under another sun

Up to Camden today to attend Andros's funeral at the All Saints Greek Orthodox cathedral on Pratt Street. The place was absolutely packed. A long ceremony, sung in Greek and bits of English, and then speeches. Sophie gave a short speech with enormous dignity. Christof also gave an excellent speech. There were other speeches too from former friends in the movie business, including the director Alan Parker who had known Andros since they were 11 and starting school together. He said that he had recently gone back to their school to give a speech, and he had invited Andros too. He had been given a page from a detention record that showed repeated entries for Parker and Epaminondas due to 'excessive laughter'. At the end of the service we all passed the coffin and I had the opportunity to hug and kiss Sophie and Christof and Electra. I found I had few words for them, but told Sophie I would be in touch next week to see her, once everything was over. Home, feeling rather s...

Quite excited that Lorraine was actually working from home today. Did a fair amount of work today, and in the afternoon worked on a potential new business opportunity, then went for a walk. Very cold today. To Hove with Lorraine on the bus in the evening to a Vegan restaurant called Rootcandi where we met Sophie and Andros and ate vegetables. Everyone liked the restaurant, although I have to admit that vegan is not my favourite way of eating, although it is pure in a Jainist way. I offset this with some Singha beer. Really happy to see Andros so well. Apparently he had an operation last year, that pretty much brought him back to life having been given five days to live. He now can walk faster than Sophie. Amazing. Much to catch up on.  Luckily we see them again in Sunday.

A slow start, as fitting for a Sunday. Lorraine and I having a nice lie-in and then Lorraine went off to collect Sophie and Andros, and I popped down to Sainsbury's and we had brunch at home, and chatted more, and showed them around the house as they'd not been before. Then a slow afternoon, poor Lorraine having to do some work for school tomorrow again, and I simply watched Chelsea (beginning to resemble the team they were last year) beat Manchester City 5-1 in an FA Cup game, which was fun. Although I tried to sit down and work, I'm simply decided to relax instead. A good thing has happened this week, however, as I feel far more self-aware and less depressed and stressed than I have been all year. I am making efforts to reframe everything. Seeing friends and being less self-oriented really helps. Feeling down in the dumps makes you very self-centred, which is one of the reasons it is so boring too. I am officially bouncing back now. Seeing Andros so positive after suc...

After another plumber had come to look at our bathroom, Lorraine and Beth off to Eastbourne to see Sarah's production of Beauty and the Beast.  I bussed into town and met Sophie and Andros by the seafront. We walked to the Marwood Cafe for a long chat. Both cheerful despite Andros having a bad heart attack on the side of Mt Athos in Greece last year, and having spent weeks in a Greek hospital. Christof was with him at the time and had to deal with the emergency (which he did brilliantly) and led to Andros being dramatically winched up from the side of the mountain and airlifted to hospital. He made me laugh lots when we were discussing Brighton hen parties, and how the next morning they return to London like jaded boilers. Sophie, despite all the colossal amounts of stress over the past few months, pretty good too. Andros has moments when he can't breath as his heart is not working very well, but they pass. He is facing his obstacles with courage and humour, and is just getti...

A day of doing bits and bobs. Lorraine not feeling too well this morning with a stomach upset. I pottered about doing a few bits of house stuff, and feeding Lorraine tomato soup. She rallied later, luckily. In the evening Lorraine, Beth and I hopped aboard the bus and collected Sophie, Andros and Electra from a hotel near the station. We found a place to have a cocktail and a chat, then into a little tapas place in Sidney Street which was crammed when we first got in there. Rather good food and Spanish wine to be had there too, as well as lessons on how to pronounce Pedro Ximénez the sweet sherry, (aka PX that Lorraine and I sometimes nip as a Crane Brothers treat)  a reduction of which was drizzled onto some ice cream at the end of my meal. Yum.  I'd not seen Electra for a couple of years, and she's just had her 17th birthday and has changed from an a intelligent, funny girl into an intelligent, funny young woman. She is toying with studying anthropology, or perhaps philo...

Currently achy, tired and prone to sneezing, Lorraine off colour too. We had a low key day, where I started reading The Sheltering Sky , by Paul Bowles, a book I am finally getting around to reading despite buying it as a paperback about five years ago. Excellent so far, though as I am in an editing frame of mind I felt like crossing out a few words. I also had a good idea about my project this morning. Lorraine and I up for a slow breakfast, and a brief wander about the shops in the sunshine. Talked to a carpet fitter to replace threadbare stairs carpet. Slept deeply this afternoon, and turned down beers with Matt in the Basketmakers. Sophie and Andros spontaneously decided to bring themselves to Brighton. Lorraine and I cabbed to the Cricketers, which was too full of middle aged folk making boozy eyes at one another. We found somewhere quieter for a quick drink, then went to the vegetarian restaurant Food for Friends . Irritating woman told us that there was a mistake with the bo...

