Thursday 4th April 2024

Woke around 0930 with a bit of lower back pain, so hauled myself out of bed and made tea. Porridged at the computer. Worked until lunch time, while Aki baked a sponge cake to take to Book Club this evening. I made lunch...potato cakes with poached eggs and Parma ham. Sat at the computer for most of the afternoon...had wanted to take a constitutional, but the rains came down. Tortelloni for dinner, with a chilli pesto sauce and fried tomatoes. Walked up to Book Club at No.110 Sussex Way carrying Aki's birthday cake. Full house this evening. "The Miniaturist" was largely well-received, though Gareth voiced some negative opinion, and I rather sided with him when it came to the over-wrought plotting. Aki's cake went down well...so much so, there was nothing left to bring back home for tomorrow! We chose Javier Marias' "The Infatuations" as our next read. Walked home in the drizzle...

Wednesday 3rd April 2024

Had left Aki a birthday card, some chocolates, some drink freezer stones, and a small bottle of champagne out on the dining room table for her to stumble across this morning. She was up with the alarm to prepare for Rowing Club, and cycled off before I got up and porridged at the computer. Worked until 1230...broke for my constitutional, and walked up Highgate Hill. Had a mushroom quiche and a latte at Gail's at the top of the hill, then walked back down, popping into Archway Library on the way. Bumped into Katherine, who said she'd just delivered some winter greens from her Community Garden to Aki. 

Bumped into Claire outside her house at No.88...she declared she thought she had Covid, as she'd lost her sense of taste...I told her I was taking Aki out for a very expensive meal tonight, and edged away. Aki was in when I got back, sorting through Katherine's greens...dunno what we're going to do with them all! Helen and Martin called round to wish Aki a Happy Birthday...they stopped for a mug of tea, and we had a catch up. 

We ventured out at 1800 and caught a No.91 bus for Caledonian Road, where we changed to the Overground and made for Hackney Wick. Train was busy...lots of young people now living in Hackney Wick...a small city has gone up over the last ten years. We found our way to Silo, on the upper floor of an old Victorian era warehouse fronting onto the River Lea Navigation (Aki passes it often every time she goes rowing). Nicely kitted out inside...very simple, and very modern. We partook of the £75 a head sample tasting menu...the maitre d' was cognisant of Aki's birthday, and produced a couple of glasses of complimentary fizzy wine. The small plates came one at a time, and with the exception of the minced rabbit in a sourdough dumpling, were very flavoursome. The pork char sui was especially good, with a salsa verde and pureed beans. 

They brought out a tiny chocolate brownie with a candle stuck in it at the end of the meal. We chatted with the maitre d' about the origins of the eaterie, and their unusual sustainability aims...they re-use as much of the food waste as they can...for example, their sourdough loaf leaves some spent sourdough, which they use to make the biscuit in the ice-cream sandwich. And they are working with a neighbouring ceramicist on producing small plates made from crushed glass and clay waste. He got our coats, and we headed home the way we had come, just managing to miss the Arsenal supporters coming out of the Emirates after their game against Luton Town...

Tuesday 2nd April 2024

Woke at 0930 with lower back pain. Hauled myself out of bed at about 1030...porridged at the computer. Worked until 1400 while Aki did some hoovering. Broke for some lunch. Lynne from upstairs back from Zanzibar...she'd had a good time, though said the food was terrible..."they don't know how to cook out there!" Aki popped out to run some errands, so I nipped out to get her birthday card and some champagne, hoping to get home before her. I bought some chocolates in Girasole, and chatted with the chap behind the counter about places to visit on the south coast, then walked up to the gift shop on Stroud Green Road...spotted Aki looking at the pumpkins outside Green & Glory, but managed to stroll past her without her noticing. Bought a card in the gift shop, and some granite stones that you put in the freezer and can then stick in your G&T without risk of watering your drink down! Got a small bottle of champers in Tesco, and walked home...Aki got home 2 seconds ahead of me, and we met outside the front door, so had to confess I'd been on a birthday mission! Did a little more work at the laptop before breaking to watch The Six. Aki cooked a mushroom risotto with spelt for dinner...very tasty! Caught another silly episode of "3 Body Problem", then The Ten, followed by putting the bins out, bath, and bed...

Monday 1st April 2024

Woke at 0930 feeling very weary…bit of lower back pain to add to the discomfort around the bad hernia repair, and the odd shooting pain in my left arm! Aki got up and made tea. Savoury porridge with egg and miso paste for breakfast...we need to venture out to replenish our supplies at some point today. Did some exercises before venturing out for our constitutional. Walked down to Highbury Fields, then back to Waitrose, dodging rain showers. sat about reading the paper and doing the crossword for a bit. Watched the new series of MasterChef get underway. Warmed up the last of the aubergine parmigiana lasagne for dinner, with broccoli and peas. Watched a documentary on Netflix about the recording of the US charity single *We Are the World*, in response to Bob Geldof's *Do They Know It's Christmas" Band Aid single...the recording session involved about 30 of America's leading pop stars of the 1980s, including a rather perplexed Bob Dylan, who seemingly wondered what the hell he was doing there...very amusing!

