under another sun

A pre-dawn message from mes amis in France wanting me to do a smidge of work. When I couldn't find a quick fix, I gave up. Off to see Stacy this morning for a haircut. Almost an hour. The last ten minutes is given to cutting stray hairs invisible to the the eyes of muggle non-barbers. Back via Sainsbury's. Lorraine quite a bit brighter, although still coughing. I decided to bump my jolly with Bob next week in London. My estimation is that Omicron is passing like wildfire through the population. I would be very surprised if lockdowns don't start just after Christmas. Lorraine only gets her booster on Wednesday, and will be going back -- gradually -- to work, but I don't want to share crowded train germs with her.  Calliope split Sam's lip by head-butting his face in the night. It's a sign of affection.  Met Anton late afternoon. He looks remarkably well considering his probable TIA. He is on medications and going through further tests. Anyway good to see him and ...

The deluge like rain continues. Saw a tweet from Reuben who said that Brighton was basically an island this morning. No trains to London, and the motorway blocked. Thanking my lucky stars I was not commuting today, as in days of yore.  Instead I tidied up a few bits, and went to the gym for the first time this month and did a small spot of shopping. Lorraine's last day at school. The End of Term!!! Beth at home today, having finished her various jobs too. Lorraine went to her work's Christmas do in Brighton. Anton and I met in the Shakey Head and had a few drinks there and tried their beer battered gherkins, which were interesting, although neither of us was in a rush to try them again. Then we sauntered down to the Hampton, where Beth came to meet us having seen some pals. Lorraine came too, with her top hat slightly askew from her work do. Had a good laugh there, which was great fun, before I taxied home with Beth and Lorraine. Lorraine straight off to bed, Beth decided i...

Took a brief this morning from Pat, and worked solidly all day on this, rewriting a longish brochure, but lots to get your head around. Also sent off a design for a flyer for Magnificent Grace to the printer. In the evening, melted away and had a quick catch up with Anton, who I had not seen for a bit. He is experiencing a seasonal gloom, aided and abetted by endless wet grey skies. We settled in the Shakey Head which was a cheery place, and for a while sat discussing life, and His Dark Materials TV series among other things. Home, and found myself buying a takeaway from Red Chillies on the way home. Yum. Lorraine texted a last minute request for Onion Bhajis. Ate this, then did a bit of packing prior to us zooming off tomorrow.

A bit more in focus revisited the story, The Merger , I wrote on holiday in Sicily, and also the What You Look For story I wrote shortly before I left. I sent What You Look For to Matthew Rees at Horla with fingers crossed. I also started working on the cover for Magnificent Grace. Lorraine working at home today. I got busy with the water pressure cleaner on the decking, and took off most of a year's worth of grime and guano. This is the closest I came to working with power tools, and it made me feel like a man.    In the evening we walked off to meet Anton in the Batty, where he handed over a Sherlock Holmes game for L and I to play. We had a bite to eat there, and generally caught up on gossip. Anton having the massive pain of having to sort out the identity theft that happened a few weeks ago, people buying stuff in Brighton. He is off on a short holiday with the bairns next week.  We left the Batty which is in its final weeks before the new owners take ov...

Keeping in touch with Mum today as Mason is in hospital, Mum and Mas having phoned up 111 and being advised to go to accident and emergency. He seems reasonably relaxed about it all, and didn't want her to visit. Obviously a bit worrying, but he's in good hands at least. I went to the gym and spent the day working on things dictated by the great mind map of destiny. Speaking to Betty today about the play, and her pal Sarah apparently loved it, and wants to direct Beth in it. Things like this are making me feel good about the play. So pleased Beth and I got the ball rolling on this. In the afternoon a nice interlude with Anton in The Joker, eating our 3 for 2 deal on woof woof wings, and sinking a few beers and generally putting the world to rights. Anton showing me stages of the great coastal walk he is embarking on, and assuaging Mum's concerns that it won't all be walking. Fiery-mouthed we walked up to the Shakey Head for another quick beer, as we'd not be...

