Tuesday 16th June 2026

Aki up at 0730 to ready herself for a dental appointment. She brought me a mug of tea before cycling off. I got up and uploaded the photos from yesterday's inspections, and started writing up the notes. All done by 1130...not a big job, so not much in the pay packet! Put lunch together once Aki had returned from tai chi. Helped Aki tidy up after she attacked the hedge with the trimmer. Watched France defeat Senegal 3-1. Aki cooked sea bass for dinner, with white beans and vegetables. Showered. Came out of the shower just in time to see Iraq equalise against Norway....though Haaland made it 2-1 within a couple of minutes. I retired for the night at half-time.

Monday 15th June 2026

Alarm at 0800. Got up and made tea. Porridged. Headed for Camberley in the car on inspections for Accent Housing. Made a pitstop at Heston Services on the M4. Found myself looking at property very close to an address I had for cousin Beryl...parked up at Carlin Place on the off-chance, having failed to get through on the phone, and as I stepped out of the car I found myself face-to-face with her daughter, Lisa! She'd just dropped her mum off after a shopping trip...and guided me round to Beryl's flat where I surprised her in the living-room. Had a cuppa tea and a biscuit...and a brief catch-up. They've both had a rough couple of years, Beryl with the loss of Eddie, and Lisa with the loss of her son Daniel...so they'd just got back from a well-deserved holiday in Marrakech. Daniel had been taken by sepsis following the strangulation of his long-standing umbilical hernia. They said they may venture north to visit mum...but we'll see. I got back in the car and continued my inspections. Ate my sandwich in the car on a small infill development north-east of the town centre, then finished up in Camberley before driving on to my final port of call in Bagshot. Very warm in the car...23C outside. Drove home via Heston Services, getting back to Holloway around 1630. Watched a bit of the Spain v Cape Verde game...0-0 at halftime. Popped out to Sainsbury's to put some petrol in the car and get a receipt for my expenses...by the time I got back Cape Verde had successfully negotiated a 0-0 draw...astonishing! Shredded pork shoulder for dinner with sweet potatoes and stir-fried vegetables. Watched the Belgium v Egypt match, which finished in a draw, before bathing. Caught the end of the Saudi v Uruguay game...another draw...before retiring.

Sunday 14th June 2026

Got up around 1000. Aki cycled off to Rowing Club. Porridged. Took a slow walk to Highbury Fields. Bought coffee and a pastry from the Dusty Knuckle van and sat on a bench under a tree. Very pleasant morning. Walked back home via Waitrose on Holloway Road. Put lunch together before Aki got back. Watched Emma Raducanu take on Vekic in the final from Queens Club...Emma wasn't at the races and lost the first set 6-0, but could and should have taken the second set...she let it slip through her fingers, and the Croat raised the trophy. Read some Dickens. Warmed up the n'duja sauce and meatballs for dinner, which we ate with pappardelle and vegetables, followed by cheese, and creme caramel. Watched Germany v Curacao...astonishingly, the Caribbean minnows scored to make it 1-1 after 20 minutes...but went down 7-1 in the end! Watched some more of the "Get Back" documentary before settling down for the Japan v Netherlands game. Japan played well, and deserved their 2-2 draw...

Saturday 13th June 2026

Got up around 0900. Cooked brunch. Set about fitting the grille over the hole in the wall above the boiler. Had to vacuum out the squirrel droppings first! Awkward space to work in...the walls turned out to be plasterboard cavity...so the rawl plugs I put in failed to work...had to use special plasterboard fixings...lost the head off my ratchet screwdriver in the process...it disappeared behind the boiler somewhere! Eventually succeeded in getting the grille fixed in place, and tidied up. Settled down to watch Emma Raducanu's quarter-final win against Rakhimova. Lunched on pici and cheese sauce with fried mushrooms. More tennis...semi-final Boulter v Vekic...Vekic came out on top. Then Emma was back on for her semi-final tussle with the exciting Iva Jovic...she was a set up when we had to leave for Stamford Hill, though we managed to watch as Emma took the match, on my iphone as we took the No.253 bus to Clapton Common. Walked down to the Rowing Club where Kate and her partner, Titus, were celebrating their 70th birthdays. We sat out on the balcony overlooking the River Lea. Really enjoyed the food...bussed in from Rasa in Stoke Newington...went back for seconds. A handful of Aki's rowing mates had been invited, and we sat with them. Ended the evening having a jig about to The Stamford Hillbillies, before walking back up to catch a bus home from the Common. Watched the Brazil v Morocco game...Morocco were fantastic, but the game ended 1-1.

