under another sun

Lorraine not having to get up at the crack of dawn this morning, I got up made her tea, and worked on my short story, which is now almost ready to send off to a magazine whose deadline is closing in a few days. Lorraine then off to school, to talk to plumbers and do last minute work before returning, having done pilates. I went out this evening to meet Anton and Christian, over from Australia, in the Evening Star. They had already drank a few beers and had a curry. Not seen him for some years, and it was great to drink some halves, as they were drinking halves, with them. Christian done very well in marketing in Australia, and is now working for a big bank there. Same mix of Aussie down to earthness, with a streak of astute sensitivity. Nice to reminisce about old times. We went back to sit in Anton's garden, it being warm still, and had an absolute bloody final before I walked home. This being a dark day when the evil clown Boris Johnson was elected to be prime minister of thi...

The politics of angels Bought the unspeakable Daily Mail this morning, to check a small press ad I'd written in it about Brittany. Some monkey had broken the headline overnight, however, by adding an unneccesary word. Only a small job, but as a writer it galls. Still feeling very sluggish and enervated but slogging steadily to the end of Skelton Yawngrave, and my mind buzzing with how to approach the Guernsey project. My brooding only broken by a crocodile of children walking past in the Twitten, and as I glanced out of my study window I saw Klaudia was one of them. Made me feel sentimental to see my Goddaughter walk past apparently so carefree, along with lots of other five-year-olds holding hands. Lorraine told me today that she has asked some teachers and children to read Skelton which is fab. She is a great boon. Popped up the road to Anna and Anton's house to see Christian and Jane, and meet their new baby Ava who has an endearingly imperious expression, and is the spit o...

A welcome end to the week Into work and quickly spilled coffee all over myself and my desk. Spent ten minutes washing my shirt in the bathroom. Brain a bit fried: found myself looking at a simple page of copy and being unable to work out what needed to be done. Fortunately things quiet so I was able to get away with it. Out at lunch for a bite to eat with Alice and others in the Riverside studios, as Lucy was leaving, having got a job offer the day we'd been beaten up by the client last week. Then on the way home, I had a cheeky beer and gossip with my boss before snoozing on the train home listening to Alias Grace , which I am really enjoying now. In the evening met Lorraine and we went to the pub to see Anton and some of his babyfather chums. The conversation drifted onto piranhas, and somebody said that they weren't as bad as they were painted, which gave me the opportunity to say no... not all were bad, and some of them had the excuse of coming from bad schools. A brilliant...