under another sun

Had another excellent day at the poetry cliff face. Sent a MS to a publisher with several newly buffed up poems in it. Very pleased with myself. Off to the gym, and then I zoomed to The Grumpy Chef where I met Lorraine with Pat and Maureen.They had been shopping and bought Pat what is being termed a mobile seat -- a wheelie with a seat on it.  I had a cheese and ham toastie. Not had one of those for some time, and it was rather delicious despite being told off by Maureen for eating it too quickly.  Then home and a certain amount of faffing about, before Lorraine and I drove off to Adele and Patrick's for a Shakespeare evening with them and Steve. Looking at Adele's new studio, which is rather marvellous. Then after some snackage we commenced on the main event. Twelfth Night. Interesting if enigmatic comedy, with elements of doubling, and mistaken identity and cross dressing in it. We saw a local production of it recently in Seaford. Paused after act three for some lovely grub,...

A new batch of poems, which are quite light of touch and ironic. Six of them, all being decisively hewn into shape. One particularly pleased me as I hadn't been able to get it right for years, and I fixed in minutes, changed the title, cut a bit out and bingo. Pleased with myself when this sort of thing happens. The poem is called A Kibble of Love . However this could not go on. I went with Lorraine, and we picked up Pat and Maureen, and drove off to Drusilla's which is a small zoo with children's rides on it too. I'd not been there since we took Klaudia and Oskar there when they were kids. We took Maureen there in her wheelchair, and got another one for Pat. We met Tom and his wife Emma, who I'd never met, and their children Finlay and Una nine and eight respectively. The family live in Dubai now, and were home for a visit, and they'd wanted to see Pat and Maureen. Good to see Tom again. Emma, delightful and very chatty. Young Finlay a bundle of non-stop energy...

Really in a flow state. I seem to be able to see what's wrong and how to fix it and am finishing lots of poems decisively and often they are surprising me.  Off to the gym at lunchtime, home to a sensible lunch and supper. Feeling good and very pleased with myself.  Lorraine seeing Pat and Maureen in the morning, then off to Beth's in the afternoon. All well, and a cheery evening together.

Slept peacefully in bed followed by a leisurely breakfast. I had a poetry idea, and did some writing, while Lorraine popped next door to see Joy and Jim, who had some baby stuff to give us. Then Lorraine and I went outside. I manfully wrestled with a compost bin, replacing it with a new larger one in the middle of bushes. I emerged holding a spade and the lid of the bin in either hand and watched an extremely big tan-coloured European Garden Spider crawl from my neck down my arm.  Then Lorraine and I had some quiet time in the Studio. I did a bit of colouring and playing with paints. Lorraine used a mould to make a dish from clay. We listened to music and chilled. Going down into the garden like this feels like escaping. Then we gathered ourselves to zoom back to a pub called The Half Moon, near the field and here we met everyone, plus Eve, Innis's daughter, and Sam came with Graham. We ended sitting outside eating a late Sunday lunch on a long table. Really lovely time. Innis very...

Breakfast with Lorraine, then Simon arrived to finish off the Summer House and I mooched off to meet Anton for a quick coffee in Seaford, his starting point for a longish walk to test how his knee is doing. He gave me a present for baby Enzo, which was sweet of him. A little black baby grow with The Clash logo in pink.  Anton made off for his long walk, and I got a text from him later after walking for hours, that he thinks he'll go ahead with the op. Home and Rick and his son Luke came around to look at our exterior wall which is letting in some damp. They seemed to know what they were talking about. We also zoomed over to Gallery Uno, to see Adele, and see Patrick who was playing old Irish songs in the gallery. Hung out with them for a bit.  Lorraine who had been cooking a vast veggie chilli for much of the day, which I had helped with, and we drove off in the afternoon to a farmer's field near Plumpton with enough chilli for 12 on board. Here Rosie and Innis and family and ...

I had rather a brilliant morning's work, despite chatting with Sylwia and Simon who is doing up our summer house and having to cope with ants. A nice chat with him. He's had a remarkable one knee and two hip replacements. He was also an olympic wrestler. Mostly I was cutting and being incredibly decisive on the manuscript. I cannot remember a time when I could see the problems and solutions so clearly. Lots of things falling into place in the manuscript. Early afternoon I went off to the gym, and did my physical jerks. Unfortunately I forgot to take my neoprene knee thingy, and my knee hurt quite a bit on the way home. Still all well.  Lorraine and I went off to The Old Boot where we met Steve, Delores, Patrick and Adele and Patrick, Chris and Julie. All very jolly. Lorraine and I ate salads and had some beer. I felt like I was celebrating having such a great day's writing. This sort of thing is hard to explain, but leaves you feeling rather elated.  

