Thursday 21st May 2026

Woke around 0630 with back ache. Sat up in bed for a bit. Eventually rose for tea and porridge. Spent half-an-hour or so on the roof, cleaning the skylight, and clearing up the moss that falls off next door's church roof, having gained access via Rebecca and Sushi's roof garden. They are away on holiday in Cyprus. Aki cleaned our front window, and did a bit of gardening. I made lunch...poached eggs and ham. We took a bus up to Highgate and visited Kenwood House to see the single Vermeer in the Iveagh Bequest collection...there's also a Rembrandt self-portrait. I was surprised by just how many paintings are in the collection, as we wandered from room-to-room. Very impressive. Back home, I warmed up the last of the chicken and mushroom pie for dinner, followed by cheese and biscuits. Phoned Kath, who was at 12 High View. She and mum had been out in the back garden, working...dad not fit enough to join them. He's been in much pain of late, and has been taking a stronger painkiller, despite it making him nauseous. Watched a bit of telly...stumbled across The Elon Musk Show...an extraordinary, and very chilling, documentary charting the rise of Musk and what his ambitions may mean for the rest of us!!!

Wednesday 20th May 2026

Aki up early to prepare herself for Rowing Club...she brought me a mug of tea. Got up as she cycled off, and had my breakfast bowl. Made some lentil soup for lunch. Walked down to Highbury and had a coffee before heading to Egerton Pharmacy next door for a 1030 ear suction appointment with Samira. She was great, and gave both ears an over-due vacuuming! Walked back home via Waitrose and the Amazon lockers at The Junction to pick up my Italian tutor book. Aki back for lunch...the soup went down well. We headed into town to watch "La Grazia", Paolo Sorrentino's latest movie, at The Garden Cinema. It was majestic...funny, humane, intelligent, and a feast for the eyes. Jumped on a No.91 bus back home. Aki cooked pasta for dinner, with a tomato sauce, fried mushrooms, and vegetables. Watched "Get Back"... got halfway through episode 2 before bath and bed.

Tuesday 19th May 2026

Woke around 0815. Back giving me a bit of gip, but relatively minor this morning. Got up and made breakfast bowls, and brought tea back to bed. Read some more Mirror & The Light before rising. Aki went off to tai chi. Pea soup for lunch when she returned. She got a phone call from Ha-chan in Osaka...she had been discharged from hospital, and is now recovering at home. Good news! I popped across the road to pick up my statins from Dev's. Finished reading The Mirror & The Light...it's very succinctly put together, telling a complex tale with great clarity. Warmed up chicken and mushroom pie for dinner, with lots of vegetables. Watched Later With Jools...on the iPlayer. Arsenal win the title after Man City are held to a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth...lots of celebratory car horns going off until the early hours in the surrounding streets...a neighbour posted a photo of her husband celebrating with the one-and-only Ian Wright, who had turned up to join in the fun!

Monday 18th May 2026

 

Woke around 0645. Back ached a bit, so sat up in bed for a while before nodding back off. Got up and made a breakfast pot, and tea. Sat down with Aki to book some more Sicilian accommodation...just left Palermo to sort out. Headed in to town. Took the tube to Leicester Square, and walked up to Foyles. Aki got in the queue at the cafe, whilst I sought out and paid for a copy of the RSC adaptation of Hilary Mantel's "The Mirror & the Light". I've been handed the role of the Duke of Norfolk for the rehearsed reading...rehearsals start on Sunday. We enjoyed soup and a chicken sandwich, then walked across to Covent Garden to watch "Kohuko" at The Garden Cinema. Fabulous film...set in the world of Kabuki theatre...the dance sequences were sublime. Caught a No.91 bus back to Holloway. Very busy...Arsenal are hosting Burnley in their final home game of the season tonight. Aki cooked mackerel, Japanese style, for dinner...very tasty! Watched a bit of telly. Oh, and Arsenal won 1-0, so are now 5 points clear of Man City...if Man City fail to win tomorrow evening, then Arsenal will claim the title.

Sunday 17th May 2026

Woke around 0815...back not too bad, for a change. I'm guessing that I didn't roll over onto my side during the night. Got up and brought tea back to bed. Aki cooked omelette for brunch before cycling off to Rowing Club. I did some research on hotels in Taormina...found one within walking of the ancient Greek Amphitheatre. Did my exercises. Aki lunched at the Clubhouse, so I just made do with avocado on toast. I popped out to Waitrose to get some ingredients to make a chicken and vegetable pie, and prepped it all before Aki got back. Spoke to Paul Jones on the phone and arranged to go see Sean O'Callaghan in Richard III at Stafford Gatehouse at the end of June. Aki booked train tickets. Cooked my pie...served up with peas and broccoli. Watched some telly before bath and bed...

