Busy in London

Woke up in Tufnell Park in North London. I'd stayed overnight in the home of Sophie's pal Sarah Saunders who had kindly put me up. I slept heavily after Sophie's party. Waking up I was followed downstairs by a black cat, after it had introduced itself by snaking its front paw underneath the door of the bathroom. Sarah's house reminded me a lot of Isis Court, where I'd lived in Chiswick down by the river. Even the smell was the same. Sat drinking tea, feeling pleasantly nostalgic, while being attended to closely by the amorous black cat. Enjoyed a few minutes looking out at the nice street full of December light before Sarah got up.

An excellent conversation over toast and tea with Sarah. She is an old friend of Sophie's and is very interesting. Quite passionate about green issues, and has been a photographer but is now a consultant in digital image-making. A new friend.

Then off out into the lovely morning. I travelled up to Edgware and had lunch with Mum and Mase. Mum showed me some of her new pictures which are going to make her a wealthy woman. We also arranged when I would next be up there, when Mase is going to cook some venison. Felt compelled to ask him if it was cheap or deer when he bought it.

Then travelled across to Ealing where I went to another party at the French Bloke's house. Lots of people there. The FB and Max's daughter Tahlia was one recently, and she looks fine with a thick head of hair. Max is expecting another, and it turns out this one will be a girl too. Five girls have sprung from the loins of the French Bloke.

During the course of the party I drank rather a lot of wine, until the call of the seagull grew strong in me. Stopped off at the North Star with Matty and others, before finally heading home rather the worse for wear.

A South African on the train talked to me in a stultifying and unpleasant way all the way to Brighton, even persisting when my eyes were closing with sleep. Arrived at 1.00pm and succumbed to the misguided notion that some species of kebab would be a really good idea.

The FB, Max and Tahlia.