under another sun

Rainy and stormy Tuesday. And an unghoulish halloween, although our neighbour Stephanie's grandchildren from across the way arrived (by prior agreement) trick or treating. I leave Lorraine to do this sort of thing. Lorraine out to her gym, and also having a Covid jab. I had a much better day, focused on writing this morning, and managed to get a few poems sent off, as well as doing a bit of editing on the latest podcast episode.  Thoughts also in Guernsey for a time and I'm hoping to re-collect all my Guernsey poems, with the several others that have been published about the island since the emergence of A Guernsey Double .  Nipped out after lunch for a stroll along by the sea, in an interlude when it wasn't raining. Watching one of the big earth movers, clanking up and down, levelling the shingle to protect the beach.  Home and a carpenter called Andy was here, to discuss a few jobs. Including sorting out my study, which would be amazing.  In the news, the Covid inq...

Up to Mill Hill by train. Used my Senior Railcard, which was ace and I saved some money. I met Mum and Mas in The Jolly Badger. Nice to see them. Mas on good form. Mum had been back to the hospital this morning to complete her tests. She is being philosophical about the results, and saying that she is very pleased that Toby and I are so happy in our marriages. The results are due next week and I will go up next week too. Otherwise a cheery time, and the food much improved on the last time I was there. Mum and Mas took some chips home for the birds. Home, and the train delayed for some reason. A delivery of vegetables and fish on the doorstep. Luckily the fish in a polystyrene box full of ice.  Lorraine home, and then had a long call with Angie and Richard in Seaford. Angie has to have an op next week.  Escaped into Star Trek. Went to bed, but woke up and sat up reading about Boris Johnson's downfall sipping chamomile tea for an hour or so, till I felt tired again. Boris set to...

A calmer day. Up early and did billing. I can't write and just at the moment the whole endeavour seems like a futile waste of time.  So instead I went to the gym and sweated enjoyably and on my return listened to an excellent interview done by Robin. Lorraine working from home for the first few hours. She was late home again due to an evening where she welcomed parents of next year's intake.  I had time to get involved in watching the unfolding drama of the coup against Johnson. His car crash PMQs with Tory defectors knifing him, Stanmer on brilliant form. Then I watched him being grilled by a committee. The day ended  with him refusing to leave as PM, despite around forty resignations from government, assorted Tory 'heavyweights'  going to No.10 to tell him it was all over. Like Trump, another bare faced liar and delusional narcissist, he refuses to go. Extraordinary. It's not about the country, nor his party, it's all about him and his pathetic 'world king...

Very pleased that Lorraine got her booster today, and seemed to suffer no effects afterwards. For me: boring and detailed stuff for the Germans. Nice folks though. My soul failing to soar. Chats with Anton today.  Meanwhile in the "real" world Omicron is beginning to explode in the UK as Johnson launched Plan B amid the usual tangle of lies and mixed messages. He is the worst PM in my lifetime. Meanwhile stories and photos keep leaking out how while the rest of us were locked down there were boozy parties going on in No 10 -- not one but several. What a shower of hypocrites and liars.  Meanwhile Richard is sending a stream of Anti-vaccine material to the beermonsters WhatsApp. Making it even more difficult to message him to say I wasn't going to the pub with him tomorrow to celebrate his birthday (Steve did the same) because of omicron. With Lorraine only vaccinated today, I didn't fancy an evening in a crowded pub incase I brought home more than the smell of Harvey...

A weirdly decisive and productive day. Got up early and working on my One Day Forever manuscript, and even sent it off to a particular publisher as a work in progress. Lorraine sitting with me in my office as dusty dolls did their business.  A longer walk for me this afternoon, taking my new camera with me on a learning walk with it. Love how it can zoom into an aspect of the landscape. Walking along I had an encounter with an amiable carrion crow, who came very close to me, and hung about pecking at things, and gripping some chalk as I snapped it. If I had stayed there long enough it might have written me a message. A dog walker and I chatted about the crows briefly. She says a man goes there to feed them, which is why they are friendly. A crow feeder would be something to snap.  Home and feeling pleasantly aired out. However politics at the moment is unbelievable. Boris Johnson's Number 10 it appears was partying with no social distancing, while closing down Christmas for th...