Saturday 16th May 2026

Woke around 0730 with back ache...got up and did some back exercises before returning to bed for a bit. Eventually rose to cook brunch. We did some research on travel plans for Sicily. Walked over to Waitrose to buy some provisions. Bumped into Tom at the Greek church next door...mentioned we were planning to visit Syracuse, in Sicily, but once part of the Greater Greek Empire...he told us that there are still pockets of Greek speaking locals in south-east Sicily. Aki cooked salmon teriyaki for dinner, with rice and vegetables. Watched Phillip Ridley's "The Reflecting Skin"...a 1990 venture into the movies for the great playwright...beautifully shot and lit, but his magical writing was forced into the background, and as a result, the narrative didn't quite take off. 

Friday 15th May 2026

Woke around 0430. Got back to sleep. Aki had headed off to Rowing Club by the time I woke again. Got up at 0945 and porridged. Coffee. Did some exercises. Aki back for lunch. Pottered about not getting much done. Popped out to the Post Office. Bumped into Lynne in the hall who said she was off to Madagascar in a couple of weeks time! She's got another quote for roof work...£23,000. Said I'd try and identify a couple more possible roofers for quotations. Read some before warming up the chicken and apple for dinner, with orzo and vegetables. Drove over to Stoke Newington to see Bee's production of "Clyde's". Very impressed by the seedy kitchen set. The five actors were good...hadn't seen any of them before. The two younger guys were awesome. Bee can be proud of her first Tower production, though some of the scene transitions felt a bit clunky, and lighting and sound required a slightly more subtle approach. 

Thursday 14th May 2026

Woke around 0815 with back ache. Sat up in bed for a bit...Aki brought me a mug of tea. Got up and breakfasted on fruit and yoghurt. Did some exercises before vacuuming. Aki made hummus. Grey day...threatening rain. Tinned mackerel for lunch. Sun came out in between the showers over the course of the afternoon. Aki cooked a carbonara for dinner. Watched some telly...the fast paced "The Bear", and a recent small screen adaptation of "Shogun"...the former was very impressive, the latter a bit silly and OTT. The News followed by bath and bed...

Wednesday 13th May 2026

Woke around 0815. Aki already up, readying herself for Rowing Club. I took a mug of tea back to bed for a bit. Eventually rose and made a fruit bowl with yoghurt and granola, inspired by some of the breakfasts we'd enjoyed in Rotterdam. Did some exercises. Sat about listening to music until Aki got home for her lunch. Cullen skink from a tin. Popped out between hail storms to buy some odds and ends ahead of making this evening's dinner. Cooked a chicken tray bake with apple, mustard and cider, with roast sweet potato and vegetables, washed down with a glass of cider. Left Aki to tidy up, and set off for Stoke Newington in the car...journey was delayed due to the fact that the Arsenal Ladies had a game on at the Emirates. Got to the theatre late and joined the auditionees in the Tuerk Studio...about 12 of us, taking it in turns to read for Henry VIII, Cromwell, Dr Butts, and young Wyatt, in an adaptation of Hilary Mantel's "The Mirror & The Light". Enjoyed myself. Found Kathleen from No.49 sat in the bar...had a brief chat before Amanda, the AD, sat down with us, and they complained about having to negotiate the changing moods of Bianca, who has been directing "Clydes", which opened this evening. I thought it politic to excuse myself before the interval, and the risk of being collared in the bar by Bianca...awkward! Drove home. We watched the final 20 minutes of "Get Back"...the episode ended with George walking out on The Beatles. Enjoyed Michael Portillo as he investigated Japan by rail. Bath and bed...

Tuesday 12th May 2026

Woke around 0830 with back pain...not too bad, as I think I managed to sleep on my back for most of the night. Aki got up to put the washing on, and receive a work phone call. I hung out the washing...nice sunny day, but a chilly north-westerly wind. Porridged. Aki cycled off to tai chi. I pottered about, finishing my unpacking, and catching up with my blog. Aki briefly returned, before cycling off again, to the fishmonger's on Essex Road. Light lunch. Walked over to Waitrose to do a shop, then drove Aki up to Helen and Martin's to pick up some tomato plants. Aki cooked sea bass for dinner, with pearl barley and vegetables...very tasty. Watched some more of Episode 1 of "Get Back"...really enjoyed watching the embryonic Get Back song in creation...started out as an anti-racist protest song following Enoch Powell's "Rivers of Blood" speech! Bath and bed...

