Friday 30th October 2026

 

Woke around 0430...took hours to get back off to sleep! Got up around 0945. Text message from Gary saying he wasn't feeling too good, so wouldn't be working on the roof today. Got up and descended to make tea. Breakfasted with ma and pa in the dining room. Drove in to Ponteland and parked up at Waitrose. Walked mum round to Sip & Loaf for coffee and half a chocolate brownie. It's housed in what used to Maynard's sweet shop when we were kids...bit cramped in there, and very noisy, though no complaints about the coffee. Did a quick turn around Waitrose, then drove mum back to High View. Warmed up some soup for lunch. Just as we sat down, Payam, the plumber, arrived. Nice fella...he said he was here in his lunch break, so I gave him a mug of the soup. He re-plumbed the pipework in the upstairs bathroom, and successfully got the cold water supply to the downstairs shower unit...so hopefully, all is well. Dad insisted he put the vertical bar back up in the shower...it allows you to move the position of the shower head up and down, higher or lower. Took about 2 hours to basically get two screws in the tiled shower wall! I was exhausted afterward, and my bad hernia repair was giving me gip. Put dinner together...chicken tikka masala and wholemeal rice...forgot to boil up some vegetable accompaniment! Watched the final episode of Celebrity Traitors...good fun, though mum and dad were not into it...it allowed dad to nod off on the sofa!

Thursday 29th October 2026

Woke around 0745. Got up at 0815 and made tea. Warmed up some soup to take for lunch on the train later. Grilled kippers for breakfast, with poached eggs. Packed a couple of bags. The roofers turned up around 0930. Got them sorted, then headed for KX station. Got there in good time. Bought myself a coffee, then headed for my train. Uneventful journey. Managed to finish Dagga. Train rolled in to Newcastle Central at 1415 and I hopped on a Metro train to Callerton Parkway where Kath picked me up. Ma and pa were in the car...she'd taken them down to the GP surgery to get their flu and covid jabs, only to discover that dad had got the appointment time wrong! We drove back to High View for yea and cake. Mum and dad looked in good fettle, I thought, all things considered. I drove them back down to the surgery, giving Kath a bit of me time before she headed out to Matfen to attend to a client. I drove down to the village to buy fish 'n chips from Gill's. Dad had warmed up some plates by the time I got back with the food. I made some custard to have with Kath's bread and butter pudding for afters. Watched the penultimate episode of Celebrity Traitors. Mum and dad didn't know what was going on, so I watched Uncloaked upstairs on the computer. FaceTimed Aki who had watched it from home. Returned downstairs for The Ten...

Wednesday 28th October 2026

Alarm at 0730...Aki up to ready herself for Rowing Club. She brought me a mug of tea. I got up in anticipation of receiving the roofers, but Gary rang to say that Mark wasn't able to come in this morning, so he'd aim to turn up about lunchtime. I did a little work at the laptop trying to work out some routes for the Suffolk and Norfolk inspections for Hastoe. There's a lot of mileage! Will have to base myself in Bury St Edmunds for a night, and in Norwich for a night or two. Popped out to Waitrose to buy courgettes...came home and made courgette soup for lunch. Gary and Mark showed up at 1330. Supplied them with a bucket of water to mix cement...extensive brickwork repairs required to the parapets! Warmed up the chicken lasagne for dinner, with lots of vegetables. Noticed a sad post on FaceBook from Nicky Bolton stating that her husband, Howard, had passed away after battling a brain tumour...I alerted the GGMM community, and will look out for funerary details. Ventured into town...No.29 bus to Tottenham Court Road, and a short walk to the Brunei Gallery at SOAS for a concert of Bangladeshi music and spoken word, part of the Bloomsbury Festival, and centred around the publication of a novel, Red River, set in a village in Assam. Fortunately, the readings from the novel were all in English. An interesting, cheap night out! By the time we got home, I'd decided I needed to head for Newcastle tomorrow to help Kath out, who seems to be struggling a bit with the aged folks...bought a ticket for an 1130 train tomorrow morning. Eddy York had left a phone message in response to my flagging up Howard Gray's passing...I gave him a quick ring before bed...may see him at the funeral.

