under another sun

Feeling reasonably fresh and non hungover this morning. Must be the fact I drank lots of water judiciously yesterday, in between the positively good for you vegan beers, and the vigorously funktastic free dance I was doing at the end of the night. Very, very tired though. A slow breakfast in the hotel, with Pat and Maureen, and John and Beth. It was a help yourself buffet breakfast, so I started with porridge, then ate a cooked breakfast for good measure, with cups of coffee and orange juice. Lorraine and I then went for a walk into town with Pat and Maureen, pausing to have a nice coffee somewhere. The space under the station runs with canal weirs, and is weirdly lit. Pat and I were speculating that it would be a good place for a murder story to start. Home again, and a brief snooze. Before regrouping with Beth and John, Pat and Maureen and heading off to the Town Hall Tavern, where we met Sam and Jade and Sian. Lorraine and Sian are already getting on splendidly.  I really ...

Sam and Jade's wedding day today. I squeezed in my suit, somewhat snugger than it was before a week in Edinburgh, and Lorraine donned her glad rags, and readied her fascinator. Despite glowering clouds first thing, the weather was sunny and cheerful for the wedding. We descended in the Schindler's lifts, as pointed out by Pat, into a taxi bound for Leeds Town Hall. John had walked off with Sam and his groomsmen early. And Beth had melted away in the morning, being a bridesmaid. So that when Lorraine, Pat, Maureen and I arrived by taxi. Sam with his groomsmen, some of the bridesmaids and other guests all looking very smart outside. We went inside to a simple but pleasant room inside for the ceremony itself. Lorraine very happy all day, and had tears of joy in her eyes when Jade appeared with her bridesmaids, which included Beth. I felt very happy for them both too, and found everything quite moving. Sam and Jade looked lovely. Jade in a simple but lovely white dress, and t...

Blearily, everyone got up and started cleaning the flat, before we had to vacate it at 11-ish. Lorraine having to go of and get her hair washed and set ready for tomorrow's wedding first thing too. Fond farewells with Amy, who is staying in Edinburgh, and then the rest of us cabbed to Edinburgh station. Fond farewells with Kitty and Matt there, before Beth, Lorraine and I caught the train to York, before scrambling, heavily laden, across the platforms to catch the trans pennine to Leeds. Mixed feelings about leaving Edinburgh. Quite nice to be able to relax, but also lots left to see and experience there. I really liked it. The Hilton Double Trees hotel is near the station, but we all arrived tired. Here I had a much needed shower, and Beth and Lorraine nipped back to the station to collect Pat and Maureen, and John who had travelled up with them from Brighton. Later we had a cheery meal in the hotel restaurant, and then went up to the 13floor where there is a Sky Bar, that is ...

Sam's birthday today. When we all got up, (I felt a mite perkier) and Lorraine and I had packed, we taxied to a French cafe near Leeds Station and had a really nice brunch. Lorraine and I had savoury pancake galettes, very tasty, and teas. Then to another cafe by the station where Sam likes the coffee (Sam takes coffee quite seriously). Jade talking about gender in a very interesting way. It was a sunny day but there were lots of clumps of dried mud on the streets, and inside the station had a cordoned off area which was very muddy indeed. A straggle of Leeds open air festival types, looking muddy and exhausted, were in there.  Fond farewells with Sam and Jade. Despite feeling ill, I'd really enjoyed our visit, and Lorraine had loved seeing Sam of course. Into the train and off down to London. An uneventful journey, listening to audiobooks. Then St Pancras to Brighton, fairly painlessly too. Nice to be home, nevertheless. John was there with Beth. He'd just finished his...

Woke Lorraine up in the night to tell her I thought I might be dying as I was suddenly feeling very poor indeed. The sudden sniffles I'd had before mutated into a fairly horrid bug, suspiciously similar to the one the Tobster was sporting last weekend. Luckily I survived the night. And spent the rest of the day glued to Sam and Jade's sofa. Sleeping twice. Strangely though, I still enjoyed talking to Sam and Jade a good deal. Sam seemed quite pleased that I was able to be relaxed enough in their new flat just to simply crash out and not worry about it.  I like their flat, which is purpose built. They are on the top floor and it affords views of distant hills. In the back garden of a house nearby an Italian flag flying at half mast, possibly to do with the recent earthquake. They took Lorraine out for a long canal walk in the afternoon, which gave me a chance to sleep heavily. When they came back the ordered a delivery curry, which was rather nice. Lorraine and Sam got to pl...

