under another sun

Bleary morning, breakfast of pancakes with stewed fruit again, then we eventually made off to Hay on Wye drive across beautiful country, although the pesky satnav took us through Hereford again, but not not he way back. A lovely tiny town on a hill. We pulled into a big car park, and then mooched about the little streets, popping into bookshops. Sat on a chair outside a tiny cafe and had cups of tea and a strangely delicious short, wide sausage roll each. Spent lots of time in various bookshops, including an entire shop selling only poetry books. I felt overwhelmed by all the choice but came away with books by R.S. Thomas and Rachel Boast, and had a good chat with the friendly guy running it.  Texted again by the bank about my bogus account going overdrawn, but nothing I can do having already written to the guy who is handling my complaint. Contacted by the finance department of the bunch I have been working for in London, with a query about the account, and I had to send new accou...

Up and packing for our last morning with Sue and John. Little Monty cheerful and full of beans this morning. Felt sorry to be saying goodbye to them. Staying with them had made us both feel much more relaxed than we had been. Loaded up the car, and made our fond farewells.  Then we drove off, pausing at the Wye Valley Brewery John had told us about, and given us sample drinks from where we judiciously paused and bought twelve beers to take away. We chose Butty Bach, HPA, Wholesome Stout, and Glorious IPA. and the Hopfather. Stashed a box of these in the boot. Then pausing only to buy a gift, made our way to see Maxine and Simon for lunch in their garden, joined by their sixteen year old twins Amelia and Taylor. Simon had kindly prepared an amazing lunch, including pulled lamb to make into wee little kebabs, quiche, lovely greek salads and so on, plus Eton mess, and lemon tart and cake. It was an amazing feed. Lovely to see them again, almost a year to the day that we dropped in on ...

Off today in Sue and John's car to the Bromyard Speed Festival. I soon learned it was nothing to do with amphetamines but in fact a place called Shelsey Walsh in Worcestershire, with a race track heading uphill in beautiful countryside -- with woods and hills and fields and a distant and interesting spire poking into the sky in the distance. We mooched about the paddock admiring vintage cars. Normally my interest in cars needs an electron microscope to locate, but I really liked the early cars and was taken by the shape of a BMW, which looked a bit Star Warsish to me. We were met there by John's daughter Odette, her husband Will and their son Monty. We'd never met Odette before, and she quick and witty and made me laugh several times. I liked Will, who works a lot on building sites in and around Brighton, with responsibility for health and safety. Monty, their boy who is five and full of energy and generally springing about happily to see John.  We made our way up hill and ...

Ambushed by Whiskey again this morning. She stole into the room while Lorraine was downstairs, and seized my watch in its mouth.  I gave chase around the room in my boxer shorts for a bit, before Whiskey thought it would be more fun make off.  I bleated for Sue, who sorted everything out. My watch, when retrieved from under Sue and John's bed, had only received a nasty licking and was unharmed.  After a lovely breakfast, an amble into Bromyard this morning with Sue, marching up Frog Lane (see what I did there) to the Broad Street where there was a variety of nice little shops, even a theatre and... A Dr Who museum.   This afternoon off to Brockhampton, a small National Trust property surrounded by gorgeous hilly land. Sue volunteers there once a week, and we lurked about in a batty building, with half a moat around it. Perfect for fending off unidirectional invasions. The rooms each were time capsules from different periods in the house's history. There was also a ga...

Setting off with a song on our lips westward ho to Bromyard, where Sue and John have moved. Long car journey, with delays on every motorway we used. The M25 particularly evil. However it was fun to be on the road, with my wifey. We listened to an audiobook chapter of a book recommended to us called From What Is to What If by a bloke called Rob Hopkins, talking about greening initiatives and doing business differently by unleashing the power of positive imagination.   As the journey lengthened, and we got off the major motorways, the landscape became gorgeous with high hills and lots of trees. About five and a half hours on the road, we were delighted To arrive at Sue and John's new home, Oaklands, to a warm welcome and just in time for dinner, that Sue had pulled out of the AGA. They showed us around the new house, which is stunning. The house was once the location of a local school, but has been rebuilt with oak beams, using traditional methods with flagstone floors and oak beams...

To bed feeling shattered, and then was woken shortly before 1.00am by a party in the garden next door. Then someone knocking drunkenly on the door next door, and the thunder and lightning. Missed hours of the night, and got up and drank some chamomile tea and so on. Eventually back to sleep and woke up at nine. Got up and brought Lorraine some tea.  Off to see Jewell today, to do a deep tissue massage on my back at 11am. Both painful and blissful, and we had a really good chat. Lovely to catch up with her for the first time in almost two years. Like seeing an old friend.  Felt lots more upright afterwards, and headed home. An afternoon of work for the team in Germany, and bloody pleased to be done with it. Also a smidge of work for the mes amis in Paris too, when I followed up with them. Done by 5:30 today, which was excellent. Then Lorraine, Jade Sam and I mooched into town for fun. Walking with Jade and she was so excited about going to see a Marvel movie, it really made me ...

