Tuesday 5th December 2023

Woke at around 0730, so got up and made tea. We'd run out of porridge, so made do with a bit of cheese and toast instead. Warmed up the dill soup to take with me on my travels. Set off for Hertfordshire at 0945, stopping off at South Mimms service station on the A1 to grab a coffee. Inspections followed in St Albans, Sandridge, and Wheathampstead. Stopped for lunch in a car park on a big retail park in Stevenage, thence on to Hitchin. Turned for home once darkness threatened. Got home around 1800. Aki cooked haddock with miso paste, eaten with rice, bean shoots, and miso soup. 

Monday 4th December 2023

Got up a bit later than planned, feeling very weary. Porridged. Did a little work at the computer, then headed out on inspections in Kilburn, Brondesbury Park, and West Hampstead. Returned home for a late lunch, and did another hour at the computer. Rehearsed my guitar parts ahead of this evening's rehearsal at the Tower Theatre. Cooked ravioli for dinner, with chilli pesto and peas. Drove over to Stoke Newington for band rehearsal. Worked with Zelia on Nat King Cole's "Christmas Song". Chaachi sounded good too...don't think my guitar playing adds much, but will keep practising. Enjoyed Vyvian's rendition of "The Usherette's Blues", a cleverly wrought comic song in which an usherette bemoans the fact that her job means she never gets to see the end of any of the films that are on when she's doing her shift. 

Sunday 3rd December 2023

Slow start after yesterday's busy day. Got up and cooked brunch. Katherine's brother, Alex, popped round for a coffee, as he's stopping with an old school mate around the corner in Finsbury Park. Entertained him with a few old photos of a Xmas gathering at his sister's in 2010. After he'd left for his mate's pad, we walked across to Waitrose and did a shop, as the fridge was looking a little empty. Got back and had a snack, then walked up to the North Nineteen for band rehearsal with the Scottish flautists and fiddlers. Got home around 1830 and cooked confit of duck for dinner, with roast potatoes and parsnips. Creme caramel for afters. Watched a bit of telly before bath and bed...
 

Saturday 2nd December 2023

 

Arose and cooked a late breakfast. I popped out to get some odds and ends...bought some fresh ravioli from Pierro in the Upper Place, and had a browse in the glassware section of Selby's, before a quick run round Waitrose. Aki prepared some avocado and dark chocolate tartlets to take to Brett's at No.7 this evening. Enjoyed an early dinner, finishing off the chicken curry. Oty and her dad came round at 1715 to run through the Xmas song list before we headed for No.7. Rather a poor turnout early doors, but we had to deliver our songs well before 1900 in order to hightail it to Deptford. Enjoyed some snack food before we ran for the bus...especially enjoyed Rebecca's onion quiche; must ask for the recipe! 

Got on a No.29 bus to Finsbury Park, but traffic was dreadful after the Arsenal game, so got off a couple of stops before the tube station and trotted down to the Victoria line. Changed at Green Park, getting off at Canada Water and getting a No.188 bus to Deptford High Street. Amazed to find we got to the Watergate in good time. Barney's girlfriend, Jen, welcomed us at the door...she'd done all the organising. Barney was in the dark, and due to turn up at 2030. So the back room was full of Barney's old school mates and current friends and colleagues. We all hid in there until Barney turned up in the company of his mum and dad, and sister Ro and her husband Rob. Met Joy Crookes (pictured on the far left) who co-wrote, and sang, "Feet Don't Fail Me Now" with Barney, which has been coining it in for them as a big car f=maker has been using the song for it's recent advertising campaign. Met an agent who is apparently after signing Barney up for £500,000 (Barney is holding out for a better deal), as well as his manager, and various other interesting music industry types. Katherine's brother Alex turned up, and Aki and I sat and had a chat with him over a beer before we headed back home. 

Friday 1st December 2023

Very slow start this morning. Eventually rose for a late bowl of porridge. Cold day…wrapped ourselves up for a trip into town. Paid a visit to the newly re-opened HMV store in Oxford Street. It wasn’t very impressive. Prefer Rough Trade in Spitalfields. Wandered about in John Lewis’s for a bit then came home via M&S at Finsbury Park. Breaded Dover sole for dinner, with sautéed potatoes and tartare sauce. Watched a bit of telly and rehearsed some guitar before bath and bed…
 

Thursday 30th November 2023

Got up and porridged. Spent the morning on the computer finishing off the B3 job. Soup for lunch. Rehearsed some guitar in the afternoon. Finished off the lasagne for dinner, and made a creamy mushroom and walnut sauce to go with it. Walked up Highgate Hill to Lauderdale House for the Barb Jungr gig. Very cold outside! The walk warmed us up a bit, though. Full house at Lauderdale. Got seats at the back with a little table, and bought a couple of drinks at the bar. Quite a lot of respectable looking Jewish people in the audience…I’m guessing Barb is Jewish, her mum being German and her dad Czechoslovak. She delivered her album of cover versions with the help of a piano, bass and drums trio, and although her vocal interpretations can stray somewhat off the mark, she’s very personable, and her patter between the numbers always entertaining. A good night. We walked back down the hill toward bath and bed…

Wednesday 29th November 2023

Woke around 0830. Aki already up and about, as she prepared to head for Rowing Club. I got up and made tea, then went back to bed to read "Silence" for half-an-hour. Rose and porridged, then sat at the computer until 1230, when I broke to put lunch together. Aki got home just as I was leaving the flat. I headed for a bus stop on Holloway Road, and got to the Whittington Hospital in good time for my 1330 appointment. I thought I was going for a follow-up post endoscopy, but it turned out to be a clinic for the Hernia Hub. The consultant had a look at my umbilical hernia, and told me that as I had had previous keyhole surgery, they would need to cut in from the front next time, but as it wasn't causing me any discomfort at present, then I'd be advised to avoid the surgical route for the moment...I heartily agreed. He reckoned there was little or nothing that could be done about the pain engendered by the inguinal hernia repair, and that I'd probably have to grin and bear it for the rest of my days. Walked back down the hill, popping in to M&S for some bits and pieces. Got home and did another hour or so at the computer. We sliced the meat off the chicken carcass and made a Thai red curry, which we ate with rice and vegetables.