under another sun

For the first of the month... Cooler night, and a comparatively wonderful night's sleep. Lorraine and I on the first of the month, in an unhurried fashion. This calm shattered by an alarming call from Maureen about Pat. Lorraine dropped everything mid breakfast and went around to see them. Pat ended the day with antibiotics for a chest infection.  I called Mum a bit later, and arranged to see her on Wednesday, she told me that Steve from the pub had been to Germany on holiday, and had two heart attacks, and was treated in hospital there. I was a  bit shocked to hear, this. He is back home now. Will meet Robin, Stephen B, and SJB on Thursday for a poet's get-together. Slightly put off my stroke this morning, so did mundane tasks: laundry, food shopping and going to the gym. Lorraine home after a full day, cooked a tasty aubergine dish  Watched Babylon 5 this evening, sipping sparkling water. The story arc is genuinely interesting. The weather forecast promises heavy rain o...

In good shape this morning, and commended myself for sensible drinking yesterday.  We began packing up from Pretty Vacant, our room, and made off to have breakfast, the room full of wedding goers in fine fettle. Lorraine and I, arriving late, had smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and toast. Once we'd checked out and loaded up the car. We joined in the efforts with friends and family of Rosie and Innis to take down the arch of branches, and carry things to their car etc. The newly weds were going to stay another night at the Bell.  Their room was called The Love Nest, was round and hobbity, and excellent, with a nest like exterior and once you climbed the stairs a fine terrace. They were going to swap for another one for the night.   Lorraine and I, in no hurry to rush back hung about at the Bell, hung out with Innis and Rosie, and the charming Peter and Sam Kenny. Hugging and saying goodbye to lots of folks. We sat outside under an espaliered tree canopy, had a slow lunch, a ...

Off to Ticehurst this afternoon, to stay at The Bell, where Innis and Rosie are to get married tomorrow. Arrived and found our room, in its own little structure, called Pretty Vacant. A very cool and stylish room. The buildings full of art, prints from Picasso, to signed Tracey Emin prints, while managing to retain a village pub ambience. A marvellous place for a wedding, and just generally to stay. Went outside for a pint in the excellent pub garden. Bloody sweltering again. Drank a nice pint of lager and it instantly went to my dehydrated head. Drank a mix of judicious beers and pints of water from then on, but never quite caught up. Really hot today.  We had a pizza in the beer garden, where we hung out with Simon and Nicky and their son Ted, and said hello to many wedding guests. Rosie and Innis had a family meal and after this was over, I had a final cheeky beer with Innis and Tim before heading back to Pretty Vacant.  Below the pub urinals, snaps in our room

To drawing class this morning, home to Lorraine and Enzo. Had lunch, and played with the baby, then sloped off to the gym for a bit. Late afternoon, I bussed off to Brighton and the Stanley Road store. Patrick and Melissa were giving talks there. Many familiar faces: Adele, Kate and Andrew, Sally and Marek, Debbie, Chris Melissa's husband and Chris and his son, and some friends from art class. All jolly, and the people who ran it talking about their philosophy of joining artist together, as well as my friends, they had a slide show of visual art, to a background of music created by a Polish DJ. I talked to lots of people and came back feeling quite boosted. On the way home, Adele, Patrick and I stopped off at Franco Manca for a cheeky pizza before going home by train to Seaford. Below Patrick and Melissa acquitting themselves excellently. Melissa dressed as Frieda Kahlo, and talking about a fresh start in her work after reviewing an impressive track record. Patrick talking about tr...

Hottest May day in the UK ever, touching 34C in London, though slightly cooler here on the coast. A call for Lorraine from Maureen saying that Patrick had blood in his urine bag and Lorraine had to phone nurses and so on and head round, which she normally does on a Monday. Delores still unwell so did not go round to Pat and Maureen too. We spoke to Mike Sassarini -- to cancel today, but we beat him to the draw, as it was also too hot and difficult for his mum to travel. I felt lethargic in Greek temperatures but with no Ionian to slip into periodically to cool down. Lorraine round at Pat and Maureen. Pat's urine bag returned to normal thankfully -- dehydration can cause these symptoms in older people.  Left to my own devices I caught up with this blog in the garden, till I began to feel too hot. Crept inside and rearranged some clothing draws, tidied up my study, hung washing on the line... Did lots of small jobs requiring little or no gusto or vim. Called Mum to see how she was do...

