under another sun

Up early to do some writing, but immediately put off my stroke by Calliope. She had not moved from the bed and instead of being woken by her, she stayed silent and did not move. She also did not come down for breakfast, instead of herding me downstairs. For the second time in the last week or so, suddenly convinced she was going to die. However, after an hour or so she came into my study, and sat on my lap and looked bright as a button, before falling immediately asleep on me. I spoke to Lorraine and we thought the trip to the vets would be too stressful for her, as she wasn't in any distress. After having been out from noon till seven, she seemed completely fine this evening, and her and Brian greeted me on arrival as normal. The mysteries of cats.  Otherwise, off to Kew to get my teeth looked at. I have had to cancel my last two appointments. To make sure I got there on time, I left early. I had a dream journey -- all trains where they should be on the way up, and I found myself ...

Up early and made several amends on the stuff I was doing for mes amis in Paris, and then sent this off as a pdf to Val. Then I nipped down to Preston Park Station and made off to Kew Bridge to see my dentist.  Amanda messaging me from NZ for the inside skinny on the Nintendo Switch games that Lorraine likes, as she has just got one too. Quite busy on the way up. I read poems from Finished Creatures, and the latest PN Review on the train for a while, but just felt like rubbernecking out of the window. I arrived a bit early at Kew Bridge so was able to sit by the river, and look at the flotillas of Canada geese and other riverside delights. A beautiful day. Sauntered up to the dentist's office and Lucinda herself opened the door and told me to go straight in, even though I was early. No nasty surprises, which is what you want, and just a bit of scraping and polishing. As I was leaving I told Lucinda how much I appreciated how calm she made me feel over the years. I have not had a mo...

Took my life into my own hands today, and a quick dash up to Kew Bridge on the train to visit my dentist. London now trembling on the edge of Tier 3, but my experience of the train was fine. I went off peak, and only around one in six seats were being used. When you add in people travelling together, I was always had a seat with nobody around -- what's more every train arrived on time. I arrived early so I got off at Chiswick station and walked past some of my old abodes before ducking into the dentist. Nice to see Lucinda who, admonishing me for a build up of plaque, said she had to go old-skool with a metal hooky scraper as there are many restrictions on what equipment they can and can't use. You even had to rinse your mouth drinking from one cup and spitting into another. Home again to get on with some work for mes amis in Paris, and a long chat with Mum. Once home, Lorraine busy making videos of dancing festive elves with family faces on them and writing cards for pupils. ...

Up and chatting to Clem about the decking stairs before walking down to Brighton Station. Wrote a bit on the train, and caught the tube to Gunnersbury, and as I was early for the dentist, walked around enjoying Strand on the Green and its gardens full of flowers. I passed Grove Park Terrace, and Grove Park Road, where I lived and then along the river path to Kew Bridge. It realised again that I had been incredibly lucky in my life, as I have lived in some excellent places, even if I crammed in a bedsit for years. At the dentist it was told I had broken a tooth, which is mostly filling anyway, if it goes again it will have to be capped. Half an hour of injections, scrapings and a bit of drilling. I am not bad at going to the dentist. They even have a screen overhead you can look at wildlife films. At the most mouth crammed bit, I watched several lions savaging each other. Then, back into town with a numb face,  and I was early to meet mum so we mooched about Trafalgar Square, lo...

World book day. Lorraine off to school in a onesie and dressing gown, being a book at bedtime and looking sweet. I went up to London today, mercifully not in a onesie. Reading Peter and Wendy on the train however, (doing some background reading for the story I am writing). Surprised by the psychological and flirty undercurrent to the story published in 1913. I'd never read this before. And the setup is quite interesting. Some interesting imaginative leaps. Off to Strand on the Green to my dentist. She was a bit late, and then did x-rays, and found a filling to do. I had to book another appointment, luckily there was a cancellation in half an hour so I mooched about some of my old haunts for a few minutes, snapped the photos below from Kew Bridge, and then had the filling. Feeling a bit stressed lately, and found the whole process a bit more claustrophobic that usual. Luckily Lucinda is very pleasant and she has been my dentist for decades so all was well. A bill of £190. Relea...