Tuesday 27th October 2026

Woke around 0530. Strange noises going on...I thought perhaps a mouse had gotten into the wardrobe...if not, then there's definitely something crawling about in the roof void above our heads! Alarm at 0745. Got up and made tea. Porridged. No sign of the roofer...eventually showed up around 0930. Lynne's TV still not working. Nobody seems to be able to work out why! Drove Aki down to Sainsburys at Angel and we did a fairly hefty shop. Back for lunch...soup and toasted sourdough. Ventured into Southwark to visit Tate Modern...wanted to see the photography exhibition, Light & Magic, focussing on the Pictorialists, pioneers of photography as art...some extraordinary stuff going on in those early days. It was dark by the time we came out...caught a train from Blackfriars, and walked home from Finsbury Park station, popping into M&S for bread. Julie Williams rang with some inspections work...I say some, there's loads of it!!! Mostly Suffolk and Norfolk...should earn me enough to pay for my share of the roof replacement! Aki cooked mapo for dinner. Watched an hour of "Avanti", a 1973 Billy Wilder movie we heard being talked about on R4...it's slow going, but some great laugh-out-loud moments from Jack Lemmon. Had to hit the pause button to watch the Ten...hopefully, Netanyahu is on his way out as Israelis take to the polls...

Monday 26th October 2026

Alarm at 0745. Dozed for half an hour then got up to make tea. Gary and Mark showed up. I went up the scaff rig to inspect some dodgy brickwork at second floor level. May need to get the front re-pointed!!! Noticed Lynne's timber window sills are rotten. Pottered about for a bit. Raining again, so trapped in the flat for the morning. Put a sardine salad lunch together. Gary and Mark knocked off early as they had errands to run. We headed into Covent Garden mid-afternoon...to see "Fatherland" at the Garden Cinema. It follows the author Thomas Mann and his daughter as they return to Germany from exile after WWII. Beautifully shot in black and white. Very short for a movie...about an hour and a quarter, but it had emotional heft. Glorious! Caught a No.91 bus back home. I cooked up some tortelloni with a garlic and mushroom sauce. Watched 70Up...rather moving final episode, the director Michael Apted having passed away five years ago. They managed a final interview with Nick, the farmer's lad from Skipton, three days before he died. An amazing document...

Sunday 25th October 2026

Clocks went back overnight, so an extra hour in bed. Woke at 0600, but nodded back off fairly readily. Got up at 0830. Aki cooked breakfast. I got some costume together from my wardrobe, namely a scarf and a couple of hats, and then drove in to Stoke Newington for a morning rehearsal session. Got rehearsed into the first piece, which basically has me coming in at the end as the director. Broke for lunch. Wandered through Abney Park Cemetery, and then double-backed along Church Street and picked up some soup from Pret. Walked back to the theatre to eat it, joining some of the rest of the cast in the bar area. Did a run of all eleven pieces in the afternoon. Lengthy dinner break...wandered down the High Street, then walked back to the theatre to eat my packed dinner. Surprised by how big an audience turned up this evening...about 70 odd altogether. It all went down very well. I got a lot of congratulatory comments afterward, especially for my drunk acting. Sloped off around 2130. Aki drove us home. Watched a bit of MOTD before bath and bed... 

Saturday 24th October 2026

Woke at 0530...got back to sleep in relatively short time. Got up at 0830. Porridged. Shaved. Stuck guitar, mandolin, harmonicas, and cahon in the car, and drove over to Camden Square to hook up with some of the guitar course members who had organised a one-off meet during our half term break. Six of us showed up, four from the current class, and two from previous classes who I hadn't met before. Colin was very handy on the tin whistle...may be able to persuade him along to our Scottish sessions at some point in the future. Four of us adjourned to the Lord Stanley afterward, and I ordered arancini for lunch...the other three shared a couple of pizzas. The food was very good. By the time we left the pub the rains had really started to come down, and it poured relentlessly until about midnight! Drove home and dumped my stuff, then drove over to Waitrose to do a bit of shopping. Aki was back from the Rowing Club AGM by the time I got home. I put a chicken lasagne together for dinner. Watched 70Up, and the final gruelling episode of "Time". Put together a packed lunch for tomorrow. MOTD and bath...

