under another sun

Up having been dehydrated overnight. Lorraine and I zoomed off and caught the train to Brighton in time to go to Komedia for before 12 where, sipping judicious teas and coffees, we met Innis and Rosie in Screen one. A gorgeous film, called Blind Willow Sleeping Woman , which was based on several stories by Murakami. Gorgeous animation. Found myself lapping up colours, a particular green tie worn by a downtrodden character fed my soul. Quite surreal moments and lots of enigmatic stuff -- but I loved it. After we sloped off to The Eagle, now refurbished, and serving Thai food. We had lunch there, Lorraine and I had a vegetarian massaman curry with peanuts and chickpeas. Pretty tasty, and washed down with a  hair of the dog cold beer. Rosie and Innis on fine form. Innis has begun to enjoy printmaking, and some of his prints will be in one of the open houses, and he has been doing more coastguard work too, which he is enjoying.  Home on the train which stopped at Falmer, by Bright...

Up early and made breakfast early. A morning of laundry, and moving things from one room to another in the bedrooms. I also got a chance to try on my Santa suit, it made me feel Christmassy. Apparently, I will have two elves and be installed in a library, where, under my baleful influence, the children will learn to associate an interlude of Santaphobic horror with reading and books. Then Dawn came in her car, and drove us down into town where we went to The Eagle, where John and Beth arrived quickly. Beth sporting glamorously-curled birthday hair. We had the upstairs room, and it was a gathering for Beth's birthday. A cheery afternoon. with drinks and good Sunday lunches. Good to chat with John, and James who I think of as a kind of kindred spirit, and Amy, and Dawn and Rosie, and Alex and Luke, and Wayne popped in too with one of his pals. Just a cheery afternoon. Lorraine and I bought Beth some driving lessons. I see it as a good investment. Then home, and generally running...

Toast and tea, before First Matie and I had a walk down to walk about in the gale on Brighton Pier which blasted away any cobwebs. We saw the waves were breaking far out to sea. The tide quite low when we were there, but some of the waves really large. Then we met Lorraine, and embarked on a short shopping spree, Lorraine buying me some socks, and we headed off to The Eagle for a Sunday lunch in celebration of Matt's 37th birthday. Lots of pals there, including Anton, John, Tim and Guy, Tanya, Irish Tom and his pal Natasha, Bryn and Nas, who I'd met the other night, most of us strapping on the nosebag for a roast lunch. A few happy hours chatting. Eventually people had to head for home. Fond farewells with First Matie, who it had been great to have down. Lorraine, John, Matt and I headed across the road to the Basketmakers for an absolutely bloody final drink before Lorraine and I mooched home to spend the evening reclined happily on the gold sofa, eating apple pie.   Bel...

The house to ourselves, Lorraine sat in bed opening Wedding presents like kids on Christmas day. Luckily we both felt fairly fresh this morning, Lorraine because she hadn't drunk too much, and me through audacious luck. After a hasty breakfast, we sped off to The Cricketers . The staff were dancing when we entered, and stopped sheepishly.  All very friendly, and we collected left over Sussex cheeses, various table dressings, flowers and other bits and pieces, and one of them told Lorraine that he thought it had been the best wedding they'd had there. Then to Anton's place, where Anton, Anne and the bairns were in the car outside, and Anton let me in to collect my suit carrier. Hugs from Klaudia and Oskar, then we parked around the corner and stuffed my suit back into the suit carrier, flapping about in what had become a very strong wind. Down to The Old Ship Hotel to collect Pat, Maureen, Mum and Mas. The wind down by the sea enough to lean into. Leaving the others fo...

Up curiously early possessed by the idea that going to the gym at 8:30 was deeply sensible. En route met Reuben and Clare and the four boys at the bus stop as they were catching a coach to Gatwick. Had a long chat and joking about having been nominated by the City of Brighton to see them off. Instead of going to the gym, however, I came home and went back to bed having discovered the effort of standing up and talking more than enough. Two hours later L and I got up for a second time, and Lorraine cooked breakfast, which Toby slid down for. I had also to dispose of the body of a large dragonfly one of the cats had brought in. Then I went back to the gym, walking there with Toby who went off to lurk in the North Laine and find a place for coffee. I started gingerly, but soon felt quite good. Home again, and had a shower.  While getting ready to go out again, Sam sent me a touching note about L and my marriage. As I was finishing my reply, I happened to be sitting...

A spot of variety working with Sophie on some PR material for a Channel 4 series called Top Boy , which had in its first series music by Brian Eno, and when I watched some of it was struck right away by the beautiful camera work and freshness of the acting. I had a thick head this morning, and I spent all day feeling very hot up in the home office. I was overcomplicating things a little, I think, however it was interesting to be working on something entirely different. In the evening collected by Lorriane where we did some emergency shopping, and then went straight away off to The Basketmakers where we met Matt, Ruth, Anton and Irish Tom. Incredibly crowded with lots of non-regulars blocking the streets between The Basketmakers and The Eagle and having the bar staff muttering somewhat as they dropped glasses in the street and pulled pub stools out to sit on. Everyone a bit shattered at the end of this hot week, although it was suprisingly good fun to sluice down yet more cold beer....

Sunday afternoon Drought having been declared in several counties of England a couple of days ago, naturally it has been raining ever since. Worked on my poems at 7, then simply went back to bed not getting up till after 11. Looked into my loft and bought a new room thermostat online. Actually Lorraine did this for me, as I was too enervated by the whole process. Considered this enough for a Sunday and decided to go for a walk. After a few minutes in soaking rain, but Lorraine said 'shall we just go to the pub instead' and so we repaired to The Eagle , where we ate roast pork, mountains of veggies, and supped pints of fine bitter chatting through the afternoon, looking at a tropical marine aquarium, and the rain falling on the street outside. Lorraine is a person who will happily talk about poetry even though she doesn't write it. Amazing really. I have read her nine of the new poems I've written as works in progress, and she is still talking to me. Home again in the so...

Taking Toby to pubs A roll of suitcase wheels and a knock on the door at 5:40am heralded the welcome appearance of Toby on my doorstep. After mumbled hellos, I gave him a glass of sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon, and two rounds of toast and he went to bed. And so did I. The Tobster climbed from bed several hours later and Lorraine and I revivified him with tea, and the cat had sat on him, and two of my Corydoras Julii (little leopard catfish) mated, dancing in the water vertically together in beautiful way, by way of welcome. Later we went for a late Sunday lunch at the Eagle. For what people need when they come to England is booze. This incidentally another place where Lorraine is also well known and given kisses and hugs on arrival from the friendly manager Caz. Strapped on the nosebag for a traditional roast beef lunch, and enjoyed a couple of decent pints of English bitter and generally caught up. Toby seems well, cheery and relaxed, which is good to see. Lorraine went home...

Minimal migration issues The kitten stood on my face at 5:30. After a difference of opinion about this, I lay awake listening to her exact terrible reprisals against the Christmas tree downstairs. After big bowls of porridge, Lorraine went off shopping steadily working her way through her list, while I got down to work. After a while, my mobile phone suddenly began to die - not a good idea if you work for yourself. At the Orange shop a young man showed me phones until he realised I looked glazed and was going to have a nosebleed. I opted for a Sony Ericsson same as last time. Good choice , he said, as migration issues are minimal . Thank God, I said. Then met Lorraine again for a defrosting coffee, and to The Eagle pub, which Lorraine's pal Caz runs. They share a hairdresser, and found that they are sporting identical haircuts and looked like brother and sister. We scarfed a late Sunday afternoon roast beef meal which I accompanied with a restrained pint of IPA, which reminded me o...