under another sun

So up at the De Trafford hotel and eating a Chef and Brewer breakfast downstairs before packing and getting ourselves sorted for the big wedding to be held at a farm near the village of Wincle, south of Macclesfield and in the edge of the peak district national park. All rather idyllic and a gorgeous drive there too. As we were early as we turned off the main road, near the farm, we squinted into the Royal Oak only to see Nicola and First Matie climbing out of a car. We parked up and had a cheery reunion over coffee and then a beer, and were joined by Lucy and Sean, other pals of Matt's. Then we then drove into what was described as the middle of nowhere and kept going through some achingly beautiful countryside and arrived at Barleyford Farm. Family friends of Matt and Isy who were getting married. The French Bloke and Craig pointing the way, both fairly refreshed already, to the barn field where we parked up and found our tent in a village of tents. Quickly changed in there, an...

Some bad news this morning. I heard from Janet that Ken is in hospital, having had a heart attack on Sunday. Janet, obviously alarmed and sad.  Better news later in the day however, that he was sitting up in a chair and eating again. A stent operation planned in a couple of days. I shall go to the hospital tomorrow to visit. Otherwise I was worked on the business book this morning. My research leads in all kinds of unlikely directions. Ended up listening to the late, and much admired (though not particularly by me) Tupac Shakur, for example, in my tracking down the origins of bling. In the afternoon I received some positive feedback from one of the jobs I did last week, and I will be taking a new brief tomorrow. Lorraine off singing with the choir, and I walked her into town before returning home to finish  Inside Out by Nick Mason in the evening. Seem to have a renewed book hunger. Going to devour the rest of Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata next. A new neighbour g...

Almost noon when we got up. Then Lorraine and I galloped out into the cold to do a spot of gift shopping, drifting about in shops that I never seem to notice as I bowl through the North Laine. Food shopping of course. Back in the warm, reading the Nick Mason book whenever I could, a sort of comfort reading about the fallings-out of an ancient rock group. Lurking with Betty and Lorraine in the evening, as they swooned over Ashley Banjo, leader of the dance troupe Diversity. And then Lorraine watching a programme about maternity nurses which featured the London Hospital, where she had worked as a young 'un and had been grabbed by the shoulder puffs on more than one occasion. Below things in unexpected places. Graffiti featuring Stephen Hawking, and Calliope in one of Lorraine's drawers, which she opens and slips into unnoticed given half a chance.

On my own, which I'd not been for a while. Cats sleeping next to each other on the bed. Sky full of one or two crystal snowflakes from time to time, but they were not settling. Went for a short walk, but very cold easterly wind outside that made my eyes ache as I mooched back from town.  Lorraine having a good time in Leeds with Sam, and also met his friend Jade, who was chatty and friendly. Naturally now Lorraine was gone, the freelance work quelled itself, and I spent the morning thinking about the Opera Matt and I are planning. Also two books had arrived from Amazon. Started to read Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata, which I'd heard reviewed on A good read, a bookish BBC Radio 4 programme lovely stuff so far. Also reading a chunk from the a book by Nick Mason, who was the drummer in Pink Floyd, called Inside Out, a Personal history of Pink Floyd . which is well written. I love reading all this stuff about zooming up and down the country in Ford Transits, and playing sma...