under another sun

For some reason, a very poor night's sleep. More rain overnight, and drizzling again today. Had toast with Mum and Mas. Then walked down to Edgware with the intention of getting the tube to Mornington Crescent but there was a bus to Mill Hill instead, so I jumped on that and was able to get to work with no claustrophobia. Bought a cup of tea on the platform of Mill Hill, and had such cheery banter with the two women there that it got the day off to a good start. Contacted by mes amis in Paris, so I have work next week too now from home. Good news. Worked on stuff all day with Keith, and I went for another walk today, this time heading straight for Regents park. Seem to need these green glimpses. After work walked back to St Pancras thinking about Andros, as I am working close to the church where I attended his funeral service. The trains are much better than they have been for a year or so, more frequent and they stop at Preston Park again. Walked up the hill, but only as far ...

Up to Camden today to attend Andros's funeral at the All Saints Greek Orthodox cathedral on Pratt Street. The place was absolutely packed. A long ceremony, sung in Greek and bits of English, and then speeches. Sophie gave a short speech with enormous dignity. Christof also gave an excellent speech. There were other speeches too from former friends in the movie business, including the director Alan Parker who had known Andros since they were 11 and starting school together. He said that he had recently gone back to their school to give a speech, and he had invited Andros too. He had been given a page from a detention record that showed repeated entries for Parker and Epaminondas due to 'excessive laughter'. At the end of the service we all passed the coffin and I had the opportunity to hug and kiss Sophie and Christof and Electra. I found I had few words for them, but told Sophie I would be in touch next week to see her, once everything was over. Home, feeling rather s...

Lorraine and I heard the upsetting news today that Andros had died. An email from Sophie, saying that the funeral would be held next Tuesday. I shall of course be going to it, although as it is the first day back at school, as headteacher Lorraine won't be able to. Otherwise we had a lazy day today.  When we eventually crawled out of bed, we sauntered down for  breakfast in the Salon du té. It was our hottest day so far, and the super stylish manageress, who seems to have taken a liking to Lorraine, gave us a plate of baklava sweetened with honey. Delicious stuff.  We did not seek out museums or art galleries today, but decided to get our travel sorted and mooched up to the station and bought tickets (remarkably easily by simply explaining in Spanish that I didn't have Spanish) for Saturday. The timings for the journey are going to be tight however. Instead after a walk we spent lots of time basking by the pool, reading and unwinding. Then another evening walk in the ...

Up slowly, and had some breakfast, before Lorraine and I walked down to the Marwood where we met Sophie and Andros for a coffee and a good deal of talking too. Just really good fun to be hanging out with them again. Appropriately, we sat in the Naughty Corner. I drank three coffees. Good to hear about how Christof and Electra were doing, and talk to Andros about films and Sophie about life. Looking again at The Shining door they have there complete with a plastic Jack Nicholson face poking through it. Of course Andros worked on The Shining . Fond farewells, Sophie and Andros heading back off to London, and Lorraine and I went home by bus, and Lorraine worked on school things, and I did bits of my own work, cooked and so on.  Also did some sorting out of clothes, and our shared wardrobe. We threw out lots of my ratty teeshirts.

A beautiful sunny day. On with the suit and black tie and up to London to the funeral of Chris Toumazis, Sophie's father. Hideous journey. I had given myself an extra hour to get there just in case, but thanks to two train cancellations and a hefty delay on the third train I still contrived to be late. Got really stressed by this. Eventually leaped out of a taxi outside the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and St Michael buildings five minutes late, and a random man asked me if I wanted the church and pointed to an open door. I burst through this only to discover I was by the side of the the altar and looking at the scene of a crowded church, clouds of incense, and the singing of priests presided over by Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateria and Great Britain, who knew Sophie's dad well.  Slunk self-consciously to the back feeling like an idiot. A Greek Orthodox service, with some beautiful singing from one of the priests, and presided over by the Archbishop. Almost all of it in Gre...

Food for friends Spent much of the day at Lorraine's house, helping her sort out the sheep from the goats when it came to packing up for her move. Looking at hideous under stairs areas, and her ex-husband's old study and so on. A world of stress for Lorraine who had to interrogate every object as to its future usefulness. The Greeks in the evening. We met Sophie, Andros, Christof and Electra at Food for Friends, my favourite vegetarian restaurant. I had a great time catching up with Sophie and her lovely family. Christof still lively and chatty as ever, and Electra now suddenly quite grown up. I love talking to her kids, and Andros is a really good guy. And I always come away from seeing Sophie, having now known her for 30 years, feeling that she's almost like a sister. Below some table photography. Christof, Andros and me, Lorraine Sophie and Electra.

A beak where it wasn't wanted Met Sophie, Andros, and the bairns early this afternoon to lurk on the pier. Following tradition, Andros off for coffee and the rest of us onto the pier for several rides. A cold day. I went on the dodgems with Sophie and the kids. Sophie zooming around looking curiously traumatised by it. Christof and I went on my favourite Horror Hotel ghost ride, which was excellent, as they have made a few improvements. Enjoyed the cheesy horror tableaux that you trundle past, and was surprised by the bits of cloth that pleasingly trail over your face in the dark. Lorraine went on a ghastly whirling thing with Electra, and even managed to hold up her hands in the approved manner. After a couple of hours of this sort of thing, and watching the kids on even worse rides, we made off. Far more horrifying than the ghost train was a feathered devotee of Hitchcock pacing along the roofing eyeing us, and just as I pointed out its comical behaviour to kids, we were suddenly...

My big fat Greek Christmas A slogfest today, had my head down doing my freelance all day in my study struggling to meet a deadline. Have another three days work next week too, however, so this is good. Once done, at 5:30 I set off to Highgate to see Sophie. For the second year in a row, I went to Sophie's "my big fat Greek Christmas" party, where she manages to collect all kinds of interesting and likable people: I spoke to several writers and journalists, and a dancer who was feeling horribly old at 29 and wondering if her dance career was over. But mostly it was lovely to see Sophie and Andros and Christof and Electra. Young Christof lent me a DVD of the Mighty Boosh to further my comedy education. There were mountains of food, of course, including an impressive and yummy spanakopita, spinach pie. At some point Sophie also pressed a large glass of Metaxa brandy on me too to complete the experience. Just had a lovely time all night. The only moment that wasn't excell...

Blue is the colour Awoke early at Andros and Sophie's place. Got up and had a long chat with Andros. I was interested to hear that he had once known Steve Howe quite well. Howe is the legendary Yes guitarist and one of my all time heroes. Andros had nothing but nice things to say about him - a very modest and likable man apparently. Off to the park for breakfast. Electra took me to watch her swing about on parallel bars, do handstands, and tell me about a debate about cats and dogs they had at school. She was on the side of the dogs, but took a dim view of a big Afghan when it appeared. Cristof and Electra are good kids. A nice breakfast in the open air, then Sophie and Electra came with me on the tube, and we played twenty questions, before I got off to catch the Victoria line, and headed home cheerfully A wonderful afternoon, watching the FA Cup final. Didier Drogba with a skillful one-two with Frank Lampard and a glorious goal, proved what centuries of philosophers could not: th...