under another sun

Over breakfast this morning, I received a note from Poetry Salzburg to say they are going to publish, the first part of Gordon Road, Google Street View , plus three of my free verse sonnets about memory, Mnemosyne Speaks, Death of an Accompanist, and Daguerrotype . Massively bucked up by this, especially by the acceptance of the Google Street View poem. Perhaps I am not an abject failure after all.  This news also helped to alleviate impostor syndrome when Robin and I interviewed Niall Campbell at 10:30. Niall proved not only hugely talented, but highly likeable too, growing up in South Uist, and now living not too far from St Andrew's where we have been a few times recently. His collection The Island in the Sound is magical . Then I met Adele at Seaford Station, and we zoomed off to Lewes, Adele even doing a bit of glasswork on the train, where we went to The John Harvey Tavern, where we met Frances and Deana. Ben and Sally sadly unable to make it. Deana hilarious, telling u...

Calliope died today. She had continued to be very unwell and Lorraine and I decided she should go back to the vet. I had to go into Brighton by car with Adele and Jane. Lorraine kindly took Calliope to the vet, because I couldn't really face this, and then called me. We took the decision to put her down. Lorraine called me to confirm this was okay this just as Adele's car reached Brighton.   Met the glassmates in a Thai restaurant very close to the Pavilion Gardens. Ben, Rick, Sally, Frances and Kate met us there. Felt a bit unreal, although nice to see them. Lorraine called me after an hour or so and said she had been with Calliope when it was done, and she had been sedated first and fell immediately to sleep before the injection was given.  Relieved that the meal was over. I jumped on a 12 bus, sit at the front upstairs and let the tears flow. In a way I was prepared a bit for this, as I was convinced she was dying a couple of weeks ago, but I am heartbroken.   In the e...

A happy holiday made up of talking to flesh and blood people. Made off to Preston Park to stand about with my former glassmate crew. Lovely to see them, despite an unforgivingly cold breeze. Sally's birthday and I gave her a card, and a nosegay of hellebores.  Rick feeling sad as two of his mates are very unwell. Otherwise I was given a slice of lemon drizzle, and chatted happily in distanced circles with Fran, Sally, Adele, the two Kates, Jane and her husband Ian. Ben there too and we walked back across the park talking about sacred geometry among many other bits and pieces -- it was so good to see him. Then the big excitement of the day... Lorraine and I went off to see Anton in his garden, which looked fabulous after he has put lots of effort into planting, and redoing all the brickwork. It felt like being on holiday sitting in the back garden playing a few hands of Euchre. Despite being blinking cold was quite bright and sunny and Anton treated us to delicious olives with hot ...