under another sun

Lorraine working from home, which was splendid. A good start on the book, then broke off to walk in the sunshine to buy a black tie from M&S for tomorrow's funeral. A sunny and cool spring day, the streets quite busy. Bussed back for speed and cooked a delicious miso and noodle soup for lunch. Heard from Mark Hill, who has jumped the next hurdle on his book, and shared some glowing feedback from the publisher. Inspiring. In the evening, L and I finished painting the main room downstairs, and it looks white and larger. We work as a good team. Painting the ceiling and got a good deal of paint on my face. To The Basketmakers for a late pint with Matt. He has a new and promising business wheeze for himself, and is gradually adjusting to his new life as a singleton. Discovered  Lorraine still up having watched some nordic noir crime drama. It makes me laugh that L can't cope with the political arguments on question time as it stresses her, but is quite happy to watch peopl...

Working happily working on the business book. Also decided to take myself to the gym, and managed a gentle workout with few ill effects. I cooked for Lorraine and myself a low calorie meal, as Lorraine was on a fast day, and after snacking this down L made off to sing, while I slipped off in the evening to The Caxton where there was a slightly prickly poetry workshop session and with about a dozen of us reading a poem and providing feedback. Several of us attending for the first time. I sat next to a transexual woman who made some insightful comments. The poem I took was thought good and I found it useful to discuss the bits that were not quite resolved. A good standard of work on offer, and I enjoyed the session and was pleased I'd gone. After two hours, almost everyone left. I had a beer afterwards with the two remaining people, Michael who left shortly after and David a man about my age from Nor'n Ireland, with whom I stayed for an hour or so for a friendly chat and to hea...

A beautiful day, and up early to empty the Old Church Hall of extraneous stuff, to make it look all clear and spiffy. Employed my Tetris skills to load up a Ford Transit van and we sped off to Kent, where we emptied the load into Pat and Maureen's garage. Enjoyed ham and salad rolls at Pat and Maureen's place.  Maureen makes me laugh. She showed me a plant in the garden, and I felt its leaves and asked if it was a holly. 'Yes, a spiteful one,' she replied darkly. Home and a big tidy up, and then we took ourselves to the Shahi for a richly deserved early evening curry feeling like we had made real progress.

Busy day. I went up to give Oskar his Nerf Gun, which instantly sent a bullety thing with some velocity at Anna. I fear for Klaudia and the cats, but the boy was well pleased. Anton showed me a squadron of construction kit aircraft that he and Oskar had built, and Anton had painted through the watches of the night. Anna told me she is having problems with her kidneys and extremely high blood pressure and is seeing the doctor regularly to control it. Thence down to the Twitten to leave a door knocker to replace the one purloined by the Brighton door knocker thief. They weren't in so I poked it into the back garden and left a note.   Home and a lazy afternoon chatting with Lorraine (sporting this morning's hair cut) and Betty before she went back to London, via a party. L and I spent our evening exhaustingly organising the house, ready to take off excess clutter to store in Pat and Maureen's garage tomorrow. Below L and I went to the local van hire place to hire a...

Feeling a good deal better today, and had a quietly storming day's work on the business book -- feel a real enthusiasm for it again, which is great.  I always think that sitting at a desk doesn't make for very good blog fodder. Writing about postmodern irony in advertising. It is only when I sit down to write do I discover that I have opinions about such things and then learn what they are. Otherwise little to report until Lorraine went out in the evening to see The Place Beyond the Pines  for which the IMDb description hadn't sounded too promising. "A motorcycle stunt rider turns to robbing banks as a way to provide for his lover and their newborn child, a decision that puts him on a collision course with an ambitious rookie cop navigating a department ruled by a corrupt detective." The reality was excellent with classy and fresh direction, genuinely exciting action sequences, and shift about in your seat tension. Well worth seeing, and L and I both liked it. ...

Sad news just before I went to bed on Wednesday, read a text from Sophie saying her father had died. Obviously Sophie and her family are heartbroken, and there is a funeral next week and I shall go to support Sophie and pay my respects to this good man, who emigrated to the UK from Cyprus in his early twenties. Sophie used to take me to the family restaurant in Golders Green, called La Primavera, where he always treated me kindly. He worked hard with long hours, and I hardly ever saw him at home when I visited Sophie. I had a bad headache which got steadily worse. Not helped by the back of my office chair suddenly sheering off comedy style, and jarring my back abominably. Finding it difficult to focus, decided fresh air might help, and took myself to Starbucks where I sipped Earl Grey and worked on the business book for a couple of hours. I like tarrying in Starbucks, using their free wifi and getting a table to yourself where nobody hassles you. I think they owe us all one. But my...

