under another sun

Up to London early today. Caught the seven o'clock train, and listened to the birdsong on the platform slightly enchanted by it and thinking of Edward Thomas's lines: "And for that minute a blackbird sang Close by, and round him, mistier, Farther and farther, all the birds Of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire." Enjoyed seeing a hot air balloon, decorated as a huge union flag, drifting about near the low sun. Got off at Blackfriars and walked alongside the Thames and up through Leicester Square to a place called Jungle on Villiers Street, where I had to meet production person Nadia, and sit in on a voiceover recording this morning, and have a conversation about editing afterwards. Nadia only three years out of university, but very switched on. I was able to add a bit of nuance here and there to the voiceover. Then back in a cab to the agency, to hook up with Keith and do some work on a pitch and other headless chicken panicky stuff about the short films in the aft...

Up fairly early and catching up on some admin. Also writing to Mike Stirzaker, an old friend from university. He was dating a woman called Clare when we were at Warwick, and they are still together and have had two daughters. Quite impressive. Off to meet Mum in London. Was slightly late leaving, and missed my train so was annoyingly late. As the train left Brighton there was a big pall of smoke in the sky, seeming to come from near our house. However, when I got home everything was okay, except for a trace of lingering smoke in the air. Good to see Mum. Met in the old gin palace of The Salisbury, and after chatting there for some time, and giving her a lovely dragonfly broach Romy and Toby had bought her, and a Japanese ink brush that Lorraine and I had found, we wandered into Soho's Chinatown where preparations are clearly underway for Chinese New Year, which is being celebrated here on February 2nd. Rather than the Japanese who have aligned it to the calendar and start it as...

Up to the smoke again feeling very tired after an execrable night of non-sleep, and listening to poor Betty coughing like a docker in the next room. Took the walk around Fitzroy Square at lunchtime, and finished The Good Soldier which I thought was extremely well constructed and containing a rather bleak view of human relationships. A view perhaps not shared by the two men who were passionately kissing with gay abandon on one of the benches. Walked to Eat, and suddenly felt rather faint as I was ordering and for a good few moments worried that I might actually keel over. I soon recovered, but this added a dash of hypochondria to a day that was already far from one of my favourites. But this is the penultimate day at work so mustn't grumble, eh? Out of office at six like a greyhound with its tail on fire. This fire doused by a lorry driving over a pothole in the street, which sent a perfectly targeted arc of muddy water over me from head to toe. To Dean Street where I encountered...

The pig's last oink A morning full of skeletons. A sluggish head today though, and I got quickly stuck. Popped out instead to get a haircut (and an interesting discussion about life as a barber and er, skeltons) and, after having a more profitable afternoon, decided to leave early for London where I was to meet the Dell Posse. I arrived very early and enjoyed walking about and relishing London's bustle, having been cooped up bashing away on my keyboard. Chinatown looked particularly nice, decorated for New Year. I lurked about taking photos for some time. Then I made my way to the Crown and Two Chairmen in Soho where I began to read a newish collection of poetry by Esther Morgan called The Silence Living in Houses while sipping a beer. She quotes Alice Monroe's short story The Office which I've not read: "So a house is not the same for a woman. She is not someone who walks into the house, to make use of it and will walk out again. She is the house; there is no sepa...

Chalking-in the sunshine Walked through Soho this morning, as it shook off its late night sleepiness under a sunny sky, on the way to a rival agency for a creative directors' conference with our mutual clients. In the meeting I bumped into an old friend called Phil Morley who I've only seen once or twice since going to his punishing stag weekend in Barcelona some years ago. Barcelona I remember as an exciting but rather blurry place. Turns out Phil's got his own small agency now, not to mention two little girls. Then I took a short stroll through town, and noticed for no particular reason a pavement artist on his knees chalking a cyan arc to begin a picture near the National Portrait Gallery. Made me wonder if the rainy summer had interfered with his trade, and I thought that most of the blue skies he will have seen were the ones he'd chalked on paving slabs. Then off to Glamoursmith for a lively and trying afternoon of work. Met up with Mad Dog in the evening, who need...

A vision in Villiers Street Up late again feeling a bit groggy. A night of significant seeming dreams. In one I was taking a small toddler, a thought daughter, to the house in Guernsey where I lived as a child. I took her into it, knowing the house to be haunted, and was expecting at any moment something frightening to happen, but nothing did. When I woke up I had a strong sense of a new start. It felt good. Off to work, the train tunnelling through thick fog. Work still busy but not too bad... Snuck off at lunchtime and met the French Bloke for a quick and cheery beer which was excellent. I can't remember the last time we went for a beer. After work I went into Soho to meet the usual bunch of ex-colleagues in the Crown and Two Chairman pub, and then off to eat at the Delhi Brasserie. Usual mixture of industry gossip (this is the closest thing I get to networking) and stories -- Marcella talking about her recent trip to Morocco for example. There were six of us tonight: young James...

Blah-blah and chopsticks Hundreds of Brighton commuters plunged into despair this morning as the trusty 7:47am train was cancelled. Delayed, creeping journey but fortunately the meeting I had in central London was delayed too. Enjoyed a short taxi ride, my favourite way of seeing London, then a bit of five star blah-blah & back to work for another slightly peskyish day. The evening, in contrast, was good fun. Met Mum and Mase in the Cafe Apogee off Leicester Square and drank wine. I got lots of presents: some cushions with Mum's designs on them, a big pot, painted by mum too... And some special stones to ward off evil, plus a crystal to hang in the window to create rainbows of light. Mum was remembering her grandparents, who'd lived in Folkstone . She said they had a painting each of their spirit guides, who were two Native Americans, they used to contact in their seances. Then we wandered off into Soho for some serious chopstick work in the Top of the Town, Gerrard Stre...