Wodin's Day

Girded my loins and travelled south to Walworth Road. I had inadvertently sat on a bag containing my specs and two arms had fallen off. While these were being repaired in Specsavers free of charge, I spotted a couple of brilliant frames: classic shapes,one plain red and one clear and slightly frosted. These were two for one at £69 so could not be resisted, particularly since my eyes were due to be tested anyway. I had a couple of hours to kill before the eye test and had an early lunch in a greasy spoon called House Cafe over the road. This turned out to be an enormous cavern of a place with an enormous menu. I ordered liver, bacon and onions which came with an enormous pile of mashed potato, carrots and peas. Managed most of the meat but was defeated by the potatoes. This came with a huge mug of tea for 75p. I did a rough sketch of this while I was there. My eye test revealed small cataracts, which would not require surgery for another 5-10 years (ha ha) so no worries there. My prescription had changed very little and my specs should be ready to collect next Wednesday, hopefully. My birthday present to me! In the evening I spoke to Pierre and Paulina from Canada who rang to wish me a happy birthday - the greetings continue!) and Paulina told me about an artist called Mary Delaney who had taken up painting in her seventies and had work in the British Museum. I googled her later and it seems she did flower collages by painting colours on fine tissue paper, cutting and layering this to make very good and subtle botanical images. Must have a look at these. It has now become colder with a need for gloves. The gloveboxes I received as retirement presents have come in very handy here. I have so many pairs of gloves, but can now find them immediately. My favourites though are beigy brown silk lined fine kid gloves from Christian Dior which squash into any pocket. I found them for a fiver, along with many other CD silk scarves and gloves in a sale at a charity event many years ago. Today I may take my print to the Prince of Wales, and visit the printer since Romy wants one of my A3 prints in A4 format. Next I shall visit B & Q to obtain a new showerhead. Christophe and Victorine are coming to Toulouse Lautrec on Saturday as the band sounds good and are playing on New Year's Eve. I may well go there for New Year if so. They seem to play jazz and other music and are called Mlanju. We shall see. Oh, and I managed to get the TV working for a couple of hours last night. Excellent.