Tuesday 28th May 2024

Woke to alarm at 0730. Aki got up and brought me tea. Got up about 0830 and porridged at the computer. Put a packed lunch together and headed off in the car on inspections. First stop was Pimlico, so the route took me down Gower Street...must have sat in traffic for at least 30 minutes, crawling our way toward Shaftesbury Avenue. Struggled to find somewhere to park when I finally got there...a large 1920s era Peabody Estate south of Victoria Station. Then it was on to Fulham via the Chelsea Embankment, before doubling back to Southwark. Parked up on Union Street and went in search of a coffee. Ate my lunch in the car before embarking on more door knocking on foot. Final destination was Plumstead. Managed to get in to about six units altogether today. Turned for home. Heavy traffic on the Blackwall Tunnel Approach, south of the major roadworks going on in aid of the new Silvertown Tunnel. Got home at 1845. Aki had warmed up the last of the pork mapo, which we ate with rice. Watched a bit of telly, and did a bit of packing ahead of tomorrow's trip to Newcastle, before bath and bed...

Monday 27th May 2024

Rose around 0900...Aki cooked brunch. Weather holding, so we took a walk down to the Emirates, doubling back to Gillespie Park, and from thence up Stroud Green Road. Bought some odds and ends in Green & Glory, where I managed to drop a bottle of passata on the floor...I helped clean up, and paid for the breakage. Bought some beef mince, and chicken thighs, at a little halal butcher's a few doors further up the road, then headed for home via Tesco on Hornsey Road. I cooked up several portions of beef, pork and chicken liver ragu to store in the freezer. We finished off the pizzaiola sauce I'd made a few days ago, drizzling it over some tortelloni and peas for dinner. Walked up to St Saviours for rehearsal...rather thin turnout this evening...just me and Dan in the tenors (though I'm singing an octave lower most of the time). Walked back home and watched a bit of telly before bath and bed...

Sunday 26th May 2024

Woke around 0900 feeling very weary. Aki got up to ready herself for a cycle ride to Rowing Club. She cooked brunch before setting off. I sat at the computer for a bit to write up some of the inspections I'd done on Friday. Wandered over to Waitrose to get some fish for tonight's dinner. Took a rather circuitous route in order to get a little exercise, as the weather was good. Walked down to Highbury Fields, and popped in to buy some focaccia at Harvest opposite Highbury & Islington station, then headed back up the Holloway Road to do a small shop in Waitrose. The heavens opened on my walk back home, and I had to take shelter for a few minutes or risk getting soaked (or sunaked, as it's now referred to). Aki got caught on her bike ride home from Rowing Club. Read some Dickens. We had mussels in a cream sauce for dinner, followed by my Spanish fish and chorizo stew with flageolet beans, and I made a dessert using a shortbread biscuit I'd bought on Friday, crushing it up to form a buttery biscuit base, and topping that with cream, strawberries, and ice cream. Nowt much on telly so read some more Dickens, and listened to my baritone parts on several of the Kinks songs I've been rehearsing with Vox Holloway. Bath and bed...

Saturday 25th May 2024

Alarm at 0700...we are expecting a delivery, so had to haul myself out of bed and unlock the padlock on the garden gate. Made tea. Sat at the computer working for a bit. Made pancakes for breakfast once Aki had rolled out of bed. Did some chores...Aki in the garden; myself on vacuum cleaner. Walked to Stoke Newington in the sunshine, and did a little window-shopping down Church Street. Bought a falafel salad box to share...we ate in Abney Park, then crossed the road to the Tower Theatre. Piers showed up, and we took our seats in the theatre for "Measure For Measure". George, the director, had elicited pretty good renditions of the text from his actors, some better than others, but everyone, with the exception of the girl playing Isabella, seemed pretty stiff to me, which meant the comic scenes with the bawds didn't come to life. It was a bit long...the first half was 90 minutes, but we managed to sit it out and escape to Rasa on Church Street for dinner afterward. Aki and I walked home from there, stopping off for a swift half in The Plimsoll near Finsbury Park. Grace Dent had recommended the food here, but we thought the place looked pretty grubby...I wouldn't fancy eating there. Walked home via M&S. Watched the FA Cup Final, Manchester United coming out deserved winners over Manchester City, but it wasn't the most exciting Cup Final. Early bath and bed...