Monday 11th May 2026

Woke around 0830. Got up and took a shower before we headed downstairs for breakfast. Packed our bags, checked out, and left our baggage with reception, then took a final wander about the locale...popped in to the World Trade Centre, which has recently been re-furbished and re-configured. Impressive modern feel. Walked across to the Markthal...Aki keen to buy herring and onions for lunch on the train later. When we came out it was pouring with rain, so we took a tram to Beurs and walked up to the famous department store for a coffee...basically, it looks like a big John Lewis's. 

Walked back to the hotel to pick up our baggage, and walked to the Central station to get the Eurostar back to London town. The waiting room is rather pokey, and requires people to cram in to a lift to descend to platform level to meet the train...mad! Journey was OK...in fact, we arrived at St Pancras about half-an-hour earlier than expected! Walked round to York Way to catch a No.91 bus home. Unpacked. Cooked up some pasta for dinner, with pesto sauce and fried mushrooms. Sat and watched episode 1 of the Beatles documentary, Get Back. Bath and bed...

Sunday 10th May 2026

Bad back woke me around 0645. Sat up for a bit before nodding back off. It was 1000 when I woke again. Aki boiled the kettle for tea. Wandered through the city centre...most of it looks a bit like Milton Keynes, sadly. 

Eventually happened upon a cafe for brunch. Continued our amble, which took us through the MuseumPark, past the mirror ball of The Depot, to the Remy Koolhaas's Kunsthal. 

Paid to get in for a leisurely browse...really enjoyed the Flowers Forever exhibition, which took in all sorts of different tangents...politics, economics, art, botany...it was never dull, as there was always something interesting around the next corner. 

Took a break for a beverage in the cafe, then took in some smaller exhibition halls before walking down to the Maas. 

Had dinner at Loos Grand Cafe...food was great, but the loos were a big disappointment! Had a wander around the marina, then walked slowly back to the hotel...

Saturday 9th May 2026

Woke around 0600…bad back. Sat up for a bit before managing to get back to sleep. Woke again around 0900. We decided to try the hotel breakfast. Buffet style…but very good. Aki enquired about moving to a room with bath instead of shower so that she can more easily bathe whilst keeping her injured knee dry…to my surprise the request was granted, and we moved to the room next door. 

Headed for the central station and hopped on a train to Delft…only a ten minute ride. Very comfortable seats…we realised we’d been sat in first class. Wandered around the streets bordering the canals in the town centre. Had a sit down at a cafe in the market square and enjoyed a coke before heading for the rendezvous point for the canal tour. 

There were about 40 ladies of a certain age all dressed in purple, sporting red hats…they turned out to be the internationally renowned Red Hat Society…there were loads of them roaming the streets! They all piled onto one boat and headed off, looking like a cargo of tulips from Amsterdam! Wandered across town to the Vermeer Centre...a museum of sorts, though containing only reproductions of the great man's work, in the former St Luke's Guild House, of which Vermeer was once head. Enjoyed a couple of modernist re-interpretations, and re-created a Vermeer with Aki as my muse. 

Wandered the streets and crossed the charming canals, and then made our way to the old Armoury, which now houses a steak restaurant. I enjoyed a very tasty, chunky fillet steak...Aki had the schnitzel. A waiter managed to soak a patron in lager at the next table! He took it all in remarkably good stead. 

Wandered down to the southern harbour for a beer on a barge bar, and watched the boats coming and going. Also paid one final homage to Vermeer, finding the spot from which he had painted his View of Delft. Took a train back to Rotterdam. Wandered north of the central station and found a bar in Provienstraat, an area that managed to survive the Nazi bombing campaign...sat out on the street for a beer before walking back to the hotel for a much needed bath!

Friday 8th May 2026

Woke at 0545 with back ache. Sat up in bed for half an hour before nodding back off. Woke again at 0900. Got up and made tea before limping across the road for breakfast at Served, a modern cafe serving breakfast bowls and sandwiches in crusty flatbread. Popped back to the hotel room to pick up a backpack, then headed for the metro…took the E line to The Hague. Took about half an hour…we pottered along through verdant open country and satellite villages…quite a lot of new housing developments going up. It all looks very calm and civilised. Alighted at the Central station…browsed in The Hague tourist information store at the station and picked up a few silly gifts emblazoned with The Hague moniker. 

Walked to the Mauritshuis…a magnificent C17th mansion built by a local slave trader and sugar plantation owner. It now houses a collection of Dutch Masters…Vermeer’s breathtaking View of Delft, Rembrandt’s self portrait, and the main attraction, Girl With a Pearl Earring. Got to see the delicate Goldfinch, too. Wandered up to the Mesdag, stopping for coffee and cheesecake on the way, and gawped at the Freedom Palace, now housing the International Court of Justice…a small group of protesters had gathered around a banner calling for the release of Venezuelan political prisoners...from whom, it wasn't clear. 

