under another sun

Really cold day for the time of year. I sat monastically working in my study with the cats pushing on with Nothing Compares To You . I did however feel very happy about yesterday's event. I found it consoling, and seems to be helping in getting a bit of closure. Sue and Madeline had done a great job. Chatted with Sonia a little, arranged to meet Helen next week. Otherwise little to report. Had a short walk after work through Blakers Park and when Lorraine got home from work, I collected a curry, and we spent the night chatting with Tom. After, Lorraine and I watched a few episodes of Mum , a lovely, minutely-observed and somewhat toe-curling comedy.

Feeling positive this morning, and as if I have all the components for a new phase at my fingertips. Now I have accepted the idea of putting things on kindle, I will also put my dormant marketing project on there too. It was sufficiently interesting for at least one publisher to call me in to talk about it, and the other rejections I had were because it was a bit niche. Amazon is the perfect medium for niche stuff, so I will give it a go too. The children's book is now with an editor. So damn the torpedoes! This buoyancy fine till one of the poetry MS I sent out yesterday was rejected in record time. Gah. Swings and roundabouts. Lorraine came home early, and we went off to Phoenix arts building for 4:30, where Sue Kay and Madeline had organised a tribute to Janet. There was all kinds of interesting work there from Janet's archives, a cookbook she had written, and letters and several publications and editorships, even her old PhD thesis which I read and am thanked in the intr...

Writing a new list today, and sending two poetry MS off. Then working on Nothing Compares to You my long story and writing a new mega-list. To the gym at lunchtime, and pushed myself quite hard. While parts of me are stringy and wifey, I have a fat stomach, despite going to the gym. But going is better than not going I suppose. Sigh. Home, more work and reading some more of Matthew G Rees collection of stories Keyhole , great stuff. And also looking at Janet Sutherland's Home Farm , which is a gorgeous collection of poems. Rather humbled by the quality of both.  Chatted to Mum this evening, who had been having trouble with her front door bell. It doesn't work, although when next door's bell is pressed, hers rings. Maddening.

More French work this morning, and then radio silence, and a bit of urgent work at the end of the day, which I finished at around 7:30. Dawn came around this evening, and we ate a Thai veggie curry that Lorraine had made and the ladies drank some wine and I had a bottle of beer. Also sent out another short story. So all in all a productive day. L and I shooting the breeze with Dawn all evening.

Up with the lark, as Lorraine had got up very early to go to the gym. I got working not long after seven on some stuff for Val in Paris. Lorraine returned home, having forgot her work clothes to change into. Once I'd finished the French stuff quick walk in the beautiful morning, before back to work on finalising The Inheritor , now much improved I think. Received a letter in the post from Jeremy saying that he wanted to take my wee horror story The Dream Home for the next Frogmore Papers. Chuffed with this, as am seeing it as another sign that the horror route is a good one for me. A bit of a breakthrough. To the gym at lunchtime, did quite a good workout. Home and more bits and pieces of work, laundry and other housework. Read another couple of stories by Matthew Rees, jolly good they were too. When Lorraine home, we ate in the back garden fishcakes and salad. I had to pop across to the cornershop afterwards, on the 30 walk home, quite a hefty migraine started, and I simply t...

Sunday morning, got up fairly slowly. Unfortunately today was going to be a work day for me, due to the 'briefing in the spam file' debacle of a few days ago. Sian came down to see us today. Good to see her, and she had just been on a retreat that did her the world of good. I manacled myself to the desk while Lorraine and Sian looked at art in the Open Houses, in what was a beautiful day. Felt like I was being kept in for detention a bit. Work done for the day, I got a bit of a chance to chat before we gave her a lift back to Brighton Station. Later Sian texted me a link the Monty Python Spam song. Lorraine and I had little food in the house, and so we went for a walk through the park and popped into Pizza 500. Just as we were leaving the park, there was a man sitting by the newt pond with a friend, spouting frankly mad stuff. My spidey senses tickled, I hurried us past. Imagine my feelings then, when the same man came and sat on the next table to us in the cramped little r...

Up fairly early to make Lorraine tea and breakfast, then I mooched off to Brighton Station where I met Klaudia. Unlike last year, we were able to simply hop on a train and get to London.  However the tubes from Victoria weren't working, and I didn't face going round Sark to get to Herm on the claustrophobic trains, so we simply hopped in a taxi from there to the theatre. This found, and our tickets collected, we popped into Byron burgers where we stuffed our faces with natcho starters, and then burgers. I had a C. Rex, some species of monstrously tasty and chicken burger, whereas Klaudia has started enjoying beef burgers, and fought her way through one of those. Sat next to a man with a booming voice, so it was hard to hear each other speak sometimes. Into the Novello Theatre to see Mamma Mia . We had seats right up in the top of the theatre, looking down on the glittery stuff below. We both enjoyed the show, having our traditional ice cream at half time, despite wanting to...

