room, and bought a pork pie. Also bought a bottle of Old Hag to give to Jim on his next birthday, though chances are I'll have drunk it before then. Drove over the moors to Buxton, by which time the heavens had opened. Stopped on top of the moors to phone mum to wish her a Happy Mother's Day, and scoff our pork pie. Sat in a cafe in Buxton High Street nursing tea while waiting for the rain to cease. Walked along The Crescent and spent time in the Pavilion Gardens, before walking back to the car. 

Still had time to kill before our 1830 dinner date at The Reform Inn near Leek. Drove down the A54, stopping at the Mermaid Pool to take in the rain swept views. Visited a farm shop, which was one of the poorest stocked I'd ever seen...some chutneys, and big bags of potatoes, and that was about it. It's also a camp site...with a single portaloo, and two outdoor wash basins...grim! Drove down into Thorncliffe and stuck our heads in at The Reform Inn...got lucky and secured a table in the busy dining area for 1715. The food was great...I enjoyed topside of melt-in-the-mouth beef, and Aki had lamb...delicious. It was a three course Mother's Day menu, so we were pretty full up by the time we'd eaten our desserts! Drove back to Bakewell Street in the dark over Staffordshire's pot-holed roads. Parked up and walked our dinner off...walked up to the village green and popped into the Co-op...got caught in a violent hail storm on the walk back to Bakewell Street!

Saturday 14th March 2026

Woke around 0330...neck pain and headache. Took ages to get back to sleep. Aki had a fitful night of it too. Got up at 0830 and showered, then descended to make tea. Brought porridge up to my room for breakfast. Weather looking better than expected, so drove up the Leek Road to Rudyard Lake, famed as the site of Mr & Mrs Kiplings' honeymoon, from whence young Rudyard got his name. 

Headed into Leek to hook up with Andy Billington, and Rachel...Andy had been stage manager on the original 1989 production of Good Golly, where he had met Rachel, who was a Box Office trainee. We met them for lunch at The Spout. Had a good catch-up. The woman who manned the till turned out to have seen the original 1989 production, as well as the 1991 and 1993 iterations! Bade our farewells, and had a little mooch about the small town centre. 

Weather still holding so drove up the A53 to venture up onto Hen Cloud. Very busy! Made the summit and enjoyed the views in the sunshine, then trooped back down hill to the car. Checked in at the nearby Three Horseshoes Inn. It's a spa, and wedding venue. The bath in our room had water jets, so we took turns in the bath...got myself a bit of a massage! Had dinner in the dining room...Aki had sea bass, and I enjoyed a thick pork chop. 

Repaired to the pub afterward and played darts...been a long time...it took an age to get down from 501, and neither of us could hit a double, so we both ended up stranded on double one...gave up, exhausted and fell into bed...

Friday 13th March 2026

Woke to alarm at 0730. Hauled myself out of bed and showered. Descended for porridge. No sign of mein hosts, so set the house alarm before driving off to Basford. Nice day...though a bit cold in the breeze. Worked though the dance routines for This Old House, and It's in His Kiss before lunch break. Ate my packed lunch...two courses...soup, followed by salmon salad. Worked on the Stand By Me sequence, and finished the rehearsal with the Hit the Road Jack, routine. My neck pain and headache surged afterward...I think it's my wobbly drunken head acting that is doing the damage. Took more ibuprofen. Gave David Ahmad a lift to Stoke station...he was headed back to Finsbury Park, and had tickets to see the West Ham game. Picked Aki up off the 1626 Euston train, and drove her up to Bakewell Street. Got her settled, then we walked round to Sean and Jenny's on Westland Street in the drizzle. Sean's brother Peter opened the door and let us in...Sean then drove us down to Newcastle...we had a dinner appointment at 1830 at Amore in Pepper Street. Funny little place...looks like an old semi-industrial units. The food was homely, and we all enjoyed it. Chatted to Sean and Jenny about the possibility of hooking up with them in Lucca sometime next Spring. Sean has a TV job coming up, playing a murderer in an ITV detective show...and before that he's playing Lady Margaret in Richard III at Stafford! Sean drove us back to Bakewell Street. Watched the News on the laptop. Aki showered before bed...