Lorraine lying in a bit, not having to go to school. I had to get up and start work at 7.00am with my German pals, and work for ten and a half hours.  Somewhat end of tetherish today, and the Teutonic tentacles keep dragging you back into a mire of goalpost moving. Still, mustn't grumble, eh? And they are all very likeable. When not working, walking. Having decided I don't know the names of the wildflowers, I am now obsessed.  I was bent over some white flowers, and a randomly passing bloke said ' common yarrow '.  I then used an app I downloaded, which is useless in the field as it were. Simpler just to take photos and then work it all out later. Wild flowers are my official new craze, although I am feeling a tad resentful that everything I am finding seems to be common .  Bloody exhausted this evening, and reasonably cheerful in the knowledge that I don't have to get up with the sparrows tomorrow, even though I have to work in the afternoon again. Below. The white...

Saturday, bloody marvellous because Lorraine was able to look forward to her holiday. I was pleased for a break too, as I have been slogging in the last week and felt absolutely exhausted today. In the evening Sam and Jade returned from London, Sam bringing with him some donuts to celebrate Lorraine's finishing of the year. In the evening we drove off and collected Beth and James, and drove off to Tottington Manor Hotel, a pub by the side of the downs with sheep baa-ing enthusiastically in the field next to us. Sat outside and had a meal. I had a pint of beer called a seagull, and a young chap appeared at my elbow after a while,, and said Seagull? Beth replied for me, as I was laughing, and said, 'thanks duck.' A pleasant meal there, and a lovely interlude accompanied by the gentle bleating of hillside sheep.  James and Betty, making a lovely couple.   

Up early, several meetings with the German team including a nice medical man called Herman in Cologne -- and the afternoon bashing out copy and then chatting to the creative team. Hot, bothered and tired by late afternoon, another walk up to the hill fort, bought some salad bits, and then did more German work. Slogging along. The people are absolutely lovely, but I am feeling drained.  As I wrote to SJB (Sarah Barnsley) all I really want to do at the moment is a) nothing, and b) write poetry. She said she was gripped by such excitement about writing her forthcoming poetry collection she couldn't sleep.  Then I made a complex salad with lots of ingredients, grilling halloumi and making couscous and then mixing that with few bits of gently fried green beans, garlic and chilli. Worked fine I thought. Lorraine home late, and we all ate. Jade having emerged from a long and thorough rest up in their rooms seeming cheery. I drank a single cold beer, watched a little TV 9 (Lorraine mu...

Lorraine back to work for a full day again, despite not feeling particularly perky. All day on the German stuff, and presented what I had done to the team who are mostly in Munich early afternoon.   I presented quite a bit of stuff, and it went down well as far as I can tell. An evening stroll over the hill as usual. I noticed lots of wildflowers among the long grass, and the meadows are now turning golden. Scorching hot still, and I chose to walk under trees as much as possible, till you get to the bald hilltop of course. Stuffy in my office late afternoon, but as my window is north west facing, I don't get much sunlight till the afternoon. Lorraine tired and needing bland food when she got home. Jade returned and lay low with Sam. Below a few hill fort wildflowers ... I think I need to learn all their names. A newly-golden field looking towards Brighton's Amex Stadium.   

Monday, and the heat has set in. It is so called Freedom Day, another asinine decision by the government where anti maskers and others can cast aside all protection just as the infection rates are escalating out of control. Admittedly deaths and hospitalisations still lower than they were, but the country is set to become a petri dish for new variants. Other countries are watching closely.  A briefing from a friendly team in Munich -- a tsunami of details and no clear path. A meeting last thing, it became clear they want me there to work out what to do about it. Not exactly the last job before my hols I was hoping for.  Otherwise I went for a walk up to Hollingbury Hill, there was thunder to the north rolling along towards Lewes. Some lovely clouds, and great to hear distant thunder, which I love. Lorraine off to work, and back home in the afternoon still feeling a bit rough and slept all afternoon. It seems a new prescription can bring on feelings of nausea for a bit. We watc...