So down to work today, on the job that had been in my spam file. Playing catch-up but pushed on with it fairly well. When Lorraine came home we mooched down to The Park View and had a bite to eat there and a beer and a long chat at the end of the week.

Waiting for my brief from Paris to come through, and just about to chase them at the end of the day. Then it occurred to me to look at my spam folder and found it there from Tuesday. Gah. Especially as I had made Val a favourite on my mail folder. Means I looked a bit of a chump when I had to fess up to the French and will now have to work over the weekend to catch up to deliver it on Monday. Otherwise not a day of high drama. I worked on The Inheritor , which is still a tantalising few squeaks away from being ready.  Walked into town and bought a battery for my watch. Walked home under threatening clouds. Over lunch I watched the last of the first BBC series on iPlayer of A History of Ancient Briton by Neil Oliver, I'd been looking at over the last week or so. Interesting stuff. That early patchy history is something I find fascinating. His journey around sites in Britain and Ireland is fascinating, and reveals a civilisation and early industry that shows that the Ancient Bs wer...

Woke up this morning with the solution to the problem of a short story I have been rewriting called The Inheritor. My subconscious has been doing lots of this nocturnal sorting out for me. I simply rewrote the story today, and also sent off a proposal to a US agent about my children's book. My watch battery ran out  and I looked at my wrist 100 times, and I popped along to the gym. Chatted with Betty about her new business/acting wheeze she is starting with a pal. Really excited for her. In the evening down to the Grand Central for the launch of a new poetry magazine, called Finished Creatures edited by Jan Heritage. Lots of poet pals there, including Robin, Sarah, Stephen, Charlotte, Jeremy, Janet Sutherland, Catherine Smith, I also met Charlotte's colleague Lizzie who edits Viva Brighton. The readings were fine, but I didn't seem to be able to tune into it all tonight. Great to see everyone though. Charlotte, Sarah and I got chips afterwards and went our separate way...

Up early and off to school with Lorraine this morning. Feeling a tad twitchy. I waited in her office, till I sat in on Max's class where they were thinking about naming and inventing a chocolate product. They had been studying the Mayans lately. There were a couple of chocolate unicorns, others notably was a chocolate dog in two halves, one half for you, and the other for your dog. Max is the only male teacher in the school, and I liked how he was with the children. I can only admire teachers, and of course my lovely wife. It is like being on stage, but all day. Lorraine gave me a lift home at lunchtime, and I spent the rest of the day doing my stuff, although my brain was a bit disengaged. I was called up by Val in Paris, and there is some freelance coming down the pipeline towards me, which is good to know. Also a chat with Bob, and hoping to hook up with him soon. Cooked a curry tonight, and enjoyed that. The football season is culminating, and went to bed reading about Live...

Up early for a bank holiday, and we drove off into the countryside towards Great Dixter Gardens , where we spent a happy few hours poking about in the gardens there, and briefly into the house, and having coffee and giant eccles cakes in the cafe area. The weather bracing for May, and apparently it was the coldest May Bank holiday for some time. It did not rain however. Love being with Lorraine in places like this, she drifts about so happily loving the form of plants, and touching them. Some amazing colour combinations there too in the planting. Texts with Carl whose birthday it was today, who reported he was being taken around the shops because, according to Jayne, this is what he enjoys. This done, we drove the shortish distance into Kent and popped into see Pat and Maureen, and Ken was there too. Had fish and chips with them, and we were given lots of pots for our back garden, which was kind. Then the drive home listening to Kermode and Mayo's film podcast. Chelsea won toda...

Waking up fresh and cheery this morning. A slow start, then up for breakfast. Drove off to a garden centre out in the sticks and bought some herbs and succulents and some thrift and saxifrage and thyme, which later we poked into the pebbles. We are feeling increasingly happy with our little garden at the moment. However before we did this, we went to Wobblegate just outside Bolney, where they make fruit juices and cider, and have opened up a little tap room and restaurant on the farm. Had a pint of their own Eden Farm cider there, and it was bloody marvellous. Lorraine spoke to Tom, who was a go getting young guy, clearly loving what he was doing. He was going to pop into her school to talk soon too. I said I loved the cider I was drinking, and Tom said the brief had been to make a cider that tasted like alcoholic pure apple juice, and it did. The brew in small batches, and use the natural yeast on the fruit rather than add it, so each time they brew it there are subtle differences....

A bit hungover. Up early as Lorraine was off to see her pal Carolyn, I pottered about at home, and read one of the stories from Keyhole by Matthew Rees, editor of Horla, and it was excellent. In the evening, Lorraine and I drove off to Sussex University, where we watched I'm a Phonex, Bitch  a one woman show by Bryony Kimmings . This was an autobiographical show about postnatal depression, the end of a relationship and the clawback to sanity and the rebuilding of life. Amazing set and special effects, and she zoomed about the stage with enormous energy. Just wonderful and we loved it.

