under another sun

Lorraine and I mooching about happily today,  driving to Hove to change a tyre on the car, and to order some carpet to replace the stairs carpet, which looks atrocious and threadbare then to Homebase to buy electrical stuff.   Then off to Seaford, a little seaside town along the coast I have never really been to before. We went to the South Hill Barn to see my pal Adele, who was doing her first ever exhibition of Stained Glass there. The barn itself was on top of a hill, surrounded by countryside, and was near a car park and was a place where walkers congregate. Just a little east are the seven sisters. It was a beautiful location. It was great to see Adele taking wing with her work. I took some photos, not many of which came out nicely. She said that people were asking her about which art school she went to. She hadn't been to one of course, but we all thought that was a compliment. Lorraine brought a little glass heart. Some other interesting work there, including some by a ...

Got our craft room finally up and running today. Spent happy time thinking about glass designs and looking at the small selection of slightly odd glass that came with the starter kit Lorraine bought me. My plan is to make a simple practice piece from those bits to get myself back into the groove again. Lorraine planning a collage of Janet's fabrics, and organising her stuff in plastic rainbow coloured draws.  Beth called, and Lorraine told her she had wanted to go to the gym, but couldn't force herself to go. Beth simply told her to go, so she did and felt much better for it. We watched the final episode of Fargo series two, and I spoke to Mum and Toby. 

Even if I say so myself, writing rather excellently first thing. Then I zoomed off to my last glass class for the foreseeable future. Took in some designs for my next piece and discussed them with Ben. He said at the end he would pop around to see how I was getting on and with glass and so on next year, which was kind of him.   Off to Fatto a mano in Hove afterwards. For food and a glass of wine with classmates Yvonne, Adele, Rick, Mick, Frances and Sally. I had one of their nice diavola pizzas. Most of the ladies had delicate salads. A jolly interlude with lots of laughter. Yvonne, having few barriers, lays the groundwork for some some no-holds-barred conversations. Caught the bus to Fiveways with Rick, and as he lives around the corner from me we walked home. He is recently widowed, and he lives around the corner from me. Nice guy. His wife was only 59, but he has lots of family who are supporting him thankfully. A bit more work and reading, before Lorraine came home and ...

Distinctly off colour this morning. Off to my glass class, and finally finished the blooming piece I'd been working on. However an unforeseen problem struck during the very last thing I did to it, which meant that some chalk dust has got between the double glass bits. D'oh. The only thing to do was to take it apart again, and I am happy to live with it, and felt pleased I had finished the thing. A coffee afterwards with Chris, Adele, Yvonne, Mick and Frances. There is talk of a meal next week, which is the last of the current course. I am not sure I can commit to it again next year, but as I will have my own home studio I shall be free to press on. Home clutching my piece, which I showed to Sonia who said I would have to get another house to put it in. Then on with some bits and pieces of writing, then a bit of design work on new ideas for a stained glass piece. I fancy doing something to do with an angel, maybe the Annunciation . Lorraine called, and said she had been fe...

Up and early working, before bussing off to my glass class. Spent the two hours getting led cement into one side of the window, a process a bit like grouting, and then using chalk dust, called whiting, and a brush to polish the glass on that side. Then I tidied up the grouting bits by holding the window up to the light.  Next week the b side, and then I'm done. After this, a coffee with Yvonne, Adele and Frances. Chris having hurt his back this week. Enjoyed having a laugh with them. Then I bussed home again, said hello to Sonia and did a bit of this and that on my computer, and had a cheeky doze. Walked over to Anton's house where I ate some of his pizza and chatted with Anne and Klaudia and Anton for a bit, before we pushed off into town. Had a a pub crawl, popping into many and various pubs, perhaps most memorably Bar Broadway in Kemptown, where musicals take centre stage. The screens in the bar had ornate gold picture frames, and featured songs from Cabaret and also The...

So a little work on a story, and then off to Stained Glass again. Finally today was able to hold my  window up to the light, having soldered everything into place. Very pleased with the results, and I thanked Ben for all his help. Next week will be all about cementing the glass into place, a bit like grouting tiles. Still a big moment for me. I do like the results. It will also change with different light conditions. You can't see really from the photo below that the clear looking glass is actually tints of yellow and green, for example. Coffee afterwards with Rick, Yvonne, Adele and Frances, and after they went I did a bit of work in the cafe, before going for a stroll along by the sea and onto the pier, before catching a bus back to my neck of the woods, and taking a long walk to make sure I had walked my thousand paces. Home, and Lorraine shattered after a hard week. Lorraine called for a curry, and I snuck out and collected it. A stormy night outside, with wind and rain roari...