A really good day's work. Up early feeling better than I have done for the last week or so and wrote two more DRTV scripts, plus a post for my business blog before 11 am, and a good afternoon's work too, followed by an epic backing up and cross referencing all the files across my laptop and desktop session. It has made my brain feel clean and lean. Sat outside in the sunshine for a while too, and watered plants and examined them on a two-hourly basis. The biggest threat to the garden comes in the tortoiseshell form of Calliope who sees the freshly dug and planted flowerbeds as there for her convenience. Off in the evening to meet Anton for a swifty. We met in the Shakey's Head and moved up to the Good Companions to take advantage of the fact that Anton had been given a card allowing him discount on certain boozes and food. But as Anton was up with the larks and skipping across the pond tomorrow, and had received instructions from afar not to miss the plane nor was I to de...

A day of chats. Glorying in the comfort of my own bed this morning, with no ordeals ahead. A low-impact morning doing a smidgeon of work, chatting to Mum on FaceTime, Mas still needing help getting dressed after his fall. Then chatting with Beth before she left to chaperone a child to an audition in London. Really mixed weather, in a sunny spell this afternoon I saw Janet and Ken for afternoon tea, and a another chat. I took Janet some anemones as these are her favourite, and I found her outside talking to her Tibetan gardener who has been working to great effect in the little front garden. Janet said he'd done some work on the house next door and was itching to get his hands on her fig tree.  Cue Frankie Howerd Face... Also chatted to Ken about my French trip, and telling him I wish I'd had his facility for languages. Janet has radiotherapy starting tomorrow, a course that will be complete in a few weeks. While at Janet and Ken I managed to catch up with First Matie, who...

A little time to work on poetry before feedback from the French, meant I returned to creating ad concepts for cow health, drawing cows and writing cow headlines, and I'm grateful for it. Meanwhile Brian escaped to resume his fights with other cats. As I was speaking to Mum this morning and had to lob a handy apple core at the evil ginger and white cat fighting with Brian again from my study, to startle them. While in the afternoon was the mysterious case of The Faux Calliope (yet another neighbour cat who looks very similar to Calliope) who managed to get stuck on the window ledge of the spare bedroom. I had to lean out of the window on a stool to rescue it. In thanks the ungrateful wretch hissed and growled in my arms all the way into the garden. These little gardens are a matrix of cat, fox, gull territories. I finished work, some hasty gnocchi gulped down with my darling wife, then I marched off to meet Anton in the Shaky Head for a few beakers of Heineken, and to watch Anto...

Up early, sending a few more words to Helen for the music piece. She is happy with what I've sent her so far. Found out the freelance booking for next week seems to be cancelled, which somewhat galling. Today, however I delved into the mysteries of irritable bowels and wrote about them, while Beth practiced singing her tunes for the audition in her bedroom, and Lorraine drove about the county and then taught governors in the evening. Caught up with Sophie briefly, who had broken an ankle at the end of last year but otherwise seemed okay, despite having gone with Electra to the funeral of a friend earlier in the day. I sloped off to meet Anton in the Shaky Head, but as it was busy with pup quizzers, one of whom was rather elbowy at the bar we sat at, and had to be reminded of his manners. We repaired to the Good Companions where the pub grub we ordered was dropped en route to our table, and we were given the price of one meal back, which we shrewdly reinvested in beer. Nice to...

Up and working this morning on various stuff from last week that I needed to finish, billing, admin and so on. Lorraine working on her stuff too until she went shopping with Beth for her Cairo trip as an Ugly Sister. Betty also found out that she had got the job as an elf in Brighton for Christmas, about which she was delighted.  We finished at 3.00 and then off to The Shakey's Head where we met John, Anton and Matt for a Sunday lunch. And surprisingly delicious roast it was too. Lots of chatting, and good to see Matt. All having very restrained drinks, as I was still feeling very drained and worn out, and everyone else was too. Home to watch some TV and relax, and a very early night's sleep.

