Eggs, chips and beans

My favourite caff, Tony's, on Northcote Road, has suddenly doubled all its prices, because their landlord has suddenly doubled his price. I don't care. I'm just as happy to pay GBP4 for a plate of perfectly cooked egg, chips and beans, and super-strong sweet milky builders' tea, as I am for any of the other fancy-schmancy breakfast comestibles you can find on Northcote Road, in fact, more so. If the French know so much about food, how can they find croissants and coffee an acceptable alternative to the full English, eh?

All 3 kids have got places in schools, with Curly also on waiting list for our preferred. We have managed to jump the queue to the top of the list, by virtue of my faithful attendance at SJC for the past 3 years - ha ha! All that praying finally pays off.

Bought a book called Watching the English, by Kate Fox. She says that the English talk about the weather, not because they find the weather inherently interesting, but as an ice-breaker. I have found another ice-breaker, which is simply to read her book in public. Complete strangers come up and try to engage you in conversation about their favourite bits.

We are looking at cars. LSS wants a Volvo S60 as he says Kate Fox says it will make us officially upper middle-class.