Thursday 12th March 2026

Alarm at 0730. Hauled myself out of bed around 0810...ate my porridge at my laptop in my room. Drove in to the theatre in the rain, for a 0930 start. Had intended to walk down to the pharmacy to buy ibuprofen, but didn't have time. Did my own physical warm-up...decided I could no longer risk trying to emulate the young 'uns after yesterday...inguinal hernia repair not feeling too bad, but feels like it won't take much to cause me gip, so took it easy today. Continued working Act II today...slow going, but it's all coming together. Ventured over to the theatre for lunch...forgetting it was a matinee performance day...the place was packed with grey-headed couples. Managed to get served quickly, though...went for a sausage sandwich and chips...ate with some cast members in the atrium, as we couldn't get a seat upstairs. More of Act II in the afternoon session. Broke at 1730. I was told I wasn't required for the evening session, so ate my prepared salmon salad in the Green Room with the others, before sloping off in the pouring rain. Needed some leaf salad, so drove out to Wolstanton to investigate the M&S Food Hall...ended up spending £45!!! Drove back to Bakewell Street and filled the fridge. 

Wednesday 11th March 2026

Alarm at 0730. Got up and descended to the kitchen to porridge. Lyndsey was up and working at her laptop...managed to get some recommendations for a possible Sunday pub lunch. Tried making bookings online, but nothing doing...it's Mother's Day on Sunday! Booked somewhere for the evening meal instead. Drove in to Basford for a 0930 start. Pulled something in my groin during the warm up...gave me gip for the rest of the day. Feels like something's moved in the area of my bad inguinal hernia repair! Still got the neck-induced headache too...the paracetamol wasn't doing much...need to buy some ibuprofen. We celebrated Sayan's birthday at tea break, Kate the SM having baked a cake. Struggled through the afternoon session. Steve, the company stage manager, came to have a chat about my hernias...not sure what to do about it all, to be honest. An osteopath might be useful, I guess. Broke at 1800. Had some soup, then drove down to Hartshill to join the Auld Vic team at the Sanctuary Ale House for the pub quiz. Sean and his brother were there, Sayan, and Paul Jones made up my team. We came a creditable fourth, but I won the raffle...£32! I shared my winnings with my team. James and Anne showed up, and Bob, who had been working on a show in Liverpool today. We shared a few reminiscences of productions past. I pushed off around 2145...needed to lie down in a darkened room for a bit!

Tuesday 10th March 2026

Woke to alarm at 0730. Room was cold, but I was glad to sense that my terrible headache of the last few days had lifted. Descended for porridge, and packed a ham salad lunch to take into rehearsals. 0930 start...David Ahmad and myself were interviewed by Moorlands Radio...the interviewer, Dave Stringer, had been at the first night of Good Golly Miss Molly in 1989! The interview went well...good fun. Morning spent working scenes from Act II before Bob had leave...we then concentrated on movement, and song, directed by Bev and Polly. My terrible headache re-appeared after lunch, and I struggled through to dinner time...microwaved lasagne and green vegetables. The evening session was devoted to learning harmonies for Stand By Me. We finished at 2030, and I drove back to Bakewell Street, exhausted...headache very intense. Made my packed lunch for tomorrow in the kitchen. Mein hosts appeared, and I managed to get them to reset the heating to come on at around 0630. FaceTimed Aki, who had had fun as sound operator on the annual JCUK short play, written by one of their number. Got to bed around 2300...

Monday 9th March 2026

Alarm at 0730 after a reasonable nights sleep. Still have a headache…had it since Friday…it feels related to my neck problem, which is beginning to worry me. Got up and showered before heading to Tesco in the car to do some food shopping. Deposited my goods in the fridge back in Bakewell Street. Realised I’d forgotten to buy leaf salad, so drove back and got some more odds and ends. Too late to return to Bakewell Street for porridge, I drove in to Newcastle hoping to buy breakfast from the Greek Bakery, only to find it shut. Headed in to the theatre with no breakfast. 1030 start. Worked through bits of Act II. Broke for lunch...ate my ham salad in the Green Room. Took a walk down to Sainsburys, only to discover it had been demolished and is now a building site. Worked on until dinner break, then on again until 2000, choreographing the beginnings of the boarding up dance, complete with hard hats and ladder. I wandered over to the theatre afterward to catch a bit of The Watch...a Belgian band who specialise in re-creating the early prog rock of Peter Gabriel era Genesis...they were superb, especially the young guitarist. Bailed before they got into their 20 minute encore, and drove back to Bakewell Street. 

