Monday 31st August 2026

Woke around 0800. Enjoyed a mug of tea in bed before rising to porridge. Aki made strawberry jam. Light lunch. Ventured out to do a little shop. Walked down to Central Library where Aki dropped a book off, then back up the Holloway Road to Waitrose, getting caught out by a heavy down pour. We sheltered beneath the awning outside the Sports Bar until the rain abated enough to make it to Waitrose. Walked home with our shopping, via Boots. Warmed up some tomato sauce we'd found in the freezer, and two generous chicken thighs, for dinner. Had to field a call from Rebecca next door, claiming Sush's workmanship on the parapet was sound...I made a case for capping the whole in order to eliminate the jointing where we think the water is coming in. I told her that the landlord had agreed to go 50/50 on the bill. She intimated that there was another matter she was concerned with, and that she'd text me. This flagged up the notion that Katherine and Aki have been dissing Sush's work, worded as if they had mounted a concerted campaign against him...I'd surmise it's simply if anybody asks their opinion, they will say what they think...perfectly within their rights to do that, bearing in mind Katherine's experience when she employed him, on Aki's recommendation, a few years ago! Not sure where this is going to go...

Sunday 30th August 2026

Woke around 0800. Aki up to ready for Rowing Club. She brought me tea. Got up for a cooked breakfast, before she cycled off to Stamford Hill. Caught up with highlights of the Fulham v Chelsea game that had passed me by. Took a walk up Highgate Hill, stopping off at Archies for a takeaway coffee and a bacon and egg roll. Found a bench in Waterlow Park for my luncheon. It started to look like rain, so I walked back down the hill and popped into M&S...just in time, as the heavens opened! Did a little shop in M&S then took a No.43 bus down to Holloway, and walked home from there. Aki in the shower when I got in. Listened to the last fifteen minutes of the Sunderland v Fulham game. Isidor scored, and we hung on for the three points! Pottered about doing pre-holiday things...checking accommodation payments, flight details etc. Aki served up some leftovers from last night's dinner party. Nowt on telly. Caught up with some football highlights. Had a soak in the bath and listened to Marc Riley burble on...

Saturday 29th August 2026

Woke around 0900. Got up and did a little packing, before descending for tea and cereal. Jim and Emma had gotten back from A&E at around 2315 last night...Emma diagnosed with chronic constipation! Ouch! Jim drove her off to County Durham...where she's due to attend her daughter's hen night! I walked down to The Broadway to buy a couple of items from the Co-op, and enjoyed a coffee on the bench outside the disused church opposite. Got home and put some lunch together. Suddenly realised I had left dad's VirginMoney card in the card reader...rang the Co-op, and they said someone had handed it in...went down in the car once Jim had returned, taking mum with me, who fancied a change of scene. Put some diesel in the motor, then drove down to the village to buy some groceries from Waitrose, and from Dobbies, before heading back to High View. Had time for a cuppa tea with ma and pa before Jim drove me to Callerton Parkway to get the Metro into town. Had plenty of time on the station concourse to hunt for food to eat on the train journey. Caught the 1724 back to KX. Got in about 15 minutes behind schedule for some reason. Aki was entertaining some gals from Rowing Club, so I sauntered up York Way for a lager in the Lincoln Arms, a rather grotty little pub opposite KX station. Then caught a No.91 bus to Holloway. The girls were just winding things up when I got in...Kim, Kearsey, and Ellie. They'd had a good chinwag. from what I could deduce, and Aki tidied up once they'd departed, while I unpacked. Watched MOTD before shower, and bed...

Friday 28th August 2026

Woke at 0530 with rooffret! Managed to get some rather fitful sleep thereafter, but not much! Got up at 0900 and descended for tea and porridge in the company of ma and pa. Spent some time at the laptop doing roof-fretting things. Drove down to Waitrose to do a bit of shopping. Came back to High View and put lunch together. Jim drove Emma off to A&E...she has been suffering with pains in her legs. FaceTimed Aki, who was in Lynne's flat with a bloke from SNK Roofing. Watched a bit of telly with mum...discovered dad outside clearing foliage beneath the living-room window! Went out to assist...ended up up a ladder, chopping bits off of a large shrub that had been allowed to climb up the external wall. Heated up a chicken curry that had been defrosting in the fridge for a couple of days...went down well. Watched a bit of telly before retiring, exhausted! No sign of Jim and Emma...

Thursday 27th August 2026

Woke at 0530 with roof fret! Can't say I really got back to sleep again. Got up around 0830 and brought a mug of tea and my porridge up to the study, and sat in front of my laptop for a while, trying to put some early morning thoughts about the roofing project into words...emailed them to Lynne and Aki. Spoke to the GP in a bid to arrange a meeting about the blood pressure measurements I'd taken a couple of weeks ago...no-one available until the back end of September! Set in motion an application for discounted Visitor Parking vouchers...going to need a fistful once the roofing repair works get under way. Wandered down to The Broadway and bought a takeaway coffee...sat on the bench outside the Co-op before heading in to buy orange juice and pasta. Walked back to High View. Put lunch together. Jim and Emma showed up...they'd come back a day early so Emma could get to see her GP for back pain. They drove over to Wallsend. Mary Doughty came over to catch up with mum and dad following yesterday's funeral and wake for Christine Robinson, from No.8. I made her coffee, and we sat out in the back garden. Cooked up a marinara sauce for dinner, served up with pasta, and garlic bread supplied by Jim...five of us at the dining table this evening. Watched a bit of telly in the company of mum and dad. 

