under another sun

Monday, and a cheeriness about not having to do any thinking about concepts. I got up early and did a smidge of writing, reading throughout the day, and then met Robin for a chat and to do some recording. Robin has some lurgy, but has to sing in a concert at the weekend. Vocally we both sound a bit ropey.   A burst of garden work. Another bout of wrestling with the vengeful buddleia bush with its root system like the nazi underground hospital in Guernsey. The buddleia is still winning. I went for a walk in the afternoon, just picking a direction from home and walking in a straight line up the alley nearby onto Carlton Road a road and then more alleys then across a field. There was a road the other side of the field, called Grand Avenue and continuing the straight line I had been walking led to St Andrew's Church at Bishopstone. I must have been walking what remained of an old drove path. Then I walked down to the sea walked back home, adding a circuit of The Salts, a recreation gro...

Lorraine getting calls about school, and the pressure for her is on. All I can do is be as supportive as possible. One way today was by proposing a walk at the top of Stanmer woods, which was particularly nice, as there is already (in this mad year) a touch of autumn about the leaves.  We sat in a field looking at the rolling Downs, and the blue sea on the horizon and at times could barely see a soul, and although we drove up to the woods, this is still walking distance from our front door. Living near the edge of town is something I am beginning to treasure. Later in the afternoon, Lorraine did some school work, and I did bits of my stuff, in preparation for meeting Robin (virtually) tomorrow. On my prompting too, Lorraine cooked an Anton's pears, apple and blackberry crumble, which was utterly fine. We also ate a Kenny farm large tomato for breakfast, and some Kenny farm mini potatoes for dinner. These were particularly tasty. We will be continuing our potato experiment next ...

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.

Only a poltergeist-lite scraping on the roof this morning, and the sound of a burner as new roofing was laid meant that I did not have to abandon my own office. Picking up the threads of my horror story, currently called Nothing compares to you . A note from Val in Paris wanting me to urgently look at something, but she sent the wrong file and then was uncontactable for a few hours. The right file arrived just as I was stepping into the gym, so I sloped down to my favourite morally unsound Starbucks and worked there till it was done, and I was able to return to the gym. A good session in there. Home and a bit more work before I cooked. Spoke to Kevin as he delivered our Share of the Crop tray, and said I had met Sam and Eva last night. Lorraine late tonight, but I cooked a large chicken and veggie stew, which we ate happily, watching Fleabag , and Star Trek before boofing off to bed. Brexit an endlessly depressing background. Since the shameful day this country voted for Brexit, ...

Chased the new clients who, after a bit, gave me the green light on the job. While I was waiting I had started working on my novel pushing that on by a cheeky 500 words, and had yet another idea for a short story, which I just jotted down. The rest of the day a slog, gradually rewriting and humanising a 28 page brochure previously written by a robot. Had a quick walk before lunch and then a longer one in the park after five, when my brain and eyes had given up. Ate boredom bread and jam today. Spoke to Mum, after I had finished and all being well I will zoom up to see her next week. We are on the cusp of spring, but things are bleak beyond my own little bubble.  Brexit has been delayed, Mrs May has written to the EU to request an extension. The country and its government is quite rightly an international laughing stock, and there is no foreseeable outcome that is not dreadful. Even a so-called soft Brexit leaves us far poorer, financially of course, but also culturally and in t...

A sleepless night. I eventually gave up at 4am got up and started reading Let the right one in , a horror story. Took Lorraine tea and made her breakfast seeing as I was up and dressed. A brain befuddling fug of tiredness all day. Tried to fall asleep again at eight, but then Lorraine called from school saying she had left her phone, and I gave up then. Unfortunately I had to do work for my French pals today on swine flu. Feeling a bit anxious about this afterwards, as no sleep seems to deprive me of twenty IQ points. I had a nice chat with Val though. Anton phoned me about going to a business event run by an old work mucker Terry Brissenden on Storytelling in Business next month. Today Theresa May's Brexit dead duck deal was crushed in Parliament -- apparently the biggest ever government defeat. I cannot see any outcome from here that will not harm the UK. A second referendum, as finally the UK has a better idea of what it is voting for, may be a good idea. But what happens i...

