under another sun

More bovine mastitis for much of the day, which was mootastic. Also had Defenders of Guernsey go live on Amazon, you can download it onto your  kindles (and iPad) if you have the kindle app here.  I also sorted out the beginnings of an author page here . Been reading Richard's excellent blog and I am going to copy how he has done things and having a separate page for all the stuff currently cluttering this page. In the evening bused off to meet Anton in Hove at the Temple Bar where we had some excellent Indian food washed down with a few lagers, and discussed among other things his forthcoming trip across the pond and the important matter of the right hat to wear to set an example to Americans. We also discussed Joe, one of our neighbours who was at our garden gathering at the weekend. Anton was racking his brains trying to work out where he'd seen him before, until I mentioned he was a doctor. It seems Joe was once subjected to the sight of a rash on Anton's bottom. H...

So the day working on bovine mastitis. Once work was done, I then spent some time sorting out Defenders of Guernsey to make it kindle ready. Actually not too much of a laborious task, although this was only for a text of 13.4 thousand words. Took myself for an hour's walk having been manacled to my desk all day. Down to the park again which was looking rather glorious, sunny but a stiff wind. Lorraine working late then going straight to her Pilates class, which was a one-to-one. I fed her a chicken stew of my own devising, which went down very well. Below the meadow flowers in the park, a glimpse into the walled garden, and a gateway sculpture between the Preston Twins, two large elm trees that have managed to evade Dutch Elm Disease.

Begun work on my new French briefs (insert Frankie Howerd style titter). I also read something this morning about about breaking tasks down to things achievable in fifteen minutes, called fifteeners. I tried it this morning, with excellent results. Powered through lots of work today, and completed the rewriting of Defenders of Guernsey , which after a final proof read I will attempt to upload in the next few days. Just nice to be able to complete something. A nice chat with Mum this morning too. Sonia making me laugh by telling me that garlic was 'illegal' in her house, due to Barry's antipathy to it. She was also deriding English reaction to a bit of warm weather. Lorraine working from home this afternoon, although we spent some of the time looking at a local young fox snoozing through the afternoon in the back garden. Our cats, and Cactus the next door cat completely unbothered by it. In fact Cactus joined it in a snooze a few feet away. I ended the week feeling buo...

So what a difference a day makes. Hot night, but I was up and ready to make a difference. Set aside everything in search of a quick win. This was found in the shape of the short story Defenders of Guernsey I wrote for the Guernsey Literary Festival, which I am going to get kindle ready as an experiment, rather than have it languish on my hard drive, I began to fix a few of the problems and typos, and make a few slight rewrites, to republish it in a new kindle edition. Felt good to be tackling the Guernsey Goat again. This is also prompted by Amanda's new game which is in development, and was partly inspired by the story. So why not? Good news, the pitch I'd worked on concerning the fate of balkan dogs, was won with my creative work. This was a bit of a boost as the last three things I have worked on have all resulted in won pitches. My lovely French clients phoned from Paris and I have two new briefs to work on for next week. Also received a card from Richard bearing a like...

Up and re-editing Defenders of Guernsey , and a few hours of writing and admin before zooming off to London. Many communications on the train, including being offered a couple of weeks freelance, and a tweet from Jane, who is coming to stay in a couple of weeks, saying 'Just watched video. Change of plan. Will stay in B&B' after seeing my sinister little film  Janus . Also spoke to Betty who was having busy day with a showcase and an audition in town. South Bank to the Poetry Library and various bookshops, the temperature dropping and feeling like I have the beginnings of a cold. Then went to London Bridge station, under the massive Shard spearing up to the sky, and made my way to Borough Market, where I eventually found a restaurant called Roast to meet Aimee. A place with swanky pretensions, a lounge pianist and singer and stiff prices. Sat near the piano, looking out of the window at the closed for the evening market. Had a lovely meeting with her, discussing the b...

Couldn't help noticing Mercury has just stopped going retrograde and is now progressing. Pure coincidence, of course, that I received the months overdue letter from the tax office notifying me of a repayment. A cheeky grand and very welcome - and not just because I won't have to keep asking my accountant to chase the effing thing every two weeks. I slunk back to the gym, and managed half an hour's creaky trundling on the cross trainer. While I have a long way to go to get back to anything like fit, it made me cheerful (and tired). Met Claudius in the changing room and had a chat with him about poetry to the bemusement of the narcissists and sweaty jocks about us. Talked to Janet, and will visit Ken tomorrow as he is bored before his op on Thursday. The excerpt of the business book I have sent to several friends already has had some very useful and thought provoking feedback. In this hiatus, reworking and expanding Defenders of Guernsey   and removing one or two glar...