Friday 23rd October 2026

Woke around 0530...didn't really get back to sleep properly. Aki got up at 0700 in the vain hope that the rain would clear so that she could go rowing. I got up and made tea. Porridged. Spotted Lynne outside with the dog, so ventured out for a chat and updated her on the scaffolding saga. She reported that the rain was coming in through her back bedroom ceiling, and through the flat roof in her bathroom...that's what I could hear last night, as I lay in the bath, making dripping sounds as the rainwater hit her bath more or less above my head! The scaffolders turned up around 0830 and finished putting the tin hat on. Gary showed up at 1000, just after they'd gone on to their next job of the day...in pouring rain. He made a quick survey of the leakages upstairs, then started to take off the roof slates. Did my exercises. Aki made ramen soup for lunch. Rain came down relentlessly...not a great day to be a roofer! Wind got up mid afternoon, too! They packed up at 1615, promising to come back tomorrow to check that the tin roof hasn't blown away in the night! Aki cooked sea bass for dinner, which we ate with the remans of the baked rice I'd cooked yesterday. Watched "Celebrity Traitors". Miranda Hart was murdered...she's been very entertaining. Watched The Ten before bath and bed...

Thursday 22nd October 2026

Woke around 0530...took an hour or so to nod back off again! Alarm at 0800. Got up and made tea. Had expected the scaffolders to be finishing off the tin hat, but no sign of anyone. Porridged. Scaffolders eventually showed up...they winched several loads of corrugated tin sheets up to roof level...the lad doing the hauling was completely uncontrolled, letting the sheets swing into the door of the bike shed, and catch on the metal trim around the green roof. I had to go stand in the front doorway to make sure he behaved himself. Pain in the butt! Light lunch. Gary and Charlie turned up to take a closer look at the southern parapet wall...it's in a bad way, but they had taken a look at it back in August at my insistence, so I'd rather assumed any works had been costed into the quote. Gary wanted Casey to extend the tin hat toward the party wall with No.5, and they vowed to come back and finish it before dusk, but needless to say, didn't turn up. Lentil curry, baked rice, and vegetables for dinner, preceded by a baked fig and taleggio starter. Watched "The Traitors", and started 70Up. Had a bath...as I lay there, I could hear the rain battering our skylight, and an alarmingly loud drip, drip sound somewhere above my head...I surmised that it was rainwater being diverted from the tin roof onto the wrought iron guttering to the church next door. Hope there's nothing coming in behind the bathroom tiling!!!

Wednesday 21st October 2026

Alarm at 0700. Got up and made tea. Put the ladder up in the back yard in anticipation of the arrival of the scaffolding team. I swear he'd told me last night that they'd rock up at 0800...by 0945 there was no sign of them. Rang the roofer, and he chased them up. They had had to go and pick up some more poles from a depot in Crouch End, and rocked up at around 1015. I made them tea. They got on with sticking a 'tin-hat' on top of the scaff rig. Took them most of the day. Aki and I moved the dining table so that we could take up the rug...we had a non-slip layer delivered, cut to the same size as the rug; hoping that it will protect the floor from the black staining from the rug. Aki tried to clean the stains off the floorboards, with only partial success. Stopped for soup for lunch. The underlay turned up and we got it laid successfully and repositioned the dining table. Early dinner...chicken chasseur and vegetables. Drove to Southgate Road for rehearsals at Martin and Janet South's house. Same set up as yesterday...worked through three pieces...I was only in one piece, which we happened to do first. It was the worst crafted piece of the lot, unfortunately, so was a bit of a slog. Martin was in the scene with me, which is always fun, but he seemed to have come down with a very heavy cold, or may be suffering the onset of a bout of flu...sincerely hope he hasn't passed it on to me!!! Made my escape after doing my piece, and left them to it. Drove home, listening to the Bayern v Arsenal game on R5Live. 