Monday, and raining. Off to the gym this morning, to do something about my festive plumpness. Then home before going off to London. Trains are utterly diabolical at the moment, Preston Park ominously deserted, with signs about disruption and strikes (all blamed on the union and not mentioning the world's most incompetent railway company, and the world's most incompetent secretary of state for transport Chris Grayling of course). Travel hard to impossible on any day this week apart from today and Thursday -- when I will go up to see Mum and Mas again. Spoke to Mum and it sounds as if they are going to give Mas a pacemaker because he is not recovering and is still in intensive care. Apparently he is the person who holds their record for being in intensive care after a triple bypass. Otherwise by judicious choices, I managed to get to Chiswick with only three trains. Walked to the City barge along Strand on the Green, passing Isis Court where I once lived, and felt pleasantl...

Rain. Off to Strand on the Green early this morning to see Lucinda my dentist. The transport system apparently taken aback by the wholly unexpected event of Autumn and I missed my appointment. Sat working in the waiting room for an hour or so till they could squeeze me in. Naturally this morning, the pea-like lymph node and the throbbing in my gums had both vanished. They took the precaution of an x-ray, and Lucinda my dentist showed me the wide grin of my entire set of gnashers. No problems, luckily. She asked me if I had sinus infection, which I have had, so this might explain it. The head is a strange old lump. Slunk away lighter of wallet and slightly sheepishly. Lucinda has been doing the Kenny Hampsteads for decades and is a far cry from the butchers of my teens. I haven't needed a new filling for thirty years. Dreary rain. Train cancelled at Kew Bridge and a lengthy journey home. Worked on the train and made off to Starbucks to finish it and send the thing off. As soon as ...

Up at the crack of sparrows, feeling rather rough and hot. Lorraine's patented cure all of a cup of tea and two paracetamol seemed to fix this however and I made my way to Chiswick station without mishap, noticing Strand on the Green's subtle river smell which is so ingrained in me having lived there for years. A rather excellent day was then had. The work I'd been doing over the last few days went down very well, and the team led my Matty boy and Stephen worked really collaboratively. A luncheon in the City Barge of excellent fish and chips, then an afternoon of more work was followed by a swift beer with Matt, Stephen and First Matie in the Bull's Head. Good to see Katie down from Hull for a couple of days, and I'm really enjoying getting to know Stephen better. He is a genuinely ethical man, not something you encounter much in the agency world. Enjoyed working again with Yas and April too. April flourishing as a freelancer, and Yas is someone I took to right aw...

Off to Chiswick this morning, and to my dentist Lucinda, for a check up and to moan about a twinging tooth.  Settled back in the chair, and watched the tv screen above me as Lucinda investigated. On the screen was film of a whale corpse on the deep sea bed being grazed on by hagfish which bury their heads and raspy mouths in the rotting flesh. Nice. X-rays were taken and shortly after I was shown my teeth and their roots. The troublesome tooth okay for the time being, as I could see with my own eyes on the screen. Then downstream to The Bull's Head, now calling itself 'Bull's Head' for some reason, where I met Matty boy and Stephen for lunch and a chat about 11 London. Really nice to get to know Stephen a bit better. A very amiable man, despite having broken his leg a week ago which was still giving him some pain. Like Matt he is a listener as well as a broadcaster, which is refreshing. Stephen hobbled home, and I abandoned plans to do some research in the Natural His...

Lorraine and I up and off to London, for we were gathering at The City Barge on Strand on the Green. Funny how places keep cropping up in life. The Barge was a local  of mine, in a former life and as we made our way to the river I showed Lorraine places I'd lived in Chiswick. We were there to celebrate First Matie's departure for Hull where she is going to live for the foreseeable time for reasons of the heart. A gathering of friends in an upstairs room of the Barge, which is a good deal posher than when I lived nearby. A beautiful room looking down on the river, where we spent the afternoon and evening eating and making merry. Attendees were Kate (naturally) and many of her mates, who mostly are my mates too. Matty boy (who seemed to have done most of the organisation as usual) and Isy and the rather cute baby Elsie, The French Bloke and Max, Mel and Craig, Nicola, Sarah and Sylvie, Dan, Ian, Gareth, Stephen, and the lovely Matt Hindley arrived later. Some speeches were ma...

Up to London this morning to get my broken tooth sorted.  On the train, as I sat there feeling both wan and sweaty, nearby was a woman in her nineties, a jewish refugee from Hamburg in the 30s, who was bright as a button and radiating optimism and charm. It sounds a bit patronising to say people are inspirations, but she was one. At the dentist I was told it would eventually need a cap but for the time being she patched it up. Decades since I had a filling, and my dentist did it with a resin which was set with ultraviolet light. I like and trust my dentist Lucinda in my old Strand on the Green stomping ground. I like the way she describes what is about to happen, and what does happen is usually fine. Walking along by the river and remembered the first time I saw that view, as Janet and Ken's new lodger on one autumn day in the late eighties. It was the first place I'd lived in London that I really loved, that felt like somewhere that was somewhere. Long FaceTime chat w...

