under another sun

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 ...

Off to London today, after doing a few bits at home. Nostalgically mooched around some old haunts, and did a bit of shopping before meeting Matty boy and the folks from his agency in a pub called The Footman in Charles Street Mayfair. The man who manages it used to run The City Barge on Strand on the Green, which is where Matt knows him from. Half a dozen police cars outside it when I arrived, but it was nothing to do with the pub, which was full of lairy loadsamoney Tories. One of whom fresh from the party room we had been in was ironically wearing a Jeremey Corbyn teeshirt and Labour rosette, in crowing style. Hard to love, and Lucy fell into an animated conversation with him. Lots of nice folks arrived for our party, which was up in a private room which we went to a bit later on. Nice to see old pals like Slug, Karam, Steve Buckley, Dave the art director, as well as newer chums Lucy Silver, who is also a talented young poet, and Helen who I worked with from time to time who had th...

A delicious lightness and sense of freedom this morning on the way to work. Reading Violence by the   philosopher Slavoj Žižek which is quite entertaining. A warm day, and cheerfully anticipating being released back into the wild. Bumped into Slug on the way to work and we arranged to meet up at lunchtime in the Marquis Cornwallis pub near both the agencies. So having sent out a call to the universe for a bit of cash, instead of being let go, Keith and I were offered two months more work. Then we heard the stuff we'd been working on this week had gone down brilliantly with the client, and our stock is high. Keith and I went to discuss our options in the pub and decided to go for it, as this will soothe the Kenny coffer concerns in one hit and Keith felt he couldn't turn it down either. Both of us a bit rueful though as other projects will have to go on hold, such as finishing my blinking book which is so close. Having communicated this to the agency, I went back to the pub...

A sigh of relief again this morning. Lorraine and I driving to the station. Kissed Lorraine goodbye in the car, a cup of tea from  The Daily Grind  and onto the train. This morning there was no need to work, instead I played Patience on my laptop, and listened to Villette, which I finally finished on the way home in the evening.  The final chapters were extraordinarily good, however, and it is a fine book well deserving of its reputation. But I had to be in certain moods to read it, and not a book you can just dip into very easily. In fact it took me longer to complete than any book I can think of. Pleased I stuck to my guns though. A strange day of work. Still very tired, but worked hard for the first few hours, then the afternoon there was nothing much to be done. Went to a pub called The Boot briefly with a few folks, including Sarah who is just about to go on maternity leave. Chatted to Karam too. The boot empty and like going back in time to an old fashioned London...

An early start in teeming rain. Lorraine drove me to Brighton station hideously early, where I bought a travel card to St Pancras, but due to various cancellations, got an early train to Victoria and caught a bus instead. Crossed Russel Squeare in the rain, and then popped into Starbucks below the office for breakfast. Left in reception for ages, watching the unfriendly receptionists service their facebook accounts. Loads of new people there since I last worked in Tavistock Square, but a few old friends. Slug who called me in to work on the pitch was on holiday. Karam is imminently about to be a father. And Fernanda who I will be working with had a gall bladder operation last week.   No brief however, so spent the morning idling a bit. Managed to follow up on Island Review about my poem, which they accepted about a year ago. Their reply to me must have gone astray, and rather embarrassingly they had published it last week.  Nice to see The Remembering Cliffs get a breath...

A bit of an intense day. Feeling very tired, and working hard too with Fernanda the Brazilian art director. A sustaining lunch of baked potato, beans and cheese then, after work, walked off to The Poetry Cafe. On the way there I was crossing a road, and the lights changed. A psychopath in a Addison Lee cab almost killed me, driving right at me at high speed, and forcing me to leap out of the way.  I banged on his window and shared some of my opinions while the driver grinned at me infuriatingly. It rattled me.  Arrived at the poetry cafe early and met Robin and one of her old school friends. Our two other poets for the night arrived.  Rishi very much flavour of the month poetry wise, who happens to work at my old agency in Hammersmith, and Anja arrived from Switzerland. Lorraine arrived early to help and be supportive.  In the audience Mum, Lakshmi and her pal Rachel, Craig and Mel and Karam arrived. Good to see Lakshmi, who I've not seen for some time, and C...