Wednesday 26th August 2026

 

Woke around 0600 with roof fret! Dozed fitfully until alarm at 0800. Got up and descended to make tea. Breakfasted alone at the dining table. Ma and pa eventually showed up. I drove down to The Broadway for a 1000 appointment with the NBS...picked up a coffee from Elkwater on the way. I was in NBS for over half-an-hour, but got forms for both ma and pa signed...Kath needs to sign too, so will have to send her down when she gets back from Scandinavia. Picked up some milk from the Co-op and headed back to High View. Heated up some lentil soup for an early lunch, then drove ma and pa to Brokenfield for a funerary service at the Northumberland Woodland Burial Ground, a few miles north of Morpeth. Nice building, and classy humanist service...but not many people in attendance...maybe 15 of us altogether. I didn't know the deceased, nor her two sons, though mum and dad vaguely knew them, since they moved in two doors down back in 1978. Dad couldn't hear a word the 'minister' said, and the air conditioning was cold and loud...it was like sitting in a wind! Had a chat with the Russells from No.11 High View, and David Caldwell, who grew up at No.26 across the road. Drove ma and pa back to High View, they having decided not to attend the wake at Ponteland Golf Club. Sat out in the garden with tea and biscuits instead. Warmed up a readymade lasagne for dinner. Spent the rest of the evening trying to sort out roofers...our preferred roofer for the butterfly roof replacement had left me a message stating that he'd be happy to take cash, thus saving us the VAT element. Spoke to Six about him...he hasn't actually used him yet, but is in the process of finalising a job spec with him...Six says a number of acquaintances have used him and have been satisfied with the quality of the work. Spoke to Aki and Lynne...it throws a spanner in the works...how dodgy does it make the guy? Or do we just say we are happy to pay the VAT...otherwise we'd compromise our right to legal redress should anything go awry! The nightmare continues...

Tuesday 25th August 2026

Woke around 0730. Sat up and read a little before nodding back off for a bit. Got up around 0845 and descended for breakfast in the dining room...no sign of ma and pa. They eventually materialised. I took a walk down to The Broadway. Coffee at Number 9, and read some Murakami, before shopping for orange juice in the Co-op and walking back to High View. Put lunch together. Dad insistent that he cut back some of the foliage around the house, in order to create a fire break! He's become obsessed with the notion that his house could go up in smoke in the hot weather...despite my pointing out that there probably wouldn't be any more hot weather this side of June 2027! However, his efforts with the trimmer were cut short when he managed to electrocute himself...he'd evidently cut through the cable at some point in the ancient past, and had cobbled together a repair that exposed the wiring. He wanted to wrap it in electrical tape...so I drove down to the village to buy a proper junction box to cover everything up with. Warmed up some of the bolognese sauce I'd made yesterday for dinner...with papardelle and vegetables. Plum crumble for afters. Spent half-an-hour looking over the refreshed quotes for the roofing works. It looks as though Aki and I are going to have to fork out about £18,000!!! All very depressing!

Monday 24th August 2026

Woke around 0300 with roof fret! Took a couple of hours to nod back off again, despite my going through the Live8 Poem several times! Got up at 0845. Breakfasted at the dining table with mum. Dad slow to appear this morning...I think he tired himself out pruning shrubs yesterday afternoon! I watered the tomatoes. Spoke to Sergii from RoofPro, on the phone...nice chap. He promised to come back to me this afternoon or tomorrow, so am hoping to get some progress on our much needed roof repairs. Showered. Glorious morning. Walked down to The Broadway for a coffee at Elkwater, and bought some sherry in the Co-op before heading back to High View. Put a simple lunch together...poached eggs and bacon. Drove down to Waitrose to get some odds and ends mid-afternoon. Cooked up a bolognese sauce...most destined for the freezer. Had the remains of the Propa pies...didn't dare heat them up a third time, so served them at room temperature with chips, gravy and green beans...all too cold for Margaret, and dad didn't eat much of his portion of the pork pie. Watched some telly before heading to bed...