Taking stock First day back from Guernsey, and plenty to be getting on with. I am having a major re-think of my cyber presence... As there is too much and it's all too complicated. I spent most of the day and night sorting these out. Typically my weight peaked in Guernsey when there were cameras and people looking at me, so I am now back on a much more rigourous diet. Mostly however I think a few days where Richard and I managed a BBC radio appearance and three poetry readings. It was excellent to work with Richard as usual. It it's good to approach these things with a friend whose work you admire. Additionally I did my two Skelton Yawngrave sessions, a poetry cafe reading and some protracted networking and with the best part of 160 Skelton Yawngrave stories now in the island's schools. Thanks to the Guernsey Literary Festival I arrive home full of a revived interest in poetry, in Mervyn Peake, in the poetry of Caroline Carver, the singing of Olivia Chaney and much much mo...

The cry of a ghostly goat Prepared for my biggest day by having a terrible night’s sleep, and by being fragile from the from the fiendish pink wine served at the Gold Sponsor’s Reception. Woke up feeling nervous: had a rushed nervous breakfast, and nervously rode on the bus into town with Lorraine and a heavy case full of books, laptop and so on. Stunningly beautiful day again, and was pleased that Friday 13th was the perfect day to launch Defenders of Guernsey on an unsuspecting world. Lorraine utterly fab this morning. Liaising with the technical guy getting the laptop plugged into a large screen and also talking to teachers. This freed me to do the vital work of pacing about nervously. Children from Vauvert school arrived in bright red jumpers and settled down. Lorraine did a special hands up finger wiggling thing, which hypnotised all the children instantly. First we played the talking skull head video I’d recorded welcoming them to the event. I’d put in sound file behind it calle...

Off to Guernsey Any day I fly to Guernsey is a good day. Our flight was at six so spent the day running about sorting the house out for Pat and Maureen's stay, and collecting together all the things I need to take, and packing books into cases and hoping that Lorraine would make it back from work in time. Also went to the gym. In the end, all well. And the journey to Gatwick fine. Was cringing about the heavy cases, stuffed with 160 copies of Defenders of Guernsey but in the event didn't have to pay extra for them. I like Auringy, and any plane that has a giant puffin on it gets my vote. However there was a chartered replacement from another airline today, and the pilot flew in eccentrically to the island and landed heavily. Rather pleased to be on dry land. Reading about the Literary Festival in the Guernsey Press while mid-air. Richard and I were mentioned as 'local scribes', still it was better than nothing, which is what we have previously received from the Press. ...

Fly with a blue behind Zooming through my 'to-do' list today, most of it focused on the children's sessions on Friday morning. This involved making a video of myself as a talking skull introducing the children's session, and collecting the booklets from the printer. Slightly disappointed with the result, and some conversations with the printers afterwards. They are the simplest kind of booklet, staple bound in the middle, but when left to their own devices tend to spring open. Apparently they will settle down if I keep them in their boxes. Nevertheless I am pleased that I have managed to produce them so quickly, and the story works and will I hope be well received on the island -- if I can get them on the plane. To the gym this afternoon. Need to get back into a tighter routine when I return from the gem of the sea as have found myself unaccountably hungry. Popped over to Matt's place primarily to meet his sister Kris, who was as nice a Hull lass as you could wish t...

Defenders on the brink Off to the printer this morning to sign off Defenders of Guernsey , and get them to accomodate the corrections. All fine. Looking good and I am pleased with it. Home and after a long chat with Mum off to do a bit of sweating in the gym. Afternoon spent organising clips for the presentation, and working my way through my list of things to do. Watched an reasonably scholarly programme BBC 2 Timewatch Special on the archeological case for Santorini as being the origin of the Atlantis legend. Have been very interested in Atlantis lately. In the evening off to see Photographic Memory by David Sheppeard. A gay-themed and discursive piece which I found interesting on memory and identity. Handily this was in the Nightingale Theatre which is about 20 yards from my house. I know David through the Marlborough Theatre. Below the proof copy snapped on a table at the printers.

Pots and pottering Up to make final amends to Defenders of Guernsey . I find the business of making these amends very stressful. The aim is perfection, but I cannot attain it in the timescale I inflicted on myself. I worked at the Architect's Journal as a sub-editor for a month, and even when copy has been seen by a writer, a team of sub-editors, and the magazine's Editor howlers still snuck through. Then off to the Diva show again where in a Frazieresque way I bought two small but exquisite pots by Jutka Fisher. Lorraine buying pots too. I blame my recent enthusiasm for pots and ceramics on Janet (who has long had one of Jutka's jugs on her fireplace which I have long admired). For years I have preferred paintings and photography and flat images. These days I find myself equally drawn to pots. Anyhow, Janet cheerily said that over 200 people went to her open house last year, and they were on course for doing better today. A low key afternoon. A bout of Sainsbury's shop...

A sigh of relief Finally finished Defenders of Guernsey and got the files off to the printers. Mentally exhausted racing to meet this deadline. However I am pleased with the results. To the gym as an antidote to tense hunching over screens day and night. It felt great. Thence to the polling station, to vote in the council elections, and in the voting reform referendum. I voted yes to change, but only because there wasn't a "er...probably" box to tick. The polling station not exactly thronging when I arrived there a little after four. Campaigns on both sides of the argument full of backbiting and lousily conducted. Maybe it is my age, but the current crop of politicians seem like Lilliputians. Not sure which of the leaders of the three main parties nauseates me more. Thence to The Basketmakers to meet Matt for pints of Seafarers beer. Got talking to a friend of Matt's called Joe who was in a late incarnation of a group called Stereolab some of whose tracks are rather ...