Beth setting off early for her last day of elfing. I got up before Lorraine and mooched down to Prime Cuts to pick up the turkey, a six kilo bronze monster in a box. Brian clawing at it as soon as I brought it into the kitchen. Dawn called round this morning, as were finishing a late breakfast. Nice to chat to her. Lorraine and I took Pat and Maureen to see Beth in her elf gear, and left them in town as Maureen had a sudden desire to buy shoes. Lorraine and I did a last bit of xmas shopping before heading off to Preston Park to collect Sian. Lovely to see her. Jade and Sam arrived. Lorraine and I zoomed over to Anton's house to drop off and pick up pressies, nice to have a quick chat with Anne, Klaudia and Oskar too. Home, and then all of us, bar Maureen, then went to The Basketmakers for a quick drink, Beth having finished her elf service. Highly commendably, Sian went to a meditation group for a bit before coming to the pub to meet us not long before we before we left. ...

A palpable sense of blockages freeing themselves today. I was contacted by all kinds of folks, tweeted and messaged and emailed. And even took delivery of a case of wine, sent by Mum and Mas. I worked on my short story and went to the gym and generally felt more optimistic than for some time. My accountants still dragging their heels though, so I emailed them a fairly stiff note this afternoon. But overwhelmingly things seem to be moving again on a personal level. The country, of course, is going to the dogs Brexit an unspeakable shitstorm. I am genuinely fearful for the future of the UK. But hey-ho. Lorraine and I listened to a Kermode and Mayo podcast about films instead. 

Theresa May presented her deal with the EU today to mass Tory resignations. Essentially Brexit is a national suicide attempt, and May is trying to make that suicide slightly less painful. Many rabid Brexiteers want it to be more deeply damaging. Meanwhile the populace, bitterly divided by the lies they were told,  doesn't know what the hell is happening or who to trust. The closer we get to Brexit the madness of the 'taking back control' lie further reveals itself. And breathe. For me personally a rather good day. I did some writing. I sent stuff off to Michel and Pat and Perky. I went to the gym. I returned and did some more work, and then I got a note accepting one of my short stories to appear on a Horror story site called Horla . This was a bit of a boost. The story is about an astrologer and is called, The Dark Fish.   I wrote it in 1986, which I went through three rounds of revisions with the editor of a magazine called Panurge, before he finally rejected it. I ...

Bit of a strange day. Woke up at five full of doom, better when I woke up again. Lorraine dropped me at the station, the train was a bit delayed but otherwise I simply read and enjoyed my Selected poems of Robert Lowell, which I have not done for years. Enjoying his poems much more these days, although his attitude to black people is nasty. It is all part of my attempt to refresh and increase my knowledge of US poetry. Have a great hunger for reading poems at present. Scottish fisherman on the train, just as we approached Victoria carping loudly on his phone about Brexit fisheries negotiations and planning a protest. Into work, and feeling oddly nervy this morning. I was given a job to do for the nice CD here. Found myself working with a good Spanish art director called Lidya on some concepts -- but also had to biff some work from my lovely French clients, which I don't like doing. A ten minute walk at lunchtime, which did wonders for my mood and perspective. I had a positive a...

Much improved day today, was able to get my brain in gear, and did some good work and felt much happier. Also went for a long walk in the sun, partly through a nearby scrap of be-squirrelled woodland, and later into the park, where the pond had few plants in it, and lots of fish. They are goldfish but the black ones are more numerous. An example of natural selection perhaps. I pictured passing predatory birds gulping up the gold ones. Watched some of Theresa May's speech about Brexit. A decent effort I thought to put a positive gloss on it all, but as one of my old art directors Nev used to say with monotonous regularity while scowling at the catalogues we were forced to work on, you can't shine shit. At sundown, and noticeably colder, I took a stroll to complete my 10,000 paces for the day. This latter was just around sunset and the sky was a thing of beauty daubed with contrails. Home and chatted to Mum, they are off to Bart's tomorrow for a checkup, luckily the ambul...

