under another sun

A peaceful bank holiday morning, despite the workmen next door.  Lorraine went off to help Pat and Maureen, and I went to the Seaford Art Club exhibition and went for a coffee with Palo to the cafe near the graveyard, The Lanes Eatery, and signed some more copies of Snow which are still selling well. She told me she had a chat with  Chris Whitty, who popped in to see the Art -- as Palo's background in public health meant she felt like she was meeting a real hero.   Then home, and I mooched off to the gym for a bit of not too frenzied trundling, before sloping off to Pat and Maureen's place and find Lorraine. And from there, after doing a few bits and pieces and loading up the car, we brought them home for a roast chicken dinner and Lorraine took them home later. Below mucking about with a photo I took when staying at the Tower Hotel with Lorraine the other week.

Lorraine struggling with a bad back this morning. But after taking painkillers and moving about a bit, decided to drive Pat and Maureen back to Ashford. I met Palo at the Church Lane Tea rooms, to sign some more copies of Snow, and have a cup of coffee and a scone. I went there with Lorraine, Pat and Maureen some other time, and they are famous for their pies.  A cheery chat with Palo. Mark the guy at Hedgehog press is going to send us lots more copies as they are going like hot cakes. One nice thing about Seaford is that it is a smaller pond, and its easy to find your artistic tribe. I like Palo very much and its nice to connect with people through making art in its different kinds. We went into Gallery Uno, and chatted with Phil who runs it, and a man there who makes automata, and then we popped into the Crypt, where two artists were having a show. Good work there, but I was deeply impressed by Palo flogging one them one of our pamphlets. Home and helped Pat and Maureen into...

Lorraine off to her personal trainer this morning. I did some writing, then met up with Callum and went for a late morning saunter along the seafront. First time we'd had a really long chat since about 1990, so that was nice Catching up with where we are in life. He is still doing a bit of freelance journalism, and has written several plays and is working towards getting them performed, so lots to discuss. Chief among them is Will, my old University pal, that Callum had remained close with over the years. A week after they came to see my poetry reading, Will had a severe stroke, and is still in hospital. I agreed to visit Will with Callum and Will's mother Mavis on Thursday. We went for a coffee in Baca too.  After Callum left I did a bit of work including listening to the latest Planet Poetry interview Robin had done, under very difficult circumstances.  Popped again into the Last Minute Artists show, chatting with Adele, Palo and Geraldine, and another lady with two others. ...

Pleasantly creaky from yesterday's walk up Seaford Head. I need to do more walking again now that I haven't renewed in the gym, and you see loads more than staring at a wall while on the cross trainer.  Otherwise something approaching a perfect little day. Up fairly early, had breakfast with Lorraine, who then zoomed off to do rhyme time at the library, and then go around to her pal Helen's house. I meanwhile phoned mum then completed a good draft of my new horror story, I'm currently calling The Emptiness. Quite pleased with it, and it is an interesting scenario around wearing a giant rabbit suit in a farm shop. I based it on a job Beth had once in Kent. Then a late lunch. A spot of pottering in the garden, and Lorraine preparing dhal. A little before six Lorraine and I walked to The Crypt, where the Last Minute Artists were having a show. Adele one of these, and she was exhibiting some fabulous Punch and Judy themed glass. The crocodile eating sausages was inspired.  ...

 Lorraine off to Ashford today. A beautiful day, which I was supposed to be editing, and sat at my desk for hours, but one of those days where your brain goes off at tangents however hard you try. I met Palo for lunch, and we sat in Baca cafe signing copies of Snow , and making a few plans. Palo suggested we shoot down to Gallery Uno and sign the copies there, seeing as we had our signing boots on.  She suggested that maybe I could go to the private viewing of the art show next week, and read poems. She will check if this is okay.  I like Palo, and she is a can-do person, and this little collaboration is fun. Went for a long walk this afternoon, eventually, having been frustrated by my own lack of progress on the editing. A gorgeous evening, with blue skies. Mooched along the seafront. A murder of crows at one point.  Very blue and lovely. Home, and not long before Lorraine arrived home safely. We are watching The Orville all over again.  Below Palo and I in Gal...

Awoke up feeling creeped out at 3am, and realised it The Loney , the book I had been reading before I fell asleep, had made me feel uneasy.  Some time at my desk this morning, and a quick chat with mum. Off with Lorraine just after lunch to collect Pat and Maureen from Eastbourne station. All safely installed in the car, and enjoying the journey back looking across fields to the sea.  Home and  listening to Robin's latest interview. Also took delivery of the little Snow booklets, which are small and lovely. Very pleased with them, and Palo was too. A tiny triumph. Lorraine had bought an entire salmon going cheap in Morrisons. I went for a gorgeous walk by the lively sea and also popped into Morrisons. A glimpse of Seaford's dark underbelly. A man and his young son outside the supermarket as I passed. Boy: I don't like Mum. Man: Neither do I. She's a cheating whore for a start. Slightly startled by this I crossed the road, and saw a woman leaving the pig roast place, sm...

Lorraine went off to Rhyme Time this morning. I did some writing and spoke to Mum who had some of Mason's mobility aids collected which was great. I was due to meet up with Palo this afternoon, but as the rain was hosing it down we had a video call instead. Our pamphlet Snow is going to be officially published on 22nd May. Otherwise I felt very lifeless today and slept for an hour and a half this afternoon. If sleep is what I need, I definitely seem to be catching up with it now.