A scorching hot day. The day of Robin's long awaited garden party, but Lorraine and I had to poop it at the last moment. Lorraine felt unwell with some sort of GI problem, she slept all afternoon, clearly shattered. I looked momentarily at catching a train to Eastbourne -- but  the only option was going via Victoria which was ridiculous and would have taken hours and after my hellish ride back from my dentist I am in no hurry to ride trains. But as we didn't know what Lorraine had, I wasn't going to risk mingling with others.  So poor Lorraine slept this afternoon, clearly out of sorts but with no temperature although she had felt hot this morning. I had a day doing not much, apart from my usual walk up Hollingbury Hill which I greatly enjoyed. Early to bed, with a spot of mosquito whacking. 

Up this morning, and into the car to pick up a chest of drawers from Innis's late pal Grol's son Tom who is clearing his house on Muesli Mountain. The drawers are going to Beth. Both Lorraine and I thought Tom seemed a lovely guy. Then we zoomed off to Lidl in Hove and mooched about in there buying a few bits and pieces, and some boxes of wine that Lorraine is going to give to her staff.  In the afternoon, I went for a walk up the hill, just to ensure I reached my walking target.  This evening, Lorraine and I strolled down to Preston Park, home of the pop up Brighton Comedy Garden, to see a four standup comedians: Stephen K Amos, who hosted, Shappi Khorsandi, Reginald D Hunter, and Alan Davies. The event was outside with people sat in pairs in little sprayed boxes dotted all over the field. Quite an odd experience, and not like being in a club at all. But nevertheless great to see some live performances. All four seemed rusty to me, especially Alan Davis. But I laughed lots. R...

Up early and made several amends on the stuff I was doing for mes amis in Paris, and then sent this off as a pdf to Val. Then I nipped down to Preston Park Station and made off to Kew Bridge to see my dentist.  Amanda messaging me from NZ for the inside skinny on the Nintendo Switch games that Lorraine likes, as she has just got one too. Quite busy on the way up. I read poems from Finished Creatures, and the latest PN Review on the train for a while, but just felt like rubbernecking out of the window. I arrived a bit early at Kew Bridge so was able to sit by the river, and look at the flotillas of Canada geese and other riverside delights. A beautiful day. Sauntered up to the dentist's office and Lucinda herself opened the door and told me to go straight in, even though I was early. No nasty surprises, which is what you want, and just a bit of scraping and polishing. As I was leaving I told Lucinda how much I appreciated how calm she made me feel over the years. I have not had a mo...

Busy day. More cat concepts for the French agency, chats with David about winding up my Ltd company.  I like David and he speaks human, a noble trait in an accountant. Also uploaded the latest episode of Planet Poetry, which required last minute stuff with Robin, but we both felt a sense of accomplishment. Wrote to Rishi to let him know. Zoomed off across the park to pick up a prescription at lunchtime. Only half the pills as I have to have a blood test now, and a phone in consultation in the next couple of weeks. Walking back I saw a young black man wearing what seemed to me to be traditional African clothes and a man-high stick performing some sort of ritual with a woman in the rose garden. Brighton, eh? I was curious but had to hurry home for work again.  Lorraine out this evening at a work related thing, so I did dinner early, and then went back to doing a bit of French stuff, and had an early evening walk to get to more than 10k. Also confirmed that I will be working with...

Working hard on concepts for the French agency, and enjoying the job, which was to do with cats. and I could simply get on with it without having factor in any other people. Happily looking at dozens of pictures of cats on stock shot libraries. Facetimed Mum, and spoke also to Mas and Ben who was there. Walked my 10k paces. Prepared dinner. Keeping a weather eye on Lorraine who is feeling a bit wobbly as she heads for the last furlong at school. It is becoming less wet and rubbish now. Here is the view from the other side of the Hillfort, you can see the Brighton Amex Stadium at Falmer near the University. I like the tiny people dots walking down the hill. I am lucky I have such broad horizons under 30 minutes walk from my front door. 

Made good progress on a poem first thing, and then did some final recording with Robin for the season finale of Planet Poetry. We will be back in late September. We have done 17 episodes in all, which isn't bad. Robin a bit stressed about her party this weekend, but otherwise cheery. I spent a fair amount of time editing afterwards. Received a copy of Finished Creatures magazine, edited by Jan Heritage, with my Mezquita de Córdoba poem in it, I wrote after falling in love with the interior of the Mosque there . Pals like Antony, Tess, Charlotte, SJB and Louise all in it, so I was pleased to be part of the club. My poem, as is SJB's is printed sideways, so as not to interfere with the line length, which is nice. It arrived in a beautiful envelope with a bookmark placed in it on the page of my poem, which struck me as a very Japanese style attention to detail. Went for a long walk, and was phoned by Valérie while I was by the side of the hill fort, briefing me on a job to be sta...