Friday 12th June 2026

Aki up with alarm at 0730 to ready for Rowing Club. I enjoyed tea and porridge in bed. Got up around 0900 and showered before wandering up to Crouch Hill to get some odds and ends in Tesco. Overcast day, but it promises to brighten over the weekend. Aki back in time for lunch. Made some lentil daal. Watched some tennis from Queen's Club. Emma through to the quarter-finals. Early dinner...warmed up the last of the chicken curry, eaten with the daal, and rice. Katie Boulter doing well against the world No.1, Rybakina, when we left for Pimlico. Aki had tickets for Member's Night at Tate Britain. Free to wander around the galleries...stopped to listen to a string quartet and take advantage of the pop-up bar. Took in the Hurvin Anderson exhibition, where I spotted comedian Ivor Dembina. Had a brief chat to suss out what he's up to...preparing a couple of pieces to take up to Edinburgh in August. I promised to go catch his work-in-progress at the Camden Comedy Club. Also had time to take in the James MacNeil Whistler exhibition...some stunning etchings, and the later large portraits in oil are very impressive, including the famous one of his mother. Really enjoyed ourselves. It was almost dark when we came out at around 2200, and made for home...

Thursday 11th June 2026

Got up around 0930. Tea. Porridge. Looks like rain all day...unlikely to get any tennis from Queens Club. Wandered over to the DIY shop and bought a grill to put over the squirrel hole above the boiler. Warmed up lentil soup for lunch. Did a bit of prep ahead of fitting the grill...couldn't face cleaning up the squirrel pooh...postponed that bit until tomorrow! Aki made a carbonara for dinner. Ate early before heading for Paddington. Took the tube to Warwick Avenue, and walked to The Bridge House, which hosts the Canal Cafe Theatre. We were there to see Sam Brenton, who played Stevie in Good Golly Miss Molly, in the weekly NewsRevue...he's got the MD gig for six weeks. Arrived in good time, so took a stroll along the canal towards Paddington Basin...very lively...lots of bars and restaurants. Bought beers in the Bridge House and took our seats in the tiny theatre upstairs...very cramped seating, around small round tables. It was a sell out. Shirley, Alice, Connor, and his girlfriend showed up just as the revue was about to start. The four performers gave 100%...there were loads of spoof songs, which were very cleverly put together, but I struggled to catch lyrics as their voices weren't great. Sam banged out tunes and covering music on the piano at the back...impressive stuff, but I wanted more sketches, less song and dance. The audience were sent away happy, and we congregated outside for a drink and a catch up. Shirley is looking for more theatre work, though mindful that it needs to fit in with her bringing up her kids; Alice will be doing panto at Clwydd at Xmas; Connor is MD for an amateur production of Kinky Boots in Crayford. Had a great chat with Rosie, one of Sam's many half-aunts, who has been living and working in Norway. An enjoyable evening...we promised to try and plan to meet up to see Georgie in The Wife in Eastbourne in August. Aki and I got the tube to Cally Road, and a bus home from there...

Wednesday 10th June 2026

Woke at 0900. Got up. Tea. Porridge. Grey day. Aki made amaretti biscuits...she sent me out to purchase more ground almonds. Watched a bit of tennis from Queens before putting lunch together. Headed into town...had tickets for a sound installation in The Pit...Lee "Scratch" Perry's final recording before he died last year, mixed with the electronic sounds of Mouse on Mars...been enjoying listening to the album, Spatial, No Problem, so intrigued by the notion of a sound installation, The visuals were, in the event, disappointing...four large painted sheets hung in the space, with animations projected on top...the result was a bit of a mess of indecipherable images. Closed our eyes and listened to the the grooves, but came out thinking we could have listened at home whilst lying on the floor with the lights off! Enjoyed a small beer on the forecourt afterward, then walked back to Moorgate to catch the train back to Finsbury Park. Warmed up some fish stew for dinner, with orzo and vegetables. Watched a bit of England's friendly against Costa Rica, their final match before the World Cup kicks off tomorrow; got bored and went to bed...

Tuesday 9th June 2026

Woke around 0500. Managed to nod back off. Got up around 0900. Porridged. Aki prepared to depart for a JCUK meet, so she partook of an early lunch before departing for town. I wandered across to Waitrose to buy some odds and ends...polpette for dinner tonight. Came home and put some lunch together. Watched Emma Raducanu demolish her round 1 opposition at Queens Club. Made a sofritto to go with a jar of tomato and n'duja sauce, which we had on pappardelle with lots of fried vegetables. Got up on the roof via the ladder...Sush came out onto his side for a fag, followed by Rebecca. Had to listen to Sush burbling on telling me I ought to rebuild the whole roof!!! Aki joined us via their front door and took a few photos. We lifted Sush's astroturf, which sits on his side of the parapet...not signs of damage to the fibreglass bridge underneath. No signs of failed jointing to the sarnafil on our side...it's a mystery! 