Made breakfast, after going out into the garden again and picking fresh blueberries. Lorraine had to take Maureen and Pat in the car for Maureen to have a scan. After a few bits of tinkering on the full poetry manuscript, I then made off to the gym for an early and rather sweaty session.  Home, a bite to eat, and then I caught a crowded bus to East Dene where I was soon picked up by Robin and she drove us to The Beachy Head pub, with fine views down to the sea.  Here we had a couple of drinks, a few crisps and peanuts, did a bit of recording with a microphone, as is traditional for our season finale. We also finalised our plans for next season, which will be less intense from our point of view. As ever Robin and I are on the same page. Then a bus back, a short and beautiful journey, and then home before six. Lorraine and I went into the greenhouse and picked tomatoes and several giant cucumbers, which Lorraine is going to make into her justly famed cucumber relish. A bit more ...

Up to London to meet Mum in Hampstead. Pleasant journeys both ways, despite the trains being stuffed with holidaymakers heading for the airports and, on the way home, even one family with heavy cases but looking forward to their holiday in Seaford. Big thundery looking clouds around today, but I saw no rain, although my lightning tracker went off once or twice, mystifying a little girl sitting opposite me as my trousers rumbled with thunder. I had arrived early and so snuck into Waterstones and treated myself to a couple of books and a new Moleskine notebook. I had a fleeting vision slimming my shelves down a highly-curated library and taking the rest to charity. But this was a moment of madness.    Mum also early at the station, so we mooched down Flask Walk past the school and up New End to The Old White Bear. Had a lovely time with Mum enjoyed a long chat over lunch and a couple of drinks and coffee. I gave her a little glass necklace which Adele had made, and she told me a...

Raining heavily overnight. More foraging in the garden for soft fruits for breakfast and vegetables. The smell of the garden was lovely. Petrichor they call it. We have big two pots of blueberries and they are rewarding us with the best blueberries I've ever eaten. Again marvelling at being able to spoon down something you just picked five minutes ago. After breakfast, Lorraine and I mooched into town, principally to see Adele's show at Gallery Uno, called Duet, done with another artist called Liza Morton. Looked really professional insid and Adele's work is going from strength to strength in its variety and quality.  It was the opening morning too, so there was coffee and fizz to drink. I stuck to coffee as it wasn't quite noon. Adele looked all cheery and pleased, and she had a lot to be proud of. Liza had some fun pieces of pottery, including wall mountable gull's heads holding chips which made me laugh.  A spot of shopping, and looking at paint colours as we are...

We were both up shortly after 7. Lorraine drove off to Bolney to attend the leaver's service at the church, and say hello to some of the children and parents. Children running up to her and giving her a hug, and she met some old pals Jo and Sue there. I had a good day's writing and editing, being decisive and making cuts and decisions. Off at lunchtime to go to the gym, then a leisurely salad with Lorraine, who then lurked in the garden when it was a bit cooler while I made off to Brighton. I walked up Guildford Street (one of the steep streets of Brighton) and called on Anton. We sloped off to the Crescent for a couple of beers, then past St Michael and All Angels all the way down to Preston Street and played a game of bones in The Brick. Anton had brought his chess set too, but we stuck to the dominoes. Apparently Anton has been studying chess a bit and has an ambition to be good at it. Anton's knee much improved, but he has a knee replacement booked in a few weeks and is...

Took my poetry admin by the scruff of its neck. I write my poetry on the Scrivener program, and have done for some time. For various reasons I ended up with duplicate files and occasionally different versions in various folders. By the end of the day I had pretty much de-duplicated, and saved everything into its latest version. It's quite a long process. I how have a giant folder containing poems that have been published, another which is work in progress -- assorted unfinished stuff -- and the current big collection MS I am working on. Feel all clean and in control now. Everything simplified and up to date.  Lorraine off with Beth and Enzo this morning to go to Marmoosh to have some time together, and get Beth out of the house. Then at lunchtime Lorraine brought Pat around and drove Maureen off for a hospital appointment. Beth and Enzo and Pat sat in the living room. Lorraine gave me a snack from Marmoosh I nibbled at during the Understory Conversation, which really was thought pr...

