under another sun

Up early and interviewed Jeremy first thing this morning. He was very fluent and it was interesting to talk to him.  In the evening Lorraine drove us and Sam off to the Eight Bells in Bolney to take part in the parent teachers association fundraiser for the school. Cheery atmosphere in the pub, and there was nothing for it but to simply drink some Harvey's bitter. Sat with Dan and Sarah and answered lots of questions.  The quiz hosted by a well known local character named Posh Bob, who I had heard about lots over the years but had never seen. He was perfectly good at it. Funny how people there were calling out his name, hey Posh, can you repeat question 11? etc. Our team, with Dan and Sarah did not win, but did okay. Lorraine had a good time, and lots of money was raised for the school. One of the teams was called Professor Quiz Whitty. I wonder if another generation of Chief Medical Officers will enter popular culture like Chris Whitty and Jonathan Van-Tam. 

My weekday off! Friday has now become 'My Friday' in my mind. Walked off early to Stained Glass this morning, passing two men in top hats. Enjoyed stained glass, but slightly rueful that my design is so complex. Now getting to the bits where I am overlaying glass on glass, which requires sections of wide heart lead.I am liking everyone involved in the workshop these days. There is only one woman, Yvonne, who I am warming to lots now having found her difficult at first. She is very creative, always making pottery, teaching children various stuff in schools, and doing design work. She is very chatty and told me she was bipolar, but her medications keep it completely under control, and creativity is her great release. If she can creative she stays well. A feeling easy for me to understand. Pretty washed out today, after having drinks last night, and my throat back to being spiteful. A quick coffee with my interesting fellow student, Chris. Noticed on the bus home lots of gulls ...

Working on various poems this morning, and writing something on the Telltale site. Then off to answer a Papal summons in The Bath Arms, for lunch (sausage and mash for me, and a bleeding steak for Catherine) and wide-ranging discussions with Catherine, including the recent uncovering of a Dickens rejection letter to Mrs Florence Marryat. A writer Catherine knows an enormous amount about. See Catherine's blog on the subject here.  Also received advice about going backwards on the cross trainer. Catherine amusingly went to extremes on the gym last year and doing an astonishing seven day a week routine, which even her personal trainer told her was too much. The wiry fit Pope clad in black lycra was what led to Tanya dubbing her Spiderpope, which still makes me laugh every time I think of it. From here back home, where I had a judicious snooze and started work on a new poem. This in response to a request to write a response to Willie the Shake's Sonnet 19, for an anthology. I hav...

Questionable A good day working on Skelton, a good session in the gym. Heard that the bipolarity pitch I worked on was successful, which is always good to hear. A nice note from Keith and from Graham the Van Gogh faced creative director. I went late to the pub quiz and fell in with an odd assortment of guys who became increasingly dysfunctional as the night wore on. One or two of the people I was with last week arrived late. My new team came second and repaired to the Eddy and I went out of curiosity. There the arguing in the team grew increasingly fractious. I ventured to wonder aloud what might have happened if they had come third. Soon joined by a highly drunk gay married couple. The one with the potato face spent some time fondly massaging my shoulder, and that of the rather tired and emotional quizzer sat next to me. Meanwhile an earnest youth, who had been showily reading Crime and Punishment at the bar joined us. I said I noticed he'd been reading Dostoevsky, and he asked i...