Weeknote 158

• Resumed my property‑sale process last week with the same agent, even though the process felt unfair and overpriced. After one‑to‑one consultation from YouTube’s property expert Charlie, and further discussions with the sales manager, it still seemed better than ending up with a bad agent trying to sell without the paperwork done.
• Midweek I went to see the BAFTA‑award‑winning I Swear. It touched a nerve because of my own negative school experiences as a neurodivergent kid in a time when few understood such conditions, and because of the low‑level bullying I faced, including one incident of physical bullying.
• Thursday, in a more cheerful moment, I went with a friend to see the parody psychic performance by Clinton Baptiste at the London Palladium. It was a sell‑out show, and I spotted a couple of famous faces, including Rob Brydon.
• Friday I joined Mena for Carmina Burana at the Royal Festival Hall. The performance was impressive with a full orchestra, though the symphony of coughing pensioners who should have stayed at home was less appreciated.
• We’re not in a position to buy a new house yet, but we’re looking around the area we plan to buy in to understand the market better. Our first viewing was unpleasant: a terraced house sublet into tiny bedrooms, full of young male tenants, with some rooms locked so we couldn’t see everything.
• A positive outcome in the by‑election last week in a Manchester constituency, where the Greens won.