Up to Leeds this morning. A cab to the station, and then up to St Pancras. Cheery to be travelling. Lorraine and I have spent quite a bit of time on trains together lately. At St Pancras a cheeky lunch of salad, then up to Leeds from Kings Cross. Noticing again great queue of people wanting to have a Harry Potter themed photograph with the luggage trolly disappearing into the wall at platform 13 and three quarters. Amazing that a work of fiction for children can be built into a station. You have to take your pointy hat off to J.K. Rowling. A pleasant journey to Leeds, where it was raining in proper Yorkshire fashion. Reached Sam and Jade's new flat fine by taxi as it is quite far out of the town centre. After a nice cup of tea, and a tour of the house, a walk uphill and a decent pun with food on the no-nonsense street name of Town Street, which rather tickled me. A few pints of Timothy Taylor Boltmaker, and some grub there. A celebration of Sam's imminent Birthday and also ...

Up, fairly slowly, Lorraine and I able to sleep reasonably well despite the Dionysian throbbing coming from the nearby nightclub. This probably due to a bit of proper air obtained on the moors yesterday. After checking out of the Cosmopolitan, we mooched about in town for a while, pausing for a cup of coffee and to buy Sam some beard clippers, for his beard is on the wild and woolly side. Then to the station, where we met First Matie, her brother Andy and Sam and Jade. From there we went to a pub called The Town Hall Tavern, where we had a good Sunday lunch washed down with pints of refreshing Timothy Taylor Yorkshire beer, one of which was the champion beer Boltmaker . Nice to meet Andy, who lives in Leeds having stayed there after studying history at the university some time ago. A relaxed and happy afternoon. A cheery roast lunch, which I followed with a nice apple crumble. Then we all surged out into the rain. I nipped back and collected the case from the hotel, and returned to...

Lorraine and I began the day with a cooked breakfast in the hotel. We'd not slept well due to the throbbing of a nearby nightclub till 4am, but were much revived by many cups of tea and a big breakfast. Then off to meet Sam and Jade at the bus station, where we caught a bus which passed through satisfyingly northern places like Shipley and Bingley until we eventually arrived at Keighley. A really good way to see something of Yorkshire in the unexpected sunshine. Past towns with old mill chimneys, and houses made out of honey-coloured stone. Here we changed and caught another bus to Haworth, getting off near a little railway station where there was evidence of steamtrains, much to Lorraine's excitement. Up through a pretty little park called Central Park to Haworth and then, still going uphill, past lots of antique shops, souvenir shops, and cafes.  One was called Yorkshire Relics, which made me think of Matt. We stopped in one place for a coffee and piece of apple sponge cake...

Up and off to Leeds, by train. Somewhat fraught journey trying to get to the train on time at Kings Cross. However we made it up to Leeds in one piece, and trundled the case off to a hotel five minutes away from the station called the Cosmopolitan, which appeared to be surrounded by nightclubs. The room fine, however. We had a micro snooze then out to meet Sam and Jade near the station.  Sam reliably easy to spot.  They took us to a nice pub whose name escapes me, where we had a drink, and finding a table and having so much to say, we ordered food there too. Reminded as I bought a round of beers and happily examining my change, of the more civilised pricing for beer in the North. Both Sam and Jade seem to be flourishing as a couple, and in their work. And interesting for me to hear what they are bending their intellects to philosophically as far as I can understand it that is.