Sunday 8th March 2026

 

Woke around 0900. Aki cooked brunch, then cycled off to Rowing Club. I did some packing, and then wandered over to Waitrose to buy something for Sunday lunch. Aki back for lunch...confit of duck, with roast sweet potato and carrots, followed by bougasta which I'd bought from the Athenian Bakery on Seven Sisters Road, pimped up with creme fraiche, ice cream, and strawberries. Exchanged farewells on the doorstep, and I took a bus to Finsbury Park station, then a Victoria line train to Euston to catch the 1552 to Stoke. Euston was very busy. Got into Stoke on schedule, and jumped in a taxi to Bakewell Street. Mein hosts were not home...sat in my room for an hour or so, but it was cold, and failed to warm up, so I decided to venture into Newcastle to watch a film...Elvis Presley In Concert. FaceTimed Aki before heading off in the car. Parked up in Goose Street car park. Hoped to buy a bag of chips in The Dancing Octopus, but there was a queue, and service was slow. Gave up and walked to the cinema. Had a hot dog there before I went in. The movie was OK...a bit too frantic, Baz Lurhman likes a jump cut! It was a bit dizzying at times! But it was instructive nonetheless...what a voice...he was doing 2 or 3 shows a day during his Vegas residency...but his voice sounded warm and he pumped out hit after hit with seeming effortlessness! He was superhuman! 

Saturday 7th March 2026

Woke around 0500, but managed to nod back off fairly readily. It was 0730 when I next awoke...dozed for half-an-hour or so. Aki got up to pop round to Big Jo's to buy bread...I got up and prepared a ham and egg brunch. Grey day. Had a chat with Lynne and Fraser about the on-going roof problem...trying to get Lynne to set up two or three meetings with potential roofers to get proper quotes. Fraser reckons he's spotted some rot to the rafters where they meet the wall plate immediately below the external brick upstands where the render has sheared away from the brick facings. Walked to Angel via Highbury Fields. Aki bought a sweatshirt on Upper Street, then we headed for Hotel Chocolat to get gifts for Aki's Japanese relatives. Enjoyed a roti for lunch in Camden Passage before returning home on the No.43 bus. Watched Wrexham v Chelsea in the FA Cup...the Red Dragons put up a great fight, but went down 4-2 after having a man sent off. Aki cooked dinner...pan fried salmon teriyaki and rice, with a tasty miso soup. Ice cream and strawberries for afters.

Friday 6th March 2026

Terrible night's sleep....I reckon it was past 0100 by the time I nodded off, only to wake at 0430, as per usual. Didn't really feel that I'd managed to nod back off before the alarm went off at 0730. Descended for porridge...Lyndsey and Aidan were preparing to go to work, before driving on to Ross-on-Wye for a weekend with some chums. I drove into Basford for a 0930 start. Bob not in today...he's working on a piece about Lennon and MacCartney at the Royal Court. Spent the day working though the choreography with Bev, breaking for an early lunch. Afternoon session broke up at 1600, and I drove back to Bakewell Street to eat, and pack an overnight bag before walking the half-hour down to Stoke rail station to catch the 1853 train to Euston. Went over my lines for Act I on the one-and-a-half hour journey. Took a No.91 bus to Holloway in the pouring rain. Got home around 2115. Aki sat watching the telly. Had a catch up before bath and bed, as I could barely keep my eyes open!