Up and working in a focused way this morning, getting everything in order. Extender legs were delivered for the table in our new craft room. This means I can work standing up on my glass pieces. All rather exciting. Made off to the gym, surged in a whipped off my trousers, and only then realised I had not brought my shorts. Gah. Had to come home again. Chatting to Betty today about her plans to start an improv-based business. Stopped work at five and went to the Preston Park Tavern. Had drinks there with my poet pals Robin, Sarah and Stephen. Nice to sit about gossiping, and catching up. Email from Charlotte this morning too, and she is doing a reading on Wednesday so will zoom along to it. Turns out Robin, Sarah and Stephen are going to it too. I was quite forthright in my opinions as the beer went straight to my head, but luckily, I was among friends so that was okay. Then I jumped into cab and zoomed over to The Station at Hove, and met Lorraine, Beth and Dawn there. John'...

Tucked indoors working on things today, I had drawn up a list on the train going up to London yesterday, and I simply did them this morning. They were mainly to do with publishing my children's book on kindle. In other news a magazine came through with a poem of mine,  Thunderstruck , but it had been misformatted and so looked weird. So it goes. When I looked at it later noticed Robin had three in there. Got Matthew G Rees, my new friend in horror's short story collection through today, and read the first story Keyhole , which gives its name to the collection. It was excellent. Didn't go to the gym, but instead did planking for about 45 seconds, and some other exercises with the wee lady's dumbbells Dawn gave me. Better than nowt. When Lorraine got home we walked off to vote in the local elections. I had to nip in the bud the efforts of one of the party workers whose role seemed to be to knock all day till you voted. The polling station a lot quieter than the Brex...

First of the month, and after writing for a couple of hours, I caught the train up into London to meet Mum in the Salisbury. We shared plate of nachos, and chatted happily over a couple of drinks. I was telling her how much the diversity in my musical taste was down to her exposing me to things like Stravinsky and Miles Davis when I was a nipper. Not to mention all the trips to museums and art galleries. That kind of stuff makes a big difference I think, and we were lucky to live in London and be close to so many cultural riches. Mum reminded me that she was 79, and she really is remarkable taking a break from Mas and zooming into town on the tube to meet me. I made off then to Hammersmith, to meet Matty boy for a long overdue catch up. As I was early I took a nostalgic stroll past the riverside offices I worked at from 2000-2007 plus a few bits of freelance afterwards. The area all around it, which once was a huge piece of fenced off wasteland is now full of upmarket apartment block...

Happy start to my day, with a note read in bed (sent a little after midnight) from Matthew at the Horla website saying he would use my post on horror for his site. Otherwise, a productive morning although constantly plagued by the cats, getting back in the saddle with the long story currently called Nothing compares to you . In the afternoon I went to the gym and felt pretty good afterwards. Finished listening to Rosemary's Baby on the walk home. It was very much of its time, but nicely done by Ira Levin. Liked how a mother's love trumps the fact her baby has hooves, horn buds and golden eyes at the end. Home and some more work before Lorraine arrived having had a trickier day. Maureen phoned to say she was cycling on a machine to keep her legs good. An early night.

Up early and reviewing the story I had written yesterday, called Little Horrors , which I am very pleased with. I think this story, and the one I wrote immediately before it called The Dream Home are the best short stories I have written. I feel as if I have made a breakthrough. They are both very short, just a thousand and a half words each, but there's a lot in them. Otherwise a day at home, working on bits and pieces. In the afternoon a jaunt into town. Had some coffee and worked on my pad making lists and prioritising stuff. Then home via Sainsbury's and made some food for Lorraine when she got back home. Below , I read something online about how quickly the world would return to something like normal if all humans suddenly vanished. I have long enjoyed this fantasy, and seen glimpses of this otherworld in tumbled overgrown greenhouses in Guernsey. A derelict building at the bottom of Preston Park gave me another couple of snaps to add to this thought.

Woke up feeling somewhat hungover. Unusually, I had the idea for a complete short story, which, after feeding the cats, I simply wrote in bed for a couple of hours. It is called Little Horrors . Got up feeling seedy and hungover, Lorraine and I were soon collected by Beth and John, Beth having hired a car, and we drove off to Stanmer Park, and had a nice long walk through the woods. Which proved the perfect way to recover. John and Beth charging about picking up the biggest fallen branches to menace each other and Lorraine and I with. Lots of dogs, which Beth and John are all goggle eyed over, having to give back Pippi now Rosie and Innis have returned. John showed me a film of Pippi greeting Rosie and Innis, and the little hound was ecstatic. Very sweet. After we stopped off at a cafe for a cup of coffee and sat outside. We were attended to by tame robins who hopped onto the table to eat crumbs. Beth then drove us expertly home again. Lorraine and I home and snoozed happily in t...