Up with the sparrows again and off to North Acton. Work better, though still workin' my nerve. Lovely people though. Worked through lunch, mumbling on a Tesco value sandwich, and had to stay a bit later to write headlines. Reminding me of my old Dell account days, and of Nev my old art director drawing pictures of jerking knees in a complex reference to the client and how they were being managed. Off in the evening to The Bull's Head on Strand on the Green, which is always excellent as it was for many years my local pub. Here I met First Matie, who was looking fit and cheery, Matty boy and Isy, who is off work as a balance and hearing problem caused by an ear infection means she can't ride horses (she works in a highly rated stables)  and Craig who had recently moved house and had spent the week building IKEA  furniture. Highly enjoyed being among these friends again. Matt, Isy, Kate and I went for a Thai meal in what was a greasy spoon cafe by day. (Funny how many Thai r...

Lorraine and my B&B is called Orinsay, and we had a good night’s sleep. Reading Jung in bed and his discussion of synchronicity and coincidence. Breakfast was delicious and even included haggis alongside local sausages, eggs, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes.   All ingredients excellent. Lorraine and I chatting to Ian, a pal of Craig and Mel’s who was staying at Orinsay too. He mentioned Strand on the Green where Matt, Graeme and Kate live (and I lived for many years) and I happened to glance above his head and noticed that the painting above his head was of Strand on the Green and Kew Bridge. Quite a coincidence. Lorraine walked in the castle grounds, shopped and later found a cafe for a light lunch. Waiting for Lorraine outside a nosebleed inducing  shop, I turned around and realised I was looking at the shop of Gordon Caris who mends watches and clocks, the shop only opens two days a week, Thursdays and Fridays and was empty as today was a Saturday. Gordon Cari...

Kew Gardens Working on the premise that necessity is the mother of invention. So up early and back home to feed Calliope, and a think about what I could send Matt for our last-minute piece, and duly pinged over three options. In the afternoon Lorraine and I caught a train to Kew Bridge, to visit Kew Gardens, which I had not been to for years. I lived close to it when I was married, and my return had a slightly bittersweet feeling, but I really enjoyed walking about it again with Lorraine, despite the weather constantly threatening rain. We stayed until closing time, and for the last hour felt almost alone as the garden was reclaimed by squirrels and the miaow of peacocks. I noticed the incessant planes flying over far more than when I lived under their flightpath. Tried out the treetop walk for the first time and it was empty among the trees, and quite windy too. Also enjoyed lurking in the hothouse, and taking snaps. The buildings of Kew Gardens seeming a little shabbier than I rememb...

Four kinds of English grey Challenged by this morning. In the night I had turned over in bed, and a minor tweak in my back suddenly became a sudden yikes!-inducing pain. Drifted back into sleep until Calliope thoughtfully rubbed her face into my open and drooling mouth at 6.00am. Up snuffling, and loping like an orc off to London to get fangs sorted. Off to Strand on the Green where, being early, I took the photos in the entry below. Then late into the agency. Curiously, nothing much to do once I was there. Had a fruit smoothie with Betsy at lunch, and sat about with my head full of Paul Klee images, longing to be released back into the wild. Doodled Paul Klee style pictures while attending an interminable meeting this afternoon, listening to a teleconference of clients giving their opinions about creative work. Home to a clingy cat who is balking at food in protest at my absence, and cold chicken sandwiches for me. And then a nice chat with Lorraine... Then bed... Bed calls me with it...

A fluvial interlude A six thirty start today to head up to London to do a couple of days at First Matie's agency. Curiously cheery atmosphere on the train, due to the sun I suppose. Very hot in Kate's offices today, and a strange keyboard glitch made typing a bit of a trial. But all in all a good day, despite feeling that I was wilting like a lettuce. After work headed off to Strand on the Green with Kate, in her little car, and had a cold beer or two by the river with a splendidly-shirted Matty and Sylvia and a meal which included complimentary apple crumbles, which was entirely excessive but very tasty. Then spoke to Lorraine, who was having a difficult day, and Simon who was also having a difficult day. Kate and I strolled along the river to Kew Bridge and back, looking at a flotilla of 21 Canadian geese, and priest like herons, swans and other river birds convening at sundown. A lovely summer's evening, but I was soon ready for bed after a long hot day, snoozing in Grae...