under another sun

A much-needed slow start to the day. Up gradually and stiff from carrying things yesterday. L and I drawn to the seaside as it was the hottest day of the year. The big Paddle Around the Pier event was on, and Beth was working in the VIP tent. After ambling through the crowds, passing the stalls and fairground bits, the ukelele stage, where various uke bands were playing, the dance teacher's stage, we sloped into the VIP tent, and sipped a cold drink looking out at the sunny activity and the sea beyond. I like being a VIP, and am resentful of being a NotIP. Smiley lady mayoress came in looking hot in all in her finery, who Beth said ended up doing some dancing in the adjacent area. After chatting with Beth, Lorraine and I went to sit on the pebbles of the beach by Hove, enjoyably chatting about weddings and life in general. People leaping into the water and children hobbling over the pebbles to screech at the waters edge. The water looked pretty cold, but the sea was crammed with ...

Under Lorraine's supervision attached brackets to the new bookcases. This allowed me to spend a couple of happy hours moving books about, and generally rationalising my office space. There is more work to be done, but things are much tidier and more organised than they were. Reading Richard's poems again this afternoon. I love his work, the poems are really true to who he is, and they ring with emotional honesty. You can't fake that kind of stuff. Lorraine out for a few hours seeing her pals Andrew and Rachel, and their daughters.  Watched the last five minutes of Andy Murray, the first British tennis player to get to the men's finals in my lifetime. He lost. He cried afterwards and Brits took him to their hearts, for we love a plucky loser as much if not better better than we love our winners. After we ate a large vegetable chilli, Lorraine and I watched the English language version of Wallander with Kenneth Branagh. Bleak's the word, and Branagh plays the ch...