Friday 23rd February 2024

Woke around 0730. Aki got up to ready herself for Southwark Crown Court. I read in bed for a bit, making a start on The Miniaturist. Also started reading Edna O'Brien's memoir, Country Girl, having watched her reading from it on the Guardian website, which knocked me out...beautiful, robust, but delicate prose. Aki suggested going to see the Yoko Ono exhibition at the Tate Modern this evening, and to that end managed to secure the loan of Katherine's Tate Membership card...I walked up to No.127 to get it. Back home, I did some work at the computer. Broke for some lunch. Aki texted to say she hoped to be finished at court by 1600. I decided to wander in to town. Took a bus to Finsbury Park and caught a Victoria Line train in to Oxford Circus. Popped in to John Lewis to buy some leather gloves, to replace my lost ones. They didn't have any black ones, so I made do with a pair in dark brown, as they were in the sale, and only £15! Walked over to Schott's Music in Great Marlborough Street, hoping to find a Ryuichi Sakamoto piano collection, but nothing in stock. Bought a clip-on lamp for my music stand. Wandered round to Chappell's in Wardour Street, but they no longer stock sheet music. Had a brief look at the Yamaha electro-acoustic guitars in there, but nothing caught my eye. 

Walked across to Denmark Street. Half the old guitar shops have gone, and have been gutted, as part of the Now Building development...all rather sad.  in to several shops on the southern side of the street, but no-one seems to stock either Martins or Lowdens, both of which I am eager to try out. Ambled over the road to Foyles to inspect their collection of Dickens in the Everyman's Library series, but they didn't have what I'm currently after. Then zig-zagged down toward the river, Aki having texted to say they had been discharged for the weekend... arranged to meet at the north entrance to Tate Modern, and I walked across Waterloo Bridge in the drizzle. We went to see the Yoko Ono retrospective, Music of the Mind, on the fourth floor. It was interesting, but her conceptual approach always left me cold. I much admire her, though... she's a true one-off. Aki bought an umbrella in the Gift Shop, and we headed back out into the drizzle beneath a bright full moon. Caught a train from Blackfriars Bridge, and walked home from Finsbury Park station. Warmed up Aki's spinach lasagne for dinner, followed by Bon Maman creme brulee. Nowt on telly. I researched a mooted road trip down the Normandy coast, which we have been contemplating to coincide with a Jon Cleary gig in Cleon in early April. We'd cross to Calais via the Shuttle, then drive down to Abbeville, followed by a couple of nights in Etretat, a couple of nights in Cleon, and then a drive to Cherbourg via Bayeaux. Looks interesting. Aki opted for an early bath, and I did some reading before bed...

Thursday 22nd February 2024

Woke around 0730 and dozed for a bit. Aki got up and brought tea. Got up and porridged. Did some foot exercises, as my planter fasciitis is playing up again. Aki left for Southwark Crown Court with umbrella in hand. I worked at the computer for a couple of hours. Broke for lunch. Turned the off cuts from yesterday's puff pastry recipe into little biscuits, and some nutella filled pinwheels, and baked them in the oven. Sat at the computer for another couple of hours this afternoon. Had wanted to take a walk up Highgate Hill, but it's been raining all day. Aki got home around 1645, just as the wind got up, and the rain really started to come down...glad I wasn't out in it doing inspections! Warmed up the chicken and bean stew for dinner, with some vegetables on the side. Wandered across the road to No.38 for Book Club. Took the remains of my peach tarte tatin, and a tub of double cream. People seemed to have largely admired The Country Girls...particularly Edna O'Brien's effortless but unpretentious prose. We chose The Miniaturist as our next read...I'd seen the BBC TV adaptation. Got home at 2215. Bath and bed...

Wednesday 21st February 2024

Aki's alarm went off at 0730. She got up and made tea...I read in bed for a little before getting up to make porridge. Aki left to get a train to London Bridge to attend what she hopes is the last day of her jury service at Southwark crown Court. I worked at the computer for most of the morning. Broke for lunch and wandered over to the Upper Place and Piero's Cucina. I was the only customer...ordered the tagliatelle with n'duja cream. Walked out into the rain afterward, and popped in to Waitrose to get some spuds for dinner tonight. FaceTimed ma and pa...they had had Jim, Kath, and Emma round for lunch to mark dad's 94th birthday. Dad reported that his swollen foot is getting much better. Did some prep work ahead of inspections in the Medway towns. Aki returned from Southwark...still haven't reached deliberation stage, but may be tomorrow. I cooked a peach and rosemary tarte tatin, then cooked some lentils with fried onions and pancetta, baked a couple of haddock fillets, and sauteed some potatoes for dinner...very tasty. The peach tarte tatin was meant for tomorrow evening's Book Club meeting, but we couldn't resist cutting ourselves a couple of small slices, which we augmented with some ice cream. Headed for Finsbury Park after dinner, jumping on a tube train to Covent Garden, to attend the launch of our friend Franco's book of photographs covering the River Thames from Hampton Court down to the Thames Barrier. His wife, Aki's old chum Tami, was there too, as well as one of their daughters. The launch took place in Stanford's Book & Map Shop in Mercer Walk, and it was well attended...we arrived as Franco was giving a little speech thanking his publisher, and announcing the fact that they'd signed him up to do a follow-up, concentrating on London's Art Nouveau architecture. Enjoyed a post-launch beer, and chatted with a couple of Tami's acquaintances before slipping out and wandering back home via the Piccadilly Line, and the No.91 bus from outside Caledonian Road tube station.