Sunday 31st March 2024

Clocks had gone forward overnight, so lost an hour. Got up around 1030. Descended for a wee breakfast of fruit and coffee, then took a walk down into the Old Town. By the time we hit the sea front, the clouds had rolled away and the sun was shining in a blue sky. Wandered up George Street, then onto the Esplanade...very busy already...the fish and chip shops, the crazy golf, and the fairground rides were packed. We walked Piper up to the High Street, and popped into the hat shop near the old East Gate...nothing caught my eye this time round, and we left empty handed. Walked back up to the West Hill, and sat outside No.12A for a while, soaking up the rays, before ambling over the road for Sunday lunch at The Beacon. The vegetarian nut roast options now out-number the meat options...Aki had the cashew nut roast, and I ordered lamb, but would have preferred chicken...so I was a little disappointed, having looked forward to it all week.

Repaired to Tony's for dessert, and sat outside sunbathing until it was time to pile back into the Skoda for a lift to the railway station. 

We were all very quiet on the journey...the fresh air having made us all very sleepy. Katrina got off at London Bridge to catch a bus to Stoke Newington. We got off at Charing Cross and walked up to Leicester Square to get on the Piccadilly Line...a lot of people about. Got home around 1900. Cheese and toast for dinner, and a glass of beer apiece. Nowt on telly. My left arm giving me a bit of gip, so re-started my amitriptyline intake. Bath and bed...

Saturday 30th March 2024

Woke around 0830...reasonable night's sleep in Tony's bed at the top of the house...Tony slept on the sofa bed in the living-room below us. I got up and descended to the kitchen to make tea, and took a couple of mugs back up to our bedroom. Read in bed for a bit...chapter two of "Our Mutual Friend" was baffling. Got up a descended to the front parlour for breakfast. Tony toasted some hot cross buns, which we ate with butter a strawberry jam. 

We then piled into Tony's Skoda, with Piper in the back, and drove to Powdermill Woods, near Battle. We walked through woodland down to a small lake, then via a boardwalk across marshland. Ma and pa FaceTimed me as we gained open countryside, and I took them along for the ride until we reached more woodland and disappeared into the tree cover once more. Some of the tracks were very wet and boggy, which meant we had to find ways around in order to minimise the risk of slipping up in the mud. It meant the walk was slow-going, but we eventually found ourselves walking the perimeter of the site of the Battle of Hastings, and came out into the village by Battle Abbey. The sun was out by now...it turned into a very pleasant day. 

We found a table in a coffee shop on the HIgh Street and ordered a light lunch...Aki and I shared a tasty Homity pie and side salad, then we headed back the way we had come and climbed back into the Skoda for the drive back to St Mary's Terrace. Sat out front of No.12A and had a G&T before walking down to the Old Town and dinner at The Stag, a rather atmospheric old inn to the north of the Old Town centre. It was pretty full, but Tony had booked us a table. 

The food was very good...I had beef spare ribs to start, on a sourdough crumpet...delicious...followed by cod fillet with pink fir potato, leek, spinach, cod cheek scampi, and a tasty brown shrimp sauce. The hostess, Nicola, came over to say hello and have a chat...very nice pub, great service, and good food. We walked back down to the Old Town via the high pavement, then wended our way back up the West Hill via various paths and passageways. Fell into bed exhausted...

Friday 29th March 2024

Got up and cooked a big brunch, in a bid to empty the fridge. Caught a bus to Finsbury Park, then took the tube to Charing Cross. Not too busy. Got there a bit early, and hung around on the station concourse...bought some Easter eggs for Tony from Hotel Chocolat. Katrina turned up at around 1100. We bagged a seat on the concourse, then I popped over The Strand to buy coffees for us all. Caught the 1138 train to Hastings. Takes an hour-and-a-half, but it was a pleasant enough journey...chatted and caught up with Katrina. Shared out the last of the chocolate Guinness cake at the shared table. Got into Hastings a little after 1300. Walked to the sea front, and ambled along the Esplanade looking for somewhere to lunch. Ended up on The Stade, and wandered into The Jerwood, paying to see the exhibition, which was intriguing. 

Broke for lunch in the cafe...really good...had beetroot cured salmon with cream cheese on a bagel, and a very fresh and wholesome side salad. Sat out on the balcony for a bit afterward, being dive-bombed by herring gulls, then went downstairs to look at the Quentin Blake stuff...not very inspiring...a hundred ballpoint sketches of heads which were on sale at rather steep prices, intended to raise funds for the Jerwood. There was a corner of the gallery room given over to drawing materials, and a couple of kids having a go at drawing a portrait, so Aki did one of me, and we hung it on the wall. 

Tony phoned and got me to nip over the road to pick up a kilo of mussels he'd ordered from Sonny Elliott's fish counter, then we walked down George Street and took the funicular up to the top of the West Hill, and from thence to Tony's at No.12A St Mary's Terrace. Piper, his labrador, greeted us with the usual growling and barking, until she'd gotten used to our sudden presence. Tony had cooked a fish pie for dinner, with mussels in a creamy garlic sauce for starters...very tasty. There was chocolate brownie with ice cream and a raspberry coulis for afters. Repaired to the living-room upstairs for a catch up before bed...