under another sun

Anton's birthday today. I celebrated with a long early walk, up and around the sides of fields and down to the seafront. I think I found a fossil. Lorraine went off to Caroline for personal training. Also passing   Sarah Harvey in Bolney in their cars. Both jumped out for a hug before they drove off.  In the evening Lorraine and I made off to Brighton, where we zoomed up the hill to Anton's place to give him his requested present of cedar wood boot trees and a card. Then we walked down to The Cow, with Anne, Oskar, Klaudia and Anton, very sprightly on his stick. A Thai meal, which was tasty, and it's always a treat for me to see Klaudia and Oskar, and I had a few nice chats with Anne too. Then back to Anton's house for some birthday cake. Oskar demonstrating that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, talking with enormous brio about 'spidering' in raw denim, aided and abetted by Anton, also enthusiastically getting out his phone to add detail. Oskar inte...

Completely forgot my drawing class this morning. But worked instead on poems. Lorraine's personal trainer Caroline came to us today, and had Lorraine working out in the garden. Nice woman, and we chatted for a bit. Off to Brighton this afternoon to hang out with Anton, recovering very well and doing a loads of paces per day. I noticed I had a bit more spring in my step as I walked up the steep hill of Guilford Road. Called for Anton, and sloped down to the Cow and played a game of chess, which I won, followed by a game of bones which Anton won. Just as we finished a cheery little man came and stood over us in the empty pub, commenting on the game. Luckily he was only there for Anton's final move. Neither of us drinking alcohol, but instead drank Guinness Zero, which is okay, but feels a bit heavy and weird afterwards. Walked down the street with him at Seven Dials, and stood outside two premises that were being threatened by the co-op next door. They each have a poster in both ...

A call at 6:30 from Steve in the Waggon and Horses sounding a bit shaken and telling me that Paul had died in the night, and if I could let mum know as he thought she'd find the news upsetting. Steve and Paul had come to Mason's funeral and both are regulars and friends of Mum's at the Waggon. Too early to call Mum, so I waited till 9ish to tell her the news, then called Steve back. He'd received a call early this morning from Paul, and had rushed around to see him, but found him. He gave him CPR for 15 minutes, till the ambulance turned up, but poor Paul was already dead. Mum was obviously saddened by it, and said she was going to the pub this afternoon.   I found the whole thing somewhat triggering. Something about a sudden death, involving Mum, the day after Mason's birthday and I felt very stressed over breakfast. Lorraine gave me a hug, but it was a shadow over the day, and I only felt happier when I talked again to Mum in the evening. She'd been to the pub...

Woke up having had a significant dream. I have had lots of work related dreams lately, but in this one I was happily handing over the job to a vague but pleasant newbie. My desk had two old and battered cupboards on it, one said Metaphor and the other Healthcare. I had a feeling of cheery release as I spoke to my replacement about what an interesting job it had been. Both Lorraine and I rather sluggish after last night's reggae shenanigans. We sat in bed sipping tea for some time. An early text from Sam arrived saying he was travelling down today from Glasgow put Lorraine in a state of excitement. I also discovered my trousers had called Toby amid the fiercest of the skanking. L and I had breakfast, and did Wordle, which we do every morning over a boiled egg, I got it in two goes for the second time this week. Lorraine also does Murdle which is a murdery logic problem.  Over breakfast I also learned I hadn't been placed in a recent tiny booklet competition by Hedgehog. I had co...

After breakfast with Lorraine, I set off to Brighton this morning to visit Anton at the Montefiore. Just a lovely hospital. As I arrived two nurses were wheeling him away, and I sat in his room for a while. Really calm, and loads of space. The boon of having a job which includes health insurance.  Anton in good spirits and had been climbing stairs and so on. We chatted for about an hour or so, then I melted away. Tried to buy a new fleece, but after going into TK Max as recommended by Anton, I got bored and caught a 12X heading off to meet Lorraine and Pat and Maureen.  Sat at the top at the back where the seats in front face the back. A woman got on with a squirming black dog that repeatedly licked my leg. In Seaford Lorraine called, and she was in the car in front of the bus, so I hopped off. We collected Pat and Maureen who were licking ices on the Seafront, and drove off to the Pump Barn on the edge of Friston Forest. Adele was exhibiting there and was in the gallery, lots...

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 ...

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...

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 ...

At work on Gordon Road first thing. Lots to digest and think about after my conversations with Charlotte and Steve but feeling optimistic that I could sort it. Lorraine zoomed off to Eastbourne to do a morning's pottery. At elven I was collected by Yvonne and we hopped into her mini and went to Mamoosh in Newhaven. A good chat and some coffee. She's full of good advice about grandchildren and the importance of dinosaurs. Apparently her two grandsons do a good deal of roaring when they come back from the Dinosaur Safari, at nearby Paradise Park in Newhaven.  In the afternoon Lorraine and I pressed on with sorting out the spare room, so it works as a guest room and  as Lorraine's knitting and sewing domain.  In the evening to Brighton where I met Anton at the Signalman. And a curate's egg of news to catch up on. We also talked about AI. Anton apprehensive about how it will develop. Then we nostalgically popped into the Joker and had some chicken wings -- sadly not the ...

