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!