I am now going through every section of a full collection of all my poems around the theme of how uncertainty about memory affects identity. There are five sections, with I hope five poems in each section - one of the sections is Gordon Road, so it will make enough for a poetry book. I'm now going through it section by section - there are a few gaps in what I want to say that I am now writing new material to fill. Obviously I have no publisher, so it is all speculative at this point. But I am pleased with the results so far. Lorraine off to her personal trainer this morning. I spoke to Mum who was off with her pals Gail and Emma to celebrate a birthday in the Waggon at lunchtime. I'm going up next Monday. Dawn called around this afternoon, and she and Lorraine went off to see Beth and baby Enzo.  I went on a longish walk. Very windy at times, and much cooler than it has been, I went nosing around Tide Mills and grazing on the occasional blackberry when I found one. Home and joi...

A night of vivid nightmares. I think my subconscious is still catching up with me not working, as they all seem to be nightmare work scenarios. Got to 'work' on my poems this morning, and fairly pleased at my productivity. Lorraine off to see Pat and Maureen this morning and then to spend time with Beth and Enzo this afternoon.  I made time to catch up on the football news, and it all rather astonishing. Chelsea had been part of the Club World Cup a four year competition being played in the US. I was rather shocked that they had made the final, but also philosophical as they were playing PSG of Paris, widely regarded as the best club in the world at the moment. Woke up to confusing news... Chelsea had thrashed them 3-0. Brilliant. Almost as good as the expression on Palmer's face as Trump inserted himself into the presentation ceremony. At noon I zoomed into the gym, and made amends for some of the excesses of the weekend. These days I listen to nothing while on the cross t...

A Sundayish start to the morning, another heatwave day. Slow and luxuriating over breakfast. Listening to a voice note that Mike sent us, he has a great voice for radio or podcasts. A happy day to spend together mainly lurking in the Studio, me sorting through years of scribbles and taking ages sorting out my cache of coloured pencils. Found little line drawings of a room in Kingsbury, a room in Leamington I lived in for a year, and the fireplace when I lived in Kew, and lots of mostly unsuccessful watercolour daubs made on holiday. Lorraine sat opposite me and made a few little finger pots, and we listened to CDs on our old CD player and felt like we had escaped from the world.  Lunch on the patio, and spoke to Mum, before she went around to the neighbours next door. A mischief of magpies was making a good deal of noise at one point from Joy and Jim’s roof. There were eight of them. Lorraine happily gardening. I have been watching a documentary series on BBC called Couples Therapy...

Whew what a scorcher etc. ... Nothing better on a hot day than making an intense fire and cooking meats on it like a man. The morning involved running about like a maniac, sweating cobs cleaning the barbecue and sweeping the patio while Lorraine zipped off the supermarket, and fashioned excellent salads and coleslaw and so on. We walked to Seaford Library, where we met Mike and Zina, and then spent the whole afternoon in the back garden, shooting the breeze. I did a simple barbecue of chicken stuffed with lemon, tarragon from the pot outside the back door, and Kenny farm garlic, plus a dozen sausages. Lorraine excelled herself with new potatoes and salads, and home made pickles and sauerkraut and slaw and bread and so on. Great to hang out again with Mike and Zina who having moved to the Brighton Marina are now just a bus ride away. I showed them the back garden, and apologised for the state of the lawn, which Mike ridiculed me for some time about. Zina toured about the house by Lorrai...

An early start at the poetic coalface. Then breakfast with Lorraine, and she went off to do Story Time. Sylwia here, very cheery she is. And Lorraine and her always kiss when she comes in. I melted away to the gym, hoping to get some physical jerks in before it got too hot. En route I called in at Melissa's to hand her a sketch back. I had daubed a D minus watercolour on a piece of paper she'd handed me, to discover  as I turned it over, I found there a sketch of a dog called Benji, a much loved hound Melissa has been commissioned to do a painting of it. Then bumped into Delores on the way to the gym, as she was entering the bicycle shop 'Hello darlings!'  I spent some time in the gym, then sloped home feeling cheery, and end of term-ish.  Lorraine and I made off to the Boot where we met, Steve, Guy and Barbara, and Yvonne. Brian on a pilgrimage walk with his pal ending up at Canterbury. God knows what his knees will be like. Finding myself enjoying the company of Guy a...

Off this morning to another masterclass this morning. Melissa was trying to shake up how we approached drawing. The best exercise for me was covering a piece of paper with charcoal and then using an eraser to rub out and reveal form. While not fabulous, I quite like the picture down below where I did that. There was a straightforward paint the life figure it with a watercolour and brush - mine was pretty poor, then another go with pastels -- we were given three each of bright colours. Another poor effort for me. Then it was drawing with ink. I was expecting to be quite good at this, but the ink pen was the old dipping sort, which dried up after making a line of two centimetres. Then I found myself having a go with a gull feather that had been turned into a pen, which produced great splotches of ink. These Melissa had collected, much to her husband's disgust, from the streets of Seaford. This gave me a new found interest in the herring gulls on our roof. If I collected their feather...