Last day in London. Infuriating start to the day. A poem I have been slightly toying with suddenly clicked into place. The train and the journey disappeared as I typed my laptop in a rapturous flow state for one hour and ten minutes. Read it through and was delighted, convinced it was the best thing I have written in ages. I went to save it into my dropbox and by a bizarre and couldn't-do-it-again-if-you-tried kind of manoeuvre managed to delete the bastard thing irrevocably. I felt like crying. The morning's work was fairly sparse, so I managed to reassemble something like the final version once I had calmed down. It isn't the same though. Lunch with Slug and Karam, then a busier afternoon before being released back into the wild. Karam and Slug keen for an after work drink, however, and so I was happy to accompany them to the pub. Their respective other halves joined us there, and we had a jolly time. Eventually, the call of the seagull grew strong in me, and after ...

Started my Monday thinking about Tuesday, where I have another visit to the hospital. Up before seven and off to work. Much happier journey this morning, and did my relaxation meditation, drank nice tea from my flask and listened to a Good Reads podcast. First Matie pleased with herself, having cycled virtuously into the office. I had a good day's work developing a couple of concept routes and writing copy to apparent satisfaction. I was sitting opposite Karam who had a small plastic spoon, The Spoon of Doom, which has a smiley face in blue or a scowly one in red depending on his mood, projecting from a blue-tac base from the top of his screen. Such is the stuff office life is made of. Curious attack of nerves presenting in a small and not at all scary meeting. After work a 25 minute walk from Tavistock Square to The Jerusalem Tavern in Farringdon. This is five minutes from where I did some work at the end of last year. Nice little faux-ancient pub, with delicious beer. Ther...

More poems written on the train this morning. This week I have enjoyed listening to Music for 18 Musicians , by Steve Reich. The minimalist chugging a perfect thing to block out the chugging of the train and people talking. Karam boarded the train in London and sat next to me for 20 minutes, and we walked into work together talking about poetry and other artistic stuff. Tavistock Square looking beautiful the last few days, with a sombre English misty drabness that is quite lovely, and not really captured at all in the snap below. A fire drill in the morning, and everybody filed out through the nearby streets and gathered in a misty crescent. Otherwise working with Jerry is good, and he was showing me a few things I'd not seen, like photos of heavy chains coated with silk from silk worms. Enjoying the people in the office, and I am there next week too. Reached home zombie tired. Lorraine had survived a hideous day, and we sloped happily off to the Shahi and had a good meal. Ju...

Life resumes Up and off again. A day of finishing off the pitch work, a line here, a line there. Most of the work done by 2 o'clock and I went with First Matie (who was pleased to return to the normality of work after going to her grandfather's funeral) Karam and Keith out to lunch in a pub. Karam and I chatting about India on the way home, as he'd only recently returned. Had showed me some photos of the Punjab and the Golden Temple at Amritsar. Some absolutely excellent. His father's family are Punjabi, and he had some amazing shots of people, especially one of a hawkish firelit man in profile. Also had the opportunity in between jobs to chase the CD manufacturing people, delivery in two weeks apparently, which is not exactly speedy but early enough. All the pitch work done and out the door by the end of the day. Paused briefly to hoover up a couple of free drinks before coming home to Lorraine. We went out to celebrate in the local curry house. No work tomorrow for me...

Star struck Off without incident this morning. An enjoyable day, working with a guy called Steve on a COPD brief, and went to lunch with Karam and Keith having a fishfinger sandwich and a pint and chatted with First Matie in the afternoon. Turns out that Karam went to Warwick University like me, except some years later. Talking about familiar Leamington haunts. He also studied philosophy, but combined it with biochemistry and business studies. Ye Gods. Home on a slow train, and wading through the pouring rain, realised my shoes leaked. Lorraine out again, this time collecting Betty and bringing her home. After cleaning up copious cat poo and wee (Basil the chief suspect being unable to squeeze out of the cat flap through being too fat) I snuck off to get a takeaway curry in the rain, enjoying the opportunity to read the local paper and drink a small beer while waiting. Betty home and cheery, quickly changing into a furry jumpsuit called a onesie. And so to bed. Below Having that stran...

