under another sun

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...

Woke up a little bleary after arriving at Gatwick not long before midnight. Sam had waited up for us and it was nice to see him, all tanned from his holiday.  Up naturally early as we are still on Greek time, two hours ahead of the UK.  Pat and Maureen are here, having stayed for the two weeks to enjoy being in Brighton, and looking after the cats. Sam taking great care of them, and took them to the pier with Beth while we were away.  A few work and podcast matters to get on with, getting in touch with Keith and an agency pal to indicate readiness for work pencilled in, and with Robin about podcast matters.  At lunchtime we drove to Eastbourne with Pat and Maureen. Maureen wanted to do some shopping in C&H fabrics, and we each had a pot of tea and a scone in the C&H cafe. Lorraine and I also bought a fish jigsaw. Maureen, who I had spent a good deal of time joking with, quite ribald over my misshapen scone.  I saw them into their train at Eastbourne, and...

Up early, with a distinct hangover courtesy of Anton, and after a bit of frenzied social meeja about the podcast, made off to Preston Park station, pausing at the daily grind for a cup of tea. Gingerly sipping lots of water as I train hopped to Elstree and Borehamwood station. And from there a brisk walk to the Waggon and 'orses, where I ordered a medicinal Guinness before Mum and Mas arrived shortly after. Mum had reserved a seat near the fire, which hadn't been lit when we got there. Many people got involved in struggling to keep it alight.    Nice chat for a few hours there by the intermittently flickering fire. Mas wandering off as usual to talk to randoms, and Mum and I having a chance to talk. Mas saying he wants to advise the Democrats on how to regain control of their own party.  Mum saying she feels a bit lonely -- which waves of Covid doesn't help. Decent fish and chips at the pub, which Mum and I ate. Mas ordered a chicken Caesar Salad, but said that next time ...

Up with the slightly more hungover sparrows this morning. Bought some bread, and Lorraine and I had a cup of tea before I made off to London to see the newly-arrived Tobster, Mum and Mas. Onto the train, only about half the people wearing masks these days. While I was waiting for the Mill Hill train at Farringdon, Mum texted and said Mason was insisting on leaving for the Waggon and Horses immediately.  Luckily the train I jumped onto stopped at Elstree, so I went there instead and walked from Elstree to the ancient Roman road Watling Street, headed north and soon discovered them in the Waggon and Horses with glasses of beer and cider and nibbling chips. Good to see Toby with my own eyes. He looked fairly fresh considering, and his flight over a couple of days before had been fine. He had been wandering for miles through London yesterday and had met up with his pal Mike. We immediately made plans for him to come down to Brighton next week.  Mum on good form, Mas taciturn, alth...

Up early for a Saturday, and off to meet Mum and Mas at the Waggon and Horses. Left in loads of time, but the traffic came to a standstill several times on the M25. It took us almost three hours to get there. I had called Mum beforehand saying we would be late, but they left early, and so had been waiting for us there for an hour and a half.  Good to see them however. They had been picking at a bit of food and having a slow drink. We all had lunch, Lorraine drinking lots of coke and coffee to keep awake for the return leg. All very friendly there still. Something wrong with the beer however, and I ordered a pint of Guinness I had to return. It was replaced by a slightly luke warm lager. Something wrong with the temperature of their taps.  Mason talking to one of the young guys there with beefy arms, about Arnold Schwarzenegger and passed on a bit of Arnie's bodybuilding advice. Lorraine and I ate chips and chicken wings, which were quite nice. When it was time to go, Mum jokin...

Up early and working on some words for Helen for the opera. Then I donned my walking gear and walked down to Brighton Station to meet Anton. It was a cool but sunny day, perfect for walking.  Lots of police about at Brighton Station, as some idiot had tried to set off a improvised bomb on a train at Parsons Green in west London. Anton saying he felt in better shape than ever, and bounded off like a young gazelle at Balcombe.  We did a circular route, through the lovely lanes then across country fields and through a few farms to the Ardingly reservoir.  Anton shared his lunch with me there, as I mysteriously hadn't brought any food. We walked around it and then back up into Balcombe. A lovely walk, and a perfect day for walking, although we had to skirt the edge of a field full of noisy cattle. Anton let me go ahead as a decoy, then sprinted past me with some alacrity to safety. Ardingly reservoir quite full, and with signs about poisonous blue green algae in the water...

A lovely bright day. Lorraine and I met Sam and did the Darn Walk , much of it alongside the River Allan rushing through the woods, and then skirting a golf course down to Dunblane. A beautiful walk. One favoured by Robert Louis Stevenson, and a cave by the river is said to have inspired Ben Gunn's cave in Treasure Island. Then into Dunblane, which seemed a very pleasant quiet town. Terrible that for outsiders it still is most famous for the deadliest mass shooting in UK history where tiny children and a teacher were massacred by a crazed gunman in 1996. Seeing the little town makes you think about the trauma it endured. Everyone must have known someone who was directly affected. We had a nice hobbits' second breakfast there (having eaten a banana first thing) and then went down to the little station to go two stops to Stirling.  Enjoyed seeing a poster for the trains with the headline, 'Your ticket to fun filled places, and excited wee faces' . Into Stirling, al...