Sam and Beth both graduating today. We were up in Leeds to be with Sam as everyone, including Beth thought this was fairer, as Beth's performances have been well supported by family over the last few years - and the noble pursuit of philosophy is not usually a spectator sport. Lorraine and up and breakfasting this morning in the hotel. Then a short zoom about Leeds because, inexplicably, I decided I needed a white shirt and a tie for Sam’s graduation. A sweltering day, and Lorraine raging at her hair as she was trying to straighten it. However we caught a taxi to the university, where we met a suave looking Sam and Jade, and Gary and Sophie – Sam’s dad and his fiancée. We wandered into a tent and all had a couple of glasses of fizz before shuffling into a large hall in the University where all the philosophy and related subjects graduands metamorphosed into cloaked and flapping graduates. I found myself clapping everyone with gusto, and trying not to think about Harry Potter. Swe...

So up in Edgware and off to The Moon Under Water Weatherspoons for a cheeky breakfast with Mum and Mas. Morning drinkers chucking like magpies in sunshine of the the open windows. We contented ourselves with teas. Breakfasts fine, although Lorraine’s eggs Benedict poached eggs were hard as stones. Fond farewells, Mum off to Canada this week. Lorraine drove us up the M1 to Leeds listening to a Mayo and Kermode podcast and various musics. Stopped off for a cup of tea and a breather at a service station near the National Forest near Nottingham. Arrived late in the afternoon at Sam and Jade’s new fourth floor flat in Headingly in Leeds. An exceptionally nice little flat, on top of a big old building in a tree lined crescent. They have a gorgeous window seat level with the top part of the tree canopy, looking down on the street and a spire on the horizon. Just the sort of place to sit and cogitate on the challenges of analytical philosophy.  A taxi then to our hotel, driven by a ...

The mornings spent shopping with Lorraine. Shopping for me as it happened. For I needed a new watch and a new wallet. I have very clear criteria for the sort of wallet I needed. It had to be green, although a green wallet cannot be had it seems. More successful in buying a nice Danish watch with numerals called a Skagen. A real pleasure too to wander around town on a rainy Monday with Lorraine and Sam, who we met in Cafe Valerie. I really enjoyed visiting Leeds this time, and particularly seeing Sam in his northern haunts. Leeds is an amazingly great place to shop, with affluent arcades, malls and converted industrial buildings all crammed with shops. There's brass in Leeds and no mistake. After hours of shopping I had my nice watch, and we had said goodbye to Sam. I was really pleased Sam and Lorraine got time to spend together. Eventually we headed off to the station after stopping for an hour in a cafe to chill. Passed a young man walking his ferret on a lead, which was not...

To Leeds today. Up early and we met Betty at the station, who thoughtfully stopped to buy us coffee, before heading off to teach. First leg to St Pancras, and we'd left very early  contend with delays in the after another stormy night. But we made it to Kings Cross with time to spare. Caught our train and we had a pleasant journey, Lorraine found our Japanese boiled sweets, and I read On Writing , by Stephen King. About 25 minutes from Leeds the train stopped dead, as the overhead power lines had failed, due to the rain. An hour there before we made our way back to Doncaster. By the time we had reached there the problem was sorted, and we boarded a train which took us on to Leeds. A two hour delay in total. However all good when we reached Leeds. Sam met us from the station and took us to the nearby Metropolitan hotel. It was really good to see him. A cup of tea in the room, before sloping off to a nearby pub. A few drinks there, before being joined by Jade. Eventually we made ...

The owls are not what they seem... is one of my favourite quotes from Twin Peaks. But Leeds, it transpires, is full of owls. The arms date from the Corporate Seal of 1626, when the Borough of Leeds was first incorporated by Royal Charter of Charles I, when the wealthy Sir John Savile, of Howley Hall near Batley, was elected the first alderman of the Borough. He was also M.P. for Yorkshire. The owls come from Savile family's coat of arms. Up gingerly this morning, and Lorraine and I met Sam downstairs for breakfast. I had not slept particularly well: too much to drink the night before, and the wind had been wuthering in the windows. We consumed a huge breakfast and then Sam and Lorraine went to buy a coat and I went to the Art Gallery. This proved to be closed, so I spent a happy hour before it opened rubbernecking in Leeds, which is much more attractive when not viewed in the rain. In fact it has magnificent buildings, and is a magnificent city. Nice streetnames too, including Swin...