Tuesday 20th October 2026

Woke around 0530, but managed to nod back off relatively swiftly. Aki got up at 0830 and brought me a mug of tea. Got up and porridged. Grey, dull morning. The roofer phoned to confirm that a tin hat would be going on tomorrow...reckoned it would probably take all day! Pottered about on the laptop for most of the morning while Aki worked at the computer. Put a simple lunch together. Did some exercises after lunch...too damp to venture out for a walk, though I'll have to face it later, as I've got rehearsals at the South's this evening. The scaffolder came round to dump a load of scaff poles ahead of tomorrow morning's appointment! Interesting lad...must be mid-thirties, and runs the company...half Scottish, half Greek Cypriot! Early dinner...Aki cooked miso cod with rice. Headed off to rehearsals...two buses, changing at Manor House. Got to Martin and Janet South's house about 5 minutes late. We rehearsed three of the eleven short pieces; I was in two of them. Enjoyable evening...although I thought the pieces didn't read terribly well, they took on some life once we'd stood them up. Ian Hoare, co-directing with Janet and Martin, offered me a lift back to Holloway. As we were leaving he seemed to have severe breathing difficulties...I offered to drive, but he rallied enough to drive us back up the Holloway Road...he didn't look well. Sounds like emphysema or something. I asked if he'd seen anything of Angharad...he told me she'd been diagnosed with myeloma and was undergoing treatment! Got home about 2215. Watched some news and a bit of Later With Jools before bath and bed...

Monday 19th October 2026

Woke around 0800. Got up in anticipation of the roofers turning up. Sat in the living-room with a mug of tea. Porridged. Gary and a roofing mate turned up around 1000...they reckoned they wouldn't be able to start work today, as the forecast was bad for tomorrow, so he didn't want to expose the roof...he's planning to get a tin hat put on, which he is hoping will happen on Wednesday! Spent an hour waiting for someone to answer the phone at Islington Council. Eventually got through...but they weren't much help. Next to useless!!! Put a simple chicken salad lunch together. We headed in to town to watch "Naza" at the Garden Cinema. It's a series of interviews with anonymous Israeli Army operatives, spelling out a very deliberate Israeli government policy aimed at taking out as many Palestinians as possible when targeting Hamas operatives, namely whole families executed by association. It was chilling, showing the Israeli government to be the Fascists we all think they are! The audience sat in contemplative silence while the credits rolled, and we staggered back out into the day. Walked across town to the Japanese grocery near Piccadilly Circus. Found a table at Bolo, a little Italian canteen set up in the name of Gennaro Contaldo, the now 77-year old Italian chef and cookery writer. Portions were small, which allowed prices to be kept reasonable for central London, and my al forno was very tasty. Aki wasn't quite so convinced by her octopus bolognese. Hopped on a No.19 bus back home. Watched 63Up and The Ten before bath and bed...

Sunday 18th October 2026

Woke to alarm at 0800. Got up and porridged. Hauled myself off to Camden with my guitar strapped to my back...got there in good time for a coffee in the Pink Cafe, but no sign of any staff. The lesson plodded through the arrangement of "Sheriff's Ride" for an hour and a half. We adjourned for a coffee afterward...plans afoot for six of seven of us to meet up next Saturday for a jam, since there's no Sunday class, as it's half term. Walked back into Camden Town and did a little shop in Sainsburys, then caught a bus home. Aki lunching at the cafe next the Rowing Club, so I enjoyed a mini pizza and salad for my lunch. Cooked a chicken chasseur for dinner, with boiled vegetables and toasted sweet potato. Tried phoning Roz, but no reply...maybe she's trapped on the barge somewhere! Spoke to mother, who reckoned the boiler had been repaired, but when I asked her if the heating was on, she said "no"...so not sure what's going on...will have to try and speak to a responsible adult at some point! Watched 63Up, and episode 2 of Jimmy McGovern's "Time"...a tough watch! Bath and bed...

