under another sun

Our wedding day started as usual with the cats plaguing us resentfully for breakfast. A bit of bleary tea sipping as an excited Beth bounded in, and shortly after the flower lady delivered the bouquets. Beth out to collect more gypsophilia as well as arancini and egghogs from the reassuringly middle class Arkwrights. Sam making coffee, and Lorraine and I cooking a large breakfast for everyone, figuring we'd be too nervous for food later. Then Dawn arrived to take Lorraine, Beth and I in her wee green car, which we loaded with boxes of flowers, candles, table placings, iPod, etc. as well as the wedding cake that the lovely Dawn had made us, and drove off to the Cricketers. People were paid, tables were sprinkled, gypsophilia and white roses arranged, and emergency repairs done to the cake which had shifted slightly in the car. Then all back home. Sam and Jade had left, and then all the ladies went off to Paul the uber-hairdresser  armed with sparkling wine. While they were ...

On ice The media full of snow and an ill conceived attempt to unseat Brown, our hapless Prime Minister. The Brighton streets less lethal than last time, and the snow slushy. Emerging from Tesco Metro I heard a peeping of my name and saw Anna and Klaudia and Oskar. I crossed the road and right away, and rather peskily, Oskar threw some slush in my face. Remarkably well aimed for a three year old. They'd obviously had loads of fun today. Back in my Twitten, and there was some effort being made by its denizens to clear it, so I got busy with my spade too. Had a nice chat with my trombonist neighbour Mark as we worked. Indoors to a spot of turkey curry, and an episode of Twin Peaks. Below Royal Pavilion at slushy dusk.

Enter Calliope, from a manbag At last something even more attention seeking in the Twitten than I am... Calliope the kitten. A morning mooching around in Brighton, where Lorraine and I bumped into Anton and Anna, and my Godbairns. We saw some of the festival that was going on as the streets had been closed in part of the town. This included bands, and people wandering about with signs saying "free hugs" (I scored one), and lots of children's activities, like chalking the road, and painting Wendy houses. Particularly liked the big green elephants by the Pavilion. Lorraine drove us to Eastbourne for the main business of the day. A visit a lovely Polish (I think) lady, and her family who had cats aplenty. In fact they were mad for cats: there were two litters of kittens, and ten adult cats. The kittens were all extremely pretty, but I handled a few before I chose mine on the basis that it seemed chilled and happy to be handled, and it has beautiful colouring. It is seven wee...

Woodslick Kate and I off to Billies. Much putting the world to rights over big platefuls of breakfast hash and cups of tea. Kate's life is beginning to settle down a bit lately, and change for the better. Then for a walk along the seafront and the pier looking at the hundreds of pieces of timber from the wreckage of the Ice Prince that were washed ashore. Then we bumped into a friend of Kate's who told us his carpenter mate had been out at the crack of dawn to try to take some of the "woodslick" away, but the police had prevented it. Then to the Royal Pavilion . Third time for me, but I absolutely love the place. Looking with special interest at the dragons and the various chinoiserie monsters lurking about the place, and noticed moth patterns on the windows of the Music room, feeding many of my current preoccupations and so seeming extremely significant. Kate really liked the Pavilion. In the afternoon we then went for cups of tea with Reuben and Claire, Claire...

Cream tea and a big ass turtle A busy day with Sprinkles. And in Brighton the weather did its best to put on a good English show, running the gamut from grey to rain. However I took Sarah off to The Royal Pavilion and revelled in its orientalist splendour. Sarah quite liking this. We took the telephone guide handsets and drifted about looking at the sumptuous Chinoiserie of the interior. Built by the Prince Regent, later George the IV. The place is crawling with dragons. The bad luck experienced by the Music room are even attributed to too many dragons. It was attacked by an arsonist in the mid 70s, and then just as the repairs were finished in 1987 the famous hurricane dislodged a huge stone globe from the roofing which then came crashing through the newly restored roof, so they had to start again. Then off to the Mock Turtle for a cheeky cream tea. Sarah liked this immensely, and we enjoyed tucking into their still-warm, freshly-baked scones. After his refreshment we wandered down to...