under another sun

Up fairly early, and a proper breakfast with Lorraine. Then Lorraine went off to do Rhyme time and I interviewed the poet Richard Scott. I really liked him and his work. Toby called shortly before this from Japan. Later I spoke to Mum and arranged to see her next Monday. Also Carl called, having got home at 1.00am last night. I did a few bits of tidying, and putting suitcases back in the loft but was generally quite shattered and confined myself to listening to a podcast about my favourite horror-type writer Robert Aickman. Very happy to be at home today, and potter about getting stuff done. Lorraine zoomed off at tea time to Eastbourne and collected the pottery she'd made. Lovely stuff and I was proud of her. Lorraine experimenting with new highly healthy recipes with beans and pulses and veggies and feta and so on. A few episodes of Frasier and an early night. We're almost on the final series now. Boo. Lorraine's first ever pots...  

Off to London this morning to see Bob and Carl on what was Carl's 67th birthday. I met Bob first and we found a pub to sip some soft drinks and then, having received a message, met Carl loitering outside the National Portrait Gallery. Under a leather jacket, he was sporting a Munch's scream, teeshirt except the figure was Charlie Brown. Off to the pub for a quick pint in the Chandos before we returned to look at the Munch portrait exhibition in the NPG. We all enjoyed this lots -- really absorbing and psychological portraits. Carl zooming about ahead of course, and Bob and I a bit more methodical. We were also pointed to another room we paid particular attention to a room full of Stanisław Wyspiański (1869-1907) pictures also excellent.  Mainly though the day was about talking, and catching up with each other and hear about the families. Bob's daughter Millie about to graduate, Carl's Ellie pressing on with her podcast with her pal Jade, called Really F*cking Trying -- ...

Up to London with the sparrows, to meet Carl by Waterloo Bridge. Was an hour early and so sat in the RFH nursing a coffee and scribbling in my notebook. The cafe full of excitable graduates in mortar board hats and members of their proud families. Good to see the building used in that way. Met Carl, as he had crossed the Hungerford footbridge. And we went back the RFH for another coffee. Loads to catch up on as we sauntered along the South Bank and had lunch in Gourmet Pizza at Gabriel's wharf, sensibly sharing a pizza and sparkling water. (Where Reuben, Kate and I used to take copy shop favourites). Then to the Tate to see the  Expressionism exhibition. When we are together, and with Bob too, we all automatically want to see art. Carl particularly fond of Expressionists. Lots of Kandinsky, who I've never much liked, until I saw them in the flesh today. Carl doing his trademark brisk flitting, and poring over certain things, and pointedly ignoring others. We fell into a convers...

I walked up to the garage Tescos at the top of Stonegrove, first thing to buy some coffee speaking to Lorraine there and back. Then breakfast, and a shower and getting to grips with funeral directors. I had the brilliant idea of calling Carl because of course he knows all the stuff backwards, and we had a three way chat. Turns out the Undertakers that had been recommended by a neighbour, and has strong reviews online, was one Carl had once used.  Greatly reassuring to talk him through where we were to sense check everything. Carl making Mum laugh telling her to get the Carl Basket ready for a visit. The Carl Basket was a big wicker basket filled with pillows and a sleeping bag for use when Carl spent the night.   After a judicious shower, Mum and I caught a bus to Burnt Oak, and spoke to the undertakers. We have an appointment tomorrow at 11, but I got the impression that as we have an interim death certificate, we may be able to go ahead with the funeral.  Mum had a kind...

So up and a cheeky poached egg breakfast with Sue and John. Fond farewells, with Whiskey the dog springing about squeaking its toy, which John said made the sound of a bitten rat, we left Bromyard. Lorraine drove for half an hour to see Lorraine's lovely cousin Maxine, where we were warmly welcomed, and spent a couple of hours sipping coffee, nibbling on fruitcake while her dog, Zippy contentedly gnawed a large bone under the coffee table. Heard about Tay and Emilia -- now studying away from home and doing well. Simon was working in Liverpool today, but Maxine was on a day off from work, so I think she was pleased to have some visitors.   Fond squeezes goodbye with Maxine, then we drove mostly along the A5 road through some absolutely beautiful Autumn countryside on either side of the Welsh border. The Shropshire hills, which I had never seen. They were stunningly beautiful. The tiring bit, for Lorraine, was that as we were driving, partly through Wales, then towards Merseyside, I...

