under another sun

A tad wan this morning. Despite that, to the Boot this evening. Tonight's assembly included Matthew, Delores, Steve, and Pat and Maureen. Maureen loves Delores, who brings out the naughtiness in her. And everyone loves Matthew's wee dog Rumi despite the fact he growls ferociously at larger dogs. Most dogs are larger. Nice to get to know Matthew a bit better, a really interesting guy, and a cheery evening. Had a burger there, which was perfectly decent and served with lots of salad.   After a lively night in Brighton with Anton, I drank a non-alcoholic Guinness just to see what it was like. Actually very similar and I enjoyed it despite Delores mocking me somewhat. I did wash it down with a Proper Job beer afterwards. Home very early. Below Maureen with Rumi on her lap.

Friday. Breakfast, then the gym, as Sylwia was here. Then to the Lanes Eatery, where I met Lorraine for coffee and a snack before she pushed off to take Pat and Maureen some fish and chips. An afternoon of fruitful writing for me, feeling energised.   Re-booting in the Old Boot Inn this evening, where we met Brian and Yvonne, Chris, Delores, Debbie and Carole. Yvonne's cataract operation done without seeming to leave a trace. Strapped on the nosebag there too and washed it down with a couple of pints of Harvey's Old Ale. Lorraine and I home to watch The Traitors. An excellent Friday. Below, blurry in the boot with Yvonne.   

Up late this morning, and when I did get to my desk, I lacked focus. But even a non-productive day is a thousand times better than having to drag myself to an agency.  A lunchtime walk, the snow all but gone, but the high fields were white. Getting chest pains above my heart from an exercise I was doing yesterday that had slightly strained one of the muscles. Despite me knowing what it was, I did not enjoy the occasional sudden stabbings. Hypochondria is a difficult business. In the afternoon joined my wee understory conversation group with poet colleagues. I was underprepared for some reason and not particularly in the mood. But I enjoyed the conversation, and hearing some other people's work.  Delores chatting with Lorraine downstairs. Her Christmas made difficult by finding that one of her lodgers had died overnight. An upsetting business.  I popped out in the very chilly evening to complete my 10k paces, walking down by the sea. Delores borrowed my Natural History of ...

In bed, and plotting the day when Lorraine heard that Delores had just discovered that her lodger had died overnight.  Lorraine nipped up the road to support her, and soon Kate and Andrew arrived too. It is heartening that there is so much kindness to be found in Seaford.   I stayed at doing assorted house cleaning laundry etc. And when Lorraine got back we did some more sorting of the spare room. Dog tired again today. Rallied after a delicious soup Lorraine made.  To St Michael's in Lewes this evening to see The Lewes Singers , directed and conducted by Nick Haughton, Robin's other half. Robin sings alto with the choir. As well as a fine choir, there was a chamber organist and a string quartet led by Julia Bishop . By some fluke Lorraine and I got to sit in the front pew, with Lorraine about a yard away from Julia Bishop, who led the performance of a barnstorming Winter from Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Nick an excellent conductor. I particularly loved their version of The L...

Lorraine up at six this morning, and made off to help Beth work in Churchill Square, organising the Santa and Elves grotto. I got up early, and having finished all podcast stuff, was able to revel in some time to do writing. Got settled and then had a call from Maureen worrying about Pat's catheter.  However, when speaking to me she called the local nurse who nipped round and helped. Calls between me and Maureen, and Lorraine. Then the window cleaners arrived buffeting my windows with their long hosed broom things, then Sylwia arrived, and bustled about the place. Annoying how such minor interruptions can disrupt my concentration but I managed to press on with The Kenniad, after having a chat with Mum.  The Kenniad is in five sections, four of them now in decent drafts, the last one needs me to do a bit more research before I can start it. It is unlike anything I've done before.  Lunchtime saw me nipping to Osborne's for a pensioners fish and chips for two. Read the clipp...

Low energy still. This afternoon Mariscat put up The Sampler on their website . But off this evening (after a judicious afternoon snooze) to Eastbourne, collected Pat and Maureen, and Delores and Lorraine drove us off to the theatre to see Vagabond Skies a musical about the life of Van Gogh.   We met James and Julie there too.  Lorraine and I had seen it as a kind of work in progress a few years ago, but now it was a full musical-length production. It really worked I think,  and the cast, directed by Sarah Dormandy did a great job. Richard Lock, playing Vincent, was excellent and the songs were strong. Obviously all our eyes on Beth, who played a prostitute, and in the second half had a solo as a Nun who was looking after Van Gogh. She did this really well. It is so great to see her on stage, doing what she loves so well. Home, and dropped off Delores, who had already seen it earlier in the week. She loved it, and was very kind and friendly to Pat and Maureen. Pat and Ma...

