under another sun

Made breakfast, after going out into the garden again and picking fresh blueberries. Lorraine had to take Maureen and Pat in the car for Maureen to have a scan. After a few bits of tinkering on the full poetry manuscript, I then made off to the gym for an early and rather sweaty session.  Home, a bite to eat, and then I caught a crowded bus to East Dene where I was soon picked up by Robin and she drove us to The Beachy Head pub, with fine views down to the sea.  Here we had a couple of drinks, a few crisps and peanuts, did a bit of recording with a microphone, as is traditional for our season finale. We also finalised our plans for next season, which will be less intense from our point of view. As ever Robin and I are on the same page. Then a bus back, a short and beautiful journey, and then home before six. Lorraine and I went into the greenhouse and picked tomatoes and several giant cucumbers, which Lorraine is going to make into her justly famed cucumber relish. A bit more ...

Lorraine off to her personal trainer. I did some writing, then quickly recorded the podcast intro with Robin which we had forgotten to do earlier. Then off to meet Yvonne for coffee in the Grumpy chef. As usual a good laugh, and we sat in the secret corner which Yvonne seems to favour. Home again and in the afternoon I went for a longish walk nosing about the edges of cornfields, and then down to the sea and eventually home again. Home and Robin had sent the full episode to listen to. Below cornfields and cloudless skies above Bishopstone.  

Lorraine off to the gym this morning, when she came home I cooked a largish lunch for us, as I would only be snacking later. Then Lorraine off to Squirrel's End. James to start his new job tomorrow.  Met Robin in The Depot at Lewes, had cups of tea and Robin gave me some feedback on Gordon Road. Really useful for me, and a few things to think about, as well as a sprinkling of proofing catches and a few small cuts. Then we made off by train to Haywards Heath and jumped on a train and found SJB, and we travelled up to London Bridge and then Greenwich. Lots of talk about babies, and AI and much more (too much for some fellow passengers who moved huffily away). Sarah also showed us her wonderful SUNY book 'Mary Barnard: Complete Poems and Selected Translations', which she edited and is just published. A very handsome thing indeed, and a culmination of huge amounts of work.  We arrived early and popped into a nearby pub for a half, and a sort through of papers and so on. Then to...

Lorraine off this morning to take Pat and Maureen to a celebration of life, for Pat's cousin Tony, who I met only once many years ago, in the Isle of Sheppy. They stayed overnight to make things easier. So I had the day to myself. I went to the gym, then in the afternoon went to Lewes. Charlotte was having a birthday party for local poet pals. Twelve guests in all, including mutual pals Robin, SJB, Stephen Bone and Janet Sutherland. I'd never been to Charlotte's place before. I met a poet with purple hair lost like me, and we found our way to the door, was let in by Pete, Charlotte's husband, and climbed up a flight of stairs, then outside, up a zigzag path in the garden and then found ourselves on the top of a mound, overlooking all of Lewes and the downs beyond. A rather magical place that can only be accessed through Charlotte's house. It was there we all read a poem (except Robin) and had a poetic altogethery time.   There was an immediate calamity however. Ther...

Friday and some time this morning to finalise what I was going to read tonight and collect together a few books and so on. Lorraine really busy, shopping with James for the shower tomorrow, doing the last stitches of the secret project, ferried Pat and Maureen from the pub with their new friend also called Maureen. After a wee snooze, I caught the half five train to Lewes, and sauntered over to the Elephant and Castle and sat quietly for a bit and drank a shandy.  Today was the launch of Robin's The Mayday Diaries  and she had been kind enough to ask me to read with her. She also asked Catherine Smith to join us. We discussed beforehand that we wanted to make it fairly informal, and a bit chatty like the podcast. When Nick and Robin arrived, we went upstairs and Robin and I arranged the chairs for the reading. Palo arrived early, with two prints which we put on chairs to be seen. I joked to Palo that she was my show and tell. Soon people were turning up. Many of the audie...