To Seaford station, looking at the sea, before zooming up to Victoria via Lewes. At Victoria a voice on the tannoy asking for someone with medical training to urgently go to the gate we were all crowding through.  Welcome to London. Tube to Embankment, and The Salisbury to meet Bob and Carl.  Excellent to see them both. Weird how quickly being together feels entirely normal. After some discussion we decided to go to the After Impressionism exhibition round the corner in the National. A decent exhibition, with some paintings that were new to me. I enjoyed seeing After the Sermon by Gaugin again, one of my favourite paintings. We enjoyably mooched around there, Carl in signature style not wasting time on work he didn't like much, Bob refraining from waving his fingertip three or four millimetres above the surface of the paintings so all well.  Then we tubed to Hammersmith and lurked along the river talking about old times and catching up some of the news while dropping in ...

Thursday... A bit bleary this morning having gone to bed after one last night. A slowish morning. At lunchtime we walked to Waves gym and bought a couple's membership for a year, we celebrated by having a cup of splosh in the gym cafe, and gave each other pep talks about the value of gym membership. Mooched home and as the weather had improved I cleared the big rocks and garden ornaments away from the area we are going to put our raised beds. Lorraine meanwhile hung solar lights and pricked out assorted seedlings. I then had a work meeting with Gabriel, in France and later had to discuss another work offer with Keith which I am not going to accept.  Carl got in touch -- confirming he is coming down to London on the first of August. And also Carl said that Ellie had referred to me as her 'stand in dad' -- which made him laugh. As he has often in the past been a stunt man Kenny -- such as the time Toby had a party which got utterly out of hand. I was at university at the time...

Up for toast and tea in Edgware with Mum. Got the trusty yellow notepad out and tried to work out next steps. Lorraine explained to me that the hospital should make a discharge plan for Mas, which may involve care. I had no idea what this might look like so I called Carl who explained that there would be a social worker involved and that the care was arranged through the local authority. This all very helpful. Then mum fished out a red folder on the table we were sitting at, which had all the contact details in the local authority and the care provider she had already been dealing with. This an amazing find as it gave me all the contact details. Mum also looked at her emails and I forwarded myself some correspondence from the care people from six months ago. Basically they had a bit of care, with people calling around to help Mas shower and so on in the morning, but they cancelled this in the first lockdown. The physiotherapist called mum, and clearly a discharge plan is being formulat...

Up early and moved my computer to living room as Luke the plumber was around so we can get a certificate for our boiler. He called me to say that our luck had run out again, as there was two holes in the boiler covering. More money down the drain. We will have to get it fixed of course.   A good chat with Carl today. Makes me laugh he does. He is coming south to see a neo-prog band called Big Big Train soon, and hopes to pop in and see Mum.  As this going on I also finished my work for the pleasant Germans, and presented it to them. Sent them the document expecting their comments this afternoon but none came.  Off to the gym instead. Hauling my dinosaur carcass through the springy mammalian students. Home to requests for more information from the account and other joys. Spoke to Mum in the afternoon, she had a successful conversation with her GP, her blood tests were okay, more tests in the local hospital soon. A quiet evening in. Lorraine and I obsessively binging Star T...

A day of cheery busyness: up early with Lorraine and waking Sam up x3 prior to his trip up to Scotland, tweaking the podcast and sending it to Robin for further tweakage. Then billing, timesheets, booking a dental appointment, a teams meeting with Keith and a nice woman called Amber we are working for next week, laundry, gym (baby steps still), talking to Val in Paris and then doing some work for her.  Also had  two poems published in Black Nore Review  and uploaded  the new podcast  episode. Matthew G. Rees new book arrived. I am a bit over-pleased that he quotes me on the back cover.  Carl called me. Lovely chat. Telling me about his poor little dog that was attacked by a savage dog and had to have one of its injured back legs removed. It gets about pretty well on three legs apparently, and is much improved, although Carl said it fell over when trying to cock a leg the other day. One of the things I like most about Carl is how he can laugh at bleakness....

