Sunday 30th July 2023

Woke around 0715 feeling uncomfortable...abdomen feels very bloated. Got up and made tea, and drank some Laxido. Turned the telly on and watched the NZ v Switzerland game...the Ferns were knocked out of the competition after a dull 0-0 draw. The Laxido did it's job. Aki cycled off to Rowing Club. I took a hike up Highgate Hill for a latte at Gail's, then walked back down via Waterlow Park and M&S, about 3.5 miles all told. Got home in time to put lunch together before Aki got back. Very wet afternoon. Read some "Pickwick Papers"...the writing is sublime, effortlessly flowing like liquid gold. Aki warmed up the vegetable stew she made midweek, and added chicken thighs, orzo, and mushrooms to beef up the flavours, as it was a bit bland. Very tasty! Watched "Everybody Hates Me" on the BFI Player...well acted comedy 'horror' set in a rattling Devonshire mansion. It was tense in that the main character was so cringe-worthy!

Saturday 29th July 2023

Woke at around 0815. Got up and made tea. Back to bed to read for a bit. Cooked eggs menemen for breakfast with toast and a bit of rocket. Took our constitutional up Highgate Hill, via Yerbury Farmer's market, where we bumped into Jane from No.36. We then carried on up the hill to Lauderdale House and had a gander at the photo exhibition...some kind of local competition. One or two good ones, but otherwise all a bit ordinary. Walked back home in time to let Vince in...he wanted to cut away a bit more plasterboard before having a go at re-directing the shower tap pipework. Gave him a cuppa tea and we had a chat about Holloway in years gone by, and his exploits as a teenage DJ. 

Aki did a bit of gardening out front. We caught the No.91 bus to Kings Cross. Wandered over to the Regent's Canal and hooked up with Roz and Walt at the Albert Dock, where they had moored up for the night, just behind Kings Place. Lucy came out from the stern exit to greet us. The vessel is a long narrow boat called Arcona...nicely painted outside in reds and greens, and Walter ushered us into a well kept, tidy interior. The living quarters are decked out with a couple of comfy armchairs, there's a wood burning stove, and a kitchenette. Then there's the bedroom with a narrow looking double mattress, a WC and a tiny "bath", the engine room with a magnificent brightly polished two-cylinder machine, then another little room in the stern with a drop down bed and hot plates, where Lucy will be kipping tonight. 

It's all very homely, though a bit cramped for my liking...Walter has banged his head on the door jambs on innumerable occassions. I had trouble getting in and out of the vessel...don't think I'd last long! We ambled over to Granary Square, and took a table outside at Granary Brasserie. It was very busy. The food was good though. Enjoyed a catch up...Lucy is currently unemployed, but has had a few job interviews; Lol sounds OK, though Annie's mum died, and Annie couldn't bear to get rid of her mum's possessions, so their already over-cluttered house is now packed with clutter from floors to ceilings; Cath is awaiting another op on her badly broken leg, as it hasn't been re-aligned properly. Phil now has to do most of the dog walking duty; Nick is now 40, and the grandchildren are growing up fast...the eldest is now at secondary school. Emily seems to be holding her own OK after going a bit AWOL for a few months. Walked them back to the dock, and promised to arrange to jump aboard on the River Lee at some point midweek. Caught the No.91 back to Holloway. Watched a bit of telly before showering in the bath tub, and bed...

Friday 28th July 2023

Woke around 0730 after a fitful night's sleep. Stomach making lots of noises!!! Aki got up and made tea. Got up and porridged. Aki cycled off to the library to see if she could get hold of the Flannery O'Connor. A couple of birthday cards arrived, from Kath & Stuart, and from ma and pa, the latter an amusing take on the eternal Magpies v Black Cats schism. I watched a bit of England v Denmark...rather a dull game, certainly second half, but England got the win they needed to see them through to the knockout stage. Vince turned up late morning and did a bit of de-grouting in the shower tray. Joined us at our lunch table for a cuppa tea and a chat...gave him a slice of our home-baked chocolate cake. Managed to get a bit of work done this afternoon; attempting to clear the decks before my birthday on Monday. Cooked linguine with cabbage, and a nduja paste sauce...simple but tasty. 

