under another sun

 Lorraine and I off on the train to Brighton at lunchtime. Walked down through town to meet Penny and Steve in Mowgli, a restaurant with good quality Indian street food. We had things like bhel puri and gunpowder chicken, and home lamb curry, sat on seats with ropes for backs. Some seemed to be actual swings. A savage price for beer, but luckily I only had the smallest bottle of  Cobra I'd ever seen. Interested by Steve telling us about the paper he is delivering in Japan about synthetic rubies discovered in a sunken ship called the SS Persia -- sunk without warning by a dastardly U-boat in the Mediterranean in 1915.  After lunch, and fond farewells, Lorraine and I walked up towards the station, through the back alleys and my old Twitten, Camden Terrace. We went to the Batty, where we met Anton for a bitterly contested three-way game of bones, and a few beers. The Batty on the brink of change, the regulars fear for it.  Lorraine and I sloped home to cheese on toast. ...

Helped by Lorraine I had to work on getting my head straight for this afternoon's celebration of Janet's life, which we held upstairs at Grand Central, where I had done my last poetry reading in Brighton.  We arrived at the venue first, and Heather and Kim and Rasmini arrived, who put frankincense on a few people, including myself. We got a couple of tables and the nieces and Lorraine put examples of Janet's embroidery on, plus another decked out with photos of Janet and Ken. It proved to be a good venue, and quite a few dozen showed up, which was impressive considering how tight the timescales were. The afternoon was very warm and successful. There was a mic and I ended up being a bit of an MC for a short while reading out the lovely messages people had sent Madeline and I about Janet. Caroline came too, and played a tape of Ken singing. A few people spoke, including memorably Reem, who wrote and delivered an excellent speech. I also had the opportunity to make an impr...

Surging about busily. Lorraine up and at em this morning buying ingredients for Betty's birthday breakfast which I cooked as Lorraine went out to collect the van we'd hired for the weekend. Then drove into town to drop Betty at work, and Lorraine and I sauntered into Churchill Square where I bought a pair of greatly longed for Van casual shoes, as my existing ones are all on the critical list, as well as a new pair for Betty and then we bought a boxed set of The Big Bang Theory for Beth too as it is her birthday this coming week. Managed to subdue the Anton homunculus sitting on my shoulder, whispering in my ear to spend the money in my bank account from having sold my house. Then home, but there in the no rest for the wicked department. Lorraine and off in the van to the Twitten where I clambered up into the loft and removed, with Lorraine and the new owner's help, its contents. There were old photos, old diaries and magazines I'd been published in and so on, as w...

Much of the day violently pinching myself. At long last the contracts have been exchanged and the Twitten house deal completes next Friday. All that remains is to clear the Twitten loft of the dozens of dried corpses I have stored there…. I mean the books and rugs and bits of shelves. Only then when the deal is done will I be finally able to celebrate with the idiot glee this release from a blood sucking purgatory of haggling, negotiation, solicitors moving at the speed of arthritic snails, estate agents, letting agents, plumbers, wall experts, roof repairers this deserves. Lorraine brought me two paracetamol and a cup of tea in bed this morning. As a ward sister she found this to cure wooden legs, and it certainly worked on my man cold today. A happy day at home, baking bread, cleaning aquaria and so on. Lorraine and I went out to the Shahi for a quick and sorely needed curry tonight. And today, I was finally able to get on with editing our wedding photos, and spending the day loo...

Friday, thank goodness. Feeling exceedingly cheerful this morning, as I was reading back over my book and daring to believe it is rather good. Even better I have agreed a price on my house with the nice people who are renting it and, barring any slips twixt cup and lip, will sell. Work fine, although enthusiasm was hard to locate as I brooded on mucus and coughs. A healthy salad based lunch, then home early as the permanent people were off to their summer party. Listening to Brighton Rock  by Graham Greene on my iPhone in the cramped, crowded and hot train. Fab to be home, and found Toby had arrived shortly before me and was talking to Lorraine. Really good to have him here, and after a lovely healthy salmon and roast vegetable supper we crept out to Circus Circus for some cold lagers, and a massive catch up. Toby is steadily talking about Japan at Christmas. He also brought some absolutely delicious Turkish delight from Turkey where he and Romy had been on holiday, which L and...

