under another sun

Lorraine and I went to Southease (where First Matie had lived for a spell) to look at some of the picturesque village's open gardens. It catalysed a yearning for an English Country Garden, maybe with chickens and lots of flowers. I never felt a desire for a row of onions before, but today I felt it powerfully. A row of onions that you had manfully planted into the soil yourself and then, months later, sink your teeth into later seems a noble thing. Enjoyed lurking in the village. Had a light snack there of a delicious flapjack, a cup of tea and a plastic cup of home made ginger beer. A lovely time drifting about between clouds of rose scent, and colourful bedding plants. The South Downs nearby providing a lovely backdrop. Then to Sarah and JD's for a civilised little garden party, with sushi, entire rounds of cheese, and impressive cakes to celebrate Sarah's birthday. She works in banking and is having a bloody time of it at work at the moment. I asked her what she thou...

So day two of a four day long weekend, all thanks to the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. This being June, and England in drought, it rained steadily on the flotilla of boats drifting soggily down the Thames and it was unseasonally cold. The Queen, I felt, looked understandably glum, the flypast of historic planes had to be cancelled, and the BBC's coverage of the event and of the hordes waving their sodden Union Flags was poor. Watching singers, hair plastered to their heads, bobbing on a boat on the muddy grey water belting out Land of Hope and Glory did make me think that our true National treasure is comedy. Rather conflicted by this Jubilee stuff as I am not a royalist and loath the idea of inherited privilege, but I also have a curious admiration for the Queen. Though after she goes, what's left is shite and onions. Meanwhile my ankle which had been causing me a degree of gyp throughout the week, exacerbated by several lively gym sessions, felt fiery and tendon...

Finished Hilary Mantel's  Wolf Hall , and immediately downloaded its sequel as an audiobook, just released, called Bring up the Bodies . Finding that Hilary Mantel's excellently done Tudor mayhem and wrangling is a pleasant antidote to thinking about about advertising that I am doing for The New Idea. I wonder what the state of advertising was in 1530? A pleasant sunny day though, and warm up in the rafters of the Old Church Hall where I do my scribing. And felt the sun on my head as I mooched gingerly to the gym. I need new gym clothes, as I feel like a tramp. Not that I talk to anyone there particularly. Then tramping into the supermarket to buy the fixin's for nice salad. I made a pretty  tricolore  with fresh basil and mozzarella (so simple), new potatoes with chives and mayonnaise and various other leafy wonders. Lorraine home and exhausted, I fed her with aforementioned salads, then she had half an hour on the sofa and was back at work again till gone ten. I ...