Dear Diary...

This is my diary. How things are. Or something. Please note that the diary is archived month by month, so feel free to click the links for the archives (which now will go back five years maximum):

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2020


Sunday 7th December - Waitrose Way

After a nice Saturday evening of watching Strictly Come Dancing, and seeing some impressive musical performances, and also a nice programme on Devon and Cornwall at Christmas, focussing on the likes of Exmoor, Newquay and also plenty of small seaside villages, it was nice to have got a good night's sleep, although Brian the cat was doing his best to disturb The Love In My Heart by deciding that he would need to go in the litter tray and as well as do what he needed to do also decide to scratch around in the tray a lot, clearly wanting attention from his Mummy. What is he like?

We did decide to head out today despite the weather as The Love wanted to check out a couple of shops that were outside of the city centre and get some other gift ideas as well as being able to then have some nice lunch out too later on. That sounded like a plan to me and so once we had seen the weather clear up a little bit, it was off to The Love's car and heading out, first of all to Cheadle Hulme. Once the one way system had been negotiated to get into one of the roads and car parks, we parked up at Homebird, which is a homeware shop that you always see the back of from the train.

As it turned out, the mood in there was very festive, playing all the Christmas classics, and on top of that, it had been nice that some of the trees and garlands were on discount so if you wanted something last minute to decorate and make it look all lovely, it was money off which was nice. In fact there were some lovely sets of hats and gloves as well and also some nice cards, soaps, candles and all sorts, and it did feel really homely which was lovely. I was so tempted to get a few things and The Love did pick up a couple of bits of decor for the Christmas display and the tree at home (which she put up yesterday and looks fab.)

We then went over to the Waitrose too as I fancied seeing if they had any different beer in for Christmas, so I could get it there and then and keep it at The Love's place for over the festive period. I did also manage to get some Benecol drinks as well so thought it sensible to get those (for cholesterol reducing reasons) and the selection of beer was pretty good. I did go for three in end and one I had had before - the Gipsy Hill Bandit pale ale which is also gluten free, as well as a Vault City sour I had not had before. What was nice was that they ha a little café inside and so we stopped for coffee, and The Love even had a really nice rose and lemon sponge cake which was half price - and that slice was rather nice all round. Good to relax in there really.

With shopping done we had booked the Ashlea in Cheadle for some lunch and so we were having a Sunday Roast, well one of us was. The Love went for the roast turkey which really was moist and wholesome with a good selection of vegetables and gravy along with a massive Yorkshire pudding too. I went for the king prawn and sea bass risotto which was really nice - lots of rice and plenty of peas in the risotto too and the fish was absolutely lovely - really good to enjoy that with a pint of Rocking Rudolph beer too so that was definitely a good way to round off the afternoon. Tune of the day has to be Merry Xmas Everybody by Slade as it got played after 1st December, Noddy Holder did his thing and under mine and The Love's rules, it now feels like Christmas as it should.

Saturday 6th December - Sunderland Saturday

It was a nice lie in this morning after a train journey up to Manchester last night, and The Love In My Heart and I had some nice breakfast with Brian the cat of course wanting lots of fussing and attention, as he usually does. We knew it was going to be not the best weather out there and Brian looked outside longingly wanting to have his little playtime on the patio, but unfortunately this wasn't happening due to a lot of rain coming down, which may well affect the game I was going to later today too as Manchester City were taking on Sunderland at the Etihad.

However, we did look outside and saw a small commotion going on in that the gates to the car park for The Love's block of flats were not opening, and that did mean one taxi driver cursing a bit as he was stuck inside. The maintenance team came and sorted it so it would open, but that would remain that way for most of the weekend which was not ideal, especially with gigs on at Co Op Live too. The other interesting thing The Love spotted was that yet more Airbnb types appeared to be visiting and they were as usual wanting to get access to the block. It's getting a bit annoying for The Love now because inevitably they will ask anyone they see and there's also issues around cleanliness and noise at night when some people stay, which quite frankly is extracting urine.

I made my way over to the Etihad Stadium later just in time to see on the big screens on the concourse that Aston Villa had scored a last gasp winner against Arsenal to win 2-1. That was Villa's fifth win on the bounce and meant they were now in second place in the table, and also meant we could go back to second and close the gap to Arsenal should we win today. Sunderland were in good form themselves though and so knew it was not going to be easy, and so a strong line up was announced with Rayan Cherki for Tijjani Reijnders being the only change. I just hoped we weren't going to concede so many like against Fulham the other night.