Sunday 23rd August 2026

Woke around 0745. Sat up in bed for a bit listening to Lambchop, then descended for breakfast at the dining table, where I was eventually joined by mother and father. Dad insisted on venturing out into the garden to gather more plums to put on his porridge. Nice day for it. I watered the tomatoes...and noticed the greenhouse sliding door was off it's tracks! Dad reckoned it wasn't needed at this time of year...fair enough! Walked down to Elkwater for a coffee...they had a bloke inside strumming guitar and singing! Fortunately I was able to get a seat outside! Bought up mum's supply of Rennies from the Co-op and walked back up to High View. Prepared pizza for lunch with a potato salad. Dad reckoned it wasn't cooked! Yawn! Roasted a bunch of tomatoes, as the supply is getting to be a bit overwhelming. Found father on his hands and knees sawing away at the base of a shrub by the kitchen doors! Helped him wrestle it out from behind some woodwork, then cut it all up so it would fit in the waste bin. Put a simple chicken curry together for dinner, with packet rice, and fried vegetables...though I managed to tip a bit too much chilli into the veg...made things a bit too hot for mum! Watched the final of The Piano...two extraordinarily moving performances, from a young autistic lad who taught himself to play by ear, and a lass who had suffered meningitis as a child which had resulted in her having her legs, and more importantly, her fingers, amputated!!! What an inspiration! We were in tears in the living-room! Stayed up to watch the Kevin Keegan tribute on MOTD2, as Newcastle took on Liverpool...our neighbour gave away a penalty in the 90th minute, which resulted in the Magpies dropping two points!

Saturday 22nd August 2026

 

Woke around 0500. Took a while to nod back off...went through A Poem for Live8 a couple of times in my half sleep! When we next awoke, it was 0945! Got up and breakfasted at the dining table with ma and pa. Watered the tomatoes. Aki and I walked down to The Broadway. Coffee at Number 9. Found ma and pa working in the garden when we got back. Put some lunch together...soup with extra chicken and vegetables. Aki packed and said her farewells, and I drove her to the Central Station, there still being closures on the Metro due to engineering works. I then parked up on Barrack Road...paid for my parking using the PayByPhone app...walked in to town to buy some treats in Fenwick's Food Hall. Town pretty busy. Addicts shouting at each other on Northumberland Street! Walked back to the car, suddenly realising that I hadn't input the registration number of dad's car on the app...I'd paid to park my Golf!!! No sign of a ticket, so think I got away with it! Drove to Dobbies in Ponteland to buy a fish pie for dinner, then on to Waitrose to buy some odds and ends. Sat in the car listening to the dying minutes of the Ipswich v Sunderland game...it was heading for a respectable 1-1 draw until Ipswich scored in the final minute!!! Drove back to High View to find father pruning the plants on the patio. I put a plum tart tatin together, and bunged the fish pie in the oven. Washed up. Watched a bit of telly. Stayed the course and watched the first MOTD of the season...the punters are as annoying as ever, but I was keen to get a handle on new players featuring for each team. Bedtime was somewhat delayed by my finding four or five sizeable moths in my bedroom! Had to capture each one in an upturned glass, and chuck 'em out the bathroom window!!!

Friday 21st August 2026

Woke around 0700...sat up in bed to relieve the back pain, and managed to doze back off for a little while. Got up and breakfasted at the dining table. Dad in very musical form this morning, for some reason...he sang at the top of his voice as he stewed some plums to spread on his porridge! We had to close the dining room door! Put some washing in. Helped Aki water the tomatoes in the greenhouse...no sign of Ratty. Aki and I walked down to The Broadway to buy bread at Davidson's, and enjoy a coffee at Number 9...service was painfully slow! Thank God it wasn't busy!!! Nice but dim staff in there. Walked back to High View to put some lunch together...Aki vacuumed downstairs. Managed to persuade the auld folks to climb into the Passat and head out with us to Sunderland. The traffic was dire...worse than London! Took about an hour to get to Roker. Wound our way down onto the seafront. Managed to drop mum and dad off at the door to the newly opened Elephant Rock Cafe, almost on the beach, north of Roker Rocks and the lighthouse. It was small, and neatly done, but really nowt to write home about. Enjoyed a cuppa, and shared a slice of cake between us, before heading back along the windy seafront to the car. Drove across town to Sheepfolds, and popped our heads in at Propa Pies, Si King's pop-up style pie and mash shop. Ordered three pies, and took them back to High View to have for dinner. Avoided the painful route we'd come, and instead dived beneath the Tyne via the Tyne Tunnel. The pie and mash was very tasty...the gravy even more so...delicious! Plum crumble and custard for afters. Watched a bit of telly before bed...

Thursday 20th August 2026

Woke around 0500. The sound of rain on the window kept me awake for a bit, and I went through the Rhidian Brook poem a few times, and got a bit of roof fret! It was 0845 when I woke again. Got up and had tea and cereal in the dining area with mum, dad, and Aki. Grey morning. Kath turned up around 1000 to say farewell...she's off to Sweden tomorrow. Sorted dad out with signing on to his Virgin Money online account...took ages! But got there in the end...I typed out step by step instructions for him to follow, and told him to practice every day! Soup for lunch...though couldn't find half of it...I'd bought some chicken soup in Waitrose in Hexham to mix with the root vegetable soup, but it was nowhere to be seen...very odd, though mum has a tendency to move stuff about without her knowledge! Mixed the root vegetable soup with a pack of chicken stock we found in the fridge...worked very well. Aki and I took our constitutional, and walked down to the Co-op on The Broadway to buy some odds and ends...notably, chocolate biscuits! The rain stayed away. Aki made a chicken curry for dinner, with rice and vegetables. A large brown rat was spotted cavorting about in the back garden! Watched a bit of telly...enjoyed watching Gene Hackman's 'Popeye Doyle' in "The French Connection"...ma and pa managed to nod off on the sofa!

