under another sun

Woke up at ten past five, just falling asleep again and some infernal bird, a gull or a crow, began beaking at the skylight causing Brian to stand under and miaow. So I got up just after six to make an early start on some my own writing.   Annoyingly, I was too bleary to think clearly. Later on, however, my brain clicked into some kind of gear and I embarked on some experimental writing, about a thousand words worth.   Robin and I have been invited by Lou Tondeur to talk to University of Brighton students about Planet Poetry. Paid too... Very flattered. Also offered some freelance, but my enthusiasm for this required an electron microscope to detect.     Waited for someone to talk to about painting the house, who didn't arrive. Collected some stuff from the pharmacy... Very busy with people queuing outside probably because of the bank holiday. A call from Anton, wondering if there was some time for a game of bones this weekend, and an email from Simon.    F...

Finally able to focus on my writing this morning. Then off to Lewes to meet up with Robin, Charlotte, Stephen, SJB and Lou, and Antony Mair among others for the Finished Creatures reading, held at the Depot in Lewes. I got to meet Jan Heritage for the first time, and was chatting with a nice poet from Ealing called Oliver Comins. Lots of good poems read from the new issue. When it came to it I forgot even to say my name, nor plug Planet Poetry and read one by Tess Jolly, whose work I like lots, and then my Mezquita de Cordoba. Sarah and Lou making me laugh both being in the same issue and writing about the same subject, without knowing the other had done so.  Interestingly, Jan saying she had broken her own rule in publishing my poem, as she doesn't like printing the word God with a capital letter.  It was a gorgeous day, and it was great fun to do some poetry, and then sit in the sun chatting with poet pals afterwards. Felt like a holiday suddenly, and Friday afternoons ...

Made good progress on a poem first thing, and then did some final recording with Robin for the season finale of Planet Poetry. We will be back in late September. We have done 17 episodes in all, which isn't bad. Robin a bit stressed about her party this weekend, but otherwise cheery. I spent a fair amount of time editing afterwards. Received a copy of Finished Creatures magazine, edited by Jan Heritage, with my Mezquita de Córdoba poem in it, I wrote after falling in love with the interior of the Mosque there . Pals like Antony, Tess, Charlotte, SJB and Louise all in it, so I was pleased to be part of the club. My poem, as is SJB's is printed sideways, so as not to interfere with the line length, which is nice. It arrived in a beautiful envelope with a bookmark placed in it on the page of my poem, which struck me as a very Japanese style attention to detail. Went for a long walk, and was phoned by Valérie while I was by the side of the hill fort, briefing me on a job to be sta...

Off to London today, finishing Jeremy Page's book of short stories,  London Calling on the way there. I loved it, and as Jeremy is about my age, (and had gone to Warwick too) I completely identified with some of his work. I sent him an email saying how much I'd enjoyed it. Also enjoying Louise Tondeur's collection,  Unusual Places which I dip into from time to time. I arrived at Victoria time to to pop into Tate Britain, where I at last got to use my membership card again. I glanced around at the Edward Burne-Jones exhibition, but I found I wasn't much in the mood for pre-Raphaelite malarkey. I went into the Turner Prize 2018, each of the artist doing a video installation, so utterly the wrong thing to pop into for a cheeky twenty minutes. I did get a proper laugh at some work by Charlotte Prodger, film of a stern of a ship at sea which made you feel woozy, looking at the sliding horizon. Suddenly there was voiceover, but so risibly pretentious that it made me burst...

Up and did some work today, as Lorraine was having to sort some stuff out too. Then we walked down in the afternoon to Grand Central where Louise Tondeur launched informally her short story collection, Unusual Places. It was quite an informal affair, though lots of poetry pals were there, Louise's wife Sarah Barnsley obviously, but also Jeremy, Charlotte, Robin, Stephen, Janet Sutherland and John McCullough among others. Lou read a very good extract from one of the stories, as young Zach encouraged people to buy the book. Lorraine and I did, naturally. Lorraine and I talked to Bob the husband from the husband and and wife team behind Cultured Llama the publishers. Then home, after this pleasant interlude, before we headed out again to have an surprise birthday bite organised by Klaudia for Anton. We met in a newly-opened burger joint called Patty and Bun. Anne, Anna, my excellent godbairns Klaudia and Oskar and L and I tucked into various burgers and had a cheery meal. Nice to se...

Up and doing things in the garden. The drought has done horrid things to it, and there is little point in planting anything at the moment, as it won't survive us going away on holiday. To B&Q where we bought a willow lattice that fits perfectly over the bars of our Juliette balcony. Which means that, once the bathroom is done, we can sleep with the doors open to the sky, without the danger of Brian flinging himself off onto the rooftop, only for me to have to rescue him. In the afternoon off to Eastbourne, for a summer garden party. It is great that Lorraine didn't have to work today, as she normally does on Sunday. We drove alongside the downs, which are unusually golden coloured and dry. Lovely party it was too, and catered, so there were smart young men opening the door and leading us to the garden, and handing out finger food and topping up your drinks. Robin and Nick have done amazing things with their garden, which is huge and has been elegantly designed. Had lo...

Took my laptop on the train and worked on my poems. The first Wednesday I'd not had a poetry reading since I've been working at Paddington, and quite a relief.  Still fighting for scraps of stuff to do at the agency, there will be an absolute torrent of work at some point, but it it all bottlenecked and I'm slightly dreading what will happen when it comes uncorked. Luckily I had a few things to do, such as write some stuff for an interview Louise Tondeur is doing on her site, and writing a bit of blurb for Tess Jolly's new pamphlet. This I did quietly. Sloped off for a walk along the canals at lunch, chatting briefly with Mum, and to Anton and Carl. Not spoken to Carl for some time, and it was good to be able to catch him. Despite not having much to do at work, I am still finding the commute and long days tiring. Maybe its something to do with the flu jabs Lorraine and I had at the weekend, both our arms are still a bit painful. Home on the train, reading a chapter ...

Up with the keener avian fraternity this morning, and off after Lorraine had very kindly ironed a shirt for me at six nasty in the morning. Working in the train and to Chiswick where I met Matty and had a most of the day meeting with two of our nice clients about the work we'll do based on the Chad trip. Nice to be working in Chiswick, I can see where I used to live in my less than happy year before moving down to Brighton. But coming back again regularly is beginning to make me feel nice about the place again. I spent many years living in Chiswick. After the meetings a quick beer in the Tabard with Matt discussing various subjects before leaving for  Brighton. Home briefly before going out with Lorraine to the Red Roaster Cafe to see Sarah Barnsley read. We were very early so found a little pub that served cocktails at your table, called the Plotting Parlour, which we liked a lot. It was like a mini-date. A reasonable Pighog night. I read in an open slot. I did Someone-else...