Thursday 5th March 2026

Fitful night's sleep. Alarm at 0730. Descended to the kitchen to porridge. Lyndsey sat at kitchen table...she and Aidan have sold their pharmacy business...due to complete at the end of the month. She's looking to go into farming and sustainability! Drove into Basford for a 0930 start. A day working on scenes with Bob and choreography with Bev. Took a walk down King Street at lunchtime and sat in the ornamental gardens with a coffee...very pleasant in the sunshine. Walked back up the hill for the afternoon session. Pasta bake for dinner, with green vegetables...all courtesy of the microwave. Broke at 2000 and drove down to Hartshill in the car...parked up and presented myself at the Sanctuary Ale House...James's Open Mic night was already underway. A very loud singer was accompanying himself on guitar. Sat with Paul Jones and Sylvie, then said hi to Sean and Jenn, and Sean's brother Paul. I was surprised to see most of the GGMM cast walk in behind Bob and Sayan, but none of them got up to contribute a song or two. I did "She Moved Through the Fair" with guitar and shruti box, followed by "Meet Me on the Corner", and "Country Honk", with harmonica accompaniment...all went down very well. Had a slight out-of-body experience halfway through when I realised that I knew everyone in the room, save for four bald blokes huddled in a corner, and the bar staff...back to the future moment. A grand evening was had by all, and we vowed to return in a couple of weeks to try out some of our Good Golly tunes...

Wednesday 4th March 2026

Alarm at 0730. Got up and showered before descending for porridge. Drove into Basford for a 0930 start at the theatre. Continued where we left off last night...more movement and choreography. Worked on the dance sequence for "It's in His Kiss"...the dummy was a bit heavy, and her head fell off at one point...she underwent repair during the lunch break. Finished early at 1800. I walked into Newcastle in the company of Sam and Connor, who were headed to meet David at the Vue Cinema to see the NT production of "Othello", which David had been in. I wandered round town looking for something to eat...the Italian I was aiming for turned out to be closed on Wednesdays. Made do with another Italian near the bus station...treated myself to fillet steak and mushroom sauce. Particularly enjoyed the sauteed potatoes. Walked back up the hill and rang Aki from the car in the theatre car park. She and Kath had met up with Roz last night...she had reported that Cath is undergoing chemotherapy; that Uncle Pete had been in hospital...the children were now taking turns looking after him; Lawrence and Annie have had their home condemned and have been forced to move out, but Roz has no idea where they've gone. Drove back to Bakewell Street and listened to some football on R5Live...sounded like a great game at St James's Park.

Tuesday 3rd March 2026

Woke at 0415....took ages to get back to sleep, despite taking sleep aid tablets before bedtime. Got up and descended for porridge. Drove into Basford for a 0930 start...knackered already, and it's only Tuesday! Bev the choreographer was in today...haven't seen her for over 25 years. She looks a little worn down, but still bubbly and energetic. She filled me in on the state of play regarding Howard Gray and his brain tumour diagnosis...it sounds as though they have had some success in shrinking the tumour, but the biopsy left him paralysed down his left side. She confirmed that he's working, though...remarkable! Took a short walk down King Street during the lunch break...it was relatively warm on the sunny side of the street. More choreography in the afternoon session...hard work. Andy Billington, who had been the stage manager on the 1991 and 1993 productions of Good Golly, had come in to take rehearsal photos...he's now a renowned theatre, and wedding photographer. Microwaved a butter chicken dinner with basmati rice in the dinner break before a further hour's rehearsal. Aki phoned from the Hammersmith Apollo, sounding very excited about the imminent David Byrne gig...Noel Gallagher was sat in the seat in front of her! Drove down the London Road to do a bit of shopping at Tesco, then drove back to Bakewell Street. Sat in the car for a bit listening to the Leeds v Sunderland game...the Mackems scraped a narrow 1-0 away win!

Monday 2nd March 2026

Woke around 0400...took ages to get back to sleep. Got up around 0845. Descended for porridge in the kitchen, and prepared a packed lunch. Drove in to the theatre for a 1030 warm-up. Mostly music rehearsal today. Had a zoom session with our accent coach. I was surprised to learn that I was to sing Shakin' Stevens' "This Old House". Had a go at it after lunch, and did a little scene work with Polly in the breakout room. Broke for dinner...microwaved some lasagne and greens. More singing in the evening session..."This Old House", and "Hit the Road Jack". Voice felt very weary once we knocked things on the head a little after 2000. Drove back to Bakewell Street. Disappointed to learn that Thursday's call won't end until 2000...had been lead to believe it would be 1800, allowing us to get to the open mic night. Messaged James suggesting I might abandon plans to sing "Lady Eleanor"...see how I feel on Thursday evening. FaceTimed Aki from the car...she and Kath were watching telly, having enjoyed a fish supper. They are due to meet Roz for dinner tomorrow evening prior to attending the David Byrne concert at the Hammersmith Apollo. Settled in my room to listen to The World Tonight...updates on Trump's on-going attacks on Iran...all very depressing. Twat!