Friday 24th May 2024

Woke to Aki’s alarm at 0700. Dozed for a bit before rising. Porridged. Aki cycled off to Camden Town for her meeting. I hung the washing out in the back yard. Headed out on inspections…on foot today. Walked to Tufnell Park Road where I hopped on a bus toward Junction Road. Traipsed the surrounding streets knocking on doors. Got into about 14 before looking for somewhere to have lunch…ended up in the Bread & Bean near Archway station. Enjoyed the overpriced avocado on sourdough, with a poached egg on top. Took a No.17 bus late afternoon to Kings Cross and finished my inspections on a development in Killick Street. Took a No.91 bus back home, popping in at Morrison’s on the way. Warmed up the fish curry for dinner, which we ate with daal and roti, with chocolate brownie and ice cream for afters. 

Thursday 23rd May 2024

Woke about 0815...feeling very weary. Rolled out of bed before 0900 and cooked pancakes for breakfast. Took a North London line train from Finsbury Park to Moorgate. Walked through Finsbury Circus, which is being completely re-landscaped post-Crossrail works. A lot of new office blocks going up in the vicinity. We met Aki's financial adviser, Stuart Johnstone, at his office in a huge co-working edifice, and then wandered the streets looking for a table in a cafe where we could sit and have a coffee. Ended up in a pub in Broadgate Circle. Stuart took Aki through her plan, and he seemed content that everything was on track. We left him at about 1230 and walked to the Barbican, and then up White Cross Street, to Old Street, seeking out a ramen noodle bar that had been recommended to us by a Japanese chum of Helen and Martin, who we had met at Helen and Martin's Burns' Night in January...she works there, but wasn't due in until the evening shift. We ate tonkotsu noodles in pork broth...tasty enough, but I can't say I liked the bar's interior...I won't be rushing back. Hopped on a No.55 bus into Bloomsbury, then killed some time window shopping in Covent Garden, before heading for the Garden Cinema. We had £5 tickets for the 1510 showing of Italian movie, "La Chimera", a magical piece by writer/director Alice Rohrwacher...we had very much enjoyed her earlier film, "Happy As Lazzaro", which we stumbled upon during Lockdown, and her short "La Pupille". Caught a Piccadilly Line train back to Holloway Road station, and walked home from there. Aki made a mango salad to go with the remaining chicken thighs I'd cooked at the weekend. Talked to Kath about dad's up-coming hospital appointment...he's to be tested for signs of bone cancer a week tomorrow, having produced an unusually high PSA reading. Kath can't drive him in to the Freeman as she's working, and Jim's away, so I said I'd go up on the train next Wednesday, and stick around until the weekend. Aki needed to be up early tomorrow morning for a work meeting in Camden Town, so early bath and bed...

Wednesday 22nd May 2024

Woke late...thought I heard the doorbell at about 0900, so rolled out of bed, opened the inner front door, to find Lynne in the hallway holding a package...Amazon delivery of Aki's rowing cap. Made tea. No porridge left, nor bread, so made a pancake mix, and we had pancakes with fruit and yoghurt...very nice! Got enough batter to last maybe another two days! Worked at the computer until breaking for lunch at 1345. Aki popped out to Waitrose. I stayed home and did some exercises, and a little voice work. Read some Dickens. Aki cooked a mapo for dinner, which we ate on the sofa whilst watching MasterChef. It was the Final tonight...a deserving winner in the form of a second generation Indian from Chelmsford, whose day job is a veterinary surgeon...he was certainly good at cutting up the meat! Watched Rishi Sunak in the pouring rain announce a General Election from a pulpit outside No.10 Drowning Street. Hopefully, we can finally rid our country of this failed Tory government...bath and bed.