under another sun

Lorraine and I got up to go to Oskar's confirmation at an unspeakable five o'clock, which felt like four due to the clocks going back in the night too. Enjoyably enough managed to shock and appal Beth and Laura, who were just coming home after a lively night out with their top hats at an angle. Lorraine drove us nearby, and we walked in the hosing rain to St Nicholas' church. Here we found Anton, Anna and the bairns. Lorraine and I sat with Brian and Anne, and David and Stephanie (who I'd not seen for some time, and it was nice to meet again). The service started in the dark, with people finding their way to pews with their phone lights. Klaudia came and sat next to me, and we snickered together at the sight of one of the clergy bumping into the spiral of stairs up to the pulpit as he walked from a lit room in the dark of the church. The service starting in darkness and employing candles and fire to good effect.  The Bishop of Lewes was leading the service, and at o...

Up at an utterly appalling 4:25am, after a few hours sleep full of nightmares and ghastliness. Scrabbled around, amid confused cats, and found my suit, a tie, overcoat and my wedding shoes, and made off to the Church of St Nicholas. Arrived there at 5:15, having passed a few stragglers returning home after a night out. And and walked into the unlit church and was found by Oskar, and guided to the others by a woman with a little torch like an usherette. Joined up with Anton, Anna, Anne and Oskar, and of course Klaudia whose Confirmation it was this morning. Sitting in a darkened rustling church perfect for the post-nightmare mood. The service started in darkness, with a fire lit at the back of the church and candles being lit one from the other as the day brightened all around the church. Readings from Genesis rather magical, although the Exodus bit about Pharaoh's army drowning, and celebrating over the dead bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the shore I find barbaric. My ado...

Lorraine  off to Basingstoke this morning to see family and collect Beth. I sloped off to the Christmas Fair at St Nicolas Church. Janet had a stall the first one you saw on entering selling some of her fabric work. Spent an hour or so lurking with her and Ken, and catching up on gossip, drinking tea and nibbling at a star-shaped biscuit as people milled about in the church, and prize draws were conducted and a father christmas made an appearance from time to time. Sloped down the hill into town with the idea of doing some shopping. Matt called and so instead I found myself in the Foundry drinking a creditable pint of Landlord with him. I have been avoiding boozes, however I decided to throw caution to the wind. Good chat with Matt, who is in a period of creative flux. In the evening off to the Great Eastern to meet Anton. The pub was very crowded, but there were wafts of astonishing reek. I knocked someone's jacket from the back of a barstool as I squeezed through and picking ...

Slices A bitty start to the day with my work Porlocked by Brian savaging Basil for no good reason, the cleaner Sonia sternly going about her business, and loquacious men from the YMCA coming to collect an old wardrobe, bookcase and an enormous CD rack abberation I bought a few years ago. Lorraine came home for a turkey soup lunch, and we left together to walk into town. L for a coaching session, and me to conduct some guerrilla filming with my wee Flip camera. Wandered about peering into shop windows at shop dummies and reflections and, inevitably, wandered down to the sea. I was walking up past St Nicholas church and encountered Anna and Klaudia. Anna is dreading having to be Baby Spice for charity, and sing and dance on stage as she said she can't dance or sing. I pointed out that, in fairness, neither could Baby Spice. Klaudia straining at the leash to go shopping. Off then to see Janet and Ken. Janet's arm healing well according to the mountebanks at the hospital who are su...

Candles at Christmas Up and at 'em today. Lots of things to be done before Christmas, Lorraine and I got an early start doing some local shopping for bread and general Christmas goodies. Big breakfast and then Lorraine and I drove to the station to successfully scoop up Mum and Mase from the station. A very smooth journey apparently. Got everyone settled in, and then off to St Nicholas Church for their Crib Service, which is nothing at all to do with gansta rap, but in fact all about the Nativity. Mum and I walked there, and Lorraine drove Mas, Pat and Maureen. There met Anton, Anna Brian and the children. Oskar sitting on my lap for much of the service, and Klaudia on Brian's. Better service than last year, with a pantomime element added with a big wrapped present on the altar and Father Robert and others trying to steal it. Oskar bellowing behind you! with the best of them. Then the children collected their little candles (Oskar going up this time unaided as he is now five) ...