Heard from Carl this morning that Jayne was in hospital with Covid. I spoke to him during the day, and it seems she had another infection. It wasn't anything to do with lungs, so that's good I guess. He has covid too, but fairly mildly having been vaccinated.  Leaving the cats in the capable hands of Sam and Jade, Lorraine and I made off to see Sue and John. Into the car first thing, and drove off. A free and easy drive, which we both enjoyed, stopping for tea and sandwiches at a service station. Saw dozens of red kites from the M6, I'd never seen so many of them. Lovely impressive raptors.  The feeling of escaping from Brighton was excellent, as I have been feeling a bit hemmed in and fed up lately. Arrived at Sue and John's while it was still light. A nice cuppa and some Christmas cake. Whiskey the dog, sporting her Irish tricolour collar, springing about enthusiastically as Sue told us Whiskey now has an Irish passport. Lorraine and Sue went off to get eggs from a fa...

Lots of conversations today, chatting to Mum who had got the card I had sent her using her own painting as the design for the front, to Carl who was chipper, and it was great to hear from him, and Anton. Meanwhile Lorraine spoke to her brothers Ken and Derek, and Laura and Claudia, and a quick chat with Sam, and Pat and Maureen.  A clear but cold day. Our bird-free bird bath had ice in it all day. In the afternoon we made off to Hove, and Lorraine had to scrape ice off the car's front window. We met Beth and James outside both in shades and bobble hats and looking like skiers. They stowed a microwave they had picked up for us in the boot. The last one was on its last legs, and Brian  having sprayed on it, so that despite thorough cleaning, when you started to use it it emitted a distinct and unpleasant smell. It simply had to go.  We went for another bargepole style walk, to the seafront as the sun began to slide towards the sea, and the last light of 2020 was beginning t...

Rain and greyness today, and getting a bit nippy. A stressed and tired Lorraine working from home this morning, Dawn came by to put some sealant underneath the doors in our bedroom. Carl phoned, telling me about Ellie starting her new business selling prints of her music star pencil drawings. Anton called, saying his meeting had been hideous, several people very far apart in a room all wearing facemasks, making it difficult to hear anyone. Lorraine back into work. I spent the much of the morning working on the branding for the new podcast, none of which was liked by Robin. Then worked on a new scene in Invisible Grace. A short walk, then painted the second coat on the bathroom walls, and did some more writing.  Lorraine back home and after being fed with salmon and stir fry went straight into a virtual governors meeting. Among other discussions,  it was been agreed that I will reprise my Santa role this year, but just calling out to them from a distance, and with my mask on --...

Off by car to Elstree, and the early fifteenth century Waggon and Horses pub on Watling Street where Lorraine and I met Mum and Mas. Really good to sit in the beer garden, at an appropriate social distance and have a bite to eat and my second pub drink with them. Luckily the sky, having been cloudy all the way up, allowed some sunshine. Mum and Mas on good form generally and we sat outside for about three hours, the first time since well before lockdown. Strange not to see them in screens, and good to just be able to spend a good amount of time together. Mum snuck off and paid for the meal, which was kind of her too. Mum and Mas had all day breakfasts, which they have lots there.  The woman who looked after us, really pleasant and cheery, and recognised them, and took good care of Mum and Mas. Fond but socially distanced farewells. Off next to Kingsbury to see Sam and Jade, who are now living with Sian, in a street tucked away behind St Andrew's church. Now they have left Edinbur...

Up after a good night's sleep. Beth and her pals Emily and Eliza fragile after a long and lively night, and needing breakfast. Otherwise a fairly quiet day. Went for a walk in the park with Lorraine and excitingly dried clothes in the launderette. While sitting about in the kitchen this afternoon, Lorraine and I started playing the Sherlock Holmes game that Anton had lent us. Involved lots of reading, and thinking about clues, which led to drinking some wine the girls had brought us. A nice interlude.  Match of the Day was watchable tonight too, with Chelsea winning, and the bonus of the Manchesters City and Utd both losing. Spoke to Toby, who said there was a strike affecting his school tomorrow. My dratted phone ran out of power as we talked. More stressing this morning over getting the layout right for the kindle book. But it is now okay I think. After I texted Ellie this morning, she finally revealed to Carl that she had done the cover for Magnificent Grace. He was really...

