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...