Phyllis

I'm in the Flask pub in Highgate village. Alison from Yorkshire is staying with us tonight and we're having a late night drink whilst putting the world to rights. As I get older, I realise how reactionary I'm becoming. Tonight, for example, I heard myself saying that I was pleased the benefits system in this country are being overhauled. I'm surprised I didn't use the word scrounger! 

It's fabulous to see Alison, though, who's just got over an horrific incident involving peroxide and her hair turning blue. Apparently she looked like Phyllis from Coronation Street! Or a smurf.

I sent the music for Metro up to Newcastle today and true to form, received a bewildering number of notes about my lyrics right at the last moment! Most of the problems have now been resolved, but I still have a few battles left to win! 

Nathan filled the car up with petrol today. £70! 

January 11th, 1660, and Pepys learnt that Princess Henrietta, Charles II's sister, had fallen ill with the measles en route to France. Unfortunately this meant that the ship she was sailing in was forced to return to Portsmouth harbour, where its useless pilot ran it aground! After the death of Charles' other sister just before Christmas, it was decided that the Royals were having a pretty rough time of it! 

Pepys dined at home "discontented that my wife do not go neater now she has two maids." Poor Elizabeth. She was probably just having a bad hair day!