under another sun

Heard from my pal Dave Morgan, who was sailing from Ipswich in Graham (aka Wham) and would be mooring at Eastbourne. However plans to meet up were scuppered.  Dave wrote We set out from Ipswich yesterday and battled through epic seas en route to Ramsgate, but decided to turn back in view of the conditions. In hindsight we had only got about third of the way there in about 6 hours, so we would have been very late arriving in Ramsgate had we continued. So we're back in Ipswich and Graham will leave the boat here for another three months. I am no expert but the prospect of pleasure cruising in the North Sea in December during a pandemic seemed an unorthadox wheeze even for Wham. And the prospect of a rendezvous on a bench outside at Eastbourne marina, which Robin told me this morning was several miles from the train station, has been scuppered. Spent a couple of hours recording with Robin this morning. She was doing it from the cupboard under the stairs, running an ethernet cable in t...

Really hot again. Lorraine off to school early to do some work before going to the gym to meet Rosie, now fortunately released back to the wild after being in hospital, for a spa. Lorraine dropped me at Preston Park, and I travelled up to St Pancras to start a few days work at the agency in the building with large black cats by Mornington Crescent. Happily an incident free journey, and I arrived fresh and on time. A nice job, writing an animation for children for a pharma pitch. Was in a meeting being briefed inside ten minutes, which is a bit of a novelty, working with a good art director called Kasia, who had to leave in the middle of the afternoon as she was streaming with a cold and feeling feverish. I managed to get an early train back to Brighton, where I sloped into town to meet my old university pals Dave (Swifty) Morgan and Amanda, who were sitting outside The Dorset. Amanda now happily living in Shoreham, and David about to start a new job in Oxford University to do with...

Sam left today, getting up fairly early. I discreetly left him and Lorraine to chat for an hour or so, and later we took him off to the station, and sent him, well-hugged by Lorraine and I, off London to stay with Jade and her Mum. Lorraine still struggling with her cold and feeling pants. I met my old Warwick University pals David and Amanda who had met up to see The Rocky Horror Show . We were talking about the future of humanity , which is a topic in philosophy now, and David has been in discussions with the philosophy department at Oxford about possibly working with the team, bringing real world business experience with computing and artificial intelligence. I enjoyed picturing the business card: David Morgan, Future of Humanity. Mandy said darkly that it wouldn't matter too much if humanity had no future and life on earth ended. This going on against a backdrop of playful transvestitism in the bar next to the theatre, which was pressed with hairy chested men in black bodic...

Dimly aware of Sam coming home at 4.00am. He spent most of the day in bed. Lorraine still ill and sofa-centred, and dozing lots. Sonia came around, and cleaned and chatted cheerily, and showed us pictures of the bread her husband had made. Spoke to Anton who has the dreaded cold. Also heard from Dave Morgan, who I will meet in Brighton with Mandy for a pre-show drink. I made an exceptional turkey soup, even if I say it myself. And happily chopped up many different vegetables and threw them into the pot, with the stock I had carefully made, along with the remains of Lorraine's amazing chestnut gravy, and added various fresh herbs and spices. Lorraine and Beth do most of the cooking during Christmas, so I felt cheerful to be cooking, while listening to a creepyish story by Robert Aickman called The Unquiet Dust as I did so. Sam resurfaced enough to have some soup and watch a bit of TV with us, before going back to bed. I am feeling happier than I have for a while. Having a b...

Up to a full house. With Sam and Jade in the front room. A large and military style breakfast this morning, cooked by Lorraine and aided by her chief kitchen porter. Beth and I off to the grand meet the press session at one o clock. It was advertised as a chance to pitch your piece to the press. Naively I had seen this as a few minutes to a room full of journos etc. The reality was very different. An enormous queue snaking out of a university building down the street. Once you got inside, having queued for an hour, then each publication had a desk and there were long queues for this. Hours of standing about, but we managed to get to speak to three different publications. After this Beth and I had a much needed reviving coffee, and a diabetes inducing piece of millionaire shortcake. While we had been doing this, Kitty and Matt had been flyering, giving hundreds of flyers away. Home, and we all regrouped, somewhat tired and frazzled. Lorraine, who had been with Sam and Jade, cooked a...

Made a brand new mind map. Sent out my marketing book proposal for the umpteenth time, contacted my French clients, sorted out a trip to the smoke on Friday followed by a cheeky with Matt, spoke to Janet, organised a meeting with Jess Mookherjee, laundry, bins, spoke to Anton, tidied office and so on. A short walk listing still to C. Bronte's  Villette , which I still love. Savouring this listen. Spoke to Mum and Mas this afternoon a few times. Mas was having a medical problem, and I advised them to call 111. Having done so Mas was asked to go into hospital in the evening. Lorraine feeling the strain before half term. Beth cooked, Lorraine and I took back the hatstand and two chairs used in the play back to the Duke of Wellington with thanks. Delicious dinner, followed by an early night. During the course of the day I remembered Swifty and Amanda telling me that my old friend Neil, from my university days, was in prison. I googled him and found he had been a big news item in ...

Rather hungover this morning. That last pint in the Hobgoblin was surplus to requirements. Lorraine brought me a cup of tea and porridge in bed. I then had a hobbit's second breakfast a couple of hours later with Pat, Maureen and Betty. Later Mum and Mas, Tanya and Robert arrived, having driven down in Robert's amazing electric car. Went to the Preston Park Tavern for a late lunch. I sensibly drank soda, and had a chicken burger. Front-loaded the day with food, as I didn't eat before the show. Then home again, and all the visitors chatted, while I slunk away to find a bit of solitude and focus. I tried a brief power nap, but the second I closed my eyes I was phoned up by the Brighton Argus, who are sending a reviewer on Thursday. Tonight they sent a photographer, who took shots with a long telephoto lens on a silent camera. Beth and I taxied down to the venue, and outside we bumped into David Morgan also known as 'Swifty' when we were at University and Amanda ...