Awake at 5:30 so got up with Lorraine and made us a healthy porridge breakfast. Got to work doing lots of things I didn't want to do. One of these was a big clear up and filing of stuff that had built up over the last month or so. Steeling myself to look at my tax and business folders in an attempt to get a grip on things. Also doing a bit with my lovely French clients. Reached a point of feeling a bit more in control by mid afternoon. Started reading Spacecraft by John McCullough today. Lovely stuff. One poem I happened upon, Glitter, has a final stanza set in what must be the walled garden I go to. Sonia came today, and we had a long chat. Brexit is making her wonder about life in Britain, and her and her English husband may go to Bulgaria where she's from in a while. She said she had lived through an enormous upheaval in Bulgaria, when communism crumbled, and according to Sonia everything got worse for the ordinary people. She said she doesn't want to experience a...

Generally irritable and out of sorts. Thinking too much about Brexit. Industry leaders have already warned of sharp cutbacks in advertising and marketing budgets – i.e. where I make most of my money.  The news full today of Tony Blair and the Chilcot report. I do feel a tiny bit sorry for Blair, having eagerly become the US’s best pal after 9/11, he got stuck on the rollercoster unable to get off.   But I did march against the war along with millions of others and this made not a jot of difference. Preparing at short notice to give a poetry reading tomorrow, as Siegfried had to pull out due to illness. Looking at all my poems and disliking them heartily, which happens from time to time. It’s preferable that this doesn’t hit you the day before a reading in the poetry café however. At least I can more easily spot the faults in my more recent work, which is constructive.   One of my new poems, called A Man From Atlantis however is something I will stand by. Some wo...

Wan and baggy eyed this morning. Lorraine gave me a lift to the station again, a life saver, and then another journey (this time with a seat!) and another word with myself. Texts to Anton about a weekend walk, text to Beth telling her how good she was in this wee film about not using mirrors when you go shopping for clothes. It is a silly idea but Beth was splendid in it . (Daily Mail again. Seems we can't keep out of it in this house. And Jane in Guernsey of course). You can tell by how the director cut it that they liked her.   But before these a text to Lorraine thanking her for her kindness and organisation in the morning. Meanwhile in scenes that would be hilarious if it weren’t making the UK a laughing stock, the idiot Boris Johnson who led the leave campaign and was teed up to replace Cameron was stabbed in the back by the odious Michael Gove, who suddenly announced himself as a candidate and said Boris wasn’t up to the job.   Et Tu Gove was one headline I saw onli...

Lorraine dropped me off at the station this morning, then up to London. Working on my French stuff in the train as it delayed its way up to London. Full day at work, working through lunch. Thank goodness I am working with Fernanda at the moment, which makes the days fairly easy. A moment of respite looking down on the trees of Tavistock Square, talking about photography with her. Mentioned Pete Caton, who was in Chad with me, and he messaged me for the first time every about five minutes after. Very strange. Then home again, relaxing on the delayed train home. Lorraine had cooked and we had supper together. As I got home England were playing the mighty Iceland, and it was already 1-1. Soon Iceland scored another goal. I worked from there on the French stuff,  before coming downstairs to see the final whistle and England's most embarrassing ever loss. Coming after Brexit, the loss of a football came seemed small fry. But there was something in a bewildering loss, the immediate man...

Checking in with Mum twice a day these days.  Tomorrow the doctors are meeting to plan what needs to be done with Mas. Be good to know. I feel worried about him and I wish they could get him sorted and release him back into the wild. Mum tired by the constant visiting. Also had time to talk to Janet this evening too. She'd lost a friend this week, and had a couple of days of hospital and other appointments with Ken. Also have my own medical stuff to worry about for this Saturday with the colonoscopy. Studying the sheet with the preparatory mixtures they give you to clean out your bowel. Looking forward to getting this one, um, behind me. Otherwise a bright sunny day. Woke up after a horrible night of dreams. I found myself living back in Guernsey in my Grandmother's house, with mum, but we were being evicted. Into London for a meeting this morning, then after a couple of hours talking about rabies turned around again, and headed home. Train delays again (as they has been ev...