Spice Shop, Cairo

Around the Dokki block this evening before going to Doha's for dinner. For the record, a major victory for our street association in Barcelona. All this week I've been negotiating with the arquitects and builders of the block of flats that is going up at the end of our street about the rules that would govern their use of it during the demolition and construction phases. We had had a meeting a few weeks ago and I had made our position very clear that we would not tolerate any garage in the new building that opened into our street as it would contravene building regulations and we'd fight tooth and nail to prevent it with all the delays a possible planning appeal and court case would entail. I inserted a clause to the 'rules' that any access was dependent on them changing the plans they had submitted to omit the garage and seeking a new licence. They conceded the point this morning and I feel really good that a major intrusion into peaceful street life has been prevented and that we will benefit for years to come, indeed well after we have gone.