A beautiful day of warm sun. Up early as Lorraine had a hot stone massage with Jewel, like I had the other day. I decided to go to the gym, after tidying up the place a bit (we had a house viewing) and taking Betty a cup of tea. Feeling slightly tetchy in the gym, and only did the bare minimum, but better than nothing. Felt much better for a hot shower, and mooched off to find a very relaxed Lorraine and we went for a cup of tea in the Marwood, then went to sit by the sea in the warm sun. I then bought three quality shirts at bargain prices, then we drifted happily through the old lanes looking at wedding bands. Bused back home and went up the hill to sit in the sun garden of The Signalman, where we met Matt and Isy who, much to my pleasure, were in Brighton looking at houses as they are considering a move here. My liver and kidneys giving little squirms of apprehension, for Matt is always the centre of a good deal of enthusiastic and liquid socialising. Andros and Sophie had unexp...

Sophie and a CSR Off up to the Smoke today. First to Highgate to see Sophie. We snuck off for lunch in a pizza place, where Andros joined us, full of information about anaesthetics. Sophie talking about a new insight that Buddhism has taught her: that we know we can influence our cast of mind for the good, because we can influence it negatively with such ease. Then back to Sophie's office. She is pitching for new business on Friday and we brainstormed with her assistant Suzie about this for a couple of hours before I left them to it. I tubed down to the South Bank to go to the Poetry Library. Bizarrely, however, there was the Marks & Sparks AGM taking up the whole of the Royal Festival Hall. I felt vaguely affronted by this: selling off the cultural crown jewels for a spot of corporate lucre. But of course if it helps keep it all going, that's fair enough. I was told the Poetry Library was open but I had to go to the artist entrance. Rude security guards told me to wait to ...

Misty and mysterious Up to London today to meet Sophie in Highgate. We sloped off to the park just behind her house and ate a light lunch of tooth squeaking haloumi cheese and couscous and drank several coffees and cranberry juices. We were having a business brainstorm, as well as the usual gossip that results from knowing someone for 30 years. Despite that, I had not realised that Sophie's PR business has such amazing clients. Then back to Sophie's place where she caught up on some work and I talked with Andros and Christof and Electra for an hour or so. Andros had just seen My afternoons with Marguerite, and liked it too. Andros is an authority on film as he worked with Stanley Kubrick. Christof also on good form and looking oddly stylish. Electra recovering from hockey this afternoon, and readying herself for Sophie and Andros going to her parent's evening. She told me she is studying Mandarin at school. Then jumped on a slightly more random bus than I'd intended. It...

Cancelled, part 2 Awake listening to despicable drunken screaming at 4 o'clock this morning. There is a couple at the other end of the Twitten who behave monstrously. Once Lorraine and myself were awake again in the morning, I cancelled the visit to the airshow Lorraine had booked tickets to. I also decided not to go to see Dr Spacetoad perform this evening in a nearby pub. Andros and Sophie were in town, and they called around bringing croissants and fruit for Lorraine and I. Had a good long chat with them from the safety of my sofa. Both looking very well, after their Greek holiday, and rather relaxed with Electra and Christof in LA with their uncle. Sophie slightly terrified of Calliope for some reason, especially when I pointed Calliope at her and murmured 'kill' into her ears.

Sophie's party Drove north with Lorraine through a hot central London to attend Sophie's party, while forcing her to listen to Chris Squire's mighty Fish out of Water as well as Amadou and Mariam's classic Dimanche à Bamako . Lorraine less keen on the 1970s prog for some reason. We arrived at least two hours before the party started. As I had independently decided it started at 3 o'clock, rather than the actual start time of 8pm. Sophie and Andros kind enough to take this in their stride. But it gave me a chance to talk to Sophie's parents who also arrived early, and who I had not seen for about 25 years. Sophie's father almost completely unchanged. A splendid party and a few people I'd not seen for the same amount of time. Good to see Christof and Electra, Christof funny as ever, and Electra at 12 turning, seemingly overnight, into a young woman. Lots of lovely food too. Christof trying to make me do "the bear", which is some sort of impressi...

Aftermath An early rise, hung over but happy. Shaila, Lakshmi, Lorraine and I all got up and drank tea. Then went to Bills where we were joined by Andros and Sophie, and Sam for a long and rather funny breakfast, despite moments of feeling like death warmed over. Feeling very rich and lucky in my friends. Afterwards fond farewells to all, a quick shower and out again, locating L's parents eating sadwiches on a bench in the middle of town on New Road. Lorraine and I went back to her house where I watched the first half of the FA Cup final which Chelsea won, making it almost a perfect week by winning the double. Then collected by the angelic Dawn and driven to Jan's house in Worthing, where she had a proper English barbecue with rain and sausages. However it was a fine time, marred only by the fact I was roundly exhausted, and faced by a man talking to me about recylcing bathroom tiles, found it impossible to locate any words to reply with. Dawn drove Lorraine and I back to her p...