Sunday 1st March 2026

Woke around 0800. Descended for porridge. Started packing. Drove Aki to the Metro station at Callerton Parkway to begin her journey back to London. Said our farewells at the station...I then drove to Kingston Park to do a shop at M&S, and fill the car up with petrol. Grabbed a Costa coffee. Drove back to High View to start cooking the Sunday lunch...roast chicken, roast potatoes, and a cauliflower cheese, followed by tiramisu. Dad didn't eat much, though he managed to demolish the tiramisu without a problem. Packed my stuff into the car boot and said my goodbyes. Decided to follow the satnav, which recommended heading west...I assumed to Carlisle, but it insisted on taking me over the Pennines via the A686, through Alston. Stopped briefly to take in the view from Hartside, 1,903 feet above sea level, though the view was somewhat dominated by a blanket of grey cloud. The weather got increasingly grim the further west I ventured...and there was a lot of spray on the M6 southbound. Traffic got very busy after the Manchester junction, presumably with Man United fans coming away from the game at Old Trafford. Got to Bakewell Street around 1845. Unpacked the car, and said hello to Lyndsey, who was busy baking Parkin. I heated up my M&S spaghetti meatballs, and retreated to my cold and damp room. FaceTimed Aki who had gotten home in one piece. She's hosting Kath tomorrow, ahead of their trip to Hammersmith to see David Byrne.
 

Saturday 28th February 2026

Woke around 0900 and descended for porridge. Kath popped out to see a client and do a bit of a shop. Aki and I walked down to Darras Hall Broadway for a coffee at No.9, and picked up some paracetamol supplies from Boots for dad. Back in time for a light lunch. Drove mum and Aki down to Ponteland for a walk in Pont Park...a lot of snowdrops were on show. Got back to the car just as it started to rain, so drove back to High View for a cuppa tea and a biscuit. I cooked a beef in Guinness stew for dinner, with mashed potato and vegetables, followed by semolina pudding and strawberry jam. Watched a bit of telly before bed...
 

Friday 27th February 2026

Woke around 0700...dozed for half-an-hour. Showered. Got some gear together and packed it in the car boot. Set off for Newcastle (-on-Tyne). Took the M6 up to Manchester, then across the Pennines via the M62, and from thence to Newcastle on the A1(M), stopping briefly at Wetherby service station on the way. Jim and Emma had tied the knot at Newcastle Civic Centre earlier in the morning, in the company of Kathryn, and Emma's sister Penny, who acted as witnesses. I got to High View in time to join mum, dad, Aki and Kath for lunch. Dad looked OK, but in too much pain to contemplate attending the reception in Byker, so I drove myself, Aki, Kath and mum in. The reception was being held in a small local brewery out toward Walker. 

We entered the downstairs bar area, which was pretty well packed...met Penny, and Emma's son Ronan. Mum's young piano pupil, Sienna, was there with her dad...he's an ex-professional rugby player...and is built like a brick outhouse! We were ushered upstairs to attend a wee ceremony presided over by Jim's mate, Martin, who was acting as celebrant. He gave a rather long, and rather dull speech, and Jim and Emma exchanged vows before the assembled guests, to the accompaniment of Finn on beer barrel!

We were then ushered by the staff back downstairs while they readied the space for the pizza party. It was very noisy, and no-one seemed up for directing mum to a seat, so she decided she wanted to go home. I drove her back to High View...got there just as dad was serving up a cauliflower cheese for dinner. I drove back to Byker and got there just in time for the pizzas. A small dancefloor had been cleared at one end of the rather narrow room, and the House Devils, a Celtic trio who delivered a rousing mix of Irish trad, Johnny Cash, and Celtic ceilidh tunes, played and called a couple of country dance routines. It looked like a rugby scrum...presumably Sienna's dad was in the middle of it somewhere! We left about 2100 and I drove Aki and Kath back to High View...the end of a long and exhausting day!