Monday 8th June 2026

Woke at 0130, and again at 0630, but managed to get back to sleep. Got up at 0900 and brought a mug of tea back to bed with me. Rose at 1000 for porridge. Raining heavily...need to get myself up on the sodding flat roof at some point! Spent most of the remainder of the morning trawling through Which? recommended roofers. Phoned dad...he seemed in good spirits...eagerly awaiting the official launch of his novel on the 19th. Put lunch together. We wandered over to do a shop at Waitrose, in between the showers. Aki cooked a chicken curry for dinner, with daal and rice. Watched some tennis from Queens Club. Aki had an early bath, and I watched some of episode 3 of "Get Back"...charming footage of young Heather McCartney in the studio with her step dad as he sang and recorded "The Long & Winding Road"...

Sunday 7th June 2026

Woke around 0630 to find I'd wet myself! Not profusely, but I was a bit shocked. It seems I have become as leaky as the back bedroom roof! Sat up in bed for a bit and eventually dozed back off. Porridged. Got up around noon. Shaved my head before showering. Pici and cheese sauce for lunch, with fried mushrooms and torchon ham. Listened to the Men's singles final between Cobolli and Zverev. Cooked a fish stew. Early dinner before heading up the road to The Shaftesbury Tavern for band rehearsal. Caught a No.91 bus, getting there at the appointed hour...George and Katherine were already there setting up, and we were joined by Ben, and Lorraine. George bought me a half a Guinness, which he then managed to spill all over the floor...spent five minutes cleaning up! Katherine had to go at 1900, so things fell apart somewhat after that, though people kept sticking their heads in to the back room saying they were loving the music. I thought it all sounded a bit rusty, to be honest. Caught a No.91 bus back down the Hornsey Road, to find Aki at the dining table eating her portion of fish stew. She had had a good time on The Broads, though the food had been a disappointment. Watched Later With Jools...rather dull fare, once again. Aki had a shower and an early night....

Saturday 6th June 2026

Woke at 0230...took a while to get back off to sleep, worrying about the leaking roof! Woke again at 0630 with some back pain, so sat up for an hour or so before nodding back off. Got up around 0930. Porridged. Did some exercises. Early dinner...warmed up a second portion of the moussaka. Headed for Tower Hill via Finsbury Park, and Kings Cross. I bought a sandwich and water at M&S for dinner after the reading. It was raining heavily when I emerged from Tower Hill tube station...I braved the wind and rain and crossed the road to the muster point outside All Hallows By The Tower, picking up a coffee from the Costa shop opposite. We sheltered under a large chestnut tree before filing in to the church as quietly as we could...the Wolf Hall Weekend event was underway in the main body of the church, so we were ushered upstairs to a small ante-room where we got settled before doing a speed run. The punters took a break in the adjoining cafe, allowing us to descend and familiarise ourselves with the rostra, our seating, and the acoustic of the church...there was a lot of natural reverb, which meant having to hit your consonants, and project...skills beyond some of our number, unfortunately. Our reading was preceded by a very interesting talk from a former RSC cast member...the play had been written for and performed by the RSC originally. We attacked the piece with pace, having to battle the acoustic, and the regular rumble of the Circle Line somewhere below our feet. We seemed to go down well. The bulk of the cast wandered across the square for dinner at the Chinese restaurant I'd recommended...I made do with my M&S sandwich and a Bakewell tart, then headed for the Hung Drawn & Quartered for a swift half...but on arrival found my phone, and thus my ability to pay for anything, had died. I hung around briefly to see if any other cast members showed up, then gave up and headed for home, walking up through the city to join the tube system at Liverpool Street. Got home around 2145. Listened to the Ladies singles final on playback...the Polish qualifier was easily beaten by a dominant Meera Andreeva, who lifted her first Grand Slam trophy at the age of nineteen. Briefly FaceTimed Aki...they had enjoyed a gala dinner this evening, ahead of the final morning's rowing tomorrow.