Saturday 17th October 2026

Rolled out of bed around 0900. Aki cooked an omelette breakfast before heading up the road to do a little gardening at the street parklet. I pottered about...read some "Dagga" and played some guitar. Pea and mint soup for lunch. Took ourselves off for a walk in the afternoon sunshine...traipsed up to Bread By Bike on Brecknock Road, but they had sold out of loaves. Walked back down the Camden Road...Aki went home as she was expecting an Amazon Prime delivery, while I walked on to Boots to restock my supply of suppositories! Popped into Waitrose for a couple of things. Warmed up the last of the frozen sausage ragu for dinner. Watched 56Up, followed by MOTD before bath and bed...

Friday 16th October 2026

 

Woke around 0730. Got up and porridged, then awaited the scaffolders. Three of them turned up at 0930 in the drizzle, and another team then turned up to build the rig up to roof level. Took them until lunchtime. Gave them tea and amaretti biscuits! Lynne departed for Penzance, so the flat above will be empty for a couple of days before Frazer shows up...hope the scaff rig doesn't encourage intruders!!! I put an egg and halloumi salad together for lunch. We ventured out to do a little shop at Waitrose...nice, warm afternoon in the sunshine. Aki put together a three course meal for dinner...a fig and mozzarella starter, followed by sea bass and vegetables, and her homemade tiramisu for afters. Watched Celebrity Traitors...

Thursday 15th October 2026

 

Woke around 0500. Took an hour or so to nod back off. Slow start. Descended for breakfast at 0930. Poached eggs and smoked salmon. Did a little work on the laptop before packing my bag and heading into Hove for inspections, then on to Shoreham, and Worthing. Had finished by lunchtime...parked up on Marine Parade and walked to Worthing Pier for a light lunch at the Perch Cafe there. Set off for home via the M23...headed for central London via the A23, then up through Tooting and Wandsworth. The traffic through Earls Court was terrible. Got home around 1800. Aki served up a Moroccan lamb stew for dinner before she headed for Book Club at No.38. I watched The Traitors. Aki returned around 2230...they've opted to read The Brothers Karamazov as their next tome...

Wednesday 14th October 2026

Woke around 0730. Aki got up and brought me a mug of tea. Got up and porridged as Aki cycled off to Rowing Club. Headed for Manor House in the car to fill up with over-priced petrol, then drove to Lancing via the M4, M25, and M23. Stopped at Pease Pottage services to pick up something for lunch. Ate my lunch on the sea front at Worthing, then enjoyed a tea and a pastel de nata at the Perch Cafe before driving on to Goring, Littlehampton, and Bognor Regis. Dove back to Hove via the A27, which was slow going...very busy on the Arundel bypass. Got to the Best Western Hotel around 1830. Got booked in then walked across to the Esplanade and dinner at Marrocco's. Felt rather uncomfortably stuffed afterwards, but managed to waddle back to the hotel. Did a little work at the laptop before FaceTiming Aki. Very depressing undercover report on racist, sexist Reform councillors...

Tuesday 13th October 2026

Aki up with alarm at 0700 to ready herself for a works meeting in Camden. She'd departed by the time I got up and porridged. Mucked about on my guitar for most of the morning. Roofer rang to say the scaffolding is due to go up on Friday, and they'll start work on Monday morning. Aki back for lunch. I put a tasty ham and egg salad together, with stracciatella and pesto. Pottered about not doing very much this afternoon...feeling a bit under powered at the moment. The disturbed sleep patterns are taking a bit of a toll. Warmed up the last of the chicken and coucous for dinner, with vegetables. Very tasty. Watched more 56Up, and a second helping of "The Reluctant Vampire". The original storylines were written by Eric Morecambe, and as young Val struggled to make himself a ham sandwich, his host points out that he's making a mess of it to which Val replies that he's "got all the right ingredients, but not necessarily in the right order!" 