To my art class this morning, and spent a happy couple of hours trying to draw people without making them look like mutants. A BT engineer arrived shortly after I got home, and Lorraine and I thought he needed a refund from whatever charm school he went to. Rude and abrupt, although his work was neat.  I made off to see Anton this evening, met at the Evening star, stopped off at the Great Eastern and ended up in a cafe bar called Presuming Ed's on London Road. Lots to catch up on as we'd not seen each other for weeks.  Both of us loved Presuming Eds condensing an essence of Brighton. It was a chaotic student place, with plastic limbs  brandishing lightbulbs from the ceiling, areas of giant spider models, and ancient cigarette advertising lightshades, a large shark model with its jaws clamping on a large teddy bear of some description. Toby phoned shortly after we arrived, and Anton was able to chat to him too. It only served halves, and we sat there on stools around a rai...

Morning spent doing bits of admin, like securing a new interviewee for the podcast, and a little bit of writing. Lorraine doing story time in the Library, then taking fish and chips around to Pat and Maureen and hanging out with them for a bit. Then this evening she collected Ken from Lewes Station, who is here to spend a day with Pat and Maureen tomorrow. Early evening off to meet Anton in Brighton. Fascinated by a woman talking loudly from Bishopstone to Brighton about the care of dogs, including the benefits of feeding them cumin.   Brighton lively and the pubs full, it being a pay day Friday. Had a bite to eat in The Hampton, and then drifted down to the Brick looking out for the great parade of planets. Before ducking in for a glasses of their two thirds of a pint beers, and played some bones, where I continued my losing streak. Great to catch up despite having to devoted a few minutes to raging about Trump and the end of the postwar order.  Anton doing a little painting ...

Up and a final listen through to the podcast before sending it back to Robin to upload.  Lorraine and I excitedly unboxing our drier, which we keep in the garage. Managed to do myself a stomach mischief while lifting it up though. Strained some muscle low down below my navel. But then the excitement of drying! Amazing to have dry laundry, without having to hang it about the house creating a miasma of semitropical dampness. In the evening a few beers a long chat and a couple of games of bones with Anton. Brighton quite quiet tonight. We also strapped on the nosebag at the Hampton. Ended the night nursing a couple of Guinnesses in The Crescent, which was absolutely empty, sitting by the fire. The young guy behind the bar put on a tape of music from around 1980 and we sat there happily shooting the breeze.  Klaudia's birthday today, and she was in Paris with her mates to celebrate. Hard to imagine that 21 years ago today I met her as a newborn.  Home at a decent time.

Mainly getting ready, collecting Pat and Maureen, doing some last minute shopping in Morrisons. Lorraine doing cooking. I made off this afternoon to Brighton, to deliver Anton the pressies that hadn't arrived in time. Quite enjoyed the interlude on the train, sipping a cappuccino on the way home to liven up a bit.  Home and Beth and James had arrived. We had a simple dinner, there was a present swapping. I did rather well with nice pressies from Beth and James: a sharp new cap and bottles of beer and a book of AI written horror, a bizarre and fascinating prospect. Happy now that all the pre-Christmas scrabbling is done, and Christmas is here.  I love this photo I took of Beth holding some Christmas decorations Lorraine had made; Maureen, Pat and Lorraine as Pat opens some socks, James brandishing his Christmas stocking.

Extremely windy. Storm Bert. Problems with the train, so Lorraine and I made off to Brighton by bus. We met Penny and Steve in the Dishoom Permit Room . The food very nice but the restaurant very popular and a bit cramped. Also noisy. Now I am an old codger I enjoy a bit of tranquility while strapping on the nosebag. However, we enjoyed ourselves and caught up with Penny and Steve, both recovering from colds, but otherwise chipper. My main from the 'Ruby Murray' section of the menu was a Dishoom Chicken Ruby, lovely it was in a rich satisfying sauce with a lingering peppery warmth.  After lunch, Lorraine made off back home, and I lurked in Brighton for a bit, being happily buffeted on the peir the sea was white and the wind, especially when it funnelled down the street leading onto the seafront enough to blow people so that they were staggering along.  Met Anton in the Hampton and we had a cheeky drink there, and Anton ordered some food, which I picked at. Lots to catch up on,...

