Thursday 28th March 2024

Woke around 0915. Hauled myself out of bed and made tea. Porridged at the computer. Broke for lunch at 1245. I cooked poached eggs and parma ham, with avocado and halloumi cheese. Raining outside...had fancied a constitutional up Highgate Hill, but looks too inclement...hope it brightens up for the Easter weekend! Managed another couple of hours at the computer in the afternoon. Aki popped out to help Margaret next door set up her new BT Hub. I broke at 1730. Aki cooked an aubergine and okra curry for dinner, which we ate with dal and chapatis. Nowt on telly. Finished "The Miniaturist"…can’t say it blew me away. Started CD’s “Our Mutual Friend”…that’s more like it!!! Bath and bed…

Wednesday 27th March 2024

Aki up with alarm at 0730. I dozed until 0830. I got up and prepared breakfast for Kath and Jim, and Aki cycled off to Springfield Park. Our guests packed their bags, and I walked them round to the bus stop round the corner, where we said our farewells. Worked at the computer until 1300, when Aki got back for lunch, it having just started raining. Did a little more at the computer in the afternoon. Broke at 1700 and slumped onto the sofa to watch "Pointless". Aki put dinner together, utilising the leftovers from last night's Japanese-themed feast. Watched episode 3 of "3 Body Problem"...can't make out what the actors are saying some of the time, which adds an unwanted extra layer of impenetrability! Bathed after News at Ten...then bed.

Tuesday 26th March 2024

Woke around 0630...managed to doze a little before I heard Katherine get up. I rose to prepare breakfast. Made them some tea, and set out the breakfast table...overnight oats soaked in mocha and coffee, which went down well. Jim and Kath then headed out to go visit chums in Brockley. I sat at the computer for a couple of hours whilst Aki worked on tonight's meal for intended guests. Lunched on cheese on toast, as dinner was shaping up to be a Japanese epic. Aki working hard in the kitchen, throwing everything at it, so we were disappointed when Jim rang to say Barney was too exhausted after his eight date European Tour to contemplate hauling himself back to Finsbury Park ...understandable....he looked a bit weary at the restaurant last night, it has to be said. So our freezer is going to be a bit full tonight! Oh well, can't be helped. 

Worked at the computer until 1700. Jim and Katherine turned up around 1730. Very pleasant evening...Aki had prepared a stunning Japanese feast, which we kicked off with sake...Jim and Kath got stuck in and tried everything, despite being entirely unfamiliar with the food. Jim loved the belly pork, mouli and mange tout, while Katherine enjoyed the sesame coated fried aubergine. The sashimi seemed to go down well,though Jim didn't eat much of it, preferring to stick with the meat and vegetables. Chocolate Guinness cake and marmalade ice cream to follow. We repaired to the easy chairs and, it raining rather heavily outside, decided to cancel a walk up to the open mic night at the North Nineteen, and instead sang a few songs and played some tunes in the living-room.

Monday 25th March 2024

Managed to haul myself out of bed after a fitful night's sleep, and prepare the breakfast table. Jim and Kath were slow to rise after last night's late night. I cooked Turkish eggs for breakfast, and once we had all recovered some momentum, we headed out for a constitutional. Walked them up to see the Banksy round the corner, then on to Archway. Stopped a quarter of the way up Highgate Hill for coffee at Archies...Jim and I left Katherine and Aki there, and we headed back to Sussex Way as Jim was to join a zoom meeting with Barney and his financial advisers ahead of an imminent £600,000 four year contract. Aki walked Katherine up the hill to Waterlow Park and the art gallery at Lauderdale House. They got back home around 1630, and we chilled out before walking over to Osteria Tufo for dinner. Barney already sat waiting for us (he reckoned Jim had told him 1800, even though I'd sent Barney a text with the 1830 booking time). 

Everyone enjoyed the restaurant, despite the opera singing waiter being absent...Aki and I shared a burrata starter and some n'duja toast...I had the pappardelle with a pork sausage ragu. Genna was able to join us toward the end of the meal, and had herself a burrata starter whilst the rest of tucked into tiramisu and carnoli. During conversation, she mentioned that as a 10 year old she had won a local embroidery prize...she and her mum lived in Hexham...her mum's still there. I mentioned Kath and her denim shoulder bags, and Hexham Market, and Genna reckoned her mum had bought one! Walked home, leaving Genna and Barney on Seven Sisters Road. Back in the flat, we watched "Tokyo Stories", a 90 minute documentary looking at the recent Ashmolean "Tokyo" art exhibition, which focussed on contemporary Tokyo artists and the influence of Japanese culture on the modern art produced in the city. Bath and bed...