Monday 12th October 2026

Terrible night's sleep. I reckon it was gone 0400 by the time I nodded off! Perplexing, as I am still feeling tired after Friday night/Saturday morning. Tea in bed before rising around 1030. Porridged. Practised some guitar and looked at the harmonica part on "Mr Tambourine Man". Pea and mint soup for lunch. Grey day. Did an hour and half at the coal face ahead of my trip to the south coast on Wednesday. Warmed up the last of the fish stew I'd retrieved from the freezer, which we ate with plenty of vegetables. Kath FaceTimed to say High View had been plunged into darkness due to a power cut. Online information suggested repairs were underway, but no time scale evident. Watched 56Up before bath and bed...

Sunday 11th October 2026

Fitful night's sleep...surprising, as I was tired after the previous night's disruption. Dozed in and out of sleep until the alarm at 0800. Got up and made tea. Porridged. Took up my guitar and headed for Camden Town. Got there early...was surprised to see that others had beaten me to it and were setting up in the classroom. Dave turned up 10 minutes later...we worked on an arrangement that involved some of us playing chords, and some the melody line. It was all a bit slow, but I guess things starting to come together. Adjourned for a coffee in the cafe afterward...got chatting to a girl with a banjo on her back. She came and joined our table of guitar players. She recommended I check out Deering's banjos if I'm looking to take it up. Sloped off afterward to find some lunch. Ended up buying a club sandwich from Gail's to take home. Popped into Sainsburys to buy some pancetta for Aki's carbonara. Caught a No.253 bus home. Lunched on my sandwich and a side salad. Practised some mandolin. Aki got home around 1500. Carbonara for dinner. Watched "The Reluctant Vampire"...Lenny Rush is so good in it; followed by a hardcore episode of "Time"...David Tennant superb. Watched Manchester City win 3-0 at Anfield on MOTD before bath and bed...

Saturday 10th October 2026

Woke around 0900. Dozed for a bit. Exhausted after last night's episode! Eventually rose to make tea. Cooked eggs for breakfast, with the teriyaki salmon Aki had leftover from her dinner last night...my portion, basically. Aki made hummus, and amaretti biscuits. I printed off some music I'd been sent by the Guitar class WhatsApp group ahead of a possible meet during half-term. Made some pea and mint soup, then warmed up the chicken and couscous for dinner, with lots of vegetables. Headed for the Barbican...took the train from Finsbury Park to Moorgate. Saw a theatrical adaptation of Murakami's "End of The World, & Hardboiled Wonderland", which I'd read last month in anticipation. It was a long evening...2 hours 50 minutes, including interval, and I struggled to keep my eyes open halfway through the second half. The show satisfyingly brought the strange novel to life, in a charmingly old fashioned way, despite the various technological additions...the staging was reminiscent of a good 1980s era fringe show. A live soundtrack was provided by a pianist stage left...an enjoyable night's entertainment, all in all. Caught a No.153 bus back to Holloway. Caught MOTD...Sunderland were a bit unlucky to go down 0-2 to Brighton...we gave as good as we got, but couldn't put the ball in the net.

Friday 9th October 2026

 

Aki up with alarm at 0700 to ready herself for Rowing Club. I got up as she was preparing to cycle off. Porridged. Walked down to Highbury Fields to buy bread from the Dusty Knuckle van, then enjoyed a latte at Le Maison. Sat outside...it was a bit windy! Walked home via Waitrose. Aki back for lunch. Shared a fresh quiche I'd bought at Le Maison, with a bit of salad and a slice of fresh bread. Did an hour or so's work at the laptop. At around 1700 I was overtaken by one of my bouts of agonising constipation...spent the next 10 hours sitting on the loo, though my bad hernia repair made sitting so uncomfortable, I had to stand half the time. Tried lying down for a bit, but the pain was so discomfiting, I gave up and stood propped up against a wall until finally relief came at about 0300, when I finally got to bed!!!

Thursday 8th October 2026

Aki up at 0700 to ready herself for a work meeting in Camden. In the event, it was changed to an online Teams meeting, so she didn't have to leave the comfort of home. She brought me a mug of tea at about 0830. I read in bed for a bit. Got up and porridged. Did a little work at the laptop. I put together a ham and egg salad lunch. The sun came out in the afternoon, so we took our constitutional up Highgate Hill. Got a bus back toward Waitrose from outside Lauderdale House, and did a shop. Didn't think we'd bought much, but the bill was over £40! I cooked a chicken one-pot dinner with giant couscous and cabbage. Watched Richard E.Grant get himself banished from the castle in "The Traitors". What a plonker! Made for a very entertaining "Traitors Uncloaked" afterward. Bath and bed...