Up early editing the podcast, and then writing the blurb. Felt great for Robin and I to have got it done early, and with little stressing. Lorraine doing Rhymetime.  At tea time we went to Pat and Maureen's place. A fireplace surround had been delivered, and Lorraine and I screwed it all together, and slotted in a fire-effect heater in there, which Maureen put on. We are of course in the middle of another heatwave. We had brought our sturdy metal trolly with us, and wheeled away the old storage heater, and the extremely heavy bricks that are inside it. Maureen worried that it all would be too much for the car, but we were fine.  In thanks for this, Maureen paid for Lorraine and I to have a meal, which was very sweet of her. We went to Lin's Sushi , which, unusually, specialises in both Japanese and Chinese food. We had a few pieces of good sushi then switched to Chinese for  Singapore noodles, with lemon chicken and shredded beef which were really delicious. Lorraine thou...

Lorraine off to her personal trainer. I did some writing, then quickly recorded the podcast intro with Robin which we had forgotten to do earlier. Then off to meet Yvonne for coffee in the Grumpy chef. As usual a good laugh, and we sat in the secret corner which Yvonne seems to favour. Home again and in the afternoon I went for a longish walk nosing about the edges of cornfields, and then down to the sea and eventually home again. Home and Robin had sent the full episode to listen to. Below cornfields and cloudless skies above Bishopstone.  

Recording with Robin after breakfast, did the rest of the show in one session, which was pleasing. Then I gathered my bits of recent drawings and went to Melissa's house at lunchtime, just across from the graveyard in the centre of town. She lives in a bright yellow house, and we talked for almost an hour about what I'd done. Nice to have this chat with her, as she gave me some good advice, for example about shading up to the line. I had to smile, as at school Ron Groom used to get me to paint up to the line too. I always seemed to want to leave gaps between areas of colour, and a bazillion years later I'm still doing this. These old tendencies seem to be hard wired in. Left and bumped into Adele on the street, who was just on her way to have her own feedback sesh too. I always love bumping into friends on the street. Makes me feel at home. Otherwise a quiet day for me, some writing this afternoon. Lorraine busy with Pat and Maureen. I spoke to Mum, and cooked in the evenin...

A little rain overnight. A little time in the garden for Lorraine, and in the studio I picked up my pencils and did some drawing for fun. Innis and Rosie came around this afternoon, dropping off Pippi, and going around to see Beth and James. Lorraine, Pippi and I went around to Palo and Martin's house, to look at their lovely garden, which they had opened for the day, and Palo's lovely paintings. Lovely to see Palo again, and I really liked some of her new work.  While mooching in the garden, I was holding Pippi's lead, and surprising how many people start talking to you because you happen to be sporting a nice cockapoo. Soon we were back home and Rosie and Innis were sitting in the garden. We drove off to the Plough and Harrow, for a late Sunday lunch. I decided to eat Sunday lunch like an Englishman. Roast beef washed down with a couple of pints of Long Man, from the brewery across the lane. Very nice food. And lovely to catch up with Rosie and Innis. My lightning app goi...

Lorraine off to do Story Time, I did some writing. Then Lorraine arrived with Beth Silwia still here and delighted to see the baby. We hung out in the garden for a while. Young Enzo well behaved and when not sleeping eating constantly.  Good to see with my own eyes how well Beth is doing. Later, I went out for a longish walk in the afternoon. A beautiful day, and I walked at northern edge of Seaford, sometimes on the edge of the fields. Gorgeous golden corn and a beautiful blue sky. In the evening, off to the Boot for food and. few drinks. Today Chris and his friend Julie, Andy, Guy, and Carole were there.  Below Enzo being burped, and the blue and gold of corn in glowing black and white.

Up and off to see Mum this morning. During the journey I finished reading The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again , by M. John Harrison which I think is a fine book highly enigmatic and haunting, and much of it set in my old stomping ground in West London.  A bus from Mill Hill the short hop to Edgware, and such a beautiful day. I sat on the top deck, and felt a moment of unalloyed happiness looking at the children's drawing style puffy white clouds and deep blue sky. Feeling strangely free today. I found mum in good spirits, having had a busy day yesterday. She has managed to sort out a call with the tax people to do her accounts next Tuesday. Also the woman who comes to clean a bit, and the gardeners came yesterday. We drove off to the Waggon and Horses and had a chat with Paul at the bar, and some food. She asked about Gordon Road, and I told her what it was all about, and how it had been sparked in part by her remembering the name of the street, Gordon Road, where my paternal gran...