Hopped on a tram to Sheveningen and walked along the Prom. Ate fish and chips in the Herringhouse near the fishing harbour. Caught a bus back to the central station, then metro back to Leuvenhaven. Wandered around the dock looking for a harbourside bar, but couldn’t find anywhere; walked back toward the hotel, stopping for a beer at Grace, a large brasserie with tables on the street. Could barely walk by the time we got back to our room! 

Thursday 7th May 2026

Alarm at 0530. Got up and made tea. Packed our bags and headed for a No.91 bus to KX to catch the 0816 Eurostar train to Rotterdam. Long queues at St Pancras but got through border control in good time…had a coffee in the waiting area before boarding. Rolled into Rotterdam Centraal at 1230 local time and walked to the Hilton hotel. 

Our room was ready so we left our luggage there then headed out to find lunch at the very modern Markthal, taking a couple of Metro trains to get there. Enjoyed a piri piri chicken sandwich at a little Portuguese food stall. Wandered over to the kube housing development and paid €4 to look inside one, which had been turned into an art exhibit. 

Very pokey accommodation and we were horrified by the steep and narrow stair casing…wondered how many residents had met their end falling down the stairs! Took a couple of trams down to Wilhelmina Platz, crossing the Erasmus Bridge. Wandered along the dockside to take a look at the floating houses, and then took seats at the New York Hotel for an early dinner. Built in 1901 to put up those wishing to emigrate to the Americas. Food was OK, the service excellent. Got a ride in an Uber…a Tesla driven by a charming young man from Cape Verde…to the New Instituut of Architecture for a guided tour of the current exhibition extolling the virtues of fungi…there were about eight of us, and the guide was excellent, encouraging much participation…he was particularly impressed with my reading out some of the exhibition text, offering me a permanent role! Got a couple of trams back to the hotel, showered, and crashed out…!!!

Wednesday 6th May 2026

Woke around 0800...back and neck giving me right gip. Got up and made tea. Sat up in bed for awhile before rising to porridge. Did some exercises in a partially successful bid to reduce the discomfort. Did some chores...a bit of ironing, and some packing ahead of our departure for Rotterdam tomorrow morning. Aki cooked a tasty cheesey omelette for lunch. Pottered about not doing very much. Feel very stiff and uncomfortable. Aki popped out to Morrisons in the drizzle. Finished off the mapo for dinner, with rice and gyoza. Cheese and biscuits for afters. Early night ahead of tomorrow’s adventure…

Tuesday 5th May 2026

Woke around 0830...back giving me gip, but not as bad as yesterday morning. Got up and made tea. Aki put more washing on. Porridged. Did some exercises, trying to alleviate the discomfort in my back and neck...think I'm going to have to try a few cannabis cafes in Rotterdam! Made some lunch...finished off the butter beans. Headed for Kings Cross for our annual meeting with Stuart, Aki's financial adviser. Had arranged to hook up with him at Kings Place for a coffee and a chat. We sat outside overlooking the canal basin. The conclusion was that Aki's investments have done well...keep things as they are for the present. We parted ways around 1600...Aki headed for Sweaty Betty's at Kings Cross, and I headed to Oxford Circus to the Vans shoe store. Wended my way home via Euston, where I hopped on a No.91 bus. Aki was already home when I got in...cooking the pasta, which we had with pesto and prawns. Drove over to Stoke Newington to see the Tower Theatre production of "Jerusalem", Jez Butterworth's acclaimed state of the nation play. It was a cut above the usual Tower fare...strong central performance, though two or three weak links...but well directed, and the set was pretty good too. Bumped into Sorrel, who directed the panto last Xmas...she's hoping to be in this year's offering. Drove home...traffic got very heavy around Finsbury Park, the Arsenal having played their European Champions League semi-final second leg tonight against Atletico Madrid...they won 2-1 on aggregate, so the streets were swarming with celebrating Gooners! 