Happily no great price to be paid for yesterday's fun. Happy not to have to spring out of bed, and the most excellent Lorraine brought me breakfast and a cup of tea in bed. Spent some time telling her all the news. Lorraine and Beth had spent some time yesterday tidying up Beth's flat, and sorting clothes. A cheery sunny day. We did some gardening and went shopping for some concrete in a tub, but when it came to it it was the wrong sort. We also bought a lattice for the wisteria in the front garden to attach to the wall, but I had a lapse of confidence about drilling holes into the brickwork on the top of a ladder while holding trelliswork. A bit of a gardening fail, but still a lovely day. Chats with Bob and texts from Carl. Everyone managed to return home in one piece this morning, as they had both stayed in London. Carl was off to a Hozier concert in Birmingham tonight. A chat with the Tobster today too, about his and Romy's trip up to the North of Canada. They had...

A leisurely start chatting to my lovely wifey before before I walked to Brighton Station and trained it to Hammersmith for a long planned meet up with Bob and Carl. As I was a little early, I walked past the offices I had worked at while at what had jokingly been called the 'Glamoursmith agency. For years I looked down from my office onto a large bit of fenced off empty land. This is now all high end housing. I met Carl and Bob standing by the river wall outside the Blue Anchor. It was a hot sunny day, and we decided to sit down inside for a drink, the first of many. We fixed on a policy of swapping beer for regular soft drinks so that despite going on a long pub crawl we were drinking sustainably. We sauntered from pub to pub along the river: the Rutland, The Dove, Black Lion, then cut inland to go to The Tabard, The Duke of Sussex, The Packhorse, and then finally to the Anarkali restaurant in Hammersmith for a fairly decent curry. During this eight hours we spent hours talking ...

Up early for a bank holiday, and we drove off into the countryside towards Great Dixter Gardens , where we spent a happy few hours poking about in the gardens there, and briefly into the house, and having coffee and giant eccles cakes in the cafe area. The weather bracing for May, and apparently it was the coldest May Bank holiday for some time. It did not rain however. Love being with Lorraine in places like this, she drifts about so happily loving the form of plants, and touching them. Some amazing colour combinations there too in the planting. Texts with Carl whose birthday it was today, who reported he was being taken around the shops because, according to Jayne, this is what he enjoys. This done, we drove the shortish distance into Kent and popped into see Pat and Maureen, and Ken was there too. Had fish and chips with them, and we were given lots of pots for our back garden, which was kind. Then the drive home listening to Kermode and Mayo's film podcast. Chelsea won toda...

Excellent text from Carl today, saying 'For the first time I can remember, I woke up this morning knowing I can do anything I want this weekend. Absolutely no regrets!' He sold his care-providing business, and is not on call at the weekend any more. I'm really pleased for him. Lorraine and I got up late, after teas and breakfast in bed and lots of talking about a thorny problem she is facing. Then a spot of housework and some pottering about, we potted up the second acer tree we bought last week, and took bags of garden rubbish to recycling, one full of rose stems which did a surprising amount of pain to my thumb, and then lurked in the garden centre up near the racecourse, I wistfully looked at tropical fish for a minute. We spotted the purple berried plant again, that looks like it should be in an episode of the first Star Trek series. A quiet day. I slept in the afternoon and read another Aickman story, and in the evening I popped out to Red Chilli for a takeaway,...

Feeling workshy and unable to focus well. Up early with Lorraine. After Lorraine went to work I chipped a few bits off this week's wee list. A blazing day today, I went for another walk, intending as a minimum to do my ten thousand paces.  On the pavement near the golf course I passed a young woman with two black dogs on leads.  As I passed her, one went for me nastily. It made me jump. Lots of ladybirds about today by the golf course, getting in my hair and on my skin. Good news from Beth, yet another actor she has been teaching got a distinction in their Lamda. Carl called me today. He is definitely winding up his business, and feeling all the happier for it. I also had a long chat with Sophie, who I'd not managed to talk to while all the stuff with Janet and Ken was going on. She is throwing herself back into work, now that Andros is gone. It has been a very tough time for her, but she is a strong person. I can't seem to write anything, nor read much.  I spen...