under another sun

Up early as we had a house viewing today. Lorraine and I took ourselves off to the park for a cup of coffee. Nice to smell the roses. The park being prepared for the big Pride Party later in the day. The parade walked past the end of our road, so we went to watch with everyone else. It always makes me feel quite moved and proud of being in Brighton for some reason, full of colourful characters, music and fun. We bumped into Ash on the way back home for breakfast. He had run the restaurant that Lorraine and I first used to eat curries in. Stopped and chatted for a good ten minutes. Home and we had a long chat with Nicki and Mark next door about selling the houses and so on. They are good people. Felt quite inert today, and slept like a baby in the afternoon. Then Lorraine drove us to Chertsey Meads for an evening with Max and the FB. A bit of a mission to try to find somewhere to buy some beer and wine in the town. Really good to see them both, and their brood of young Elijah, Zemir...

A slow start this morning, I was not feeling very well, oddly hot and sweaty.  Lorraine and I off to meet Sam in town before he headed back to Leeds. However he postponed his departure, because as President of the Philosophical society he had to cancel a planned walk about the Lake District. As L and I set off the Pride march passing by, which was as colourful as ever. Always enjoy seeing the Police marching as part of the parade. Had coffee with Sam and a glance around the shops. He bought a tub with paper gulls in them, which was rather nice. I found a leaflet about tutored drop-in life drawing sessions, which are held quite close to where I live, so may pursue this when I get a chance. Much of the rest of the day given over to moving Beth back to Kingston. Filling up a white van with Betty stuff, and then L and I took her off, and unpacked her at the other end. She has a nice new student house, far better than where she was before, and the two boys she and four girls are s...

Saturday of interludes Fantastic not to have to get up at an ungodly hour. Instead Lorraine and I saw Dawn at 12:30. For Dawn is going to paint my house for me, and we walked about with Dawn suggesting all the things that needed doing, and me agreeing. Although she repeated her earlier rudeness about the orange yellow highlight I have in my downstairs. I left Dawny and Lorraine to it, for I had business in the Battle of Trafalgar where I met Richard and Dipak, the Shakeseare Trio, to discuss their CD launch. I offered a degree of unwanted marketing advice and other suggestions. But mainly it was quite pleasant to be sat outside in the hot suntrap of the Batty's back garden for an hour or so. Lorraine joined us after a while too, although sat at another table for a while making phonecalls. Dipak talking about mastering of the tracks and other technical matters. Richard keen to keep gigging but resistant to thinking laterally about the venues they are involved in. After t...

Party pooping Eating painkillers through the night as my arm was very painful and kept me awake. However in the morning I could move it somewhat and Lorraine and I went to see the Pride Parade. This is definitely a big part of the Brighton calendar, and thousands of people come down to the town for the celebration. It's always a hugely enjoyable colourful spectacle. This year a slightly more political undercurrent to the march which was good to see. Quite pleased when the parade stopped and I could go home though, as the crowds were getting to me. While Brighton throbbed to the party, Lorraine and I slugged about like the most depraved pair of couch potatoes. Lorraine on diet and is losing weight fast. Sam dropped by this evening, and said he now was looking at doing PPE, politics, philosophy and economics: the perfect platform for a political career. Below some snaps from the march.