Bucked up

Over breakfast this morning, I received a note from Poetry Salzburg to say they are going to publish, the first part of Gordon Road, Google Street View, plus three of my free verse sonnets about memory, Mnemosyne Speaks, Death of an Accompanist, and Daguerrotype. Massively bucked up by this, especially by the acceptance of the Google Street View poem. Perhaps I am not an abject failure after all. 

This news also helped to alleviate impostor syndrome when Robin and I interviewed Niall Campbell at 10:30. Niall proved not only hugely talented, but highly likeable too, growing up in South Uist, and now living not too far from St Andrew's where we have been a few times recently. His collection The Island in the Sound is magical.

Then I met Adele at Seaford Station, and we zoomed off to Lewes, Adele even doing a bit of glasswork on the train, where we went to The John Harvey Tavern, where we met Frances and Deana. Ben and Sally sadly unable to make it. Deana hilarious, telling us a story about something very unusual she'd seen while doing water aerobics, which is a great start. As we left, Deana approached the tall barman, and asked him if he'd lend her six inches, oblivious to the double entendre. Passing the barman I mentioned that that must have been the best offer of his day and which he guffawed gratifyingly. 

Round the corner to Zorba's, which I naturally expected to be Greek restaurant. It was Turkish. Inside we found Rick around the corner, and Jane came a bit later. Enjoyed seeing Rick and chatting with the others. My skate wing starter was dire: a small plate of breaded bones, later I ordered baklava, which looked too big, but it turned out it was 90% flaky pastry. I bite my thumb at Zorba the Turk. A cheery time nevertheless. Jane, who is in the middle of arranging her stepfather's funeral, gave Adele and I a lift home, having to take a call about the funeral en route. 

A cheery evening in with Lorraine. We reinvested in Netflix for the dead of winter, and rewatched the first two episodes of Stranger Things. Also a timely delivery: a new Berghaus wet top I bought in a sale.