Laying out Working from seven thirty this morning till gone nine today. However I have laid out Defenders of Guernsey , and had my story proofed by Catherine who described herself as a Comma Martinet. Very grateful to have my story looked at by someone so accomplished. She really liked it too, which was a bonus. A short walk for half an hour this lunchtime just to breathe a bit, and a stroll to the pub this evening. But my usual Wednesday boys weren't there, so I came home after a single sharpener. Once home realised I was so tired that I had left my Crackberry in the Pub. Pegged back there, and it was safe behind the bar. A zombie evening. Below the front cover of the Defenders of Guernsey short story.

Nit picking Up early and straight to work on the story. Spent much of the day combing the text for nits and clumsiness. Another month on it would haven been nice, but the planets may never align for me in the same way again. There will never be a better time to launch a short children's story than at the Guernsey Literary Festival next week. And as my new philosophy means I take every opportunity that presents itself, I must go for it. I've looked at it so much in the last days that I can no longer see the textual wood for the trees. However: an amazing stroke of luck. Catherine Pope, who republishes Victorian novels, has offered to proof Defenders of Guernsey for me after I sent out a Facebook SOS. Walked across town to one digital printers and got the ball rolling with them. Also spoke to folks in Guernsey about my technical requirements for the Children's sessions. Meanwhile Richard, who is poleaxed by an evil back, has set up a BBC Guernsey appearance for us on JKT...

No trial Calliope now in her summer cycle and woke me by delicately inserting a claw into the back of my hand at 6:30. After some catwrangling , started work at 8.00am on the Defenders of Guernsey story leaving Lorraine to snooze. Worked through till 5.00pm, pausing only to listen to various garbled news accounts of the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Surely I can't be the only person who thinks that a trial would have been nice. There must be a better demonstration of the virtues of democracy and justice than a bullet in the head and being dumped in the sea. I'm sure conspiracy theories are already multiplying like mould in a petri dish. Defenders of Guernsey hours from completion. Now seeking someone to read it. At five down to The Basketmakers to meet Lorraine, Beth, Mark and Sam. Lorraine with bargain trousers from shopping. Mark and Betty off to do work in various directions, Sam came with us to the curry house for an early meal before I returned home prompted by an email...

Wrapper's delight Up at 7.00am to work on Defenders of Guernsey . Some time later Lorraine and Mum surfaced. We went down Trafalgar Street to Nia where we had a rather nice breakfast. Slightly pompously I told them afterwards how much the service and food had improved since I was last there. Then a lengthy period of wrapping and pricing Mum's framed watercolours, unframed watercolours,and her Giclée prints. This process rendered slightly more problematic by the fact that Mum is on heavy duty tranquillisers which appears to be the standard treatment for shingles. Although it is understandably making her a bit vague, it has eliminated the pain, which is great. Moments of realisation that prints that had been laboriously wrapped hadn't been signed and so on. Eventually, after splendid help from Lorraine, and a trip to Rymans from me, everything was wrapped and priced and packed into Lorraine's car and driven off to Janet and Ken's house. There Janet is presenting her ...

An angtröm of interest If you peer down the world's most powerful electron microscope in the USA's Department of Energy's National Center for Electron Microscopy at the Lawrence Berkeley National Library you might just be able to locate the interest I have in The British Royal Family. So instead of gawping like a peasant at the wedding I was writing Defenders of Guernsey till mid afternoon, but as I ate some species of noodle at lunch I did watch them kissing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Jane Mosse (now Fleming of course) was there too cleverly disguised as Camilla and I particularly enjoyed seeing the Lancaster, Hurricane and Spitfire fly over a rather lovely looking London. Only a churl would wish them anything but happiness as individuals. Anton and Anna's street involved in a large party, requiring them all to wear hats, so Anton dropped by to borrow my straw. Matt also dropped in later once I'd finished work and we discussed our harmonious business, be...

Eagle day Slightly monomaniac day. Worked continuously on what is now called Defenders of Guernsey , the 12k word story I am writing for the festival. It is a race against time, but I am pleased with its density of action and event which I think works for 10 year olds. Took a gym break in the afternoon, but feeling hot and had no gas in the tank. In the evening sauntered down to Lorriane's place to eat supper with her, Betty, Sam and Mark. They went their various ways, and Lorraine and I went for a walk dropping into The Signalman for a sedate glass of beer before returning home to her place and a welcome early night. A new sign that I am becoming middle aged: I downloaded Their Greatest Hits 1971-75 by The Eagles and am really enjoying it. I found them a bit boring at the time, but find them toe tappers now. Maybe it's all this sun.