So the first Monday of the year, and Lorraine went back to school, having done her best with her team to make the school as safe as humanly possible. Felt extremely concerned about her having to do this, when it was so clearly nonsensical. Even the dogs in the street could see closing schools would have to happen, but not those in Downing Street who rewarded the virus with another golden day of infection opportunities.  At 8pm Johnson announced a new national lockdown, and closed all the schools. Sunday's quote from Johnson on the Andrew Marr show: 'Schools are safe', was now (with no new data) that they were too unsafe to remain open. They will of course remain open for key workers children, so about 40% of the children at L's school will still be there.  For Lorraine this meant she had worked through the weekend like a dog on plans that were toast in a few hours.  Then she had to start again this evening after the PM's speech at 8 having to phone the chair of gove...

First day of autumn. Up early as usual. Porridge breakfast again. Up and struggling with podcast names. I can't believe how difficult this is being, given that I have named a many products and services as a copywriter, and that Robin and I are both poets to boot. Prepped questions for Elizabeth, an editor based in Cork. Also worked on the new Grace book, and had a quick squint at the idea for the short story I blurted out yesterday.  Since saying I was open to persuasion about doing some work with my pals in Paddington, an entirely predictable absence of response.  Watched Boris Johnson in the commons at lunchtime, announcing 6 more months of restrictions. Not sure what else he can do really.   Then I prepped and painted the downstairs bathroom walls, a lighter shade of grey than they are now -- lots of nooks and crannies -- I did not go for a walk today and I have to balance productivity with the psychological boon taking myself out for walkies gives me. Listened to an i...

Raging is doing me no good. The lockdown is too soon. Cases and the so called R number are beginning to climb again in Brighton and Sussex. Painful gains are being thrown away. Not sacking Cummings loses any shred of moral authority the Government may have had. Instructing the people to do one thing, when even the people setting those rules flout them endangers the population.  I fear for my countrymen, not to mention the people I love and care about. My own wife, for example compelled prematurely to welcome back children. Turns out that the little girl Beth looks after just went down with C-19 symptoms. Luckily Beth had not seen her for two weeks beforehand. We dodged a bullet. As for Trump and the US.... And breathe.... At least I can breathe unlike poor George Floyd who was murdered in cold blood by a policeman still kneeling on his neck minutes after he had died. At least Johnson, and the cohort of amoral Lilliputians he surrounds himself with, still have some way to go before...

A few bits and pieces of my own, before working through the afternoon for the agency. Off this evening for a walk around to Anton's house. I sat in his front garden under the magnolia tree, and Anton sat on his stairs and we had a few beers. First time we had seen each other in months. We didn't get near each other, but it was much better than a beer over zoom. We were sitting outside as the applause for the NHS started and we joined in. All in all it was lovely to see him. Johnson's riskily quick easing of the lockdown continues. It is too soon. Our numbers far higher than other countries who have begun to relax the restrictions. You have to look at Johnson and ask does this man have the best interests of his country at heart? He does not. Walked home, after having a discreet wee in a drain outside Anton's house. The park much less busy.  now. Home and I ate some chicken wraps and Lorraine and I happily watched a couple of episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine before bed....

A cold and windy day today. Indoors, Lorraine working on her assembly and me recording Skelton Yawngrave stuff, which involved Lorraine dropping the book into my hands from above, and also toying with The Dream Home , one of my horror short stories. Spoke to Mum too, who is rather bored. Lorraine and I had a walk up towards Hollingbury, dropping off a bottle of wine for Joe a few doors up, who is a GP. Lorraine had written a thank you note in it, just to be nice. I had spoken to him a few weeks ago and he looked haggard and definitely under pressure. It was Lorraine's idea. We walked up towards Hollingbury, then Lorraine turned back to do a spot of gardening and I carried on for a bit. Windy and spots of rain, but at least this meant there were few people to dodge. Had to tidy away chairs in the garden tonight, as I feared they were going to blow away. Lorraine waiting for the clownish Prime Minister's speech before completing her assembly. Johnson's speech full of ho...

Up early and a few last jobs before the first episode of Magnificent Grace went live on YouTube . After this contacting a few people in schools and posted a notice in the local community facebook page about it. Seems to have gone well with people being nice about it. Early doors though. Lorraine home from school and doesn't need to go back till Thursday. She took a shower as soon as she got home, which is a good idea. Chatted to Mum, and Bob too who seemed in pretty good spirits. The Prime Minister in Intensive Care, I feel genuinely concerned for his wellbeing. Something I never thought would happen. Went for a long mooch around Hollingbury Hill and took the long way home, around some local streets. Passed the Preston Park Tavern, and looked in gloomily at the empty pub. Nearby I saw these chalk marks on a wall.