Up to Edgware Whimpering quietly to Lorraine about having to get up at 6:30. How is it that 7:00 is fine, but 6:30 is unutterably appalling? L often gets up at this time, and so her sympathy was rationed. Listening, during my morning's commute to the tracks from the CD. It is a work of towering genius, even if I do say so myself. Into town and another pleasant day's work, including presenting work to Germans about flea collars and writing more about short stature in children. A brief lunchtime interlude with Keith and Karam in a pub. Karam talking about high and lofty things. In the evening up to Edgware to see Mum and Mason and rather nice bottle of wine, kindly provided by Toby and Romy. A good deal of cheery sitting about and eating with them. Afterwards Mum showed me her flat cats, and puma heads, which I thought were particularly fine. Phone call with Tash, Matty boy's athletic acting sister whose wedding reception L and I went to in the summer, about doing some work t...

Gratefully back to work Up at 6:30 after a night of thunder and heavy rain, with Calliope curled up at the back of my knees. Of to Brighton station in the dark feeling sorry that I was not in Guernsey still. Typically, as Lorraine had a day off work, I had a job in London. Very pleased to have it, however. Had started my kindle trial download of The Guardian and read the paper on it as we trundled slowly off to London. The driver warning us of leaves on the line, or as I began to think of it, old chestnuts on the line. Reading the paper on the kindle is less good than having the actual paper, but means that you don't elbow your neighbours nor have a newspaper to dispose of afterwards. Working enjoyably with Keith on a tick and flea collar. Working in a room overlooking the plane trees of Tavistock square. From where I was sitting the whole window appeared full of leaves, falling around Gandhi's feet below like damp, tawny offerings. Inside, however, Keith kept drawing dogs spor...

Tense buns Out this morning to do a spot of shopping and the weather felt positively autumnal. Noted balefully that the price of prawns, which Calliope eats for breakfast, now rising. Food is becoming more expensive by the month. Fragmentary work for much of the day, although I took a briefing from Karam on the newsletter I am going to write about haemophilia, a welcome spot of work over the next few days. Enjoyed talking to Karam who had been to Japan recently, and was raving about it. He liked, among all the fascinating things how drivers on the buses the driver said goodbye to each person as they left. After this off to get a massage. Tension in my shoulders had been giving me a backache. Apparently I had tense buns too. Felt the traditional runover feeling afterwards, but it is definitely a healing thing, and wasn't as painful as it had been, and I didn't feel like sobbing this time either which was an improvement. Gloomy and bored tonight. I am so rarely feel bored that it...

In the Cittie Another night full of vivid dreams, and then up craving for a damn fine cup of Joe, once this and toast needs sated burned the Armenian flute music on Mum's laptop to take home, and Mum and I travelled into town on separate missions, saying goodbye at Baker Street. I went off to Tavistock Square and had a lunchtime beer with Pat and Karam. A good gossip and lots of laughs. Pat going into a school next year too, to talk about advertising to 16 year olds. Then a pleasant couple of hours wandering about in London free as a bird, pausing for a bite to eat and a browse in Foyles bookshop before making my way to meet Mick Ginty in Ye Old Mitre pub dating back to 1546. Satisfying to sit there in a busy, wood panelled room near and a portrait of Henry VIII and a real fire. One of those timeless London moments. Mick talking about the arrival of The Gintini , his and Lucy's baby due in about six weeks. Bob arrived and after an overlap, Mick left. Bob and I then proceeded o...

Friday at last Lots of pleasant chats with people during the day, but all through a fog of tiredness. I was discussing the sleep deprivation experiment I was conducting on my self with a writer called Karam, who explained how he'd actually done this himself for seven days and seven nights when he was about 20, after reading about how prisoners of war were able to endure all kinds of unspeakable things. He said that there were two bouts each day where he felt he absolutely had to sleep, but if he ignored this for ten minutes, he was able to carry on. As the days progressed these two bouts increased in intensity. Both laughing at the madness of inflicting this upon yourself. I decided to leave the agency at a little before two, to visit Mum. Mason was there when I arrived, and I was pleased to see Mum looking a lot brighter than yesterday, which was a relief. If I didn't feel so sorry for all the irritation her nose tube causes her there is something slightly comical about the be...