Feeling stressed and a bit low. Not helped by the morning all being about blood pressure. I am now wearing my watch strap like bp monitor, and we had to initialise it by taking my readings. Being a nutcase, as soon as I start thinking about this I feel stressed. We had to recharge the arm cuff. Lorraine then played bank waiting music and messages till I felt like exploding, then took my readings. I will wear it for a couple of weeks so it should all balance out hopefully. They have stepped up my medication so this is to check to what extent this has worked. Off then to record with Robin, we were talking about Isobel Baafi who had read a couple of poems for us in her interview. Then I met Lorraine and Pat and Maureen in Morrisons, and we did everyone's shopping. Lorraine then took Pat off to the dentist.  Home and looking at my own poems for a while, then went for a walk, once or twice microdots of rain fell on the area of concern. I explored the little brickfield opposite the sea, ...

A slog of a day. Up and recording with Robin, which was fun, then all day editing. Pat and Maureen came around with Lorraine this afternoon, Maureen having had a difficult morning. Lorraine drove them home before going off to do her pottery in Eastbourne.  I worked till about five thirty, and sent the episode to Robin. Then I phoned Mum and had a nice chat and went for a walk for an hour or so. Felt a bit shaky and very tired when I got home. After finishing work, I realised I had a sore throat and my already abominable ears were even worse. Ate spaghetti when I got home, and soon felt much repaired. An early night after Lorraine got home. A lovely dusk.

Recording this morning with Robin, then a bit of editing, and a walk down by the sea. To London this evening, met Robin at Lewes station and we made off to The Artworker's Guild Hall in Queen's Square, in London. Very grand room, and full of folks to hear the winners of the Poetry Society's  National Poetry Competition. Robin is on the committee and she got me in for nowt. People floating around with trays with microdotted with canapés, and free wine or champers. I stuck to red. The walls of the room covered in famous Artworkers of the past. A poetry reading of the top ten entrants. Good poems. The winner was Fiona Larkin, who Robin knew a bit, with a very neat poem called  Absence has a grammar about both the Finnish language, and missing her son who was travelling in Australia. Mingled a bit. One of the younger poets, Sorrel Briggs, had covid, but her twin sister read her poem instead and rather well too so spoke to her and her family.  I chatted to Chris Beckett, one ...

Up and after breakfast a general bustling  as Amanda had arrived to do some decorating. Lorraine and I dug out the paint from the garage. Also Mark from Flowers came to measure up for the carpet in the guest room. I noticed he was wearing a very nice watch. Later Chris arrived to take off the radiator. All fairly disrupting for any kind of writing. I spoke to Mum and Toby who were drinking morning coffees. I popped back to Flowers for a book of carpet samples, then went to Lewes to meet Robin. Looked at the London Review of Books on the train, which Steve wangled a free year's subscription for us. Arriving early, I popped into The Bow Windows Bookshop and bought two second hand books: one on pond life, and the other a collection of three short novels by Thomas Love Peacock.  Then to The Rights of Man pub almost next door. Was called 'mate' by the barmaid who looked about twelve. Nursed a single pint of Harveys Sisters , a so called table beer, mild mannered at 3.4%. Turns o...

A sunny Monday, I was woken early by a scam text, with a message saying 'Dad, save my new number'. I went to my desk early to listen to the interview Robin had with Ellen Cranitch. After breakfast  Lorraine surged out into the garden and was very productive while Robin and I did some podcast recording, and talked about our poetry reading in Lewes at the Elephant and Castle pub on Friday 9th May. I spoke to Mum a couple of times and I wrote to the registrars to chase the death certificate. Lorraine and I did a quick scoot around Morrisons for food shopping.    In the afternoon lovely Dawn came around, and she and Lorraine hung out. I mainly left them to their own devices, and did my own writing in the afternoon. Later I went for a walk for an hour and a half by the seaside to use up the calories.   Below hellebore flowers in our garden and a strange little fly.