Sunday, and the first properly warm day of the year. Lorraine and I spent much of it pottering about in the garden. Digging a tiny bed, and cutting a dead bit of a bush off and so on. I bought L a trug last year, and we filled it with compost, and planted seeds of little salad leaves, carrots, beetroots and broccoli. In assorted pots, we sowed peppers, dwarf beans, radishes and tomatoes. The brands, peppers and tomatoes have been brought indoors. Chatting to several neighbours. Caroline next door, Amy down at the end of the garden, and a tedious blowhard whose penis we often see as he stands naked by his window. Beth busy most of the day attending a virtual drama conference, for one of the stage schools she works with. Succumbed to a couple of rum and cokes on the terrace in the heat. Chatted to Anton, who is feeling the quietness now my Godbairns are with their mother. His work, which had been screamingly busy, is a bit quieter now. Indoors and ate a Sunday roast, and watched ...

Quietly industrious day's work. Little to report, nice to hear  from Amanda in NZ who may be going to Sicily next year. Gingerly back to the gym. Getting better at the Sketchbook software. Ordered a new electric toothbrush Innis posted a link on facebook to a photographer with a wonderful fairytale quality to his work -- Pentti Sammallahti . Cooked small bits of salmon and a stir fry with Lorraine tonight. Meanwhile Boris's Government of fascist clowns decisively lost their first vote and their majority, as with comedic timing, a Tory MP walked into parliament with his new Liberal Democrat homies, and sat down on the opposition benches. Later, the loathsome Rees-Mogg sprawling on the Government front benches with all the insolence of privilege. Boris revealed as the odious danger he is, under the fool's motley. Terrifyingly misguided politics, but also just repulsive people. This is just day one of a long conflict. I enjoyed Tories lead by former chancellor Philip Hammond...

Bloody hot. In fact the hottest day in the UK ever, 38.7 recorded in Cambridge, that is 101.6 F  in old money.   Lorraine working from home for a bit, before taking time off to proof What You Look For for me, and she made a couple of useful suggestions, before I sent the thing off to Bloodbath magazine. I was then officially done. We bussed over to Beth and John this evening and were fed roast chicken and veggies and couscous and played Euchure. Lorraine also took a bottle of champagne she had been saving, as now her Ofsted inspection success is official, and her school is officially 'good'. Bussed home and home, happy to not have to get up tomorrow. Boris the evil clown no forging a cabinet of the maddest and most far right politicians on offer, looking to drive Brexit through even on a self-immolating no deal basis. Meanwhile THE CLIMATE. Christ. I made this nonsense a few months ago, below, but it seems more appropriate than ever. The other guy is Nero.

Another hot and atrociously frog-filled night. Had to get up twice to deal with hopping frogs and a monomaniac Calliope in a ghastly nocturnal struggle. The tiler was ringing on the doorbell at seven thirty, just as Lorraine was leaving, and I had fallen asleep really heavily again. Bleary chats with Alex the tiler, who just as he was getting to work spotted a hairline fracture in the shower tray, so this must be replaced before tiling can begin. A delay, but better than a leaking shower. I enjoyed the hiatus of quiet when it resumed. Worked at my bits of poems, list making and so on, although feeling  bushed all day. A walk in the afternoon, but very hot. Finished listening to Down and Out in London and Paris today by George Orwell. The difference was there were a few clouds in the sky, some quite dark, but no rain. The land is crying out for rain now, and our garden is shrivelling. The Brexit disaster drags on. I've tried not to fill this blog with remoaning. But today two ...

A fragmented Friday Feeling a little better, knowing mum has had her operation now. Still not very good at concentrating. Took a sack of old clothes to the Alzheimer's charity shop. The volunteer inside merely grunted rudely as I dropped them off, and I had to choke back the urge to say "forgotten how to say thank you?" Then more swimming which is very relaxing. And then more filing and going through the dozens of unopened letters I've accumulated. Only one of them required any action at all. Finally got a pay slip from my old agency. They still owe me money. One of the few downsides of working for myself is having to chase payments. Listening to gloomy news politically as I did so. Labour has taken a massive spanking in the local elections, and it appears Red Ken Livingstone, newt fancier and mayor of London is to be ousted by a gaffe prone, racist ("it is said the Queen has come to love the Commonwealth, partly because it supplies her with regular cheering cr...