Tue 1: Bringing in the New Year by watching the tip of the Shard change colour is not recommended, except for fans of illuminated underwhelm. Wed 2: It turns out there's a maximum number of times the library will let you renew a book, even when it's two inches thick with 948 pages of small type. Thu 3: If you overfill my washing machine it refuses to spin dry, which is why my bedding came out sodden wet... and too heavy to spin again. Fri 4: Found an enamel poppy badge under my seat on the bus, because passengers in Orpington wear them all year round. Sat 5: If you wait until after Christmas, that hardback you wanted drops to half price (which is cheaper than the paperback it'll be later). Sun 6:Spiegelhalters on the Mile End Road has been 'preserved' as a sliver of touched-up facade above the entrance to a new office development.
Mon 7: The Spurs Shop in the shopping centre at Waltham Cross has just closed down, and staff are boxing up all the unsold stock. Tue 8: It takes me one hour to walk from home to St Paul's, two to Marble Arch and three to Shepherd's Bush. Tubing home is a lot quicker. Wed 9: According to a Genius in Stratford, the reason my iPhone wasn't charging properly was too much linty gunk in the power socket, and my reticence to scrape it out with a paper clip. Thu 10: My former employer has released an enormous spreadsheet of public data about last year's project, and I've been whitewashed off the first tab. Fri 11: I can't remember the last time I walked through the Greenwich Foot Tunnel without a cyclist cycling the other way. Sat 12: The price of a Saturday newpaper is now 10% higher than last week, and 100% higher than ten years ago. Sun 13: Rather than the usual dream people have where the Queen comes to tea, in mine she was serving up school dinners.
Mon 14: When travelling from one essentially-random London location to another, a good book to read really helps. Tue 15: "Your purchase is vital in helping the V&A enrich people's lives", says a sign in the cafe, which is a bit rich when a tiny unbranded bottle of lemonade costs over £3. Wed 16: I love that Romford Electrical Services Limited still exists, and is still trading, six miles from Romford. Thu 17: Any interest in going back to meet lots of my former university colleagues is quashed by the words 'Black Tie' in the corner of the invitation. Fri 18: I survived being in charge of the wine list by selecting the second cheapest bottle and somehow not mispronouncing it. Sat 19: Some Saturdays I just go to Ealing and Ruislip for the sake of it. Sun 20: The corrugated iron shed which formerly housed the Cosy Tea Rooms in South Hornchurch can't be long for this world.
Mon 21: Added another six-pack of baked beans to the Probably Not But Better Safe Than Sorry And You Can't Go Wrong With Beans cupboard. Tue 22: Unconvinced that salted caramel and chocolate hot cross buns are a good idea, nor particularly Lenten, nor good for you. Wed 23: You should never take an aspirin on an empty stomach, according to a throwaway line in today's paper, which it would've been nice to have been told years ago. Thu 24: Off to the opticians, convinced that this is the trip where they'll invite me to try bifocals. Hurrah, it's not. Fri 25: My favourite crass marketing panel around the perimeter of Sugar House Island says "As part of Vastint UK's commitment to placemaking, this 40m tower is a rotated hyperboloid inspired by pick-up sticks." Sat 26: Dropped by the Hillingdon Cycle Circuit to watch Craig Cole take the chequered flag in the 12th race of the winter series. The peloton was astonishingly bunched after a 50 minute race. Sun 27: During research, I discover that "the prevalence of Depression in Yeading is 13.43%, which is higher than England (9.88%), London (7.11%), Hillingdon (7.78%) and the locality".
Mon 28: Over the weekend the new H16footbridge has been lifted into place between Fish Island and the Olympic Park (so that the existing upstream footbridge can be widened to take vehicles). Tue 29: <switches on BBC Parliament> (sigh) <switches off BBC Parliament> Wed 30: It maybe unwise to book a trip to continental Europe in the summer, but what the hell. Thu 31: Went frost-spotting in the Olympic Park (which was fun only because of its inner London rarity).