Wednesday 19th August 2026

Woke around 0700. Dozed until 0900. Got up at 0930 and breakfasted with mum, dad, and Aki. Showered, Drove us all down to the village...mum had an appointment with the nurse at the GP surgery. Aki popped round the corner to Waitrose to buy some fodder for tonight's dinner. Dad accompanied mum in to see the nurse...a blood test was done on mum, and they both got pneumonia jabs, which saves us having to go back again tomorrow! Picked Aki up at Waitrose, and headed back to High View. I put some lunch together...basically, re-constituting ma and pa's leftovers from last night. I ate the salmon salad supper that Kath had failed to turn up for. Aki and I walked down to The Broadway to buy some fresh chilli and get some steps in. Came back to find dad up the garden with his stroller, picking plums! God knows what they are going to do with them. Aki cooked a prawn, tomato pasta dish for supper, followed by rhubarb and custard. The usual complaints from ma and pa about the cold bowls...they are are such slow eaters that, of course, the dinner gets cold! I warmed them back up in the microwave. Watched a bit of telly...enjoyable repeat of Seebag-Montefiore's exploration of ancient Rome for the BBC.

Tuesday 18th August 2026

Woke around 0800. Mum looked in on us on a couple of occasions...presumably having forgotten who might be in the bedroom. Got up and made tea. Breakfasted at the dining table with mum and dad. Aki and I walked down to The Broadway to buy some salmon to make this evening's supper. I had a takeaway latte from No.9, then we walked back up to High View. Came back to find mum and dad grappling with a step ladder in a bid to take down the outdoor lighting that Jim festooned the pergola with...I took over before there was an accident! Aki cooked an omelette for lunch...very tasty. I made packed 'suppers' for me and Aki to take to Hexham...put together three salad bowls for mum, dad, and Kath. Glenys rang to wish mum a belated Happy Birthday. She sounded in pretty good shape...she said she'd enjoyed dad's novel. I drove Aki over to Hexham to meet up with their Rowing Club team for a punt on the Tyne. Met up with Rob, who Aki had met on the Douro adventure, and a couple of gals...together they made up a quad, and lowered themselves into the River Tyne. I drove round the corner to do some shopping in Waitrose, then walked to Mr Ant's Bar on the off-chance that Steve Davidson was manning the pumps. I was the only customer...no sign of Ste the Policeman, though the barmaid said he'd worked the afternoon shift. She said he usually came in on a Friday night to listen to the live music...not sure I fancy that! Drove back down to Tyne Green to pick up Aki...they were just pulling into the south bank when I got there. They'd done several 750m lengths up and down the river to the west...can't go eastward because of the weir. Aki ate her packed dinner in the passenger seat as I drove her back to High View...but I don't think she was very impressed with Hexham Rowing Club! 

Monday 17th August 2026

Woke around 0830. Got up and brought Aki a cuppa tea. Breakfasted in the dining room with ma and pa. Showered. Jim and Emma prepared to drive up to Scotland for a break...but the van wouldn't start. I drove the rest of us into the village...dropped dad and Kath off at the swimming pool, then drove mum and Aki to the cafe at the former Lloyds Bank in the village. Enjoyed a latte, then picked up Kath and dad from the baths. Drove back to High View...Jim and Emma were waiting for the AA man to show up. I put some lunch together. Jim and Emma finally headed north, followed closely by the AA man! Pottered about for the rest of the afternoon. Needed a lie down...to take the weight off my troublesome right hip. Prepared dinner...warmed up some beef stew that had been languishing in the fridge, adding some mushrooms, baked potatoes and plenty of vegetables. Rhubarb and custard for afters...the rhubarb mum picked from the back garden...it was a bit too sharp! Nowt on telly. It rained!!! 

Sunday 16th August 2026

Woke around 0700 in discomfort. Sat up in bed for half-an-hour or so before rising to make tea. Mum marking her 93rd birthday today. Cards and lots of chocolates! Breakfasted at the table with mum and dad. Kath had gone off to the gym...no sign of Jim or Emma. Aki and I drove down to Waitrose to shop for something special to cook this evening...ended up with flat iron steak. Rather chilly out...very chilly by the fridge freezers in Waitrose! Drove back to High View. Heated up some chicken and vegetable soup for lunch, with toast. 