Friday 5th June 2026

Woke around 0630, but managed to nod back off. Woke again around 0745...got up and brought tea back to bed. Rose around 0900 and porridged. Spent another hour or so hand rolling pici...finally used up all the dough! Pottering about, I discovered a 3m long damp patch in the spare bedroom, atop the external wall, and on the ceiling! Great...just one thing after another!!! Early lunch. Listened to Zverev v Mensik in the first of the Men's singles semi-finals from Roland Garros. Did some exercises. Heated up a lamb moussaka for dinner, with lots of vegetables, before heading off to Stoke Newington on public transport. Got to the theatre in good time. Four or five people missing from this evening's run! But it went reasonably well, and we adjourned around 2115...made my way home. Got on a diverted bus, which seemed to go round in a big circle back toward Stoke Newington...got off and caught a bus from Green Lanes, changing at Manor House. FaceTimed Aki in her hotel room. They'd enjoyed today, but tomorrow's trip is under threat, as it's due to rain all day. Watched a bit of telly before retiring for the night...

Thursday 4th June 2026

Woke around 0530. Got up at 0615 and pottered about for a bit. Back actually not too bad, so don't know why I woke so early...seems to be becoming a bit of a thing! Climbed back into bed and sat up for awhile before eventually nodding off. Aki up by the time I awoke again at 0915. Got up and porridged. Did a bit of pruning of the wisteria out front before the rain started, then drove Aki up to Muswell Hill to hook up with her rowing pals...Shelley is driving her and Vicky up to Wroxham for their jolly on the Norfolk Broads. Drove back down to Holloway and dumped some stuff at the tip, then popped in to Waitrose to get provisions. Pizza for lunch, with torchon ham and salad. Listened to the Ladies Singles semi-final from Roland Garros...the Ukrainian Kostyuk v the Russian Andreeva. The match never quite took off as I'd anticipated, the Russian winning comfortably in two sets. The second semi-final between a Polish qualifier, and another Russian, was far more interesting...the qualifier had pocketed a long first set by the time I had to leave for Stoke Newington. Took a bus to Stamford Hill and walked down to Stoke Newington from there, it having stopped raining. This evening's rehearsal was treated as a dress, with a couple of invitees in the audience. Paul's Cromwell coming on a treat, but Tim's Gardiner still all over the shop...and Geoff's Kingston inaudible. It's going to prove a mixed experience for the paying punters on Saturday! I repaired next door to The Axe for a well-earned half of London Black before heading home...Aki sent photos of her base for the next three nights...Sprowston Manor...looks impressive!

Wednesday 3rd June 2026

Woke around 0430, and took a while to get back to sleep. Fitful night from there on in. Aki got up about 0830...I brought tea back to bed before rising around 1000. Porridged. Made, or rather tried, to roll my pici dough, but it was too brittle. Spent an hour or so getting virtually nowhere...lesson learned...buy dried pasta from the supermarket! Aki popped out to Waitrose for bread and leaf salad ahead of lunch. Another wet day out there! I put lunch together. Did some exercises. Tried mixing the chestnut flour dough with a white flour mix in a bid to save the day. Looked and felt better...left it to rest until tomorrow. Early dinner...warmed up Aki's chicken traybake, and added mashed potato. Kevin and Laurence from No.93 knocked us up at 1800, and we all headed off to Kennington to see a play at The White Bear...hadn't seen anything there for about 25 years! What attracted me on this occasion was the fact that the play has been directed by Simon Usher, an old favourite of mine. Partook of some exciting workshops he ran back in the mid 1980s. Got to the venue in good time to sit and have a beer before the show. The play was called "The Name", by a popular Norwegian playwright, John Fosse...it all took place in a living-room, and followed the relationships of family and lovers unable to communicate properly with each other...put across by the spare, absurdist dialogue...it was slight, but very good...John Fosse had evidently been reading his Ionesco. Aki and Laurence delighted in the lines "You never listen to me", repeatedly delivered by the young pregnant girl to her evidently disinterested boyfriend...both Kevin, and I, got the hard stare!

Tuesday 2nd June 2026

Woke around 0430 with numb forearms and hands...a condition I occasionally find myself in of a night, but usually only in one arm, which I've always assumed has been lain upon...obviously not the case this time! Woke again around 0730 with back ache. Sat up and doom-scrolled for a bit. Rose at 0915. Porridged. Raining heavily outside...forecast is for more of the same. Did some exercises. Read through my scenes in "The Mirror & The Light". Vacuumed. Put lunch together once Aki had returned from tai chi. Pottered about doing nothing very much in the afternoon as the occasional thunder storm rolled in. Aki spent most of her afternoon packing ahead of Thursday's rowing trip to the Norfolk Broads. Aki cooked a chicken risotto for dinner. Watched "The Blues Brothers" on the iPlayer...a cult movie of the 80s...what a load of codswallop! I enjoyed the cameos from the likes of James Brown, Ray Charles, and Aretha Franklin, but the film was complete and utter nonsense. Glad I didn't pay to see it when it came out!!!

