Thursday 30th March 2023

Alarm at 0730. Dozed until 0800. Got up and porridged, and made myself a packed lunch. Drove south eastward, stopping off at M&S in Charlton, before heading for Erith, then southward toward Orpington. Made a pit stop at Tudor Hall Place, near Bexley, and had a brief wander around the grounds. Ate my lunch in the car in the car park, then drove down to St Mary Cray, before turning north-westward for Hither Green and Bellingham. Ended the working day in Streatham Vale, then turned for home. Got in around 1715. Aki working at the computer, so I cooked dinner. Lemon and walnut chicken pasta sauce with tagliatelle. The sauce was made by soaking a couple of slices of bread in some milk, then whizzing it up in a processor with lemon juice, zest, garlic, olive oil and walnuts...it was very effective. Watched a bit of telly before shower and bed...

Wednesday 29th March 2023

Decent night's sleep, but must have moved a bit in my sleep as my hernia repair giving me much discomfort this morning. Aki rose to ready herself for a cycle to the Rowing Club. I got up and porridged, and then did a little work at the computer...winding down now ahead of our planned long weekend break. Aki had lunch at the Club, so I made myself a ploughman's. Did some prep work ahead of inspections in Wales after Easter. Took some detritus to the recycling centre in the afternoon. Came home and cooked a mushroom risotto for dinner. Watched "Daisy Jones", then the News, before shower and bed...

Tuesday 28th March 2023

Not a great night's sleep...my hernia repair giving me a lot of gip at the moment. Fortunately, the cough seems to be subsiding at last, so hopefully it will get a bit of rest and recovery. Read some Bulgakov before rising for a late breakfast. Aki departed for Brixton to see how the flat refurbishment is getting on. I worked at the computer until lunchtime. Aki back in time for fried sardines and salad, with toasted garlic breadcrumbs. Worked at the computer until around 1600...gave way to Aki, as she needed to do some CAD drawing. I did a bit more work on the laptop at the dining table. Cooked up a creamy chicken and mushroom pasta, which we ate with broccoli and spinach. Watched a bit of telly....Bear Grylls journey to Kiev to have a wee chat and a walk with President Zelensky...it was all a bit lightweight, given the situation, but Vlod seemed to enjoy the distraction. Took a look at the new BBC adaptation of "Great Expectations" ...atmospherically shot, and good performances all round.

Monday 27th March 2023

Woke late, exhausted. read in bed for a bit. Aki brought me a mug of tea. Eventually rose and porridged, then set to work at the laptop on the dining table. Broke to make lunch...stuffed chicken thigh and salad, with toast. Worked through the afternoon. Had invited Andy Smith round for supper, but he rang to say he was having to join his comrades for eats this evening, having come down from Leamington for some kind of business conference. He said he'd be back down again later in the year, so will arrange something then. Warmed up the bulgar wheat and lentil balls, which we ate with a tomato sauce, and some vegetables on the side. Watched "Blue Lights", as Andi Osho was in it. It wasn't very good, though...stretched credulity somewhat, and the performances were a bit below par. Shower and bed...

Sunday 26th March 2023

Woke later than usual, partly because the clocks had gone forward overnight. Eventually got up and I cooked breakfast...poached eggs on avocado toast. Aki decided to try and sort out the under-stairs storage cupboard. It took most of the afternoon, but a slight improvement was effected, and we need to make a trip to the recycling centre. FaceTimed ma and pa who were watching the Boat Race. Dad has been searching the pharmacies of Eland looking in vain for support stockings to shore up his damaged calf muscle...he's expecting an Amazon delivery tomorrow. We hastened out, catching a bus to Finsbury Park, then a tube train to Oxford Circus. Ambled along Oxford Street, popping into Uniglo and buying ourselves some New York street art inspired T-shirts. 

Then headed for the Mercato in the deconsecrated St Mark's Church on North Audley Street. I've been before, but this was Aki's first visit. It's a refurbished early Victorian church interior, now given over to two floors of Italian and Asian street food outlets...we found a couple of seats, and ordered pad thai, and a green curry. It was surprisingly busy for a Sunday evening. After dinner, we walked down to Grosvenor Square, past the old US Embassy, which now appears to be being converted into high-spec flat units. Popped in to the Audley public house on the corner of Mount Street. It has recently been refurbished, with a colourful ceiling collage by Phyllida Barlow (who passed away last week!). 

Had a half in there, then walked through Berkeley Square, and on to Piccadilly for the evening's Vox Holloway concert at St James' Church (designed in 1680 by Sir Christopher Wren). The theme was one of foundlings and refugees, and included Handel's Anthem for a Foundling Hospital, which he wrote in a bid to assist Thomas Coram in his efforts to erect a Foundling Hospital, which he eventually did in what is now known as Coram's Fields. There was some fund raising in support of the fight against the Government's proposed Illegal Immigrants Bill. The acoustics in the church are excellent, and the choir filled the space with their beautiful voices. Our friend Helen is in the choir, and came up to say hello in the interval. Took a Piccadilly Line train back to Caledonian Road, then a No.259 bus to Sussex Way. Cold out! Got home around 2230.

Saturday 25th March 2023

Woke around 0630 with a bout of coughing. Managed to get back to sleep for a bit. Got up around 0900 and made tea. Aki cooked brunch. The sun was out come late morning, so we took a walk up to Plan B at Crouch Hill railway station for a coffee. Walked back down Stroud Green Road and did a little shopping in Tesco, then walked home. Did some work this afternoon before preparing dinner. Did roasted chicken thighs stuffed with Parma ham, fried onions, bread, mustard and a bit of apricot jam…tied them up with string and bunged them in the oven for an hour. Ate with roast potato, carrots, broccoli and parsnip…but disappointing, given the effort involved. I was expecting more flavour. Watched Martin Freeman in "The Responder"...the heavy Scouse accents made it difficult to follow without subtitles...and it was all a bit too intense. The notion that his character would be policing Toxteth at night on his own stretched credulity.

Friday 24th March 2023

Woke around 0800. Dozed for a little before getting up and porridging. Did an hour or so at the computer before putting a packed lunch together and heading eastward. Drove to Sainsbury’s in Manor House to stick some petrol in the car and pick up some lunch items, then headed for Clapton. Managed an internal inspection of a flat on the fourth floor of Wigan House. Then headed for Poplar, Beckton, Plaistow and East Ham. Got in to a second unit on an estate a stone's throw from West Ham station. Weather was very changeable…got caught in the occasional deluge. Ate my lunch in the car. Inspections then took me further east, out to Dagenham, Harold Hill, Chadwell Heath, and ending in Barking just as the sun was sinking behind the rain clouds in the west. Got home around 1930 as Aki served up a fish supper. Not much on the telly.