Anyway City kicked off and it was a productive first half, with Sunderland going on the attack as they needed to, with a couple of snap shots on goal and them keeping tight in the midfield. City pressed forward but the final ball was either good but no one there, or the shots on goal were not being taken from distance, hence the fact that it would just come back to us eventually for another attack. I kept asking someone to take a shot on goal, especially with the weather meaning the ball will skid off the surface if hit low and hard, and it was just a matter of time if we did that.

Maybe someone did listen to me after that because Rayan Cherki laid the ball across the box, and Ruben Dias went for a shot outside the area. It was going in anyway, but the deflection off the Sunderland defender did help and it went into the top corner for 1-0. Relief all round and good to see Ruben stepping up and having a go. That soon did become 2-0 as City forced a corner, and from it the cross from Phil Foden was met with the head of Josko Gvardiol for a well placed header, and his second goal from a corner in seven days after one against Leeds United last week, so that was something at least.

The second half started and Sunderland were going for it, and they were unlucky not to score when Wilson Isidor robbed the ball off Ruben Dias but was denied by the save from Gianluigi Donnarumma. Still that was a warning shot, and later on Granit Xhaka also hit the post, which was a good effort all round. Certainly you had to give them credit for giving it a proper go and they could have pulled one back on a different day. I was just relieved we had not conceded and knew that we needed a third to finish them off.

And that did come, with a move down the right involving Rayan Cherki. He got past the defender and then decided to do a Rabona cross (I mean, that's mad) which found the head of Phil Foden to score once again and it was 3-0. That was how it stayed and as I left the game at the end, right after Luke O'Nien had a stupid red card for Sunderland right at the death, the City song The Boys in Blue played (make that tune of the day) , with of course the line that the boys in blue never give in. And we won't - two points behind Arsenal now and that for me says there is potential for us to go on and win the title yet.

Thursday 4th December – Totally Acoustic

It was good to head out once more after work – this time for a gig at the King and Queen in Fitzrovia to see MJ Hibbett and folks do their Totally Acoustic thing. I had not been to one of these for a while and so was good to be able to meet up with friends there. The main issue was that Thaneslink, once again, were screwed up with trains which meant that potentially part of the journey would be disrupted. As it transpired, when I headed from West Croydon to London Bridge and then changed from there, I got a delayed train to Farringdon and then on to Tottenham Court Road from there – using the Dean Street exit as it was near my old office.

This did mean an easier walk towards Goodge Street and to my usual stop for tea around these parts – Icco. Their pizzas are always consistently good and they are a mere £8.95 for a Capriciosa, which is ham, mushrooms and black olives, freshly made to order and with a really nice crunchy thin crust too. Needless to say, it was as enjoyable as ever and was good to be able to take the time out with that. And judging by the numbers of boxes of pizzas being collected by couriers, clearly being on the main delivery company websites has done them a massive amount of business – and thoroughly deserved in my view.

It was then on to the King and Queen, with most of us being there early. Always a pleasure to see Mark (MJ) Hibbett of course and had a good chat before deciding to head upstairs, where we were waiting outside the little room as one of the bands were finishing a rehearsal. In the meantime Matt Tiller (who was first on) decided to play a version of Luka by Suzanne Vega on his guitar but with all the lyrics changed to refer to Laika, the first dog in space. Very witty and funny and that kept us going with warmth and happiness in our souls.

We all got a seat, Mark headed round with mince pies from Waitrose (all nice) and he introduced the evening with the usual Totally Acoustic theme tune. Remember folks, the “ooooh!” is important here. On went Matt Tiller first of all, and it was very good fun, with songs about being with someone who would not be afraid to punch someone if needed, and also about the warm and cosy feeling of being next to someone close when you go to sleep. All of this was delivered with some warm wit and good humour as Matt usually does, so that was a good way to get started.

On then came the Highchurches and they were very good – with an acoustic bass player, and a violinist along with two vocalists, who would also use a combination of banjo, ukelele and acoustic guitar. They were very good and had some lovely songs, even though that three of them were ones they described, for different reasons, being about the end of the world. They were indeed delivered with wit and humour too, and a real sense of harmony with the vocals as well. I look forward to hearing more from them and some actual recordings are due soon, so I can purchase their songs. Always good to hear new stuff isn’t it?