Busy day in which I felt tetchy for most of the day. Worked really well on the business book this morning, however, then painted part of the downstairs, went shopping and attended to a string of chores. Rather sluggish and tired this afternoon but I simply manned up. In the evening off to Hove for a poetry reading. This time went alone and didn't particularly enjoy myself, nor the poetry on offer. One of those rare days when I simply wasn't in the mood. After an hour or so of this, and having read a solitary poem myself, I slipped away to sample some music instead. Walking along Western Road with the sea mist rolling in, I bumped into Dipak, hot foot from playing with Richard as the Shakespeare Trio for two or three numbers. He has got a six day a week job, and so has not played with Richard for six months and had enjoyed himself. A chat with him in the street for a while, before I headed off to the Three Jolly Butchers where Richard had morphed into The Shakespeare Heptet,...

Another dreadful night's sleep, strange devil trains dragging along the viaduct in the small hours, cleaning the lines and shining bright lights through the Velux windows. Lorraine up early so I was too being cat-plagued and keen to make progress. Calliope especially sees it as her mission to wake me still. I got to Sainsburys at opening time to buy some muesli for me and prawns for Calliope, and started work at 8:30. Got cracking on the business book again, which I enjoyed. This stage is all about metaphor and the darker arts of advertising. Found that my hardback copy of Aristotle's Poetics seems to have vanished, but downloaded one for my kindle (albeit an old translation). At noon I was called by the Tavistock posse and asked to work in the afternoon on some copy for them, however, which added some cash to the day's equation which is always welcome. Claudius came around for a business discussion, related to The Shakespeare 'Heptet' as they are now known. ...

Lorraine's birthday. Big kiss and cuddle for L this morning, and up early to feed the rampaging cats and make tea, before Lorraine after opening various cards and pressies made off to work.  I spent the morning slightly disappointingly wading through a backlog of email and admin. Come lunchtime I felt a bit jaded, having had a terrible night's sleep. Had tom yum soup for lunch, and while slurping it down watched a TV documentary about rockpools made my Richard Fortey who wrote a book about Trilobites I had rather enjoyed. Off into the outside world, walking down London Road, which was being its usual conduit of all that's wretched, before strolling about in the North Laine. Also into Churchill Square to buy a species of Nerf blaster gun for Oskar, while talking to Anton on the phone. Also bought Lorriane a present connected to her new craze of embroidery. Lorraine got home in good time and we made off into Brighton again, she signed on to another season with Hullabal...

Somewhat hungover this morning, so I got up early and cleared up somewhat, and then lurked back in bed with Lorraine sipping tea, and feeling delicate and wan. Eventually got up, and so did First Matie. We decided to go out for breakfast, and we popped into a cafe that used to be called Nia, but is now labouring under the name  Soup-urb , an urban cafe and soup restaurant. I ate an English Breakfast, which I'd not had for some times. From there, we wandered about in the North Laine, delving for some time in Snooper's Paradise, a shop full of all kinds of unlikely second hand and antique goods. Later I bought a tasteful new manbag, and we three mooched down by the seaside, and eventually found somewhere to sit and have a nice cup of tea, and felt quite relaxed and cheerful almost as if I were on holiday. Actually feeling the sun a little. Brighton rather lively today as the EDL, English Defense League, a far-right magnet for the stupid and obnoxious, were conducting their ...

In no rest for the wicked mode, a day of painting the hall, stairs and landing white. Up early and a light breakfast, moving things around out of the way, Soon Cath and then Dawn came around to help us and we four worked really well and got the job done in good time. Cath and Dawn worked incredibly hard and efficiently. First Matie came down to help, but we were so speedy we had finished a few minutes before she arrived. After we made good, I popped out to get some drinks, and had an altercation with the obnoxious man who runs the local off license, so I had to go to another rather than give money to a rude man. A happy evening with of lots of friends in an early celebration of Lorraine's birthday. As well as Cath, Dawn and First Matie, Rosie and Tim joined us, fresh from cycling on the Downs. John, sporting blue shades in preparation for his cataract operation, and Matt brandishing a large bunch of flowers. Anton came a bit later on, after the rest of us had dined heartily o...

Last day in London for a while and fairly busy with a few loose ends. Managed to break away at lunch with Katie, to have a quick drink with a guy called Andy who was leaving today in the Marquis Cornwallis. Kate and I discovered The French Bloke there who had come to say wish Andy well. The FB is now leading another agency, and being rather important. While he was mostly in broadcast-only mode, it was good to see him. Matty boy turned up and for ten minutes or so I had quite a strong sense of déjà vu looking around at these old friends. After work, a final drink with Andy and First Matie back in The Marquis, before slipping the surly bonds of work  and haring back into St Pancras and the wilds of Brighton. Home to the slightly grizzly scene of Lorraine hacking at a raw turkey with a large chopping knife. We had stir fry and slumped gratefully on the gold sofa to eat it.

Again up to Tavistock Square. A manbag incident on the way into work. The strap coming free of the bag, as I walked on and had to scurry back to retrieve it from the mobs of Dicknsian dodgers. Once at work, given some referencing work this morning which I loathe. Off in the afternoon off to Wise Buddha in Great Titchfield Street in a taxi with Amardeep, a tiny young suit with a forceful personality and Jimmy Choo heels. London gridlocked and it took us about 45 minutes, longer than it would have taken to walk. In and out rather quickly with a good voiceover artist, with the appropriately stirring corporate tone. Nice client too. After I had to wait for a short time, and browsed through one of their many visitor's books -- which contained signatures from everyone from Cliff Richard to The Doobie Brothers. Thunder and a deluge as we left, which meant there was suddenly not a single taxi to be had. I was all for walking it, Amadeep said she was going to go by tube, then ...