Thursday 27th July 2023

Woke around 0730. Got up and made tea. Had put a couple of small bowls of oats in the fridge overnight...had them with fruit, chia seeds, and syrup of figs. No sign of any movement, though! Aki cycled off to Highbury pool for a swim. Worked at the computer until lunchtime. Aki threw together a ham salad on her return. Managed to do a couple more hours. Baked a cake to take to Book Club this evening. Aki helped icing it...it looked less than impressive! She then cooked a fish curry out of the Nisha Katona cookbook I'd bought in Mowgli on Monday night. It was nowhere near as good as our Goan fish curry recipe...tasted like soap! Drove Aki up to the Book Club meet at No.127, cake in an old shoe box. Full turn out this evening save for Katherine. George was hosting. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed "Trust", though there was a little gentle criticism of the novel's contrivances...but all novels are contrived to a greater of lesser extent. The cake went down well. We chose "Wise Blood" by Flannery O'Connor for the next read. Walked back down Sussex Way with Carlos and Jane, who had only returned from the States yesterday. Carlos flagged up the August blues weekends in Broomfield park as up-coming, and promised to alert us when they planned to go...

Wednesday 26th July 2023

Woke at 0700ish and watched a bit of the second half of the Japan v Costa Rica game. Wandered over to Brown's for breakfast...mushroom omelette. Very civilised in there...an oasis in the centre of Cardiff. Checked out of the Clayton, and drove back to St Mellons to complete the inspections. Ended up in Marshfield, driving past a pub I recognised as having stopped at once before, so went in for my lunch...ham, egg and chips! Headed back east along the M4, stopping at Reading Services to stretch my legs. Got home around 1845. Aki had cooked a bean and cabbage stew with pancetta for dinner. Watched a bit of telly. Enjoyed the new BBC comedy, "Dreaming Whilst Black", centred around a young black Londoner trying to get a break in the film industry. Nice performances...the lead also co-wrote. 

Tuesday 25th July 2023

Fitful night's sleep. Abdominal discomfort kept me awake for a bit. Got up around 0800. Went out for breakfast at Brown's over the road...very tasty eggs benedict. Drove north-eastward to spend my day on the endless 90s era housing estates of St Mellons. Very depressing! Happened upon a Tesco at lunchtime and ate a chicken wrap in the car in the car park. Got back into the city centre around 1800. Parked up in the Marriott Hotel multi-storey opposite the Clayton, as it's cheaper than the John Lewis's car park, by £8 a night! Walked up to Church Street and ate at Bacareto, a little cichetti bar. Had the beef ragu on polenta with greens,,,very tasty. Stuck my head in at Porter's. Jen already had a long list of players. She pencilled me in for 1045, if I can last until then! Went back to hotel to pick up my guitar and have one last run through. Eclectic evening in Porter's...a metal goth girrrrl who sang along, very loudly, to a backing track on her phone, an excellent singer-songwriter from Newport who I'd seen play there last week, who had written a song about a t-shirt, and a Chinese girl who played her pipa to a backing track...what a treat she was! I had to follow that! But my two Stones songs went down well, despite my Bb harmonica blowing a reed. Got back to the hotel around 1130...

Monday 24th July 2023

Woke around 0630. Dozed back off for a bit. Got up and made coffee. Sat on the loo only to realise I was plugged again! Couldn't leave my room. Eventually phoned down to reception for more toilet roll. A little later some porridge, orange juice, and toast arrived, the chambermaid recommending I down the honey she'd brought! I got a bit panicked when the fire alarm sounded!!! Fortunately, it later transpired that someone had set it off accidentally...thank God I didn't venture down the fire escape in my soiled underwear! Later, a passing cleaner heard my groaning, and knocked on the door to see if I was alright. She went downstairs and brought the deputy manageress up for a chat! I was having to talk through a crack in the door, as it had gotten a little whiffy in the room. The cleaner brought me some cleaning products I'd requested, some disposable rubber gloves, and some air freshener! I rang 111 to start the process of trying to track down a possible prescription for Laxido, as I only had one sachet left. They promised a clinician would ring me back, and in the meantime texted me some contacts for local GP's, but I would have to register with one of them as a temporary patient. I got off the phone and at 1410 precisely I finally gave birth to a healthy stool weighing in at 2kg. Phew....just then, the clinician rang! I told her I'd make do with a trip to Boots to garner some laxatives and nappies!!! Showered, then ventured downstairs to the piazza and popped in to Pret a Manger to get a sandwich for a late lunch. Back at the hotel I had to make another dash for the water closet. Ventured back out to get some laxatives from Boots. Aki suggested I find a curry house for dinner...walked up to Church Street and found Mowgli's. Managed to get squeezed in...it was very busy, and very noisy! Enjoyed Mother's School Tiffin, four tiffin tins of vegetarian curry, dal, and rice. It was great. Walked back home via the car park and brought my guitar back to the hotel...it needed re-tuning prior to tomorrow night's planned appearance at the open mic night down the road. Moving tributes to George Aligayah on the BBC News tonight...