Christmas Eve Legging about this morning, and a bit of final wrapping this afternoon which I enjoyed, despite the best attentions of Calliope who kept rushing at the wrapping paper. Off to St. Nicholas Church a Crib Service, which is a shortened service primarily designed for children. Oskar has one of the many gyps doing the rounds and stayed at home with Brian. Went to Church with Anna, Anton and Klaudia . Anne, Anton's mum was there too, and at the Church we met Lorraine and Maureen and Pat. A nice enough service, with a game of pass the parcel incorporated into a telling of the Christmas Story, with layers of wrapping paper being torn off to reveal different aspects of Jesus. Klaudia caught the ball at one point and went to the front to tear off another layer. She also carried one of the wooden figures and placed it in the Nativity scene, plus carried a candle to the front looking as cute as anything. I absolutely love the symbolism of the Nativity story, and St Nicholas seem...

Arundel Off to Arundel today for a general mooch about. Lorraine looking at it as a possible location for her to live. But she decided against it, despite it being a very beautiful place. Into the St Nicholas Church and the Catholic Cathedral where I lit a candle, thinking of Sprinkles and our visit there. After we wandered about town a little before finding Martin, who had been painting in his studio for a quick chat in the Eagle pub near an open fire. The fire a tad warmer than the welcome. The temperatured dropping, we returned to Brighton, where we bought a takeaway curry for supper. I spoke to Matt, who is now on variation seven, and has recruited a new violinist for our concert. Below noticed one of the Romantic Poets series the Guardian published this week in a bin. A great idea but they were printed on such uselessly thin stock that it didn't work. Poems are to keep. Inside Arundel Cathedral, in the grounds of St Nicholas church.

Christmas eve Pre-Christmas running about this morning, a brief kick in the teeth with two Skelly rejections, and then... Relax. Lorraine stopped by, then down to the Basketmakers to meet Sam, Beth and Mark. Cheery scene in the pub, and particularly nice for Lorraine as her children are not with her on Christmas day this year. Then from there home to smarten up a smidge then off up to Anton and Anna's house to collect them and the children, plus Anne and Brian to go off to Church for the children's service. The place packed and the whole thing utterly chaotic. Father Robert barely able to speak due to a terrible throat, the child hordes chattering and weaseling through legs and under pews. One intrepid toddler even ascending the pulpit. The microphone also kept cutting out on Father Robert, and another newly ordained man, and apparently ex-skinhead, jumped up and using an arm puppet called Scruffy (a talking dog) and another unpleasant homunculus called Gordon told a stor...

Gloria the spider I am hopeless at wrapping presents, and this process lengthened by Calliope pouncing explosively into the middle of everything from time to time. Anton told me about a wrapping service that you could choose either to have things wrapped perfectly, or - for blokes - wrapped badly to make it seem that you have done it yourself. It's worth considering. Off to St Nicholas parish church for a carol service for young children with Anton and Anna, and my Godbairns. Met Lorraine near the church having just dropped her parents Pat and Maureen at the Church. Klaudia sat on my knee for most of the service, covertly drawing and playing with Lorraine next to me. Father Robert told the nativity story from the perspective of a large spider called Gloria, who lived in a crack in the stable and was startled to hear Gloria in Excelsis! Later Father Robert produced a big fluffy spider which he invited one of the children to add to the church's traditional nativity scene. Ann...

Don Kenny Today I became a Godfather. Sicilian hot day in Brighton, I wondered up the hill clutching my bag of two bibles to Anna and Anton's house where Anna's mum and dad, and brothers and sister, Anton's Mum, the Godparents to be Brian and Anna and her family, and Lorraine all met up before going off to St Nicholas church. As befits a church named after the patron saint of sailors, it is set on a hill overlooking the sea with views of Brighton. Lovely interior too, and generally quite a lively and friendly church. But there was lots of aromatic smoke, which incensed me (arf). I sat on the front pew with Brian and Anna, the two other Godparents. Only the lovely Christianne who lives in Australia and is currently on her honeymoon was missing. None of us on the front pew knew exactly what to do, and Brian told Anna that they might end up married by the end of the ceremony. For some reason I get a bit twitchy in important church ceremonies. I keep thinking something embarras...