Working again today from home, but found time to creak off to the gym in the afternoon. Up early and worked on a poem I wrote in Greece and I think it may be a cracker. Anton and Bob's birthday today. Unable to contact the Old Mad Dog, but luckily well able to celebrate Anton's birthday which had a sensitivity-provoking zero in it. I spoke also to Carl and Ellie, whose birthday it is on Thursday.   In the evening, off to the Shakespeare's Head where we met Anton, Klaudia and Oskar, and Dawn and Rosie. A very cheery evening, with sausage and mash and the kids behaving in an exemplary fashion, and quizzing Dawn about Annie the ghost in her new house. I am not sure if Dawn is entirely comfortable with the idea of Annie, but she was quizzed gamely anyway. Good to see Rosie back from Greece looking relaxed and happy. Anton liked his presents, and Dawn organised some brownies with candles and the pub sang Happy Birthday and he generally came away feeling less a'feared o...

Woke up shortly after six this morning with a poem in my head, and simply got up and wrote it. An absolute rarity when something arrives fully formed.  It's working title is 'My notebook has black pages' and is a bit wild and uninhibited in a Dylan Thomasish way I suppose, having yesterday watched a drama about him.  I had written it before 8:30am and, having completed it, felt as if my day's work was done before it had even started. Lots of work to be done, however, and I am trying to get my social media presence up to scratch and am working on twitter at the moment. Looking too at the pictures that were done by Alex, my grandfather. Posted about those here . I worked in the  Emporium Theatre on London Road, and was periodically barged by members of a moot of middle class mummies with their offspring.  Also there was a life class with people drawing, quite a lively place. Sonya had been while I was away, and I had left a yellow smiley post it note on our new va...

A good deal less wan and tired, thankfully. Anton had plotted a short walk starting at Nuthurst, a village that Anton and I had been through before. Lorraine drove us to Anton's where the purple magnolia outside his house was looking wondrous. Then onto Rosie's house and we drove off over the downs into the Weald, me humming  Nuthurst City Limits and saying it was a good job we were in a car as "motorcycle not allowed in it". Nobody laughed. We parked up and then went for a mooch in the woods. Lorraine sporting her new boots. I was feeling brighter than the last few days, and was fine. In fact it was lovely to get outside and be among trees. Especially walking past a wood of silver birch. Not too muddy. To a pub there called The Black Horse hoping for food. Slightly galling to be shown a table, told we'd have to wait an hour for food which, after buying a drink was revised to waiting an hour before you can order your food. We opted not go. Still, nice to be ins...

Up early and surging about doing things after a porridge and blueberry breakfast. Lorraine had an excellent idea for reorganising the study further and this done, my desk has never looked tidier and more purposeful, like a petri dish waiting for the culture of a new idea. Another cloudless and beautiful day.  Project Lorraine  dictated that we had to go for a walk, so we collected Rosie and walked along the seafront of Hove watching the sun dazzle on the sea and talking about diverse subjects. Eventually settled into the stones for a bit of a bask, leaning against a groyne which Rosie was inexorably drawn to. The sun was palpably warm. Lorraine and I had a rosy faces this evening as a consequence. Off to The Shakespeare's Head to meet Matt for a late and rather tasty lunch. We even sat outside in the sun, drinking a nice beer and eating an excellent roast. Even had a piece of Guinness cake on offer as it was the day before Paddy's Day. Fond farewells with Rosie and Matt,...

Worked steadily this morning and at lunchtime Mum arrived. Off to the Emporium, outlining colourfully for Mum the kind of people you encounter walking along London road, such drug addicts, beggars, prostitutes and so on just as we bumped into Dawn. Then we had a cup of coffee and a sausage roll served with a few leaves in the Emporium. Then a stroll around town, as we talked, making it down to the pier being watched by seagulls, and along the seafront before we went to see the private view of the mosaic work of Husam Abu Shama, known as Hus to his friends. This was held at Janet and Ken's house. An enjoyable few hours being plied with wine and food, and chatting with Hus, Janet and Ken, Ray and Sonia and the several friends who turned up. Hus's work looking rather fine, with examples of his mosaic work in Italy on display on a show of pictures and in magazines, as well as the more portable work, often with LED lights and even incorporating fabric in a couple of collaborations...