Monday 1st June 2026

Woke around 0530. Got up at 0600, as my back giving me gip. Did some exercises. Aki rose around 0830 and watered her plants in the front garden. Porridged. Undertook the Imperial College health survey online, ahead of this afternoon's appointment in Belgravia. Popped across the road for some milk from Tescos...Hornsey Road, at southern junction with Seven Sisters Road, taped off by police. It seems there was a stabbing last night at around 2030...that explains the three ambulances that were stacked up outside our flat last night, spraying blue flashing lights into the living room. Broke into Lynne's flat and stuck my head out of her living-room windows in order to do a bit of wisteria pruning. Tidied up the front garden afterward. Aki put lunch together before she headed off to the dentist. I took the Victoria Line into Belgravia for my appointment on the dementia trial. Got to the Light Centre on time and got seen by a young Muslim gal, who took various measurements, a blood test, and a simple cognitive test. She said the blood test would be looking for markers for hereditary dementia, but that I wouldn't be informed either way, as I may be chosen as part of a control group. Walked over to Green Park tube station, via Buckingham Palace, and caught a train back to Finsbury Park. Cooked a prawn and creamy tomato linguine dinner, with vegetables. Watched "Is This Thing On", Bradley Cooper's movie about a bloke who's marriage splits, and he finds himself in downtown New York City looking for distraction...unwilling to hand over $15 to watch some club comedy, he signs up to do a five minute set, which is basically him ruminating on his marriage and where he finds himself...as his nascent stand-up career takes off, his estranged wife happens to see his act in a club when out on a date...and falls back in love with him...it's based on the true story of Liverpudlian comic, John Bishop...found it rather more moving than I was anticipating. A good watch!

Sunday 31st May 2026

Woke with back ache...got up and wandered about a bit before going back to bed and sitting up. Eventually managed to nod back off again. Alarm at 0800. Porridged. Decided to cycle in to Stoke Newington, as the buses I'd normally take aren't running due to the planned Arsenal Champions parade. The streets were already blocked off with barriers and wardens. Made my way around the back streets to Finsbury Park, then zig-zagged down to Clissold Park, which was also getting busy, as the route meets Green Lanes at that point. Got to the theatre in good time...bought a coffee at The Yellow Warbler over the road. We did more blocking on Act 2, then broke for lunch. I ate the remains of yesterday's focaccia sandwich on a shaded bench in Abney Park Cemetery...a pretty constant stream of people in Arsenal shirts went by. We finished blocking, and ran the whole thing...came in at about an hour per Act, but slow going as some of the more amateur amateurs in the cast hadn't properly written up their scripts with entrances and exits etc...what a bunch! How they one or two of them managed to get through the general company audition, I don't know! Repaired to The Axe next door for a swift half with a handful of cast members, before cycling home via a rather circuitous route, trying to avoid the crowds where I could...not too bad, until I got to the entrance of Finsbury Park...had to wend my way through the crowds, and the rubbish strewn streets. Got home in one piece, though. Aki had cooked a chicken traybake with peppers and tomatoes. Ice cream and bounty bar for afters. Watched Michael Portillo in Kyoto before looking out for young Barney Lister on Later With Jools...playing the bongos in the band behind Jessie Ware. He co-wrote and produced her new album, Superbloom. Fcukers were the best act on the show, though...the rest of the acts were rather bland. 

Saturday 30th May 2026

Woke around 0630 with back ache. Got up and wandered about for five minutes before returning to bed in a sitting position...failed to nod back off. Got up around 0900 and cooked brunch. Aki made some hummus. Warm, sunny day. Took a walk up Highgate Hill in 26C. Stopped off at Lauderdale House and shared a focaccia sandwich and a can of soda, before taking a bus back to the Nags Head. Arsenal supporters congregating in and outside the pubs. Popped in to Waitrose...bumped into Max and Beth. I mentioned to Max that we had been expecting his sister and her fella to show up...they had planned to stay in Lynne's flat above while Lynne holidays in Madagascar. Max revealed that Charlotte had given birth to a second son, in her in-laws kitchen two days ago! Walked back home, skirting the Gooners massing outside The Eaglet. Listened to the PSG v Arsenal Champions League Final on the radio. Arsenal scored after five minutes, and were 1-0 up at halftime...prompting much halftime celebration from the fans who'd been drinking all day at The Eaglet. A banger was let off...it's all going to kick off if they lose!!! Salad Nicoise for dinner. The game went to penalties after Arsenal conceded a second half penalty...and went down 4-3 on penalties after a couple of misses. All went silent at The Eaglet!