Writing a bit morning. But not having not heard anything from Robin, who is on a death doula course, I followed up and found she had sent me the edited episode on Tuesday night, which I had somehow deleted unopened and unseen. I found it later in my mail bin. Robin had edited it, and found something I had to re-record. Going live is bumped till tomorrow. Having slogged all day on Tuesday to get it ready early, and then Robin having done the work on Tuesday night, irritated that I still managed to create a last minute frenzy.  Popped out at lunchtime for some light shopping. Am in the mood to get to grips with medical things: some toenail paint for a fungal toenail, and also I strapped on the blood pressure measuring wristband, and will keep it on for a few days to be able to send results into the doctor. Wearing the wristband is a good solution, as I get horrendous white coat syndrome. And I outsource looking at the app to Mrs Kenny, who sort it all out, and emails the results to t...

Continued with the Brandt-Daroff exercises today, and felt a good deal improved, steady enough in fact for a half an hour walk after sunset and only felt like I was falling over once or twice.  Spent the morning recording with Robin, and the rest of the day editing, getting the first cut of the episode over to Robin at tea time. Robin told me she and Nick found themselves buying a car the other day, and that she is, this week, starting a course about becoming an end of life doula.  Meanwhile Betty and James had been in A&E in Brighton overnight. Beth having had worrying abdominal pains. However, this was due to a severe indigestion made worse by the baby pressing weirdly. Luckily,  all well.  Once up and breakfasted, Lorraine off to her personal trainer,  then to see Pat and Maureen and later took Beth back to the hospital for a scheduled scan, where they saw the baby sucking his thumb. I spent the day at my desk Lorraine home again, but just as I was starti...

A this and that sort of day. Breakfast with Lorraine, who left to do Rhyme Time and then to see Pat and Maureen. I then had a conversation with window cleaners explaining they weren't going to clean the windows, due to road works outside. Recording with Robin this morning, I talked a little about Chat GPT and AI. Then I had a one step back to take two forwards junking everything I wrote yesterday.  In the afternoon waited for men to deliver a tumble drier. Cleared a route for them, and had them put it in the garage at the bottom of the garden. Very nice and helpful guys. Exciting to have a tumble drier for the winter months. Then a longish walk, listening to a new audiobook:  Otherlands by Thomas Halliday -- describing the flora and fauna of the planet going further and further back in time. I ending up at Pat and Maureen's place to collect Lorraine. Had a nice chat with Maureen and Pat. Home and I spoke to Mum, then cooked a chicken stew. L and I enjoyed The Traitors on TV....

Lorraine and I up early today, as the gas pipe from the main in the road was being replaced by the gas company. I had thought they were going to be hammering on the door early. At least it meant Lorraine and I got up early, and got on with things. Lorraine made a fabric basket, and I had a good morning's writing. Chris arrived with a thermal camera, to look at a part of our wall that has damp. It's a fun toy, and he took a picture of my head with it, as well as the wall, and when he put his hand on the wall, the warmth lingered for a while later. Lorraine then off to take Pat and Maureen to Eastbourne. I had a recording with Robin at two, which was fine, except the gas people rang the bell almost as soon as we began talking. However they had done their business outside the house without having even to employ pneumatic drills etc. Win.  Recording was fine, and nice to chat to Robin. After this, I ook myself off for a brisk walk by the sea. Lovely subdued colours. Then another ha...

 Mum received another call this morning, but simply put the phone down. Bastards.  A day at home, for Lorraine and me. I had a brief saunter to the shops and then along by the sea. Quite nippy. Off to Needlewriters in the evening. Met Robin at Lewes Station. Clare Best and Jeremy reading tonight, along with another poet called Pratiba Castle, whose work was fine but not for me as I am learning to say these days. Clare on good form, reading her excellent poetry in an excellent fashion. Jeremy reading some prose from his London Calling book, which I liked quite a bit when it was published a few years ago. Of my poet friends, there were Stephen, Charlotte, Janet, Catherine Smith and others. Also Callum was there sitting next to me. He had just been to see Will and I arranged to go with him next time. Will is now in Lewes. A cheery interlude, but I made off home quite quickly, partly to be at home with Lorraine and watch The Traitors again.  Callum gave me and Robin a lift t...