Prepared the vegetables for roasting later on. Read the paper. Aki modelled her geisha look in honour of mum's birthday. Jim and Emma joined us for dinner. The steak course was followed by birthday cake and ice cream. Watched Amy Hunt achieve greatness in the athletics. Aki still suffering a funny tummy...reckons it's gastroenteritis...she sloped off to bed at 2200. 

Saturday 15th August 2026

Woke around 0830. Lounged in bed for a bit, but was disturbed by Brett Rodgers OBE following Aki into our bedroom to gain access to the rear garden for plant watering instructions. Got up and porridged. Finished packing. We headed for KX at 1030, hopping on a No.91 bus with our luggage. Got to KX in good time, and sought out coffee from Starbucks...over £10 for two coffees!!! Clambered aboard the 1130 to Newcastle and took our seats. Uneventful journey. Enjoyed our packed lunch. Rolled in to Newcastle at 1415. Had time to buy chocolates for mother at M&S before meeting up with Kath in the car park for a lift to High View. Journey slowed by vast crowds heading for St James's Park to watch Newcastle take on Bayer Leverkusen in a pre-season friendly. Ma and pa in relatively good shape. Sat out in the garden for tea. Jim and Emma around...Jim has had his ears pierced...looks quite good on him, with his biker beard...just needs a big tattoo on the side of his head to complete the look! Kath made a pasta bake for dinner...I made up some custard to have with an apple bake that Emma had made...worked well. Sat about and chatted for a bit. Watched some European athletics...Amy Hunt got her third gold of the meet in the 4x100m relay.. Aki went to bed early early complaining of tummy problems. Mum was sick in the bathroom sink! Hope it wasn't my custard!!!

Friday 14th August 2026

Woke around 0515...got up...could hear a strange whirring sound coming from the living room...I'd left the fan on all night! Got back into bed and dozed fitfully. Aki up to ready herself for rowing club. She'd cycled off by the time I rose. Took my blood pressure readings. Porridged. Walked up to Waterlow Park, picking up a coffee at Archie's on the way. Warm work...though temperatures not as high as they were yesterday. Happened upon a Gooner sporting a Bruno G shirt...took a photo and sent it to Jim, who accused me of up-shirting! Caught a bus back to Holloway. Aki back for lunch. Gazpacho. Did some more packing ahead of tomorrow's journey to Newcastle. Had the last of the pork stir fry for dinner, with rice and vegetables. Watched a bit of telly before shower and bed...

Thursday 13th August 2026

Woke around 0700...dozed on until 0900-ish. Got up and took my blood pressure readings before porridging. Aki cycled off to Fairbridge Road to deliver Helen's birthday card, picking up some milk on her way back. I popped out in search of focaccia to serve to our guests this evening. They didn't serve it in Pierre Alix, so I had a latte there, then walked down to Harvest on Highbury Corner, and got some there. Took a bus back to Holloway and got some odds and ends in Waitrose. Temperatures getting up by the time I walked back home...38C recorded today in Kew! Put a ham salad lunch together. Did some food prep ahead of this evening. Needed a lie down in the afternoon, as my right hip and bad hernia repair giving me much gip. News of a major train derailment outside Lewes...we were on that line a week ago! There were definitely some stretches where the train got shaken about a bit, and I fleetingly imagined us coming off the rails!  Guests arrived around 1900. George and Katherine from No.127, and Brett Rodgers OBE from No.7. Served up gazpacho for starters, followed by a chicken, avocado and mango salad. Brett had made an orange polenta cake, which we had with ice cream for dessert. Pleasant evening...though went to bed exhausted!

Wednesday 12th August 2026

Woke at 0645. Managed to doze back off for a bit. Aki got up to ready herself for Rowing Club. She'd cycled off by the time I rose. Took my blood pressure readings...all normal, though creeping toward the slightly raised borderline. Porridged. Took a call from Dr Hugo...he said he'd write to the hernia consultant to say things had gotten worse, in a bid to get me seen earlier. See what happens. Popped upstairs to go through our roofing quotes with Lynne...we resolved to pursue Six's recommendation in the first instance. Aki back in time for some lunch. Pottered about before we headed into town on the No.29 bus...Aki hoping to see the start of the eclipse from the top deck, but the sun was too bright to get any inkling of the beginnings of the eclipse. She sought out a park behind Goodge Street station, but the trees were too numerous to see much. We sauntered round to Tofu Vegan restaurant on Charlotte Street. Paul and Leanda had come over for a few days from west Wales, and joined us for dinner. Caught up over a strange mix of tofu dishes that had been fashioned to look like meat...some of it was quite tasty. Tasty enough to have attracted Micah Richards, who sat a few metres away from us tucking into his vegan fare. Walked Leanda and Paul round to Goodge Street station and said our farewells, promising to head west to visit them later in the year. We got on a No.29 bus home...a couple of young fellas gave up their seats for us!