Got up early and spent the morning prepping an interview I am going to do next Monday with Ruth Padel, rereading the poems formulating questions, and listening to a recent broadcast on R4 she was on. This done by one o'clock. Spoke to Anton this morning. Will see him next week all being well. Lorraine and I rearranged the living room for winter, we also fiddled with radiators, some don't seem to work despite twiddling the twisty things.  A good chat with Toby this afternoon too. He's feeling more settled in D.C. and looking forward to some holidays. Then off to Lewes this evening, and starting a book called Feline Philosophy  by John Grey that Catherine and Tanya bought me. A philosophy book about cats. Purrfect.  Sauntered up the hill at Lewes to the Lewes Arms where I met Mark. We were soon joined by his friend  Keith A Pettit , who Lorraine and I are fans of, and I have a print by him over my desk Lorraine bought me as a present. I found him a deeply interesting g...

Lorraine off to Story Time this morning. Otherwise a homey day, and I did some writing. Birthday celebratory drinks in the Old Boot Inn with Pat and Maureen, Beth and James, Anton, Mark and Carol, Adele and Patrick, Brian and Yvonne, and Kate and Andrew. Steve was going to come but he was unwell, however Freja came and had a good time. I really enjoyed myself, receiving very thoughtful cards and pressies. Mark gave me an eraser, which harks back to 1971 when I sat next to him at Copland school on the first day and he wouldn't lend me his rubber. Perhaps 53 years later I should now forgive this. Anton gave me some immaculately wrapped pressies, two books I had coveted, and a fold away ink pen, which he uses all the time know, with beautiful green ink. A very cheery evening indeed, and I had lots of laughs and generally felt exceedingly lucky and happy. As if to mark the occasion, Harvey's Old Ale is now on tap in the Boot. Happy days. Most of us ate there too, perfectly decent f...

Lorraine out helping Pat and Maureen for much of the day. I had a quiet day of writing and thinking, just want I wanted. This sort of thing exciting and interesting for me, it doesn't much make for blog fodder. I called Mum this morning, and the wifi went dead. No wifi this afternoon or evening. Luckily however we were going out this evening as it was Anton's birthday. I also belatedly sent Bob a card too, as it was his birthday too. Chris came around to service the boiler too, had a long chat with him. I had to summon him back shortly afterwards as the carbon monoxide alarm went off above the boiler. But he checked all his workings, and sniffed about with his CO monitor and couldn't find anything, and it didn't go off again.  I managed to lose my Berghaus recently, so we forged out into a fine soaking rain, just missed a bus by the station, and went to get a faster bus, of which there were none. Twenty minutes at the bus stop, so we were going to be late for the meal w...

Sam and Pat's actual birthdays today. Lorraine went out for lunch with Pat and Maureen, and had a good chat with Sam, who although not doing birthdays, was in good spirits. Lorraine sent him one of her crocheted bags. A morning being able to focus, which was marvellous. Have a sense, which I hope is not an illusion, of making a large step forward with the poems, and refining what the project is all about.  In the afternoon off to Brighton to get my hair cut. As last time a the same bloke walked in and started talking insultingly to Stacy about when his appointment was and so on. By chance he appeared last time I went there. He is a client Stacy inherited called Barry the Nightmare, and is in his phone by that name, which Stacy said was awkward when Barrry the Nightmare looked at Stacy's phone the other day. Stacy also told me I wash my hair too much. Then to my traditional ideologically unsound Starbucks, which has had a bit of a refurbishment to make it slightly less welcomin...

A stormy morning, Lorraine and I hoping that Pat and Maureen would be sitting looking at the grey sky and lively sea thinking this may not be what they had signed up for. So up and read through and sent off the stuff for mes amis in Paris. Then breakfast with my babydoll before she set off to do Story Time then go round to help Pat and Maureen. I wrote to Valérie today to tell her that I had closed my business but would do odd jobs for her still. Lovely reply from her. Otherwise did a smidge of my own writing (it has not been a good writing week). Also watching some of the speeches from the Democratic National Congress in the US. Some fine speechmaking on show, exhibiting rhetorical skills currently thin on the ground in the UK. Well written speeches, seeding in ideas sometimes very subtly.  Longish chat with Mum, who told me Tanya suggested they go out with Robert to an Indian Restaurant, and that the road was now done. I am going up next Tuesday to see her. Also spoke to Anton at...

Up and breakfasting early, Calliope with me as I carried her up to be with me. She was purring all night. At lunchtime I caught the train to Brighton and met Anton and Oskar at the station. We walked down to Preston Street and stopped at The Brick for a cheeky small beer (and a wee for me). First time I've had a drink in a pub with Oskar, as he only turned 18 at the end of April. We sat outside to down our small beers, when a random guy asked to sit down with us which was a bit weird. He was harmless though. Then went down to the boules area on the beach. Quite busy but there was a free bit at the end. There was a homeless guy in a tent who started shouting at us to help him get his tent up, while also claiming to be an ex-soldier and that we were all bastards for not helping. Anton and I played one game, and then I dropped out and Oskar began to play with Anton, when an old geezer wearing a boules tie came over and insisted we join him and two other people to play a six handed gam...