Up and a bit of my work, and a bit of tidying, before zooming off to my glass class. Another enjoyable session, where I did lots of soldering. Coffee afterwards with most of the class, and hung about chatting with Chris at the end. This done, I simply slipped around the corner to call in on Helen, and we listened to the entirety of act two of the Centaur opera, to which she had done lots of work, really sounding convincing now. Perhaps it was having been to Glyndebourne recently, but it helped me imagine it being sung on stage more easily too. Good to see her for a while, and escape into a world of music. Then I walked home. Lorraine having a bit of a wretched week at school for various reasons I won't go into here. Home, however, and we caught a cab and zoomed off down past Preston Park where a big fireworks display was going to happen, down to the Station pub in Hove again, where John's band Body Talk was playing again. Always nice to see Betty and John, and I enjoyed cha...

A cup of tea in bed and some birthday cards and pressies. I got a signed hardback copy of The Spy and the Traitor by Ben MacIntyre, and a shirt, from Anton and the Bairns and another book Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss from Dawn. Lorraine said that what she'd got was too complicated for first thing. Getting ready for my glass class, and Maureen phoned me, the first of many messages from all kinds of people during the day.  All very friendly at the class, and Yvonne even gave me a card.  I really enjoyed the class, and am at last beginning to speed up a bit. Afterwards I was bought a blueberry muffin by Adele, and a coffee by Chris, and hung out with them and Mick and Yvonne in the cafe. Then we all went our separate ways, and it hit me then that I had no obligations, so took a walk along the seafront. The tide was up and the sea was rough. The rough sea always makes me cheerful. Caught a bus to the bottom of Preston Park and I went to the cafe there for a falafel panini read ...

Up and sorting a few things to do with work out, and then I walked across to Evolution arts to do stained glass for a couple of hours. Feels a friendly place these days. Yvonne texting me suggestions for horse therapy names during the day, as I'd mentioned this was one of my current briefs. I spent most of my time happily  nibbling bits of glass into shape with pliers. I have accepted slow progress, and no longer strain at the leash, and as a consequence enjoying the class much more. There was classical music on the radio and I said that it was like a rehabilitation centre for people recovering from a mental illness. One of my new classmates said she was an occupational therapist, and this was exactly the kind of thing they did. Then zooming straight to Janet's place for one o'clock. Janet's nieces Kim and Heather had arrived, and Janet was very happy chatting to them. I liked Kim and Heather very much right away.  I spent quite a bit of time with Ken watching him smo...

Annoyingly the agency in Paddington were expecting me to work for them today, till around 10am. They did not, so I was able to zoom over to the stained glass window class. Spent a couple of hours there picking up the pieces of my window, and cutting new bits of glass. Ben had a new influx of students, plus the four I had been with last time. Had a quick coffee afterwards with classmates, or should that be glassmates, Chris, Yvonne (she of the father with a pet crocodile) and her pal who has joined the class, called Adele. Loved escaping into thinking about glass. Then I went to Janet and Ken's house and I spent the afternoon there till early evening, running various errands for Janet and just generally doing what I could to help. Janet had been in bed all day. Lorraine came after work, and warmed up some food for Ken, then drove us home a bit later when Hus arrived. There was a night care organised by his daughter May for the evening. Once home Lorraine and I decided to buy a...

Little went to plan this morning. Met Sonia as I was setting off to my glass class. Her first client having accidentally locked her out. I showed her a photo that was on this blog of my glass work in progress, because she didn't know what I was talking about. Arrived at the glass class. Rang buzzer repeatedly. When the door was opened, I found the classroom a Marie Celeste. Searched the several storied building for the disembodied voice who had let me in. I found an officious man in a room marked 'office'. He phoned Ben, who said that the morning class was cancelled. A fact that surprised me. Off to buy Oskar's present for tomorrow. Zoomed to Argos and realised only then that I could only get it from Amazon. No laptop, so I had to go home.  Left home again a bit later, phoning Janet en route, to say that I couldn't fix the piece of glass she had given me. Bought birthday cards for my lovely wife and for Oskar. Realised then that the class was actually on this afte...

Up with Lorraine, and made breakfast and got to work right away on poems. Interrupted as I worked quietly in my study by a terrifying noise. Turns out an intruder cat had got through the cat flap and was giving vent to a bloodcurdling howl. It left pronto when it heard me, but this does explain the chewed through dreamies, and a tupperware of cat biscuits knocked onto the floor yesterday. Off to Stained Glass, where I had a good time. I am not going to be able to finish my window in the time I have left, so we are all going to do more. I did make good progress today, however, as I am doing the most difficult part, which is the doubling up of glass with wide heart lead. I am learning a lot from Ben. He started, spontaneously, talking to me about astrology today. We seem to be on a similar wavelength. A quick coffee with Mick and Chris, fellow glass students, and then off to get my hair cut. From there some food shopping and back home, not long before Sonia was leaving. When Lorraine...

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 ...