Poor night's sleep. After limited success writing, I went to speak to three estate agents to arrange valuations of my house in the Twitten. This appeared to be some sort of mental barrier it was good to have broken through. An interesting experience asking the same thing of three outfits. One, Austin Gray, seemed far more professional than the others. This done, off to the gym where I had, for me, a lengthy workout. Then to the sinister Starbucks for a large cup of tea and a blueberry muffin and a far more successful writing session for a couple of hours. Then home via some shops where I bought John a card with a wearable Einstein mustache for his birthday. In the evening, after cooking supper and eating it with Lorraine, off to see Anton in the Shakespeare's Head for a chat and to watch him eat some sausages. Anna is moving out this weekend, and Anton asked me to help move boxes and try to make the process as 'normal' as possible for the children. Despite this a ...

Working hard on the business book and making some good progress, but generally feeling sorry for myself as my prostatitis seems to be returning - the antibiotics appear only to subdue it. It is gloom-inducing and makes every day a struggle. Enjoyed a walk in the icy wind this afternoon after I'd been working for many hours. Low sun striping the park with shadows, went to the walled garden and my regular haunt looked boxlike as all the screens of planting had died away, with only the pampas grass standing proud. Looked into the square fishpond, and saw the shoal of gold and black goldfish clearly as the waterlilies had gone. Couldn't help anthropomorphising and thinking how cold they must be as they appeared to cringe in the centre of the pond. A very cheery evening spent in The Shakespeare's Head, forking down their excellent gourmet sausages and mustard mash with Lorraine, Anton, Cath and Rosie. Also joined by Matt and Wayne. Several beers drunk and I felt distinctly c...

Extra hour in bed last night. Then off to Stanmer Park for a mooch in the woods with Lorraine, walking and talking is always good . Went to look at the donkey well, which was open. One of the two ladies obligingly poured water down the deep well, and we all waited with hushed breath until what seemed like ages later the water at the bottom was disturbed. The well was 203 feet deep apparently. Home, and a late lunch in the Shakespeare's Head, where we were joined by Wayne, Matt and John. Great fun, generally. Home to sleep soundly on the sofa before bedtime. Shunning Match of the Day as Chelsea had been beaten by the accursed Manchester United. Below, around the table at the Shakey's Head: me and Lorraine; Lorraine and Matt; John, Wayne, a pumpkin; a strange statue and back to me.

Strange Kafkaesque dreams. Up and writing more poetry in a frenzy, having been gripped by a new theme that suddenly makes sense of the various fragments I have been writing over the last year, which weaves my dabbling in paleoanthropology, a recurring interest in the unreliability of memory and the tension between private self and public duty. Wildly disinclined to do accounts, however. Instead I went to the gym, albeit in a rather wan and feeble manner. But pleased to have done so. Met Matt in the Shakespeare's Head for a couple of cheeky beers and a long chat at tea time. Then joined by Lorraine, and she and I feasted on the Shakey's inimitable sausage and mash combo, which was rather delicious. An enjoyable evening, and home early too.

A hot and lovely day. Up early, and Lorraine and I went off to the gym, where Lorraine swam and I had a properly sweaty workout. Then to a little market where we brought some vegetables and two squids from a man selling locally caught fish. I asked him to clean it for us. After he'd chopped its tentacles off, and pulled the body and a clear plastic like length of cartilage, from the hood (checking inside, he told us, for any other bits such as half digested sprats), he removed the skin in seconds by rubbing it with a plastic scouring pad, saying that he'd seen a man do it that way in Hong Kong and it had saved him hours ever since. We went home with a bag of tentacled goodness. Not a day for lurking indoors, so Lorraine Beth and I caught a bus to Brunswick Square in Hove, where there was a festival with music, and various tents and stalls. Lurked about here for a while, having a drink in the sun, and listening to samba and folk music, and Beth being grossed out by a man's...