under another sun

Recording bits with Robin and spending a few hours editing the podcast into final shape, and then taking a small but significant first step on getting my accounts ready. Lorraine working from home first thing. Viewing bookings for our open house pouring in today. Long chat with Mum, and then off in the evening down to The Batty to meet up with Anton, returned from a brief business trip to Spain and sporting an excellent Guernsey jumper he had bought from Le Tricolour on the island. Just lurked about very local pubs gossiping. At one point drifting into the Evening Star where I had a nice pint of stout, despite still being barred from entry and The Lord Nelson, where we had a pint of pilsner made by fine local brewer Harveys. Surprisingly, the pilsner was an affront to the tastebuds, but we struggled one down nevertheless before leaving for home.  Fond farewells with Anton, then I jumped on a bus and was able to watch a bit of Masterchef on TV with Lorraine, before we sloped off to ...

Up and working on the horror story for a bit this morning, after I had prepared three invoices. At eight o'clock the next door neighbours gardener came to mow the lawn. A tiny thing I could have done with my human powered mower in under three minutes. This job took a professional gardener half an hour's noise pollution with the world's noisiest strimmer, followed by half an hour of electric mowing. Baffling, and deafening. However, off to Brighton, and there caught a train up to meet mum in town. Reading a Thomas Ligotti story and translating something into English for Val on the train. We met in the Salisbury, and just hung out there having a couple of drinks and eating, gave her a card for Mother's day, and a couple of ciders and we shared a bowl of nachos and shot the breeze. Mum reminded me that Dave had once had a shop in St Peter Port, which I had forgotten if I ever knew it. Nice to reminisce and chat with Mum. Fond farewells after a few hours and I hopped on a...

Up to London again. Working on the train on poems this morning, trying to shuffle the poems of The Nightwork pamphlet into some kind of order as the deadline for getting the stuff ready for the pamphlet is looming. A happy day's work and I went to Foyles, which was a treasure trove for books when I was a lad.  I came out with four books, the new Forward Anthology of poetry, a first collection by a poet called Tara Bergin which looked quite interesting,  and Fictions by Borges which I heard being discussed on Radio 4. Reading my final purchase, the ubiquitous Simon Armitage's Selected Poems . I have had a bit of a stupid prejudice against his work till now and I found myself mildly enjoying the dozen or so poems I read. Great to be home and not have to do more work. Lorraine had cooked a chicken tagine which was full of lemony goodness, and we relaxed in front of Masterchef before taking a walk in the park after dark too. The air was thick with pollen, and even I found mys...

Bad nightmares last night. Lorraine up at 6, and made me a cup of tea before leaving. A quick early morning walk around the park as it wasn't raining, before working on poems for a few hours. Plus re-sending the emails that never arrived yesterday. Must be a full moon thing, like speaking to Bob, who called yesterday, and was cut off in three seconds, and called today and after three seconds I had no reception for some time, and so we did not speak again. Later I picked up mended shoes and popped into the Brighton Art gallery where I saw an exhibition called SHOOT THE WRX paintings and bits of film by Jeff Keen (1923-2012) who had lived in Brighton for a good deal of his life. I enjoyed this exhibition, which melded influences of everything from abstract expressionism to Marvel magazines. I will return. Especially as I only realised that WRX was 'works' on the way home. More work this afternoon, but in danger of rushing the manuscript. Poetry will not be rushed, so I a...

Feeling surprisingly okay this morning after last night out Brighton. Lorraine left and then I chorused goodbye to Dawn (arf) before setting off.   Another fairly quiet day in the agency, working steadily with Jerry. Wild rain in the afternoon and an End of Days sky thick with leaves blown high up in the sky from Tavistock Square, now down to its rags and tatters. Home at a decent time, eating Lorraine's comfort food of mashed potatoes and watching Masterchef with Lorraine.  Nowt much to report, from a ho-hummish day, but good to be home out of the heavy rain.  Below an unimpressive picture of the weather squeezed through a crack in the office window.

What torpedoes? At last decided on the CD producers we are going to use: Brighton's own Modo . So full steam ahead now, and damn the torpedoes hissing through the water. Conversations and email with Matt and Dipak and Richard about the launch concert in February. The Shakespeare Trio will be on the bill too. Next step this week is to finalise the cover, deliver the master CD to Modo, revamp relevant websites and, contact The Beacon charity to whom I want to give some of the proceeds. Went to see Janet and Ken this afternoon, popping in for a chat after vising the Real Patisserie and arming myself with pieces of patisserie, guts sufficiently recovered to snap down one wee tarte tatin with them accompanied by a cup of Earl Grey tea. All rather civilised. Generally put the world to rights for some time. Janet managing with her arm, and looking far perkier than when I last saw her. Janet suggesting I might find someone to offer occasional admin support, and knows just the person. S...