Woke up sounding like Barry White till I lost most of my voice completely. Off to my Glass class, a gorgeous day. Enjoyable, although I felt a bit out of it. Ben being enormously supportive. After my glass course, I walked on to Salvage Cafe in Hove where I met Innis with his big camera for coffee and I bite. I had a hipster's snack of avocado on toast, and we enjoyably discussed various japes and wheezes. Then we went down to the seafront and went our separate ways. I enjoyed soaking up the sunlight. Then bussed home, spoke to mum. The gossip is that their next door neighbours with the concrete dogs plastic grass and phobias about anything living, are moving out, which is great news for Mum and Mason, as well as the neighbourhood. Contacted by my Parisienne pals with some animal health work for next week. Usual agency notice period of it being Friday 6pm and the work starting on Monday. But very happy to do it. Reminded by Lorraine when she got home at sevenish that I was also...

Walked over to Evolution arts today, and enjoyed working on my stained glass. Receiving lots of encouragement from Ben Conti the teacher and the others who are liking my design and colour choices. I've been using different thicknesses of lead too. Ben teaching me lots and being very supportive. Finding I enjoy using pliers to nibble bits of glass to shape, and using the glass grinder to reduce the size of a piece by a smidge. Had a coffee with Chris, the retired teacher, afterwards. A thoughtful, interesting man, who has also written short stories and done travel writing for magazines. He travels lots now, and went to Brazil towards the end of last year and said it was quite dangerous, due to economic reasons, and he told me about seeing a man waving a gun around in the street near the coach station. He said he was interested in how geographical and historical factors influence national character, and we had a conversation about whether national character exists or not. Bright ...

A bit sluggish this morning. Off to my stained glass group this morning, after I got up early and finished the design for what I wanted to build. Then walked off to Evolution Arts while listening to Rabbit, Run , by John Updike. You can see that in the shot of the worktop with my design in black lines. It will be mostly shades of grey, with a pale Victorian yellow background, and  two small chips of red in it to make the green sing. A good session, with Ben being very helpful, and a quick cup of coffee with Mick the former electrical lecturer afterwards, before I walked home and got on with thinking about poems and doing a bit of billing. I find these classes are opening up a section of my brain which has been dormant for a while, the one containing practical ability, common sense and so on. As a complete beginner it is quite nice to be in a situation where you are learning everything from scratch, such as how to cut bits from the different coils of lead, and the sheer fitting of...

Up early with Lorraine and worked a bit on my design for my stained glass window. Then I walked and bussed over to Evolution Arts. A bit apprehensive, having come away feeling somewhat frustrated last week. However, this week I got lots of help from Ben. He helped me make a few tweaks to the sizes of all my bits in the practice piece, and I filed ends off lead, and used a glass grinder to slightly reduce the size of my green glass circle. Best of all I did soldering for the first time in my life, and found I was quite good at it. I lack confidence doing practical things, so anything like this feels like a victory. The thing soldered together, you then have to apply a kind of concrete to all the places where the lead meets the glass. This sets and makes the piece stronger and holds the glass in place. Then you have to tidy it up with extra scraping and then brushing. Once you start brushing the lead with the concrete in, the lead starts turning dark. Came out of the lesson feeling tha...

Up early and did some billing and emails before I got the bus (being late) off to the Evolution Arts place for the Stained Glass window course. Making slow progress. Ben the likeable guy who runs the course tends to be reactive rather than proactive, so you have to ask for help. Some are far more insistent and doing so than me, which makes me feel a bit irritable. Still I managed to cut a fairly circular piece of green glass. I want to get the most out of the course, so I have to alter my approach and be prepared to be more of a 'pane' in class. Arf! All confirmed for a few days next week working with Fernanda. I had packed my bag with my computer and so on so I could start work in a cafe shortly after. Frustratingly I packed everything except my wallet. Chris, who I had a coffee with last week, stood me a coffee, and we had a fairly good chat, then I bussed home again, picked up my wallet, had a quick chat with Sonia, and walked back into town. I worked in Starbucks lookin...

Up a bit late, but early enough to say hello to Dawn and Lorraine before they went. A spot of work in my study before setting off to Evolution Arts to start my beginners course in Stained Glass that Lorraine had bought me for my birthday last year. Up a couple of flights of stairs to an art room, which reminded me of being at school a bit. Art rooms are great places. Three other newbies, all retired. Ben our teacher, and another student who had attended before and was working on his own project. Basics today, scoring the glass with a glass cutter and tapping the glass to break the section off. Then learning to bite off bits of glass, with pliers and a curved lead knife. Started to cut bits of glass off, and then we started work on our first practice project, which is a square made of four plain pieces of glass, and a circle of glass for the centre. Managed to cut three or four of the pieces, with a quarter circle cut out of the corner of each.  A nice chat with Ben after the clas...