Tuesday 11th August 2026

Woke at 0700. Pain in right hip had dissipated somewhat, but still giving me some gip. Managed to nod back off...awoken by the sound of the doorbell and knocking...Aki had locked herself out whilst watering her tomatoes! Lynne had come across the boxed hazardous waste on the doorstep, and had assumed it was a delivery for her! She turned one of the boxes over, looking for an addressee, thus managing to find the leaking wood stain! As it happened, the chap from HWC turned up, and carted it all away. Aki cycled off to Essex Road to buy fish. She dropped it back with me, then headed off to tai chi. I made some fresh hummus. Put some lunch together once Aki had got back. Took a phone call from the RoofPro guys and have hopefully come to an understanding...still a couple of queries to clear up, but lord knows when they are going to be able to come and do the work...we are heading for Newcastle on Saturday, and then away in Sicily for two weeks! Sat about nursing my right hip for most of the afternoon. Aki drove off to Angel in a hunt for cartons of gazpacho...she bought three in Sainsburys! I made harissa prawn pasta for dinner, with fried courgette. Had a little raspberry sorbet for afters. Watched another episode of "I'm Alan Partridge", followed by an episode of "The IT Crowd"...funnily enough, Graham Linehan appeared opposite Steve Coogan in the former. Watched The Ten, and Newsnight, before retiring to bed to read some Murakami...

Monday 10th August 2026

Woke around 0730. Got up and took my blood pressure readings before tea. Waited around for Mark, another roofer, to appear as arranged. He showed up around 0930 and I directed him to the loft hatch in Lynne's flat. He reckons the whole roof needs replacing. Pottered about. Invoiced Savills for my inspections work last week. Put lunch together. Something went when I put my weight on my right leg when donning a pair of trousers...much pain through right hip area, and down toward the bad inguinal hernia repair. Limped to the bus stop with Aki...we got off at Finsbury Park. Aki wanted to pop in at N4 Library, so I waited at the bus stop on the other side of the road while she walked to the library...then we got on a bus to Holloway, and I limped around Waitrose. Managed to walk back home...had to have a lie down once I got in. Aki cooked stir fry pork and rice for dinner, with lots of vegetables. Created an excel sheet so we can compare the roof quotes and decide what to do next. Watched a bit of telly...rather moving programme following the efforts of two foundlings to identify their parents. The young man had been left at the staff entrance to Kings College Hospital 30 years ago, and they showed newsreel footage of him being cared for by nurses. Extraordinary stuff!

Sunday 9th August 2026

Woke around 0700 with back ache...sat up for a bit before managing to nod back off. Aki rose to water her (and the neighbour's) plants, and prepare for Rowing Club. I got up and porridged before she cycled off eastward. I ventured out into the late morning heat, and took a bus to Archway, then walked across to the southern extremities of Hampstead Heath. Picked up a coffee, a chicken sarnie, and a sausage roll, and found a bench on the Heath. Bit too warm in the shade...strolled down to Gospel Oak train station, and caught the Suffragette Line back to Upper Holloway, then a bus to Nag's Head. A lot of football supporters in Gooners shirts...it transpired that they were to hold a friendly with Dortmund...the new season is almost upon us! Popped in to Waitrose to buy some vegetables for supper, then walked home. Aki lunched at Rowing Club. Finished off the aubergine curry, with dhal and roti for supper. Headed up the road to The Shaftesbury for our monthly band rehearsal...George and Katherine (from No.127) had brought a couple of new tunes along, that they'd heard on their trip to Stornoway last month. Keith from No.34 turned up with his bodhran. The room was a bit warm...enjoyed my pint of Guinness! Walked home afterward...George nearly got in a spat with a dodgy looking bloke who rode his electric bike at us on the pavement! He was masked, and probably had a machete down his trousers!!! 

Saturday 8th August 2026

Got up and porridged. Pottered around not doing very much in the morning. Aki drafted an email to RoofPro, replying to their renewed quote for parapet repairs...just shy of £5,000!!! Hopefully we can get a contribution from the freeholder of next door. I walked round to the GP surgery for an appointment with the nurse...they wanted to take my blood pressure. It seems as though they were alerted by the team at UCLH. The nurse was a very chatty Jamaican lady...we had a good laugh. She gave me a machine to take home, so I can log measurements twice a day. Back home to prepare lunch. The Hazardous Waste Company are due to pick up our tins of unused paint and wood preservative on Tuesday, so I taped up the boxes we'd put the tins in, and marked them with contents lists, as per instructions. We headed for the Harringay Ladder late afternoon...Kearsey and Kieran hosted a small gathering of rowing folk to mark Kearsey's birthday. They have had a lot of work done on the house, including a rather neat Japanese garden to the rear, where we sat out chatting and eating. Had an entertaining chat or two with mad Dr Dee...she's on the ADHD spectrum, and has two kids who she suggests have inherited the condition! Life at her house sounds a bit of a challenge...she gets through nannys at a rate of knots! We were among the last to leave at around 2200...walked down to the bus stop on Green Lanes in the company of Steph and Ellie, then caught a No.29 bus back to Holloway...