Woke up wanly on the gold sofa. A lively night with Enzo waking up at 1.10 am, too hot and with a nasty cough. Lorraine looked after him brilliantly, we took him downstairs where it was a bit cooler, and opened up the windows. Lorraine got him soothed and asleep after about two hours, put him down again and he woke up crying right away. Eventually we had all the windows wide open, stripped the bed, and I slept on the gold sofa finally getting to sleep again after four, but with a new found respect for Beth and James and people with babies generally. Some of the teenagers next door went out and sat in their inflatable pool making lots of noise from 6am, which, with the windows all open was tiresome. Breakfast with Lorraine and the lovely boy Enzo, who looked bright despite everything. Breakfast interspersed with Lorraine and I pushing lego cars on the table top while he wriggled with pleasure.  I chatted with Delores, and medicined her with Dioralyte sachets. She perked up enough to...

Up early and after breakfast completed a substack post, about J.H. Prynne.   I then surged into the garden and given that it was the year's hottest day, Lorraine and I worked hard moving stones and planting plants near the wildlife pond, where Lorraine saw mature tadpoles a day or so again. At this point Lorraine attempted to murder me. I'd patted in some heuchera plants, and popped away. Lorraine put the hose on the area. When I stepped back to finish the job, but the ground had become of quicksand, and I sank at least eight or nine inches and fell over, losing my garden shoe and becoming covered in mud. Lorraine seemed sorry I hadn't fallen into the pond too.  Lunch in the garden. Delores still in bed recovering upstairs, after being ill on Friday and coming to ours to recover. Enzo brought round by Beth, and a good deal of time playing with him. I got a few good chuckles out of him, winking at him absolutely delighted him. I went out to collect a prescription for Delor...

Up early again, and writing first thing. A gorgeous hot day. Sloped off to the gym where I finished listening to When You Are Engulfed In Flames another of collection of David Sedaris's stories. I enjoy his autobiographical anecdotes which seem polished to perfection. A man hogging the lat pull machine, who walked around the edge of the gym, before doing yet another set. I noticed, in a very Sedaris way, that he was bulky about the arms so I said nothing, even though that is the one machine that helps sort my back out.  Tried to arrange meeting up with Anton tomorrow, but he is unwell. Home, and a shower, off to Stratheden court with Lorraine, to pick up Pat and Maureen and meet Maxine and Simon just by Frankie's beach cafe.  Maureen rather critical of my wheelchair technique. Lovely to see Max and Simon again, and they were very affectionate with Maureen. Lorraine and Pat, sporting a nifty Spitfire cap, joined us shortly after and we had a quick drink then went for a saunter...

Up early writing, then made breakfast. Robin popped around this morning with a box of deluxe Brownies that our last guest on Planet Poetry Mara Bergman had sent to her. A lovely thought. Robin, looking super trim and doing lots of keep fit lately, simply had one piece leaving five. I shared one with Lorraine and it was so incredibly delicious, that I simply had to have another one, and make Lorraine eat another too. Mad sugar rush. We had the last two in the afternoon, and I felt that any attempt to control my food intake was doomed from that point. Robin also left me a copy of her A Guide to Getting Your Poems Published which is selling like hot cakes. Off then to drawing class, where I feel I am getting nowhere fast, but maybe I just have to enjoy it and not look for progress. Lovely to see my friends down there though. Did some light pencil work then added the dense charcoal Anton had bought me to them thus cancelling out anything that was good in the first place. Still, you live a...