Wednesday 7th October 2026

Woke around 0730. Aki got up to ready herself for Rowing Club, but it started raining, so she stayed home. She brought me a mug of tea in bed. Got up and porridged. Did a bit of work at the laptop finishing off the Moat inspections job. Warmed up the chicken and vegetable soup for lunch. Started work on another valuation exercise, this time for Worthing Homes. Will have to drive down there early next week. Managed another couple of hours at the laptop. Read some "Dagga". Cooked dinner...pork meatballs with n'duja and mozzarella. Headed for Stoke Newington in the car. Had tickets to see "A Mirror"...my interest piqued only due to the fact that I've volunteered to act in a couple of short pieces the Writer's Group are preparing in response to the piece. However, the writing was sharp and darkly funny, and the performances from all concerned were excellent...really enjoyed it. Sat next to Simona...she's thinking of auditioning for one of next season's plays, as her Moving Parts theatre company are not working on anything new in 2027. Gave Kathleen from No.49 a lift home, as she'd been working FOH this evening. 

Tuesday 6th October 2026

Woke around 0730 after a relatively good night's sleep, for a change. Porridged in bed. Got up and readied myself for work...inspections out Chelmsford way again. Picked up a coffee at Manor House, then headed up the M11, then across country on the A120. Ended up in Great Leighs, a few miles north of Chelmsford. Some of the tenants here had been written to, but no-one was in, so I didn't get an internal. Drove over the Great Dunmow for inspections on an extensive new build development, then headed for Ongar, stopping off in High Roding for lunch at a farm that was clearly diversifying. The cafe there was good...enjoyed ham, egg and chips, and a mug of tea before driving on to Ongar. Kath phoned to say that she had had to pull mother out of the bath again yesterday. She's going to try to get some extra help from Occupational Health. Got home around 1515. Aki not in...she'd gone to Crouch End for an eye test at SpecSavers. She came home to report that, although not urgent, she had decided to book a cataract op. Aki put together a little Japanese feast for dinner, to mark the anniversary of the death of her mother. She lit a candle and struck the gong in the makeshift shrine above the bookcase. Watched 49Up. Bath and bed...

Monday 5th October 2026

Woke around 0400...took a couple of hours to nod back off again!!! Woke again at 0845. Read in bed for a bit...Aki brought me a mug of tea. Got up and porridged. Did an hour or so's work at the laptop. Made pesto with basil from the back garden. Slung a ham salad together for lunch, then we walked down to Angel for the exercise, and because Aki wanted to buy nuts from Sainsburys. Caught a No.153 bus back to Holloway with our prize. Early dinner...ravioli with the homemade pesto sauce. I headed off into town to see Graham Fellow's 2006 road movie, "It's Nice Up North". Aki stayed home for a JCUK zoom meeting. Spotted Graham in the darkened auditorium and went to give him a hug before finding a seat. The movie had been shot by Graham's friend, the photographer Martin Parr, who had died suddenly last December, and the movie was preceded by a short film Graham had made to pay tribute to him. The film itself was infused with the usual ramshackle charm of everything Graham does in his comic character role of John Shuttleworth, and basically saw him and Martin on the Isles of Shetland seeking out whether people were friendlier the further north you travelled. There was a brief Q&A with Graham at the end. Graham introduced me to the comic, Alan Francis, and we had a brief chat about the state of the acting profession, before I left for home. Ambled up through Soho, which was very busy for a Monday night, and caught a bus from Tottenham Court Road...