Up early feeling curiously determined. I had a dream that I had at last been given a brief for a long delayed job, and felt relieved that at last I could get on with it.  Lorraine, up even earlier, bringing me the Godsend of a cup of tea in bed before I sprang into action. Worked on the book for an hour or so, then into the outside world in the beautiful weather to the Twitten where I met a series of three estate agents to let them pitch to me and discuss the value of the property. All rather good salesmen too. One fell down the stairs and was rather shaken, but apart from this quite pleased to have got the ball rolling. All somewhat time consuming. From there, off to the gym, for another workout. I am feeling determined to get in shape. Something about this hot weather just makes me want to drink lager, however and I managed not to. Instead I was pleased to sweat off some of the inordinate amount of food and booze I'd had at the weekend. Thence to Starbucks where I did some wo...

Bleary morning. Dragging myself unwillingly to work. Left my flask of tea on the side so as the dire First Capital Connect trains have nothing onboard drank my first cup of tea at an unprecedented two and a half hours after getting up. A poor experience. Reading an MS by Mark Hill, a writer who I once worked with, who is living Portugal. Interesting book about him leaving London in the midst of a mid life crisis, with a broken heart and a drink problem, and his gradual recovery living in a small village in Portugal. A series of small things got my day off to a slightly askew start: being shouted at not to use a lift I was walking into because it was for a paramedic in the office reception; an email from the people who are managing my property saying that someone had crowbarred the door knocker from my door in the Twitten and what was I going to do about it. And an irritating discussion with unhelpful colleagues: a collection of small Pooterish peeves.  In a lull, I happened...

Just noticed that this is the 3,002nd post on this blog. Writing it has become part of life - and curiously good for my sanity. Best news of the day was that I got an email from Janet saying Ken is safely returned home, which is excellent. A a slightly trying (Mercury retrograde?) element to the rest of the day, which was earmarked for freelance work, but the day-long unavailability of my client to talk through the new brief meant I could not finish the job. I spoke to Seana, my glamorous accountant, asking her to chase the tax office once again. She emailed me saying the money owed me should now be on its way, and was delayed because they were waiting for one of my payments to clear. I said I'd actually paid this in at the end of December, i.e. several weeks  early . This earliness seems to have created the problem. Unbelievable. On a better note, had a poem Cicada accepted for The Frogmore Papers , a poetry magazine based in Lewes, a welcome acceptance after some recent...

Betty ill tonight with a painful stomach, and was regularly phoning Lorraine for reassurance and advice. Eventually her pal Olivia went with her to hospital, and she was admitted with what may be appendicitis. Betty being brave though, and Lorraine sleeping fitfully and worried through the night. As for me, I was working again on my business book. Took myself for a walk through Brighton, then home and then back to the twitten to let Alf the plumber in to measure wires for the installation of a new shower. This apparently depends on the advice of an electrician who wasn't answering his phone. Sometimes any kind of progress is hard won. Cooked a bean jar today, for the first time in ages. It turned out well, and I found the aroma of its beany goodness very comforting as it slow cooked through the day.

Appalling dreams full of violence, except I was the one doing all the atrocious stuff. Woke up shaken and feeling slightly disturbed for several hours into waking. Lots of archetypal stuff going on, battling with my shadow. Appalled by the unspeakable violence latent in my dreams. Off to London again. This morning the train trailing through a foggy landscape, and I listened again to the biography of Dickens which I am greatly enjoying. He appears to have been obnoxious to his wife when be decided to leave her, and guilty of incredible hypocrisy with his pathos laden depictions of children, while he coldly farmed his sons off to a second rate school in France only seeing them in the summer. Had expected only to work half a day today, but in fact worked a full day, slinking out for a gossip with First Matie as we bought sandwiches for lunch. This spell in Tavistock Square excellent for catching up with folks, not to mention the boon to...