Robin dropped off some chocolate brownies this morning, that we had been sent by Mara Bergman, after being interviewed on Planet Poetry. They were delicious but utterly diet destroying. She also gave me copy of her book about getting published in poetry magazines. I also received Tess Jolly's new book, signed by her.  Lorraine collected Enzo first thing, and once I'd come back from an enjoyable drawing class, we went off to an excellent plant nursery with the wee bairn strapped in his baby seat in the back. Being driven usually sends him to sleep. I sat next to him, and I mimed closing my eyes, which he thought was hilarious. 

A day of writing, Lorraine out all day, and doing her pottery class this evening. A day of being highly focused on a final edit of  The Follower Followed (which has the working title Kansas). It is done and ready to be sent. I have cut it quite a bit from its largest size of over seven thousand words, and now it is a bit over five and a half thousand, but tight and balanced. Quite pleased with myself, though now to find someone to publish it. An interlude when Lorraine returned with Enzo because her old pals Rachel and Andrew dropped in for a quick cup of tea, having been in Eastbourne. Andrew immediately asking about my story, how many words was it, what was it about and so on. He loved Enzo and was playing with him lots. Rachel is very nice, and has started playing double bass.  A walk late in the afternoon just to do my paces for the day.  Lorraine home with many excellent pots. One with a lid that fit perfectly. She is coming on in great leaps.

A day at home...  I did a bit more editing of the short story.  Lorraine surged purposefully outside to do gardening, I cleaned the pond filter and thinned the pond weed. Only two goldfish remain now, as the unknown predator has been at work again. These two survivors look chubby and healthy though. Later in the afternoon, studio time. Me trying and failing to come up with visual art ideas, but spending a lot of time thinking happily about them, and Lorraine playing with clay, making small clay fish. I made one too. All highly enjoyable. Thank God Lorraine and I have a new TV obsession: Babylon 5. The first episode was risibly bad, so we almost stopped watching it there and then. But I looked up some old reviews of it, and it is well thought of. Now we are enjoying its ever more complex plot, and dated visuals and attitudes. Spoke to the Tobster this evening, and discussing his visit over in the summer. And after talking with him about the Guardian's list of the best 100 novel...

A quiet morning. I went for a walk down to Tide Mills, hurrying home as it was threatening rain. In the evening Lorraine and I trained off to Hove, where we went to a nearby pub called The Watchmakers, where Rosie had booked a table. A very cheery evening, with Rosie and Innis who are getting married two weeks from today. They also had their friends Adrian and Laura with them. We liked them very much, which was lucky as they live one street away from us in Seaford.  Heard from Innis all about the ghastly business this week he had been involved with, the three women lost at sea. He was the first responder from the coast guard to arrive at the scene, and had the nightmarish business of attaching to a rope, having to wade into the stormy sea to try to recover a body. He was soon joined by another colleague and they were able to recover the body. Another two people were found. Innis had brought a change of uniform with him, and once dried off, he then continued work on the beach, which...

Final edit on the Kansas story underway. Still finalising the proper title, worked on it all morning.  Spoke to Mum, getting ready to dye her hair. She's saved thousands over her lifetime doing her own hair. A light lunch with Lorraine, then to the gym for a cautious beginning again workout. Between 2-3 am seems to be a sweet spot, sans schoolboys clotting up the machines while studying their phones. My new bone conduction headphones worked a treat. Now I can trundle on the cross trainer and comfortably listen to a podcast.    Lorraine and I mooched down to the bottom of the garden to our 'studio' where Lorraine did pot trimming and I did some much about with visual ideas. This was very pleasing. I melted away to make a curry from chicken, chickpeas and mushrooms. We passed on the pub tonight. I was out yesterday, and Lorraine and I are out tomorrow night instead. A note from SJB wondering if I would introduce her and Tess Jolly at a reading they are doing in Brighton in ...

