Friday 1st March 2024

Got up around 0800 and descended for breakfast. My left foot giving me gip this morning, so took the lift! Checked out and headed for Walderslade in the pouring rain. The weather cleared mid-morning, so I was able to target some units where I knew I would have to carry out my inspections on foot. Parked up in the multi-storey car park in Chatham town centre, and popped in to Sainsburys to get a sarnie. Drove to the car park on Slicketts Hill, overlooking the grim town centre, and ate my lunch in the car. Came across a rather strange vegetarian mural on the end of a row of houses in Chatham...not sure whether there is any hidden meaning for the locals. Finished my inspections around 1700 and headed for Strood, where I used the facilities at Morrisons before striking for home. Got in around 1930. Aki had cooked mapo and rice, with a miso soup on the side, for a tasty dinner. Spent most of the evening in front of the computer trying to work out why my hotmail account had stopped functioning...a pain in the arse, as I email the photos of the stock I take during the day across to my Savills email account, but about 60 were stuck in limbo, going nowhere. Tried to delete thousands past emails in order to free up storage space in the hotmail account, but it didn't make much difference. Bathed and went to bed, hoping to sort it all out in the morning...

Thursday 29th February 2024

Woke around 0800. Listened to the news headlines then got up and showered. Descended for breakfast in the restaurant area. Grey morning, threatening rain. Drove to Twydall and knocked on half a dozen doors…of the two tenants to answer, both stated they had not received any letter warning of my coming…one of them let me in anyway. Pretty grim inside…the place stank of cigarette smoke, and the old chap’s moustache was stained a pungent yellow. Headed for Lordswood…a vast estate of low quality, box-like housing. Managed to get into one unit, though they confirmed no letter had preceded me. Drove on to Luton, a rundown eastern suburb of Chatham…got into two bungalows…the tenant of one, now in his late 70s, had been raised in Holloway, his family living in Hornsey Road…he enjoyed reminiscing about the area, and said he liked to pop back there occasionally. I drove back to the Premier Inn to use the facilities, then drove on to the dockyard area and lunched in Costa, before heading back to Lordswood, and Walderslade. Got soaked wandering the streets in the unrelenting drizzle. FaceTimed Jim Lister…told him he and Katherine were welcome to stop over with us as long as they like…threw in the suggestion that we play the Open Mic at the North Nineteen, but sounds as if they’ll be staying with Barney in Peckham that night. Dined at the Ship & Trades…the chicken and mushroom risotto was tasty. FaceTimed Aki, then read some of The Miniaturist before nodding off...

Wednesday 28th February 2024

Woke around 0800. Breakfast downstairs in the restaurant. Did a little work at the laptop before venturing out toward Rochester, and Strood. Dad due at the RVI for an op on his neck this morning, so kept an eye out for WhatsApp updates. Got back to the hotel and dined in the restaurant again. Called ma and pa...dad seemed in good spirits, and said the op had gone according to plan, and hopefully he's in the clear. He said he was feeling a bit sore, as the local anaesthetic was beginning to wear off. Watched some more Cup football...Manchester United narrowly beat a vibrant Forest at the City Ground.

Tuesday 27th February 2024

Got up around 0800...showered, then descended to the restaurant for my Premier Inn all-you-can-eat breakfast. The bacon was nice and crispy, and the sausage was good. Jumped in the car and headed back toward the Hoo Peninsula, taking in a couple more villages, before moving into the suburbs of Strood. Bought a sandwich in M&S and ate in the car in Morrisons car park, before driving out to Halling, and Cuxton. Ended the working day in the Borstal area, then headed back to the hotel for dinner in the restaurant...to weary to go find anywhere better. Walked round the corner to ASDA to buy some beers and nuts to watch the telly with. Retired to my room to watch some Cup football.

Monday 26th February 2024

Got up reasonably early. Porridged, and warmed up some soup for my packed lunch. Aki headed off for Southwark Crown Court to deliberate in the Jury Room. I packed a bag and headed south-eastward. Put some petrol in the car at Manor House, then drove down through the Blackwall Tunnel. Picked up a coffee at the cafe in Shorne, to the west of Strood, then drove on to inspections in several villages on the Hoo Peninsula. Parked up outside a static caravan park in Allhallows and had my soup. Ended the working day in Strood, then drove up toward Gillingham and checked in at the Premier Inn. The weather was too unpleasant to consider venturing out so I ate the in-house restaurant…it was OK, though my steak and ale pie was a bit burnt. Watched some of the Coventry City v Maidstone FA Cup tie. FaceTimed Aki before bed…

Sunday 25th February 2024

Woke around 0900. Got up and made tea, and got back into bed to read for awhile. Rose to cook breakfast. Hauled the ladder out front to do a bit more work on the wisteria, tying in some of the bigger branches to the vine eyes I'd screwed into the external wall. Sunny, but cold out. Aki had a zoom meeting with Japan, so I took my constitutional up Highgate Hill. Had to slow down when I got to Archway, due to unfamiliar shooting pains in the right thigh, seeming to emanate from my right knee. Took my time getting up to Gail's Bakery at the summit...sat and had a coffee and a cheese and ham croissant. Wandered back down the hill via Sainsbury's to get Aki some full fat milk. Watched the France v Italy Six Nations game...the Italians were very unlucky, missing a penalty kick in the final seconds which would have given them a famous victory over Les Bleus. Cooked a chicken and mushroom pasta sauce, and made some tagliatelle, for dinner, followed by milk pudding and fruit compote. Nowt on telly. Bath and bed...

Saturday 24th February 2024

Got up at 0900 and made tea. Got back into bed and read for a bit. Aki cooked breakfast. Booked tickets for the ArtHouse Cinema tonight. Ambled over to Morrisons to get some shopping. Bit of a queue at the checkouts, so Aki soldiered on alone to Waitrose. Back home I made Turkish milk puddings...needed to pop back out to the shop to get some pistachio kernels. I cooked an aubergine and prawn curry for dinner, with dal tadka on the side, and a chapati. Walked up Hornsey Rise to Cround End for tonight's showing of Wim Wender's 2023 film "Perfect Days", which follows a public toilet maintenance man as he goes about inspecting the lavatories of urban Tokyo. A rather unprepossessing notion, but it turned out to be a delightful, slow-burning exploration of human happiness...how a simple life of hard work, focus, and care, can bring contentment. He's a kind of monk of the public convenience. Great soundtrack...The Kinks, The Stones, The Velvet Underground, The Animals, Nina Simone, amongst others. Enjoyed a beer in the bar, and walked back up to Crouch End Hill to catch a No.91 bus home.