Friday 30th May 2025

Woke around 0800. Got up and made tea just as Colin surfaced. He’d checked his rail journey to Nuneaton and discovered part of it entailed a rail replacement bus, so he wanted to get away sharpish…I cooked him a quick breakfast and he then headed for Euston. I cooked brunch for Aki and I. Did a little more pruning out in the front garden…very warm out there…it’s going to be a bit of a scorcher today. Lunched on almond cake and fruit salad. Worked through some of the Moby Dick music. No singing voice today…Tuesday and Wednesday night’s shanty rehearsals, and the chilli in last night’s meal, put paid to that! Warmed up the chicken cacciatore for dinner, and mashed some spuds to go with it. Walked to the Lion & Unicorn pub theatre in Kentish Town, via Carleton Road…nice pub just off the High Street. Went to see neighbour Tom Barnes in a piece called “Mrs T Foresees”. I liked the upstairs space, but the sightlines were very poor. Odd piece, relating a tale of Victorian era Melbourne and the adventures of an Irish woman who can predict the future…set in a lunatic asylum. It was overlong…I reckon 15 minutes could have been cut from the running time with no loss of storyline…but the performances were good. Show came down around 2215…we didn’t hang around to say hello to Tom as we were feeling weary. Walked down to Camden Road and caught a No.29 bus home…

Thursday 29th May 2025

Woke around 0730…feeling weary after last night’s exertions. Got up and made tea. Porridged at the dining table. Did my exercises. Drove Aki to Wickes in Tottenham…she wanted to buy some organic compost ahead of re-potting her tomato plants…they didn’t have what she was after. Drove back to Holloway and bought some in Waitrose…did a bit of a shop. Did a little gardening after lunch. Lynne let me in upstairs so I could hang out of her windows and trim the wisteria, which was beginning to entangle itself in her pot plants. 

Colin turned up at 1600, having gone on a bit of a day trip…Hove to London to Sittingbourne to London…his ex wife Nora is buried in a cemetery in Sittingbourne, so he’d taken the opportunity to go say hello. We took a No.43 bus down to the Town Hall and walked on to Islington Green to meet Jim and Katherine for dinner at the Afghan Kitchen. Ro and Rob came too, having flown in from Cayman today…and Barney’s girlfriend Jenna. Tasty feast and a bit of a catch up. Walked en masse up to the Assembly Hall. Great venue…nice big proscenium arch stage. Enjoyed support act Olive Jones…great voice. It all got hot and sweaty when Barney and MRCY came on…Kojo in fine voice. Very enjoyable set. Colin, Aki and I left the Listers to it and we caught a No.43 back to Holloway…

Wednesday 28th May 2025

Aki woke to alarm at 0730. Brought me a mug of tea before cycling off to Rowing Club. Got up and porridged. Took my constitutional up Highgate Hill…picked up a coffee in Archie’s and found a bench in Waterlow Park, before walking to the summit to buy a quiche at Gail’s to take home for lunch. Walked back home. Aki back for lunch. Finalised our online mirrored wills…will need to get them signed and witnessed. Aki baked trout for dinner. Drove myself and my guitar in to Stoke Newington for Moby Dick rehearsal. Worked on settings for a couple of my songs…went OK, but needs consolidating! Home by 2230. Bath and bed…

Tuesday 27th May 2025

Woke around 0630…nodded back off rather fitfully thereafter. Aki got up at 0830 and brought me a mug of tea. Got up and porridged. Did a couple of hours or so at the computer once Aki had headed off to meet Tokiko in town for lunch. I lunched on peanut butter on toast, then hiked up Highgate Hill in the drizzle. Rewarded myself with a tasty sausage roll from Gail’s at the summit. Walked back down to M&S…they didn’t have what I was looking for, so I hopped on a bus to Nags Head and popped into Waitrose. Walked home. Aki got back around 1630. She’d enjoyed a visit to the Courtauld Gallery. Cooked pasta with brown shrimps and asparagus for dinner. Drove over to Stoke Newington for rehearsals. Concentrated on the shanties, then rehearsed a couple of them in to the action…slow going though. Got home by 2230. Aki had had a pleasant evening celebrating Stephanie’s 50th with several rowing club colleagues. Caught The Ten before bath and bed…

Monday 26th May 2025

Woke late. Aki got up and brought tea. We were still feeling a bit bloated after last night's dinner, so skipped breakfast. Wandered down to The Emirates stadium to catch a bit of the Cup Winning celebrations ...a big crowd had turned up, enthusiastically joining the festivities. Katie McCabe kept pinching Alex Scott's microphone to sing the usual football oriented songs...very badly! I think she'd been on the Guinness! We walked on up to Highbury Barn and grabbed a coffee...sat outside until it started to drizzle. Headed for home, Aki making a detour to Waitrose while I prepared lunch...finished off the frittata I'd bought yesterday. Spent a fairly lazy Bank Holiday afternoon...Aki did a little gardening, and we finished writing up our on-line wills...await a solicitor's check before we can print them off and get them witnessed. Ran through my songs ahead of tomorrow evening's rehearsal. Aki cooked a vegetable curry, which she served up with rice and dal. Watched the final episode of Adolescence…great performance from Stephen Graham. 

Sunday 25th May 2025

Woke around 0815. Got up and brought tea back to bed. Rose for breakfast...Aki did an omelette. She then cycled off to Rowing Club. I walked up to Highbury Barn, via Blackstock Road...all the cafes very busy with brunching young couples. Popped into the Italian deli and stocked up on tortelloni for tonight's dinner. Walked home, picking up a frittata in Broccoli to have for my lunch with a bit of salad. Aki came back after lunching with the crew. I cooked up the chicken with beer and pancetta, ahead of our guests' arrival. They rocked up around 1840, bringing cake and prosecco. Aki served up Aperol and gin spritz, and we watched a bit of Self Esteem's performance at the Radio 1 Big Weekend music fest...Levi Heaton was notably in action, sporting a No.4 shirt. I cooked the tortelloni, serving them up in a creamy Alfredo sauce...very tasty. The chicken wasn't quite as successful, as the onion and pancetta had gotten burnt in the cooking process, leaving a slight bitter after taste. Helen's almond cake for afters, served with strawberries and cream. A pleasant evening. They are planning to come and see Moby Dick at Minack in August. Aki washed up after their departure, and I flaked out on the sofa. Got to bed around 0030...

Saturday 24th May 2025

Woken around 0500 by the sound of rain on the bedroom roof. Eventually nodded back off. Got up around 1000. Prepared brunch while Aki cycled up to the Farmer’s Market for bread. Gave the oven another rinse out…still haven’t managed to shift all the baked on grease, but it’s looking better. Drove off to Stoke Newington with my guitar and shruti box in the back. Got to the theatre at 1315. Happened upon Phil Ley sat in the bar…he’s been busy touring with the Guitar Gangsters, and is sporting a red, white and blue haircut!  They’d been support act to the UK Subs, who I’d seen in 1980 at Eastwood Miner’s Welfare! The leading singer is now in his eighties!!! Long afternoon rehearsing incidental music to various bits of nautical action. There’s a lot to learn…broke at 1800 and headed for home, having caught up with the news that Sunderland had defeated Sheffield United in the Play-off Final, which returns them to the Premiership next season after an eight year hiatus. Aki warmed up the pork stir fry for dinner. Watched ‘Adolescence’…the young actor playing the fucked up kid is brilliant…he sustained a full 50 minute episode being quizzed by a psychoanalyst…a tough watch!