Up early, I did the blurb for the new podcast episode, and then sorted breakfast while Lorraine collected Enzo, who was our smiley little breakfast guest sitting between us on a high chair.  I left Lorraine holding the baby, while I zoomed off to drawing class and we all drew a nice model. She said she'd been modelling over several weeks for sculptors. I asked her in the tea break if she felt she was in any way a co-creator of the sculptures  produced. She said she felt responsible for the atmosphere, and tried to put everyone at their ease, which I thought was interesting. Adele back and feeling quite well, I sat in my usual place in the circle between Debbie and Kate. Melissa cheery and positive as ever. Then home, and found something to read and discuss in the Understory Conversation this afternoon. I enjoyed the session as usual. As often happened Emma seemed to say around what I'd been thinking. She'd gone to the Tracy Emin art show, and loved the energy, and was talki...

Spoke to Mum first thing, just to confirm she was okay. She was. Tyre men arrived to do Lorraine's car. Lorraine zoomed off to do Rhyme time, Sylwia arrived to clean the house and I repaired to my study to listen to and tweak Robin's cut of the podcast. This done I made off to Brighton for a haircut. Stacy on good form. It began hailing and lashing rain while I was there. Everyone in the barbers talking sadly about three women who drowned in the sea off Brighton in the early hours of the day. I wondered if Innis had been involved. It turned out he had been part of this upsetting day. Hail and lashing rain. I scurried back to the station. Collected my super reader glasses from Specavers, which combine close reading at the bottom with arms length focus at the top. They take getting used to and made me feel a bit woozy.  Made it home shortly before hail, hard rain and thunder.  Bit more podcast stuff. And a relaxed evening. Although called again because Mum set off her pendant ag...

To Hampstead first thing. Rain and thundery liveliness forecast this week. A fairly easy journey this morning, and I was able to do some writing on the train.  I early to Hampstead station, and mum was already there. We sloped down Flask Walk, up past the school to The Old White Bear. Quite empty when we arrived, but a few people filtered in. We ate some rather good fish and chips, and had some drinks in a cheery fashion, even when we had a divergence of opinion over how much wine Mum might want. Back to the station, and fond farewells. I had a smooth and fast journey home too, which was excellent. Lorraine off doing her pottery class and arrived home at 9:30. About half an hour later, I was called alarmingly to say mum had pressed her pendant and couldn't be reached. While I was trying to contact her, they called back to say that she had let them know it was a false alarm. I tried to call her several times after but she was not picking up, which was unsettling just before bedtime....

 Lots going on this morning. I had to bump a recording session with Robin till this afternoon. While Lorraine was out collecting Maureen, Wenda, an old friend of Lorraine's arrived with flowers. She turned out to be a kind, empathetic person to whom I warmed immediately, and in no time we were talking like old friends.  Then a man arrived to look at Lorraine's tyre and found there was a screw through it, and it needed to be completely replaced. Lorraine and Maureen arrived, and Maureen was delighted to see Wenda too. I slunk upstairs to call Mum and do a bit of writing before coming down before the left for Lewes, where Wenda's husband David, who is an actor, was filming for a day. In the afternoon, after banter with Robin, I sloped off in the afternoon and rejoined my usual gym, as my upper body needs help. Same nice lady as last time, who told me I was there day's different in my birthday to her brother, which made her like me.  Slight rain on my way home. There is a ...

 A cheery morning, once we were up and breakfasted, and after I'd scrambled about in the loft, we drifted down to the studio where Lorraine threw some pots, and I fiddled with some visual ideas. Our CD player sprang back to life, and we had music and art and pottery going on. Which was rather idyllic.  To Morrisons, by foot as Lorraine's car has a flat, luckily a man is coming to sort that very tyre tomorrow. Home and a general frenzy of tidying in preparation for Brian and Yvonne. Lorraine cooked a tali, using the little trays and bowls and that was all rather lovely. Cheery night with lots of laughing. They gave Lorraine some PX sherry and I was surprised to be given some pencils and paper, and a wee drawing of me done by Brian. Below: knee pads. Mum paid for these, which Lorraine bought for my birthday last year. They are game changers, kneeling on the loft board, in the garden etc. with manly abandon.