Lorraine and I got up late. I did some editing this morning, and for the first time this year sent out a couple of poems and did a final brush down of Gordon Road. As Paul Valéry said, 'A poem is never finished, only abandoned'. I am more than ready now to leave it in a basket and sprint off. In the afternoon, which was very hot, Lorraine and I did some more stuff in the studio, Lorraine working on her pinch pot, and me trying to charcoal her while moving. Not so great. But we sat there listening to a classical music CD and sipping tea, and feeling pleased with ourselves.  A bit of gardening today too. Pulled up the garlic bulbs which lorraine wove together to dry. Also many beetroots and some radishes. The cucumbers are going gangbusters too, we're already had about six or seven of them. And the seagull barely screamed at me today, and didn't dive at me once. We keep an eye on each other, and it definitely crossed his mind to have a go when I was bringing the washing i...

Pat and Maureen taken by Lorraine to see Enzo. Obviously they loved seeing their little great grandson. And the fact that Enzo's middle name is Patrick after Pat, also wonderful.  Otherwise a day in the studio and garden with Lorraine, and in my study this morning. Photos taken by Beth.

Feeling a bit meh due to the shingles jab I think. My arm is the most painful it has ever been after a jab, Really hot and inflamed and my whole upper arm is sensitive to touch. A blood test this morning, but was in and out in two flicks of a vampire's cloak. Otherwise a bit of ineffectual writing this morning. Just not on it today. Lorraine and I managed to make a bit of progress in the garage and we scooted off to the tip again with a load of drawers and broken bits of cupboards and so on. Could easily have just slept this afternoon, but really needed to have achieved something. And we did. Lorraine and I to The Old Boot Inn this evening. We met Steve, Andy, Chris, back from Dubai, brought his friend Julie, a warm friendly Irish woman who within minutes was reciting W.B.Yeats for the win. Also Debbie, who I am getting to know and finding very nice.  Friday's revolving cast of rebooters is great.  Ate a fish pie there, with too many peas. 

Over breakfast, a call from Maureen about Pat's catheter which was playing up and making him uncomfortable. Lorraine, rather fancying a quiet morning, had to zoom off.  In contrast, I had a three hour portrait masterclass. Melissa drew a self portrait in the first hour, after explaining certain principles, talking us through her process. Then we all stood at easels, and I used my charcoal pencils, and did drawings of two models. Somehow the timings went awry, so we spent most of our time on one model, and I had only 15 mins on the second one. I captured a likeness but so much to learn. It was my first go, however. Adele and Debbie there. Adele bullying me by deliberately getting in my way when we were hustling for position with the easels.   A shingles jab, next. The young nurse kept calling me lovely... thanks lovely... please sit down lovely... Last time I had my shingles jab I felt slightly peculiar afterwards so they told me to wait for 10 minutes. Anton sent me a news ite...

Lorraine off to be with Beth.  James had to travel to London for his first day in the new job. He got up with the sparrows, this morning and got there almost two hours early.   I spent all day indoors waiting for the irritating electrician. He never did showed up, and Lorraine was unable to reach him. Luckily I was writing, looking and thinking about the stuff Robin had said to me the day before.  A nice chat with Anton. He has a very bad knee, but otherwise cheery. Made him laugh telling him about the seagull on the roof that flies at me raging as soon as it sees me. Later I walked over to Squirrel's End to be with Beth and Lorraine, and held little Enzo while he was dozing happily. Lovely little chap. Beth much brighter, and sitting downstairs with Lorraine and the baby when I arrived. Then after chatting with Beth, and holding the baby, Lorraine and I zoomed off to Moon of India to get a takeaway, as Beth had really fancied something a bit spicy. Lorraine and I pushed ...

Lorraine off to the gym this morning, when she came home I cooked a largish lunch for us, as I would only be snacking later. Then Lorraine off to Squirrel's End. James to start his new job tomorrow.  Met Robin in The Depot at Lewes, had cups of tea and Robin gave me some feedback on Gordon Road. Really useful for me, and a few things to think about, as well as a sprinkling of proofing catches and a few small cuts. Then we made off by train to Haywards Heath and jumped on a train and found SJB, and we travelled up to London Bridge and then Greenwich. Lots of talk about babies, and AI and much more (too much for some fellow passengers who moved huffily away). Sarah also showed us her wonderful SUNY book 'Mary Barnard: Complete Poems and Selected Translations', which she edited and is just published. A very handsome thing indeed, and a culmination of huge amounts of work.  We arrived early and popped into a nearby pub for a half, and a sort through of papers and so on. Then to...