After a drinks break on came MJ Hibbett with Chris Thorpe-Tracey (aka Chris T-T) and a small rule was broken here – as a piano could not fit to get into the small space, an electronic Roland keyboard set to piano was used instead – although that means it was plugged in! Still, that did mean that the songs had a lovely backing to them and Chris really did feel the songs more so – because he like many of us adore Mark’s songs and he pretty much said that in one lovely moment too, which was good. There were some new songs played, which is always lovely, and definitely nice to hear along the way.

Of course, being a fan, it was rather nice to have Chips and Cheese, Pint of Wine as one of the earlier songs in the set, which is just good fun. Later on there was the beautiful song about being in the North Stand watching Peterborough United at London Road – In the North Stand, and as I thought might happen, a finale of my favourite (and therefore tune of the day) It Only Works Because You’re Here. The Highchurches also sang along to the chorus with a gorgeous harmonic backing too which was beautiful, and the regulars like me sang along too, which was all so lovely. It made the night go ever so well to finish off and showed just why I adore these little gigs, it felt intimate and lovely to be there.

Wednesday 3rd December – Penguins at the Barbican

It was off into Central London after work and to a gig tonight, and a gig I had been looking forward to for some time – GoGo Penguin at the Barbican. I do love the band’s latest album Necessary Fictions, and this for me had to be a focus of the set as well as a smattering of their older songs too. I think too it was surprising yet ace that the venue had pretty much sold out, and the last time they played here it was supposed to be really good, so hoping for more of the same and a first time positive impression seeing them do their thing.

There was an unfortunate incident being near Stevenage which was delaying trains all over the network. I just hope that if someone was being hit by a train, that there is better mental health support out there to prevent this happening in future. Whilst inconvenient, the bigger picture here is that a family has lost a loved one and maybe did not know that one of their own was thinking about leaving them this way. I stopped to pause and think about that as I boarded at East Croydon and got to Farringdon safely enough, and it is at times like this you appreciate being alive and safe and having plenty of good moments in life to look forward to and people to be with.

Once at Farringdon I was tempted to go to one of the pubs close by, but they were all rammed with City wanker types, and quite frankly, I could not be meithered with all those idiots. I did remember that there was a place or two within the Barbican itself where you could get food, and so thought to go in there instead. Barbican Kitchen proved to be a good move – I got a roast dinner including turkey, roasties, parsnip, carrots, and gravy, and a pint of Camden Pale, for a reasonable enough price. It was cosy and warm enough in there too and being right next to the main hall meant no faffing later on too – so an epic win there.

I took my seat in the main Barbican Hall and was in the balcony – and pretty central and the way the seating is laid out, no heads directly in front either and so had a good view of the stage where I was. That proved to be quite good and shortly on came the support act – and someone who indeed has collaborated with GoGo Penguin anyway, Daudi Matsiko. He played a short set mainly with acoustic guitar or keys, and were soft, reflective songs based on personal experiences and indeed related to his recent bipolar diagnosis, which felt brave to tackle head on and write songs about and be quite vulnerable. The songs did have a lovely flow to them and was captivated by an appreciative audience giving him plenty of encouragement. Well, apart from two idiots behind me somewhere who were talking the whole way through. They can kindly, as they say in Scotland, get tae….

Once the break had concluded, on came GoGo Penguin, and it was a brilliant set of close to an hour and three quarters in total. Second track in was Fallowfield Loops, which is my single of the year, and that was utterly brilliant to see live, with the drums underpinning the piano and bass perfectly and making for a wonderful piece of music, and without doubt tune of the day. To be honest, just hearing that live was more than enough for me but the fact that the majority of the Necessary Fictions album was played with gusto, and indeed with Daudi Matsiko joining them for the song that he co-wrote, Forgive the Damages, that was really special and showed the care and love that had gone into that.

Other highlights were plentiful, including Luminous Giants and having Rakhi Singh on for that one, as well as some of their earlier work such as Hopopono. Most of the Necessary Fictions album got an airing, such as the lovely Umbra and the really in depth What We Are and What We Are Meant to Be as well. It just felt the right place for them too with the sound really remnating around the venue beautifully. Sometimes less is more and having the clarity of the drums, double bass or keys and piano together was a seamless way of carrying the music along wonderfully well. I definitely would love to see them again and take The Love In My Heart with me – she might enjoy it as it really does feel so chilled out. It was good just to take it easy and despite some train issues, made it home with the sound of Fallowfield Loops in my head.