A fairly relaxed day, though after chatting with Mum this morning, Lorraine and I ventured off to Paradise Park, with the life size velociraptors outside, so a particular favourite. There we bought some pond liner, cucumber seeds, a some propagation trays. A sunny afternoon, and I retrieved the summer garden furniture from the garage, and after assembling it and seeing some rather fat shiny abdomen spiders make off, Lorraine and I sat outside for an hour or so, on a lovely warm afternoon, listening to the irritable seagulls overhead.   In the evening, now light because of the clocks springing forward, Lorraine mooched off to her book group. It has been an absolute boon in helping her meet some lovely people in Seaford. I walked her to a house on Marine Parade, opposite the sea, carrying an aromatic tray of date and apple treats Lorraine had baked. In her bag was a bottle of wine, the book, and a swimming costume, as there was a pool.  I went for a bit of a walk by the sea, and...

Spoke to Mum this evening, who was just back from Watford hospital, Mason having difficulty walking as they were going into The Waggon and Horses. I planning to go up there tomorrow anyway, but Lorraine said she would drive me and collect Mas from the hospital and so on. However, the hospital got a taxi for him and discharged him in the evening.   Up not too early. A breakfast, and as we readied ourselves to go out, Lorraine discovered that the concrete dryad type statue, had been knocked over and broken by the kid I saw running off yesterday who was using it to scoot over the fence into next door's garden. We went around to see that Joy and Jim were all well, and this helped Joy solve the mystery of a a cigarette and a drinks can she had found in her garden. Nothing appears to have been stolen. Joy and Jim very friendly. A low flying Spitfire flew over the top of the street as we left Joy's house. Magnificent to see it so close. Then into the car to collect Delores, who fancie...

Morning of tidying up and hoovering. Delores came around for some lunch and a lunchtime glass of wine. She melted away in the afternoon as we were all going to the same party tonight at Kate and Andrew's house, which is near Blatchington Pond.  Kate is part of the reading group and she and Lorraine get on well, and on arrival Kate gave us each a written question to ask people, as there were lots of people who didn't know each other. Odd, and as I didn't have my glasses. But it proved a good icebreaker -- although I already knew the hosts and Adele and Patrick and Delores. Lots of nice folks there, and spoke to most of them. Enjoyed lurking in the garden despite the coolness, and saw some bats flitting about overhead. Apparently a night for the Perseids, but didn't see any. The first time I'd had a chance to chat to Andrew despite meeting him a few times in a group of people. And swapped numbers with a musician called Steve who is moving to Lewes. Had a really good t...

Some good writing this morning, and enjoying breakfast with Lorraine.  A walk this afternoon and found myself strolling along the misty seafront, empty and fairly mysterious. Passed one of the little seating huts, and met Delores who was sipping some wine out of a glass she had just bought from an antique shop. Sat with her for half an hour chatting, and looking back at the low cloud hiding Seaford Head. A misty murky day. Had a conversation about her recovering from the grief of losing her daughter, and how she has been very down but now is feeling lots brighter. Had a laugh with her, as the cross channel ferry slid mistily by. By chance Delores had arranged with Lorraine to come around for lunch tomorrow.  Struggling a bit still with the adjusting the diet business. Not so much eating differently, as it is not that much of a leap, but gloomy about my health generally and feeling I need to step up the exercise and really stick to this new way of eating to lose weight.  S...

Up earlyish and off to Seaford Station where we met our new friend Delores, and zoomed off to Brighton to see the Van Gough live experience in the Brighton Dome.  Van Gough images projected onto vast screens. Sometimes these had been animated. Sometimes the crows flapped  or a windmill turned or cherry blossom fell or, worse, a train chugging along a track. Also irritating was how the images had been cut to fit the music, so that the music was prioritised and not the visual work. Erik Satie being used twice (I love me a bit of Satie) and a bit of Japanese music to hamfistedly underline the cherry blossom picture and his copies of Japanese prints. Also a few plonking computer generated stars before his pictures with stars in, and film of corn to remind us what the Cornfield with Crows was about and so on. While it was lovely to be immersed by his images, I found the experience annoying. Upstairs section was weak. A few artificial sunflowers in an infinity room of mirrors, and a...