A slight cold today, which Lorraine has too.  I sprang up and went to the barber, whose wife had chest pains this morning. When she phoned from from the hospital, he cut the conversation short to continue finish my hair. Odd priorities. Balked at the gym and instead I met Lorraine in Sainsbury's, then we drove to the Twitten to remove my old bed, humping bits of stuff down the Twitten like in the old days. Although I am happy in the Old Church Hall, I miss the Twitten too. Sweet indolence this afternoon, with Lorraine playing on her iPad. In the evening off to Cuckfield where her pals Jess and Andrew are. Nice evening, with wine and coq au vin. Lorraine driving us home in the sheeting rain.

Anna's birthday Up and about today. Gary called around in a van and I helped him load it up with table and chairs etc for the Twitten. This done, I went out in Brighton to buy a present for Anna that Lorraine and I had spied through a shop window the night before as today is by coincidence three friend's birthdays: Anna, the French Bloke and Reuben. Shopping and walking home in steady rain. And in the evening was kitchen porter to Lorraine's Masterchef as she cooked up a lamb biryani with lots of ingredients. Anna and Anton brought Klaudia and Oskar who zipped about while the adults sipped sparkling wine. Anna looking very glamourous for her fortieth birthday, and is in a really positive frame of mind, looking great, and her coaching business is really taking off. Showed Anton the vintage 1944 copy of Guernsey newspaper The Star. Betty arrived home too during the evening, and seemed on good form. A cheerful night, which ended with sleeping children being ferried out into a ...

An interlude of work Working on growth deficiency copy. But wonderfully this was being done from home, so I had three cats and worked with the sound of rain falling on the windows, which is a sound I love. The job took all day, and it was a quiet day and quieter evening as Lorraine had to stay away from home today having attended a conference. I met up with Gary in the Basketmakers and we his move into the Twitten for an hour over a couple of pints of seafarers. All good, and as well as having the rent money, will be delighted to have the place inhabited. Home and chatting to Lorraine on the phone, and trying unsuccessfully not to finish off the party snacks and cheese which are still lurking about. And so, shepherded by Calliope, to bed.

Ticking boxes We heard Cath slip away early in the morning, and later I got up due to the persistence of cats and their infernal demands for prawns and food. Tidied away (with some disgust) kebab nastiness before Lorraine got up and we had a slow breakfast. Cats sitting like chess pieces on the paving stones outside as we drove off to the Twitten. Today emptied my house of almost everything, cramming Lorraine's car with yet more boxes, spades and various unlikely salvage. Called in on Anna to drop off the record player stand Anton had lent me, and had a chat with Mark and Hilary, and helped them carry sacks down the Twitten. Then the supermarket followed by a much-needed flop on the sofa. Lorraine cooked roast chicken and many delicious vegetables for supper, and we watched a fair amount of nonsense on the television.

Low key Friday Queasy morning. Lorraine working at home, and nice to be catching up with my blog and so on as she worked next to me. To the Twitten this afternoon, to stand about talking to Mum on the phone as Jim the sparky sorted out the earthing business. Also James, a young pleasant chap from a residential letting agency come around and look at the place to disuss valuation and so on. As I will be in London next week it makes sense having someone to work on letting it, and show people around and so on while I am working on ailments. Lorraine and I celebrated the end of the week by popping into the local curry house. I opted for the extra chilli approach to gastric maintenance. Curiously, this worked a treat.

