Aki cycled in to Savills HQ at Margaret Street with my laptop and dropped it off for the IT man to rebuild. I had to venture out to the GP surgery to get my fix of flu vaccine. After lunch, I had a podiatry appointment over the phone with Albana...she’s working from home with COVID symptoms! Said she’d been unwell for three weeks now...I prescribed that she put her feet up for a bit (not really, but was tempted!). Made a date and walnut cake. Kath rang to say one of her colleagues had tested positive...and was worried she had put ma and pa at risk. But she hasn’t had contact with said colleague for two weeks, so we assured her she was in the clear given that she has no symptoms. Watched the magnificent Frances McDormand as the redoubtable Olive Kitteridge...
Sunday, 27 December 2020
Sunday 6th December 2020
Kath texted to say she and Dex had called it a day...then that the old lady she’d been looking after overnight had fallen and broken her ankle. They’d spent the early hours of the morning at the hospital! Spoke to her via Zoom late afternoon...she seemed ok. Said she’d had enough of Dex shouting at her for no reason, usually in public! She did the right thing telling him to pack his bags and go home. Aki went rowing this morning...I ventured out briefly at midday and tried Eglal’s sourdough (bit cheaper than Big Jo’s), and got some odds and ends in TescoExpress. Julie Williams posted on fb confirming Nigel has picked up covid during his stay at Morriston Hospital...not good!!!
Saturday 5th December 2020
We took a long walk after brunch, stumbling across a busking old school jazz band sat on a bench in Highbury Fields, watched by an appreciative crowd. Aki gave ‘em £3 via ApplePay! Ambled down the east side of Upper Street, window shopping...a lot of people out and about. Bought Kath Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet at Waterstones on Islington Green...which was rammed! Busy in Muji too.
Friday 4th December 2020
Another day of inspections out east London way. Managed a comfort break at Tesco’s in Leytonstone, and had lunch sat in the car on Claremont Road, in the insalubrious Forest Gate area. Watched the first of Steve McQueen’s Small Axe for BBC...very moving retelling of the trial of the Mangrove Nine...brought a tear to the eye...
Thursday 3rd December 2020
Spent the day driving about east London in the pouring rain. It didn’t let up all day, and there were areas of localised flooding by the time I headed for home in the gloaming. A lot of traffic on the roads...no sense that we are still in pandemic mode! Stopped at Waitrose in Woodford to use the facilities and buy some lunch...lunch break in the rain sodden and deserted car park at Hainault Forest Country Park.
Wednesday 2nd December 2020
Aki went to rowing club this morning. I worked from home. Spoke to Kath via FaceTime this evening. She told us that dad had successfully had his stitches removed from his scalp, and that mum was due to remove the dressing tomorrow.
Tuesday 1st December 2020
Drove out to Thaxted and Great Dunmow this morning to inspect some new build. Usual stop at Birchanger Green Service station to buy lunch items, and a coffee. Back home in time for a late lunch. Watched the Michael Fagan episode of The Crown this evening...amused to discover via Wikipedia that he had later recorded a version of God Save the Queen with The Bollock Brothers!