Tuesday 20th February 2024

Alarm at 0730. I got up and made tea, repairing to bed to read another chapter of Edna O'Brien before rising and porridging. We made our packed lunches, and Aki cycled off to Southwark Crown Court. I headed eastward, stopping off to grab a coffee at Pret a Manger in Tottenham Hale, before driving up the M11, and the A120, to Braintree. Had inspections in a number of outlying villages, then it was back to Braintree, lunching in the Tesco car park there, listening to The Goons on R4Xtra. Drove southward to Witham, and ended the day in Vange, Basildon...found myself driving past the block of flats I used to live in back in 1981...Ryedene... can't recall the flat no. It hasn't aged particularly well. I think it must have been fairly new when I moved in! Drove home via the A13. Got in around 1730. Aki was back, the case having been adjourned at 1600. She cooked a cavolo nero pesto sauce to have with some pasta for dinner. We had banana and custard for dessert. Watched "Boarders", a drama following the ups and downs of five black kids who gain scholarships at an elite English Private School...cracking young cast, but the storyline's are a bit predictable. Early bath and bed...

Monday 19th February 2024

Aki up at 0630 to ready herself for a cycle ride down to Southwark Crown Court to report for jury service. I got up at 0730 and brought a mug of tea back to bed with me…read some Edna O’Brien. Got up and porridged, and then drove round to the garage on Camden Road. There were fairly noticeable noises emanating from beneath the car. The guys at the garage put the car up so they could take a look underneath, and reckoned the back plate on one of the front pads was touching the disc, thus creating the vague grinding sounds as the wheels rotated. They reckoned to have fixed it, and refused to charge me. I drove home to make a packed lunch before setting off northward. I needed petrol, so I made for Manor House, but had only gotten as far as Big Jo's on Hornsey Road when there was a very loud ringing noise from beneath the car, and a screeching, grinding sound...worse than before I took the car to the garage! I turned round, intending to take myself back to the garage, but the noise had stopped, and I took a risk and made for the petrol station. Got there without a problem...I thought perhaps the guys at the garage had left a spanner in the engine compartment, or a screw had worked loose and had been spat out. So I drove on to High Barnet. Parked up in a bay on an estate, went and took some photos, then returned to the car...as I reversed out of the parking space, I noticed something that I didn't think had been there when I pulled up...it was a plastic water bottle, that had been twisted, as if someone had tried to wring the water out of it...I reckon it was this all along. Indeed, I did 140 miles in the car today without further mishap...not sure I'll be using the services of the garage technicians on Camden Road again! Drove up to Stevenage, and then on to Great Cambourne, having my lunch in the car park of a small country park on the edge of town, and then finishing up in a couple of far flung suburbs of Cambridge before heading for home. Got in around 1700...Aki had returned from Southwark, having been assigned to a jury late in the day. They have estimated the case will only take three days, which is a relief, and she's back there tomorrow at 1000, so gets a bit of a lie-in in the morning! I'd cooked a black bean and orange stew for dinner, which we ate with cous-cous and vegetables. Watched BBC documentary "Navalny"...he was an amazing fellow, full of life, good humour, and a blazing intelligence that shows up Putin as the thug he is. A sad loss to the Russian people...

Sunday 18th February 2024

Woke around 0830. Aki got up and made tea. I read some Edna O'Brien in bed before rising to cook brunch. Did some ironing before venturing out for lunch at Eglal's pop-up above Nags Head Market. Sonya turned up, as well as Jane and Carlos from No.36, and Katherine and George from No.127. Eglal served up a variety of dishes, which kept on coming...she was plugging in to her Egyptian heritage, rather than her Italian, which she does, of course, down the road at Girasole. We really enjoyed it. She's planning a joint venture with Pierro from the Cucina opposite, putting on a Supper Club in March, and we all vowed to try and be there. Walked back home to pick up the guitar and mandolin, then wandered up to the North Nineteen for our monthly folk band rehearsal. Eight of us turned up, and we ran through some new Irish tunes that George fancied doing, as well as the usual Scottish tunes. Sonya sang the Eriksay Love Lilt. 

Finished at 1800 and walked back down the road with Ben, Katherine, and George. Ben promised to send me a couple of Cajun tunes to learn. We had eaten rather too much to set about cooking dinner. Ate cheese and peanut butter on toast instead, followed by a piece of fruit. Watched a bit of telly. Found an interesting documentary which explored the brief but bright career of girl punk band, The Slits, which featured Viv, who now lives around the corner. Early bath and bed, as Aki has to get up tomorrow morning in time to cycle off to Southwark for jury service!

Saturday 17th February 2024

Got up at about 0830. Made tea and worked at the computer for a bit, uploading yesterday's photos, and making pertinent notes. Breakfasted on tinned kippers and poached eggs. I walked over to Waitrose to get some bits and pieces, popping in at the garage around the corner, but they were closed, so I'll have to go back on Monday morning. Did some more work, finishing off the Peabody NatWest job and sending the folder over to the valuer. FaceTimed ma and pa, who seemed in fine fettle, all things considered. Dad has an op on his neck lined up for February 28th. Kath has booked time off to ferry him about and keep an eye on mum. Don't think I can get up there until the following week, but will see how things go. Aki cooked salmon teriyaki for dinner, which we had early. I made a kind of trifle with chocolate brownie, custard and caramelised banana. Took a No.91 bus to Kings Cross and met up with Sonya and her daughter Isabel in the foyer at Kings Place. We had tickets for The Gathering, an annual tradition that opens the Orkney Folk Festival every year.  We had booked to go to Orkney in 2020, but then Covid lockdown came along and the festival was cancelled. We were only too happy to take this opportunity to avoid the necessity of travelling to the far north!! The stage was filled with Orcadian folk musicians, there being eight violinists, three guitarists, two accordion players, a whistle player, keyboard player, percussionist, drummer, and a bassist. They made a fantastic noise. The audience were on their feet toward the end, and the Orcadians were evidently knocked out by the reception...a great night's entertainment.