So a note from mes amis in France saying that my final payment, a paltry one day's work, has been issued to me. Before their company was bought out, they used to pay me on the same day I invoiced them. Unheard of everywhere else. But since they've been bought out, I had to wait over four months. I can only feel for my former colleagues, having now to work in a ponderous corporate environment.   A bit of editing this morning for the podcast, and Robin and I did some recording this afternoon. We had Joy and Jim from next door around for coffee this morning. Lots of chats. The erudite Jim revealing a love of the QPR football team, and the fact he watches YouTube videos about 'the hoops'. Absolutely delighted that Mum said that she might come down on Boxing Day, given a lift by Monika and Ocktay. This is great news, as she has not been to Seaford before. Perhaps I can be excused for feeling a bit exasperated because Lorraine and I had offered to collect her on many occasion...

Finally put  the first episode of season five of the podcast to bed. It features my interview with Danez Smith. A bit of a beast this episode for various reasons. Robin didn't finish her bits till Lorraine and I were already trundling off to Bramber in the car to see Dawn and Paul for lunch as she decided to re-record a couple of things she had said as there had been a glitch. So I was late uploading it.  Lorraine and I spent a cheery couple of hours with them. Quizzed Paul on a couple of things to do with psychology. He is excellent on things he is passionate about. Wonderful to see Dawn who was looking very well and happy, which is wonderful to see. She is planning to do a film editing course. There was a an apple and berry pie too, for the win.  Home and then a frenzy of uploading, and posting the episode onto social media, we also did a spot of gardening where I plunged my hand into some compost and nastily sliced my little fingertip on a broken flower pot, which bled...

Up early and was collected outside by Brian shortly after eight, with Marley in the boot. Brian had already been swimming in the sea and was generally glowing. We went to Friston forest and had a lovely walk through the trees deep in discussion about all kinds of things. We paused at the place where you can look down into the valley and see the hedgerows make a big cross in the landscape. Brian uses this place to pray briefly most days. I find this quite touching.  Home again for breakfast, and as Rosie had stayed overnight we had breakfast and long chats with her. Rosie and Lorraine went off to see Pat and Maureen, before Rosie went off to work in the afternoon.  Lorraine told me that when Rosie arrived yesterday, they were talking and there was hammering on the roof. It was two crows, pecking at bones, with seagull feathers. The current theory is that the Robert the robbing herring gull has been murdered by, or at least scavenged by, crows. Probably a murder of crows. I did ...

Up early and recording with Robin. After four seasons of not featuring any of our own work, we decided to do that this time. A big decision as I don't want to jump the shark and I hope that it won't alienate our listeners but as we both have publications happening in the near future and the fact it is the going off on holiday episode, we felt it would be okay. So we recorded two sort of mini interviews, a bit less formal than our usual ones, with each other - and read three poems each.  After recording, quite a bit of editing, and also a long walk. Meanwhile Lorraine off to Bolney today, and went to a leaver's service in the church there. She loved this, seeing her former pupils on their last day. She went with Sarah, who has also left the school. Hugs from the new head, parents saying nice things to her. Then she went off to see her friends Jo and Rob in the village.   A relaxed evening. Went down with Lorraine to the glasshouse, where the cucumbers are going gangbusters, ...

Recording with Robin this morning, which went fairly well I think.  Then in the afternoon Lorraine suggested we spontaneously go to  the Towner Eastbourne. There was a big exhibition upstairs of work by Emma Stibbon, called Melting Ice | Rising Tides , and was mainly about white things... Icebergs and the domestic white cliffs. Some big and impressive pieces, with a limited palette with a slightly campaigning edge. Also a big installation by Maria Amidu which I didn't like but made me think. We also enjoyed art by Eric Ravillious which is there too. Then a saunter down to the sea front. It was trying to rain all the time, which was annoying as the forecast had said there was no rain due. Eventually we hopped back on a 12 and went back to East Dene where we got off and walked past beautiful flint walled buildings to eat in The Tiger Inn. An okay bite to eat, but good Long Man brewery beer and a nice atmosphere. Then onto the 12 again and back to Seaford in no time.  Below ...