under another sun

Woke up at six thirty at Mum's house, and immediately started work in bed on the  stuff Keith and I were rebriefed on yesterday. A quick porridge breakfast and coffee with Mum, and said hello to a sleepy Mas before I zoomed off to work on the tube, having walked to Stanmore. Got there early. Keith and I slogging to mid-afternoon, and a couple of meetings. Then a quiet canter into the long weekend.  I snuck out of work early, and managed to train it down to Lewes in good time. On the train I got an email saying my first invoice had been paid by the agency, so I was officially solvent again. A wave of relief. Tried to explain to the woman at the gate that I had a season ticket to Brighton and needed to pay to get to Lewes, but she cut me off and simply opened the gate without charging me. I walked up the hill to the Lewes Arms, had a pint of Harveys and helped Robin sort out the room. A Telltale and Friends night, with Siegfried and Sarah reading, and Katrina Naomi and Ma...

Another day of bits and pieces. Up early and working. Then at lunchtime off to meet Simon at the PPT to find out what he's been doing since we worked together some years ago with the Cat With The Hat. One of the things he is doing is making really interesting designs from recycled wood and other materials, and old prints. Nice to catch up with him. Then home to sprawl on the sofa for a fast doze before heading off to Lewes. Beth and the others kicking off on rehearsing We Three Kings tonight too, which was good to know. Luckily an easy journey to the Lewes Arms, given it was a strike day on Southern Fail again. I arrived early and had a drink with Siegfried and his dad Adrian, who were already there. Jess and Robin turned up soon after, and then the place filled up nicely. Most importantly for me was that Lorraine came too, and having her there was top. A really excellent night. I did some of the introductions, shared with Sarah Barnsley, and I made people laugh introducing my...

Working by 7:30 and a quick five hours work on freelance stuff, before I hared around cleaning the house and buying a few snacks. The AGM of Telltale poets was held today at Kenny Towers with Sarah Barnsley, Siegfried Baber, Catherine Smith, Robin and myself. The house not at its best with no carpet and so on, but never mind. Sonia zooming about and laughing conspiratorially with me before they came. AGM went on for several hours, with a full agenda and some highly-talkative people present. Catherine left, taking my specs with her, which we only found out later. Sieg had to zoom back to Bath, and Robin, Sarah and I went to the Preston Park Tavern for a cheeky drink. Just after Robin left Lorraine and Beth arrived, and we had supper when Sarah got the bus home. Very nice to be with Lorraine and Betty at the end of the week.  And relax.

Lorraine up and off again. Me sipping the tea Lorraine brought me before springing up and working on a few agency bits this morning, and standing in the kitchen practising some poems, in a last minute attempt to get myself ready for this evening. Managed to leave home late, then the train I caught up to London was delayed, however I made it to the Poetry Cafe just in time, but feeling stressed. Siegfried Baber had come up from Bath, he's becoming a more relaxed rand confident reader. Also Kitty Coles, who I'd not met before but whose poetry I liked, dealing with mythology and quite psychological. Our main reader was Jack Underwood, who is a Faber poet, and therefore accomplished and original. I followed that, but it was a day when I was niggled by doubts about my own work and had the sense that by the time it came to me I was a bit of an unappetising pudding, and I felt I read to stony faces. Robin said I held my own. A quick drink in the pub afterwards with Robin and another...

Off then at the crack of dawn, feeling sweaty and wretched up to Red Lion Square where the annual poetry book fair was being held. I stupidly left my phone in my study so missed calls and so on. Wheeling a case heavy with cards and stuff to give away on the Telltale stand. Not feeling well, but I  managed to enjoy the day. Said hello to a few people I know, and have nice chats with Sarah Barnsley and Siegfried Baber and Robin -- made it so much better being in a gang. Said hello to some old acquaintances such as Tamar Yoseloff, and Nancy Mattson, even Dinah Livingstone, who did not remember me but (naturally) remembered  my old palTim Gallagher, and lots of people I vaguely recognised. Also chats with people on their stands, one told me I looked like a radio personality. Later he came up to Siegfried and I grabbing a sandwich in the park, and told us he had a head injury. Nice friendly guy. But the world of English poetry in London is a strange aquarium. It made me think o...

Spent some of the day getting my poetical ducks aligned before the Telltale poets and friends reading in Lewes tonight, which was a success despite a derailment at Brighton station during the day which made travel really hard along the south coast. Robin and I swapping emails and I phoned Robin to tell her about the travel chaos.  One of the readers dropped out at the last minute, but luckily Siegfried was coming, so we got him to do a reading. Lorraine drove over. Beth came too having been working in Eastbourne. Beth enjoyed herself mingling with poets, and I was really touched that she came. She also took photos which was excellent. Found Robin already there and Lorraine Robin and I shuffled the room around for a bit, and I drank a pint of Harveys and ate some chips in preparation. For me it was an opportunity to meet more poets such as Martin Malone editor of Interpreter's House, really likeable man and a really good reader. Helen Fletcher had come all the way from Carlisle,...

Managed to sleep for six hours so consequently felt far more alive. Taking care of business this morning and met Robin and Catherine Smith on the train to Victoria late this afternoon as we travelled up to the Poetry Cafe. I'm learning a lot from Catherine and Robin and how they go about being poets, Catherine's ability to critique is impressive. A bite to eat in the cafe, till Siegfried Baber arrived having travelled from Bath. I felt quite twitchy wondering if anyone was going to turn up on a working Wednesday in January, but we actually had a full house. Really good to see Rhona, who I'd not seen in person for many years, nor hear her read. She read from her latest book Ex-ville . Because Rhona was there, Nancy Mattson and Tammy Yoseloff, both old friends not seen for around 20 years came too, and it was great to see them, and made me feel as if I hadn't been entirely forgotten. My reading was good, and went well. I mixed some new work in with the old. I was foll...