Tuesday 2nd December – Craven Cottage Craziness

It was a first for me tonight as I was ticking off another Premier League away ground and one I had wanted to go to for some time – namely Fulham away at Craven Cottage. I had walked past it when doing the Thames Path North walk, and indeed had food at the lovely Crabtree pub not far away – including with The Love In My Heart and some of her relations, one of which used to live in Putney with her partner. It definitely was nice to be back here again and this time for seeing Manchester City away. The 7.30pm kick off was a questionable one given it was London and all, but still, thought it worth me leaving work on time and getting straight out for the tram to WIimbledon followed by the bus to Putney Bridge and walk from there.

What I had not factored in was the roadworks in Wimbledon Village, which meant temporary traffic lights being down to one lane and took ages for the 93 bus to get through. It delayed it enough to decide to terminate the bus early at the Green Man on Putney Heath, so meant I had to walk all the way downhill into Putney from there, head through the centre, over the bridge, and then follow the masses along the riverside and through Bishops Place Park and to the ground. As the Putney End has both home and away fans (split in half inside) then the turnstiles were busy and I had managed to get through with just ten minutes to spare before kick off, but had made it and got to my seat - not that I’d be standing much anyway, and all ready to go. Could City do the business I ask? We would soon see.

The game kicked off and City were kicking towards the Hammersmith End, the furthest away from us. It however did not take us long to rue a chance, as Erling Haaland would be through and his shot hit the post and back out. Would this elusive 100th Premier League goal come tonight I wondered? Well we didn’t have long to wait as a cross from Jeremy Doku was met perfectly by Haaland and he smashed it home. Goal number 100, and I was there to see a record being broken (it took him 111 games to do it, even better than the legend that is Alan Shearer) and needless to say the City fans were in full voice, chanting his name and singing a lot too. Must admit it’s always a better atmosphere away anyway and we sang the song to The Stone Roses’ Made of Stone (so that is tune of the day for me.)

City were not done and towards the end of the first half, Haaland put through Tijjani Reijnders and he finished off with a sublime chip over Bernd Leno in the Fulham goal or 2-0. It got even better though as there was a corner that was cleared but only to Phil Foden, who then took a shot right into the top corner, smashing it home with aplomb. It would have been good to go in at half time 3-0 up but City slacked off defensively allowing a lovely cross and a sublime header from Emile Smith-Rowe to get one back. I wasn’t complaining too much at that time and 3-1 was a good scoreline for us to be able to go into the second half with.

Fulham made some changes to go more attacking, in the hope of getting the next goal and forcing their way back into it, which made sense. City did play the ball forward and although Erling Haaland could not reach it, his little flick did find Phil Foden who clipped the ball home for 4-1. Nice. Even nicer a few minutes later was that Jeremy Doku’s shot deflected awkwardly off Sander Berge, and was enough to direct it goalwards and over Leno. Flukey yes, but we’ll take it for 5-1. Now usually I’d be thinking that would have been enough but with City’s calamitous defence last time out and without Rodri to steer the ship somewhat, we needed to keep Fulham out for a bit.

That did not happen though and a long range shot from Alex Iwobi pulled it back to 5-2. At that point onwards, Fulham went for it and in the meantime, Erling Haaland hit the post with a header for 6-2, punished a minute later as Fulham went down the right, the ball was crossed in and punched out, and then from there the substitute Samuel Chukwueze shot home. There was a lengthy VAR check for an offside that was not, and so the goal was given. 5-3. Nervous now. Even more so as following Savinho faffing around and conceding a corner, Gianluigi Donnarumma could only punch out and it went straight to Samuel Chukwueze and he slammed it home. 5-4. This match was seriously mental.

The referee did his best to give us all nerves with eight minutes of stoppage time and City just about held on in the end, with a goal line clearance from Josko Gvardiol stopping the best comeback in Premier League history coming back from four goals down to draw – Newcastle did so from 4-0 to 4-4 against Arsenal but were four down within 26 minutes (and 3-0 down in 10 minutes) so had longer to come back – had Fulham scored, City’s fifth goal for 5-1 was in the 54th minute so they would have a mere 36 minutes plus stoppages to get that back. I was just relieved to get the win and would be a first visit to Craven Cottage that I was not going to forget in a long time!