Up and Mum and I had breakfast and coffee, thus fortified, we contacted an administrative part of the US embassy with the notification of Mason's US social security ID and so on to turn off his pension. Mum, we think, will still get something from the US as his widow. Then we pottered about doing some sorting out in the kitchen. Wynford from next door popped in for a chat. At lunchtime, mum drove me to the Jolly Badger from where I walked to Mill Hill Broadway station. I watched mum zoom around the roundabout there with some elan.  Long journey home, feeling a bit braindead. No trains to Lewes, so had to go via Brighton. However the trip enlivened by discovering I had won a small pamphlet competition run by Hedgehog Press. It is a collaboration with Palo Almond -- four of her snowy images, and four poems from me in tanka style that were provoked by her work. I called it, perhaps in the spirit of calling a spade a spade, Snow . It's excellent as these little tanka poems don'...

Beth and James's move to Seaford has been scuppered for the time being. Their purchaser's mortgage lenders valued Beth and James flat at less than they had agreed. Which is exactly what happened to them with the property in Seaford. Very frustrating for everyone, but Beth and James being fairly  philosophical. It is just not a time to move.  Struggling to get my interview notes written for my next interview. The book's sources are various and I found myself having to read in lots of directions.  Picking up S peaking of Siva , and Paradiso neither have which have troubled me since the 80s. Brain not working with alacrity. I popped out for a cup of decaf coffee with Palo who Lorraine and I like lots. Palo paints from her imagination, not from life, and I really liked how she was talking about the magical unpredictability of paint and water. She says this is in reaction to her academic career -- as an expert in public health -- and having to be very formal and organised. I ...

A thundery night, but up fairly early, and scarfed a solitary breakfast and made off to Seaford station leaving Lorraine with a cup of tea. It was just starting to rain again. Up to London, working on various things. Signed onto the onboard wifi and got an email from the editor of a Scottish magazine called Dreich Magazine & Press (byeline: 'Made in Scotland from Words')  saying he wanted to use all four of the poems I had sent him a few days ago -- these were Eat this Poem , yay! I finally found a home for this bad boy, plus X-ray style , Homesick , and Ye Olde Majority Inn (first draft written in the Wellington in Seaford). This cheering. Also a nice text from Palo Almond saying she would be up to discuss a collaboration. Also cheering. So to the Jolly Badger, where Mum and Mas were just arriving. Had lunch with them, quite busy for a Monday, and the place full of smoke from the kitchen area as usual. Mum okay, and Mason seemed not too bad, though his mobility is not go...

Felt really happy this morning. We got up early on a sunny day, and had breakfast and after a bit of gardening and other bits, climbed up South Hill Road with Lorraine, to the Barn and then down to the Coastguard Cottages at Hope Gap. We saw two exhibitions there, one with Palo Almond's work in it, and the other a smaller collection mainly done by people whose family were associated with that house. A gorgeous day to begin with, Spitfires flying overhead at one point as we were walking down to get the view of Seven Sisters but suddenly cooling a bit and looking cloudy. Had a chat with Palo, who I sent an email to later, with a poem sparked by her paintings.   Then we skirted the coast for a bit, before walking away from the coast up a little wooded valley, which was beautiful and took us back to the Barn again. I am gradually exploring Seaford head in my own weird way. Lorraine loved it there, and we noticed loads of sloes there which might be amazing for some sloe gin. While we we...

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...

A day to myself. Lorraine off to see Pat and Maureen. I spent a blissfully monastic day working on my poetry MS and made some satisfying strides forward. Dare I whisper it... It is beginning to feel like a book now. I also went to The Crypt to talk to Palo Almond, about buying a print of one of her paintings Lorraine and I like lots. We talked about her work and the particular painting Lorraine and I wanted. Chatty and asking with genuine interest about my work too. In the afternoon I went out for a walk briefly into the gym and then along the seafront and round about to home, to make sure I'd done my 10k paces. More good writing in the afternoon too. Feeling happy about having time to think.  Lorraine home again this evening. I watched The War of The Worlds with Tom Cruise. The first half of that film I really like. Then we watched a bit of TV before bed.  Horrible climate news today, what with various places on fire, and a headline in the Guardian suggesting the Gulf Stream ...

Up late, and a hearty breakfast. Called Mum for a cheery chat. Lorraine and I mooching about in Seaford to pop into The Crypt to see an exhibition of works by folks in the Seaford Art club. A fairly decent standard. We spoke to Palo Almond who seems a lovely smily woman, whose work we like.  Kissed Lorraine and walked through the churchyard to head to the station. Had one of those moments of unexpected happiness. I like living here.  To Brighton to meet Anton for a cheeky afternoon beer. I worked at some poems on train and then scuttled through the rain to the Battle of Trafalgar where there was a bizarrely dressed stag do, lots of spangly cowboy stuff, including a beefy guy in a black hat who towered over me at the bar.  Anton arrived, but it was noisy due to noisy boys, so we sauntered in the rain down to the Evening Star, where I went unmolested, enjoyed good beer and played several games of highly contested bones with Anton, played on a bakelite made in the USSR in 1...