Sunday 4th October 2026

Woke around 0600. Managed to eventually nod off again...woke to alarm at 0800. Got up and porridged before strapping my guitar to my back and heading off for Camden Town on the bus. Picked up a coffee from Pret, then walked up Parkway. Ten pupils turned up today. Worked on chord progressions and substitutions in the key of Em. Retired to the cafe afterward. Liz mentioned that she plays ukulele at The Lamb on Holloway Road every Monday night...we'll have to go down to take a look. Picked up a tray of sushi from World Foods, then caught a bus home. Ate my lunch at the dining table...Aki lunching at the cafe next door to the Rowing Club. Aki back mid afternoon. Early dinner...ate the last of the cooked chicken with the kedgeree and some vegetables, then hopped on a No.91 bus with our instruments and headed for The Shaftesbury for our monthly session. Had a bit of an audience in the back room on this ocassion...a couple of Italian friends of George and Katherine, a couple with a young family, and three people who were trying to have a chat whilst eating their Sunday roast! By the time we finished, it had gone 2000. Walked back home in the company of Ben from No.38...he and his family are in the throes of consulting Islington Council's Planners about converting their house into two flat units. Hope they are more competent than the Parking Department! Watched some of 49Up before early bath and bed...

Saturday 3rd October 2026

Woke at 0730...got up and made the porridge, as I'd forgotten to make it last night. Went back to bed. Aki woke me at 0930 with a mug of tea. Margaret brought round a sachet of mouse poison bait and a chocolate mini egg! She has spotted him in her kitchen too! We walked to Highbury Fields for a coffee and a light lunch at Le Maison...it was rammed. Walked back up to Waitrose to do a shop, then back home. Watched 42Up. Warmed up some defrosted fish stew for dinner, which I served up with lentils and green beans. Nowt on telly...tried watching "Legally Blonde", which someone had recommended as being very funny...it barely raised a titter...gave up after half-an-hour. Early bath and bed...

Friday 2nd October 2026

Woke around 0730. Bad hernia repair giving me gip after yesterday's drive. Aki up to ready herself for Rowing Club. She brought me a mug of tea. I stayed in bed as long as I could. Porridged. Brought my laptop to bed with me and uploaded yesterday's photos, and wrote up my inspection sheets. Got up and started learning "Bring Me Sunshine" on ukulele, in anticipation of auditioning for the Tower Theatre's 2027 production of "The Good Companions". Aki back for soup for lunch. Sat about for most of the afternoon, though I managed to get an hour's work done before cooking dinner. Made a rice and lentil kedgeree, which I served with meatballs in a tahini sauce. Watched Celebrity Traitors. Amol Rajan was first for the chop! Aki spotted a mouse, which popped out from beneath the dishwasher, and ran back underneath when it heard Aki scream! I joined in, thinking Aki had spotted a large arachnid on my t-shirt! SPrayed the area beneath the dishwasher with peppermint rodent reppellant and went to bed...

Thursday 1st October 2026

Woke around 0700. Got up around 0800. Porridged. Cooked a chicken and vegetable broth. Set off on inspections at 0900...headed for Dagenham, then on to Purfleet. Stopped for lunch in Maldon...sat outside the Queens Head on the Hythe Quay and enjoyed a battered haddock burger and chips! A lot of large sailing boats moored up on the quay...with rigging and everything! Drove on to Great Baddow, and Chelmsford, then turned for home. Got in around 1800. Aki cooked a prawn risotto for dinner. Watched the first episode of Celebrity Traitors...very entertaining. Richard E. Grant was his usual livewire self! Bath and bed...

Wednesday 30th September 2026

Woke around 0330...didn't really manage to get back to sleep properly after that!!! Aki up early to ready herself for Rowing Club, but then decided she didn't feel too good, so stayed home. I lay in bed until about 1030 when I got up for porridge. Cooked Ottolenghi's roast tomato and lemon yoghurt for lunch, which we had with a poached egg, and toast. Did a little work at the laptop after lunch...Aki went back to bed. I cooked up a chicken and mushroom pasta sauce for dinner. Watched the last hour of 28Up...can't get over Neil...a bright and bubbly seven year old, but now a stuttering homeless man, tramping the hills and valleys of the west of Scotland, and living in a battered old caravan. Can't believe it's the same human being!