Substack diary no.174: Friday, 5th. June 2026

Another day in town, my second this week! The reason? I forgot to pay my bar tab on Wednesday, which is why I never have bar tabs. But on this occasion the bar person – Tab – managed to persuade me to open a tab. Two tabs for the price of one. How could I refuse? I knew it would be a mistake – I have always been a pay as you go person. So, sadly, I must visit the pub again at lunchtime today. I wonder if Tab will be on?

So, town it is, and as it happens I will be able to pick up a few essential ingredients from the greengrocer in the market. M&S had merguez sausages on special offer this week – in no way could I resist that! I have fond memories from the 80’s of the excellent merguez available in towns on the Cote d’Azur in the south of France, thanks to folks from the Arab diaspora – or in the case of France, probably of mainly Algerian origin. The M&S ones are actually not bad. I usually grill red sweet peppers with the merguez, make a spicy tomato, red onion & chilli salsa and have that lot on a bed of Moroccon-style vegetable cous-cous. Tasty, and memories of Toulon, Antibes and Nice come flooding back.

Of course, whilst I may have most of the ingredients, I may not be fit enough to cook later today, depending on the quantity of beer I am persuaded to consume, which itself is largely dependent upon the quality of the conversation. So, I could be enjoying a great dinner, or a can of soup I always have on stand-by. Either way, it is my intention to enjoy myself!