Monday 4th May 2026

Woke around 0700 in pain...neck and upper back. Had to haul myself out of bed and do some exercises in the living-room...lay down on the floor for a bit...it eased things, but didn't eradicate the discomfort. I don't think my groove pillow is going to work with our mattress. Sat and listened to some tunes before Aki appeared. Breakfasted on butter beans in tomato sauce on toast, with cheese on top. Pottered about putting stuff away and Aki did my washing, before we walked up to The Great Indian for lunch with Ben from No.38, and Jane and Carlos from No.36. Carlos had literally only just returned from Heathrow, having met Jane off the plane from New York...amazed they had the energy to come. The food was great, and reasonably priced. Aki and I walked on to Waitrose to buy some loo roll. I bought a new electric toothbrush, as they were going half-price! Aki cooked fish for dinner, with pan fried sweet potatoes, before she hooked up for an online meet with her JCUK chums. I listened to some music. We watched the Netflix documentary, narrated by Attenborough, following descendants of the troop of gorillas he interacted with in 1978. Bath and bed...eventually!

Sunday 3rd May 2026

Alarm at 0830. Dozed for a bit before descending to make tea. Emptied my food cupboard. Packed up some more of my possessions and, with Aki's help, stuck some stuff in the boot of the car. No sign of mein hosts...they'd left instructions for putting their washing in the tumble dryer, though. 

Aki did that, but discovered that one of their number had evidently left a tissue in their trousers, which had re-constituted itself as confetti...tissue bits everywhere! Drove down to King Street to pick up Kath and Roz from outside the Guest House, and drove them to Spode for coffee. Aki and I shared oatcakes, and tea for two in blue Spode...very decorous. Dropped Roz off at the newly opened pick up/drop off point on the east side of Stoke station, then drove round to the south side to drop Kath off...had a brief wander through the Goods Yard redevelopment and picked up a chicken caesar wrap from the little cafe there to have on our car journey back to London town. Drove back to Bakewell Street and packed the rest of my stuff into the back of the car then headed down the M6...stopped off at Norton Canes service station to eat our wrap and swap drivers...Aki drove the rest of the way back to Holloway. Got home around 1630 and unloaded the car. Aki warmed up mapo for dinner, with rice and greens...very tasty. Toasted my return with a glass of Guinness apiece. Watched a TV special on the Making of Life on Earth to mark David Attenborough's 100th birthday...very moving, especially his 1978 encounter with the mountain gorillas of Rwanda. Soaked in a bath before flopping into bed around 2330...

Saturday 2nd May 2026

Woke at 0545. Managed to get back to sleep eventually. Got up around 0930 to make tea...Aidan in the kitchen preparing to journey south to watch Huddersfield Town take on Wimbledon in their final game of a mediocre season. Showered. Made a packed dinner to take to the theatre. Rather overcast morning. 

Drove down to Newcastle for brunch at the Greek Bakery...feasted on my last pork gyro. Then up the hill to the theatre for 1230 warm-up ahead of the matinee...only 150 in, our lowest audience, but loads of them were up dancing by the end. Ate my dinner in the atrium with the gang, before heading to the car with some bits and pieces. Bumped into Aki, Kath, and Roz coming from the Clayhanger Guest House where Kath and Roz had checked in. Joined them at their table in the restaurant for a quick chat...Cath has been discharged from hospital and is at home receiving palliative care...it doesn't sound as though she has long. Phil has been running round making funerary plans. Warmed up for the evening show...about 225 in, but they were raucous. One guy, who was evidently on the sauce, seemed to find Grandad absolutely hilarious, even when I was at my most serious...very odd! Standing ovation at the end...Kath, Aki and Roz all on the crowded dancefloor for the encore. Great final show! A fitting end to my professional career! Things got a bit emotional in the bar as we said our long goodbyes...Sam and Shirley, particularly, got me teared up, saying how much they'd learnt watching my performances every night...very sweet. It was raining heavily, so I gave Kath and Roz a lift down the hill to the Guest House, then drove Aki back to Bakewell Street...got to bed around midnight!

Friday 1st May 2026

Woke around 0630. Had to get up to do some back stretches! Went back to bed before rising around 0945 to make tea. Had a brief kick about with Wilson in the back garden. Lovely sunny morning. Showered before driving over to Hanley to pick up Tony and Katrina from the Premier Inn. Drove them over to Middleport Pottery for brunch by the canal. Enjoyed a full English. Had a browse around the gallery, and forked out £90 for a gorgeous little flower pot by a Korean ceramicist. Drove Tony and Katrina to Stoke station, then did a little shopping in Sainsburys before returning to Bakewell Street. Played football with Wilson out in the back garden for a bit. 

Made a packed dinner and drove in to the theatre for a 1600 cast de-brief in the Youth Room with the SM and Management Team. Not much to report, really. Ate my dinner on a bench in the theatre back garden before warm up. About 200 in this evening...very lively bunch! Got a lot of enthusiastic dancers up...great show. Drove back to Bakewell Street and fed Wilson some cheese and carrot before retiring to my room.