Friday 7th August 2026

 

Aki up with alarm at 0730. I got up a bit later to make myself a mug of tea, and retreated to the bedroom for a bit. Aki still in the meeting when I came back down around 0945. Ray and Steph appeared, and we sat out in the garden until Aki appeared, and we convened for croissants in the kitchen. Packed our overnight bags, and Ray drove us all over to Bexhill to meet up with Rob and Shelley for lunch. Glorious day for an amble along the prom. Popped into the Pavilion to take a quick look at the current art exhibition, then walked round to Picasso's Italian eatery. Rob and Shelley in good fettle. Shelley has taken to writing poetry. Rob is thinking about retiring from Birkbeck next year. Food was OK. We took another walk along the Prom afterwards, where we said our farewells to Rob and Shelley and Ray drove us back to Eastbourne via the coast road. Sat about in the back garden drinking tea until it was time to go...Ray and Steph drove us to Polegate station, and we bought something to eat on the train from the nearby Co-op. Uneventful journey...got in around 2130...shower and bed...

Thursday 6th August 2026

Woke at 0700 with back pain...got up and brought a mug of tea back to bed. Packed a bag ahead of our trip to Eastbourne. Porridged. Set off for Victoria Station to catch the 1024 to Eastbourne. Had a nice chat with a Franco-Italian couple who were heading off with their 2-year old to pick up the 4-year old from her dad's in Bergamo. They got off at Gatwick. Earwigged a lengthy argument amongst three musicians who'd got on at Victoria with guitars and snare drum...they were debating what to do with the middle eight in a song they were about to record...it went on for almost an hour, until one of them suggested "We just stop talking about it"...we rolled into Eastbourne just before noon, and walked to the sea front. 

Enjoyed a lemonade at Bistro Pierre beneath a Martello tower, then headed for my favourite fish 'n chip cafe, The Holiday Inn, for lunch. Walked off the calories by heading up the coastal path toward Beachy Head. The Rude Mechanicals were putting on an adaptation of The Wife of Bath in a big top in Helen Gardens. It was a full house. The show was overlong, but a lot of fun...terrific costumes and polystyrene 'wigs', and the six players played multiple roles, and various instruments...they all had great voices...not a head-mic in sight! We got to say hello to Georgie afterward, and congratulated her on her depictions of various male characters...great ball scratching, and man-spreading going on! Ray and Steph appeared in the tent, and whisked us back to their pad in Willingdon for dinner...a tasty fig and ham starter, followed by coq au vin. We repaired to the back garden and sat out until dusk, then moved to the living-room. Had a good catch up. Quizzed them on their recent trip to Rouen. They are planning to take a trip to Padua by train in the autumn. Aki snuck off to bed around 2230, as she had to get up in the morning for a zoom meeting. The rest of us followed not long thereafter...

Wednesday 5th August 2026

Woke around 0630 with back pain. Sat up in bed for a bit before getting up to make tea. Climbed back into bed with my laptop and downloaded the last of yesterday's inspection photos. Porridged. Aki cycled off to Rowing Club. I headed for Southwark and another visit to Tate Modern, this time to catch the Tracey Emin exhibition before it closes. Had a coffee in the Member's Cafe to strengthen my resolve. 

The exhibition was stunning...the honesty, the vulnerability, the visceral exposure of her physical and mental states. I had to wipe away tears on a couple of occasions. The little bronze figurines were deeply moving, as was her use of text. Fearless! I came out an emotional wreck! Took a long walk in search of luncheon...set off across the Millennium Bridge, then took the Thames Path before cutting up to Cannon Street station, and on to Bishopsgate. Ended up lunching on a burger in Spitalfields Market...Bleekers are apparently the best burgers in the world, and mine was certainly very tasty...well done, so crisp and caramelised around the edges. Wandered across to Eataly and bought some lasagne, then headed for home. Aki back before me. I cooked a dhal, then set about an aubergine coconut curry, for dinner. Nowt on telly...

Tuesday 4th August 2026

Radio alarm at 0730. Hauled myself out of bed and made tea. Porridged. Shaved. Set off in the car for Chelmsford at 0845...stopping off at Manor House for petrol. By the time I got to Chelmsford, it was nearing 30C outside. It was hot work...rang a lot of doorbells...people either flaked out in the their back gardens, or on their holidays! Had only gotten into two by the time I broke for lunch. Drove over to Hylands House and had my lunch in The Deli there...sat outside in the courtyard. Then drove to Writtle to continue door knocking. It was hard going...but finally notched up six internals...finished off the external inspections, then turned for home. Got in at 1700. Aki pan fried some sea bass for dinner, with pearl barley and vegetables, followed by a fruit salad and yoghurt. Nowt on telly. Did some Italian...not getting very far! It's almost as bad as my schoolboy Latin!!! 