Up a ladder Up early and off to the Twitten as Alf the plumber came to check my gas. This the final check I needed before I can begin to rent. All fine until the very last thing he checked, which needs an electrician to make sure the gas is properly earthed through the electricity box. Gah. However I had a very productive morning dabbing paint on here and there, gardening and generally tidying. Also took some photos of the place to put on Gumtree, which is a site for advertising houses to rent among other things. Got talking to Merlin, one of my neighbours in the Twitten. He was cutting his hedge, which drifted small bits of debris onto the widow frame I was painting. But he kindly lent me a large ladder which I precariously ventured up a few times to peer at windows and so on. Good view of the Twitten under a wonderful blue sky. Merlin rather likeable and works charitably supplying bicycles to Africa. Home in the afternoon, Lorraine working from the home office. I did a few bits and ...

Figuring it all out Completed the Sisyphean task of doing my books for my accountant. Sacrificed a few goats etc. to celebrate. There is something aesthetically satisfying about seeing all the figures in rows and neatly arranged figures. But it is a dark and suspect art. I also did some billing for the smatters of work I have done in the last few weeks and arranged to work in Tavistock Square next week, increasing my confidence that the much-plundered Kenny coffers will eventually have doubloons in them again. I spent all my twenties worried about money, and I am not enjoying this squeaky episode. Broke off to get my 'good' ear cleaned out by the nurse. Nothing much emerged, so I was left wondering if had been successful. From there up to the Twitten where I worked in the garden cutting back the jasmine which was growing over the top of my fence to provide an aromatic roof for the midnight micturators. Home, and finished all my work by four, and lurked pleasantly in the house...

Moving the big things Up early, with Calliope noisily exporing her new environs of the bedroom. Lorraine and I back blearily early to the Twitten. Cath and Dawn very kindly arrived to help. Then Steve and Lance, the 'nice man big van' guys sparked ant-like ferrying along the twitten, past the talkative man waiting for his drugs, and into the back of the big van. Dawn seemingly able to carry her own bodyweight. Beyond, the centre of town unnusually lively around the station with Brighton football supporters, who played their first league game in their new ground up at Falmer. At the end, Lorraine reminded me to lock the back door of my house, and I walked in again, noticing my footfalls echoing, and I felt a moment's contentment. I've had a great time at that house, but I am ready and very happy to move in with Lorraine. I left the aquarium there to be collected in a day or so. At The Old Church Hall, a mere five minutes away, Betty and Mark were ready with te...

Riding the lucky streak Delighted to get a phone call this afternoon from Pighog Press. They are a Sussex-based poetry publisher who are running a poetry competition. I entered it primarily to raise my profile with them in the unlikely event of winning. Luckily I have been shortlisted for a prize, and they invited me to nearby Lewes on Friday night to the prize giving. It is unlikely I would have been invited without a placing so this is good news. I entered my poem a month early as I had misread the closing date and as a consequence it was undercooked, but surprisingly it seems to have done the trick. Otherwise a slightly out of focus day. Went to the gym, caught up with emails and in the evening went to the Battle of Trafalgar to join various denizens of Twitten in entering a pub quiz. We came second with 113 points, while the winners had 114. Still, we made our entrance fee back.

Friday is the new Thursday Walked back from Lorraine's house and worked on atrial fibrillation and strokes all day, I have a great brief for this, which makes a world of difference. Which is just as well as I have to work on it all day tomorrow as well. Broke off from scribing in the Twitten at elevenses to paint out a tag which had appeared on a wall near me and send off my Root and Branch poem for the competition. At lunchtime to collect my flyers and posters for Wrong . They look great. Also took the opportunity to print up and frame Ken's 80th birthday poem. I decorated the page's footer with a silhouette of the walls and towers of Carcassonne Castle, near where he lived in the south of France. Felt exhausted a five when I stopped working. I tried a catnap but Calliope woke me by crawling under my blanket and doing happy feet on me. I have been heartless this week, chucking her off my desk and so on. But I have the cat-shredded toilet roll to prove it, not to mention ...