Monday 31st January 2022

Woke around 0730 and got up at 0800 to make tea and porridge. Sat at the computer for a couple of hours before heading out in the car for south-east London. Drove around Forest Hill, East Dulwich, Peckham and Peckham Rye for most of the rest of the day, stopping to eat my packed lunch in the car in a street in East Dulwich village. By the time I got to Marlton Street, Greenwich, it was getting dark....you can see my car headlights helping to pick out the final shot of the day. Stopped off at M&S in Charlton to get some lunch items for tomorrow's packed lunch, then drove home. Got home at 1900 just as Aki was serving up a vegetable curry and dahl, with rice and naan bread. Worked all evening to get everything written up, as I need to start on a new job in Cambridgeshire tomorrow.  Wonder if I'll get time to call in on Uncle Pete? Aki called Kath, as she had reported having had to get herself to A&E to have an eye infection looked at...sounds like a bad case of conjunctivitis. Looks 'orrible! Says it's very painful!!! Bath and bed.

Sunday 30th January 2022

Woke around 0915....had to force ourselves out of bed! It had been a busy weekend so far...more of the same today. Aki cooked up an omelette for breakfast. I got my stuff together and drove to Stoke Newington for a rehearsal with Colin, Angharad and Stan...I'm playing guitar on a couple of songs they are delivering at the gig next weekend. Stan the violin player was dreadful...hopefully he'll get better as the week progresses! Then it was time for the short play production meeting. Jess Evans has been assigned our designer, and she ran through some ideas with us, and we also got allocated a lighting designer called Anna...we invited them along to Wednesday night's rehearsal so they can get a better idea of how the actors are utilising the space. Drove back home through heavy traffic...got stuck on Blackstock Road for about 20 minutes!

As I drew up, I happened upon the next door neighbour washing his car...mine is so bad, I've been too embarrassed to take it to the hand car wash chaps round the corner, so saw my window of opportunity and seized it. Donated a couple of bottles to Sush's lager stockpile for his trouble. Aki had cooked a boiled ham for dinner, which we had with mashed potatoes and a mustard sauce...then it was back to the theatre for this evening's play rehearsal. Plodded through the final sections of the piece, and ran bits of it...it's in pretty good shape...now they just need to double down on the line learning. Next rehearsal Wednesday. Got back home around 2100 and watched the BBC highlights from Melbourne as Rafa came from two sets down to win his 21st Grand Slam title...jaw dropping stuff from the great man!

Saturday 29th January 2022

Woke around 0800. Wanted to do some work uploading the photos I'd taken yesterday, but couldn't link up with the Savills online service for some reason...I presume IT are working on something. Aki cycled off to the fishmonger while I did a bit of tidying up before the band arrived. We were a bit low on soy sauce, so I popped over to the Chinese shop and bought a bottle. Martin and Janet brought alcohol free prosecco as they are trying to lose weight...it wasn't bad, though I prefer the alcohol version. Colin cycled over from Stratford in a head wind, so was a bit late. We had a bit of a natter before lunch. Janet works for Eye magazine, an expensive rag aimed at the graphic design industry. Martin trained in law, and runs an advice centre in Tower Hamlets, and does a bit of acting on the side when he can get it. Colin is a retired BBC sound engineer. We rehearsed some songs after lunch in preparation for next weekend's gig at the Tower Theatre. A splendid time was had by all...they left around 1730, and I cooked a mushroom and anchovy sauce which we had with some pasta. Watched the Australian Open women's tennis final...Ash Barty a worthy winner over a battling Danielle Collins.

Friday 28th January 2022

 

On the road again today. Made a packed lunch and set off at 0900 for Waterloo Bridge, and then on down to Thornton Heath. Stopped off at Sainsburys and discovered it shared a car park with the Crystal Palace football ground...a rather ugly edifice! Ate my lunch in the car in a residential street in Catford. Ended the working day in my old stomping ground of Forest Hill. Drove home to pick Aki up, and we drove into Moorgate. Tried parking the car in the Barbican car park, but we'd both forgotten our debit cards, and it wouldn't take ApplePay, so we parked in a street off Silk Street, which was considerably cheaper than the Barbican option. Had dinner at Cote Brasserie on Beech Street...the bourguignon beef cheeks were melt-in-the-mouth good. Hooked up with Kevin and his missus, Laurence, in the bar at the Pit...we hadn't met her before...she teaches French at the Institute Francais in South Kensington. The show was part of this years rather cut down London International Mime Festival...a kind of cabaret show by a couple of dance companies who specialise in lip-synching, to great effect, and drag. It had it's moments...I particularly enjoyed the solo piece for Sid Vicious...but it all got a bit samey, and wasn't really my bag. We drove Kevin and Laurence home to No.93, and they invited us in for a quick snifter. Laurence had several stunning paintings by her deceased brother on the walls of the kitchen/dining room...his still life's were stunning. 

Thursday 27th January 2022

Woke to the alarm at 0800. Hauled myself out of bed and sat in front of the computer, where I ate my porridge. Worked through until lunch break. Popped out in the afternoon to start some inspections in east London, which will be on-going for most of February. Shot of the Day was this photo of some flats in Glaucus Street, Bow Common...which lead me to wonder about the street name. Apparently Glaucus Pontius was a Greek sea God who had the gift of prophecy...shame he couldn't predict the architectural catastrophe that was the 1960s before it was all too late! How on earth did Glaucus end up in the East End of London? Got home at 1800. Cooked belly pork for dinner, with mashed potatoes and vegetables. Watched a bit of telly. Ricky Gervais's final series of After Life is proving a comparative disappointment...not as whacky as the first season, and the maudlin sections are getting tiresome. A dose of Seinfeld cheered us up.

Wednesday 26th January 2022

Woke at 0730. Up and at 'em....made tea, porridge, and a packed luncheon. Headed for Thamesmead, stopping off at M&S in Charlton to get some lunch extras. Drove on to Erith and Dartford, before doubling back to Eltham, Lee and Blackheath. Had my lunch in the Morrisons car park overlooking Erith Deep Wharf...which wasn't as exciting as it sounds...the view was blocked by the road works. Shot of the Day was a bunch of flat conversions in a 4-storey Victorian era villa opposite Lee rail station. Got home around 1745. Aki cooked a tasty mushroom risotto for dinner. Watched a bit of telly. 

Tuesday 25th January 2022

Woke around 0645 and couldn't get back to sleep, so got up and did some work at the computer. Tea and porridge at my desk. Aki popped in to the Japanese Embassy to drop off some paperwork. She went via the tube, which she said wasn't too busy. She came back with some ramen noodles which we had for lunch in a soup with salmon and boiled egg....nom nom! Worked all afternoon, breaking at 1730 to warm up the chicken and chorizo stew for dinner, which we had with orzo and cabbage. Kath rang just as we were readying ourselves to go out...Jim had taken himself off to A&E complaining of chest pains. Kath didn't think it was serious, so we went on our way. Drove to the Tower Theatre to see "Krapp's Last Tape". Theatre about a third full for the first night. Not a bad rendition, if a little light on character detail. It was cold in there though, so we didn't go back for the second half chat with the director, but instead hightailed it home. Message from Kath saying Jim had been diagnosed with...chronic heartburn! We celebrated with a glass of port back in the warmth of the flat. Watched the end of an astonishing programme put together by the late great Maya Angelou, celebrating her devout love for all things Robbie Burns. The utter delight on her face as she sits and listens to various renditions of the great man's work was revelatory!