Sunday 24th March 2024

Got up and breakfasted, or rather, enjoyed a late brunch. I baked the Guinness cake, ready for icing later. Got a bus to Finsbury Park, and then took the Victoria Line to Kings Cross to meet Jim and Katherine off the Leeds train at 1315. Walked them round the corner to get a No.91 bus home nly to find the road closed as a huge crane was lifting lengths of another crane into position behind the Premier Inn. Walked to Caledonian Road, but realised we were still on the one-way system, so had to double back and catch a bus on Euston Road, which was obviously on detour. Got home and got our guests settled, and we caught up over tea and amaretti biscuits. Aki and Katherine went out for a brief walk, and Jim went for a lie down...they had been out late last night at MRCY's gig in Manchester, and had it all to do again tonight! I iced the Guinness cake, and stuck the dinner in the oven, and we ate around 1730...the aubergine parmigiana lasagne was a hit, followed by chocolate Guinness cake and marmalade crumb ice cream. Caught a bus to Finsbury Park, then a Piccadilly Line train to Hammersmith, and made our way toward the Apollo...big SOLD OUT sign above the entrance doors, and a huge queue snaking it's way around the frontage. Jim and Kath had passes for downstairs, whilst we had standing tickets right at the back of the Circle...the stage looked very distant from our vantage point. 

Got talking to the guy next to us, who was over from Cardiff at the invitation of his London-based son...they were Black Pumas fans...I hadn't realised how popular The Black Pumas were. MRCY came on at 2000 and did a half-hour support set. They were excellent...they are basically Barney (on bass) and his co-writer, Kojo, a singer of West African descent, born and raised in Woolwich...only last year he was working the tills in Lidl! His voice is sublime...a bit of Marvin Gaye mixed with the purity of tone of Diana Ross...gorgeous. They had hired in a keyboard player, a mate of Kojo's on drums, and a multi-instrumentalist who played keyboards, fiddle, and guitar...all superb. I was astonished that so many people had turned up to see the support act...it's a huge venue, and MRCY got a rousing reception. The guy from Cardiff reckoned them "awesome...they're going to go places!", and his son booked tickets for their forthcoming Soho gig in June!!! We stuck around for the first four or five Black Pumas numbers...the lighting design was way over the top, with banks of bright lights that would be pointed at the audience every now and then, blinding us all. Good band...US soul with a bit of funk thrown in. We decanted to the Circle Bar where we found Barney's mates Tom, Louie, and Jack, and Jim, Kath and Genna joined us five minutes later, before Barney came out from backstage. Everyone in good form, and we'd all had a good night. Wandered round the corner to the Duke of Cornwall for a beer with Kojo and members of Barney's label and management...good vibes all round, and it looks like Barney is due for a meteoric rise to the upper levels of the UK music business...amazing! Eventually managed to drag a loquacious and very proud father (Jim) out of the pub and get us all back to Finsbury Park just before the tube shut down. Got to bed at 0115...exhausted!!!

Saturday 23rd March 2024

Fitful night's sleep...hernia giving me perpetual gip these days. Woke about 0915. Aki got up and made tea before cycling off to the Farmer's Market to buy bread. I read in bed for awhile, then rose to make breakfast once Aki had triumphantly returned with the sourdough. Had a bit of a Spring clean before our guests arrive tomorrow. Vacuumed the spider webs from behind the fridge/freezer...well, as much as was possible without taking the appliance out of it's cubby hole altogether. Did some prep work on the planned aubergine parmigiana lasagne for tomorrow's dinner...made the tomato sauce. Watched a bit of the Women's Six Nations game between Wales and Scotland, as a friends' daughter was making her debut at Fullback for the Welsh. Did a bit of cooking, so it'll just be a case of bunging the lasagne in the oven tomorrow evening. Warmed up the last of the pork and greens stew, which we ate with orzo. Watched "Diana Ross at the BBC"...what a voice she had...her purity of tone! Bath and bed...

Friday 22nd March 2024

Woke around 0830. Aki up to ready herself for Rowing Club. Brought me a mug of tea. Read some “Miniaturist” before rising for porridge. Worked at the computer for a few hours. Broke for lunch...ambled round to the Upper Place in the drizzle. Piero not there, but ordered the scarpetti. Walked round to Morrisons and Waitrose to do some shopping ahead of our guests arriving on Sunday...bit of cooking to do tomorrow! Aki back when I got home. Sat in front of the computer for most of the remainder of the afternoon. Aki cooked fish for dinner, coating some hake fillets with breadcrumbs and lemon. Marmalade ice cream for afters with stem ginger and syrup... yummy! Watched "People Just Do Nothing in Japan"...very silly, but they do very silly very well. Watched The Ten...horrific scenes from a concert hall in Moscow, the audience attacked by Islamic State gunmen...what a world we are living in...very depressing. Bath and bed...