Monday 3rd August 2026

Alarm at 0800. Got up and made tea. Drank it in bed. Got up to await the arrival of another roofer to scope out a quote for the repair/replacement of the butterfly roof above Lynne's maisonette. He hadn't arrived by 0930, and when I texted him to see if he was nearby, he texted back that he'd forgotten! Sorted out some hazardous waste from the garden shed...had to detail it all can by can on the waste collection form. Gazpacho for lunch. Accompanied Aki to UCLH...she had an appointment with a dermatologist; I sat in A&E to have my grumbling inguinal hernia looked at. Sat there for three-and-a-half hours before eventually being seen by a very nice young black doctor. She assured me there were no signs of strangulation, and advised that I flag up the change in symptoms to my GP, which may get my referral brought forward. Couldn't get on a No.29 bus home, as it was packed, so headed for the Victoria Line at Warren Street, and walked home from Finsbury Park. Aki had cooked a chicken and tomato pasta dish for dinner. Nowt much on telly. Showered and had an early night...

Sunday 2nd August 2026

Woke around 0830. Took a mug of tea back to bed with me. Got up and porridged. Aki cycled off to rowing club. I did some exercises. Headed for Tottenham Hale via bus and tube. Had a quick look around...the area has been under re-development for the last ten years...a sea of high-rise blocks, and a new tube and rail station...it looks impressive, but the area between the tube and bus stations is already looking ropey. The bedding and mattresses of the homeless scattered over the paving...very depressing. What a hole London has become. Had a coffee in a small, modern coffee shop opposite Starbucks...despite being pretty new, it already showed signs of neglect. The coffee was under-whelming into the bargain. I walked over the railway to the wharf on the River Lea Navigation. Modern high-rise blocks have gone up there, too. Walked down the tow-path toward the rowing club, stopping off for much needed refreshment at a quirky little cafe in Markfield Park, hard by the Beam Engine Room and Museum. Enjoyed a chocolate milkshake, and found some precious shade beneath the pergola outside. Walked on down to the rowing club...Aki and her team were in the process of stashing away their boat. I bagged some tables and chairs in anticipation of their joining me. Aki ordered us vegetarian brioche rolls with fried eggs. The girls talked of plans for the forthcoming Sicily trip. We eventually broke up, and Aki cycled off home. I walked up to Clapton Common to get a bus back to Holloway. Got off outside Waitrose and bought some beans, carrots, and a tin of fish, then walked home. Tried phoning High View, but got no reply. Put together a mackerel salad for dinner. Watched a bit of telly. Got suckered into watching The Piano...a bunch of disparate amateur pianists tinkled the ivories at London Bridge station...the autistic kid who played his own composition blew everyone away! 

Saturday 1st August 2026

Fitful night's sleep roof-fretting. Got up around 0900 and made tea. Porridged. Texts from Kath saying they had taken mum back to the RVI for scans on her swollen leg. Loaded some detritus into the car to take to the tip. Aki wanted some stuff from Boots, so I parked up and waited for her in the Waitrose car park. Home for gazpacho lunch. Kath rang to say mother had been diagnosed with secondary lymphoedema, and her leg will need regular washing and moisturising...she's thinking of getting some help in to do this. See what happens. Warmed up the last of the chicken and harissa beans for dinner. Walked over to the Park Theatre to see "Kidnap"...a one-woman show that had been praised when at the Edinburgh Festival last year...it was OK as far as it went...only an hour long. It was more a piece of self-counselling on behalf of the writer-performer, surrounding her and her brother's kidnap by her Saudi father...a rather unpolished performance, which gave it a certain charm, but she didn't have the comedic punch to take the show to the next level. Bumped into Dulcie on the walk back home and had a pleasant chat in the street...she's struggling to keep her allotment going in the dry weather! 

Friday 31st July 2026

Aki had left for Rowing Club by the time I rose. Porridged. Decided on a birthday treat, so walked up to the Green Room on Holloway Road for my morning coffee. then walked down to Waitrose to find something for lunch...picked up two scallop shells stuffed with prawns and smoked salmon. Walked home to prepare lunch. We ventured back out mid-afternoon...headed for KX on the No.91 bus, and ambled along the Regent's Canal, then up York Way to take a look at the newly opened Story Garden, a community project that opened on wasteland close to the railway line coming out of KX. Had hoped there'd be a cafe, but no. Wandered around some of the new development behind KX, then popped into Waitrose and bought up their meagre supply of gazpacho. Took a slow walk from there, up through Thornhill Square, to the Tamil Prince on Hemingford Road for dinner. Very popular spot...had to book three weeks ago. It's basically a small ex public house, with a kitchen at back, with a big glass window, where you can see the staff making dosa. The food was OK, and the staff very friendly...they picked up on the fact that we were there for a celebration, and brought me a small dessert with a candle stuck in it before we paid the bill. Walked up Hemingford Road, intending to pop into the Hemingford Arms for a beer, but we were both uncomfortably full after our food. Hopped on a no.153 bus home instead...too old to rock 'n roll! Got home to find a text from Kath...she'd gotten to High View to find it deserted...Emma and Jim had been advised by the GP to take mum into A&E to get a diagnosis concerning her swollen leg...they are worried she may have a blood clot.