Bit of a ditto day. Mostly the same as yesterday, including the beetroot. Spoke to Mum and Mas at lunch, and in the evening a had long chat with Bob, stuck in a hotel bar in Peterborough. At work coming to the end of the big job I have been working on. Quite nice to be signing off bits of artwork at last. Tomorrow I am covering for Pat by popping into a recording studio to oversee a voiceover recording for a corporate video. Margaret Thatcher's funeral today. Even up around Tavistock Square soldiers in evidence, watching bits of it on my screen at work. One thing about this country is that we do pomp and circumstance quite well. Home reading The End of the Party , which is quite soap like. It is not the normal sort of book I read, which may be why I am enjoying it so much. Learned a few things today, including about asemic writing , which is somewhere between abstraction and writing. It is writing that is deliberately done, but not understandable by anyone. A bit like the gra...

Up to London sans coat for the first time this year. Armed with a large multicloured golfing umbrella, whose only function was to make me look a little ridiculous.  Feeling tense this morning, and listened to a meditation tape on the train, which helped. Also read on the BBC website that researchers are saying that beetroot juice significantly lowers blood pressure. Slipped out at lunchtime with Kate, to score some.  Turns out that beetroot is one of the things that Peter Kennys like best, and so could become a regular drink. Exotically coloured wee here I come! Working hard all day, and reading The End of the Party on the way home. It is quite a tense read, the levels of frustration, treachery and duplicity during Blair's Government seems incredible in Andrew Rawnsley's account. I am pleased I never went into politics. Home to a Lorraine, and a healthy stir fry crammed with vegetables. Brian the cat was looking perkier today, after his bout with a Tasmanian Devil yesterd...

In contrast to the blue beauty of the day, I was under a cloud of apprehension. I set off for Lewes by train and went to the hospital there for my pre-op. I was early and as the person before me had not turned up I was seen almost straight away, with my bottle of wee in my bag. Text from Jane while I was waiting. However much I try, I don't fail to get agitated when having my blood pressure taken. This inevitably results in a high reading. As I was feeling very tense anyway this resulted in a very high reading. I then had to have a relaxing ECG, having clumps of body hair shaved off me. Luckily my heart was still beating in the approved manner. A no-nonsense nurse, made things even less good. Second nurse decided to do a blood test, but then had to get blood from my hand, dripping some on the floor afterwards. However I was released back into the wild with a date for the operation in a month. Apparently I am not allowed to sign any legal papers for two days afterwards. Rapidly ...

Divebombed into wakefulness by hungry cats at what seemed the unspeakably early hour of eight o'clock. Lovely springlike day, with the sound of amplified encouragement of marathon runners coming from the park. Having fed the weasels, made tea, and put two extra cups in a flask, simply went back to bed. L got up later and made us some breakfast, and we stayed in bed for a long time. Gradually up enough to go shopping (where I grabbed some curly kale, which the optician said was the single best thing for eye health) walked through the busy park to visit to the sunlit walled garden, Lorraine moving from shrub to shrub loving all the springlike burgeoning). Also watched the second half of Chelsea versus Manchester City in the FA cup semifinal. Chelsea lost 2-1 despite them dominating the second half, scoring and playing with fluency, invention. A thoughtful text from Anton afterwards. After fortifying slices of Guernsey Gâche (kindly brought over by Jane) and a cup of splosh we the...

Gingerly up after showering I wandered into the balmy morning around to Arkwrights to buys some bread and eggs. Stepping out an hour or so later, after Quorn sausage sandwiches and much conversation Jane, Lorraine were greeted by the first drops of unrelenting rain. Showing people around Brighton in torrents a familiar scenario dating from when Romy and Toby came last year. We walked into town, popping into St Bartholomew's church to wonder at the Italianate design and the vast upside down ark space of the church. Jane really liked this. Then to the Museum to see the Biba exhibition, which had been on there for some time and I had skilfully avoided. Actually rather more interesting than I thought it was going to be, especially when viewed with the perspective of how much the clothes reminded me of the work of Dr Seuss. Particularly taken with a hat with holes instead of dots. The clothes displays catnip to Jane and Lorraine. Off then to Specsavers where Lorraine and I picked up...

A busy Friday, still absorbed by Andrew Rawnsley's End of the Party on the train. Makes you realise what a shambles the business of government is. Meanwhile much of the media still going on about Thatcher. Into work, and an almost unremittingly busy day. However did manage some lunch with others of a gourmet fish finger sandwich, sitting chatting with Karam, Sarah and First Matie. Then back to an afternoon of business and finding that the hour between 3pm and 4pm seemed to last for 200 minutes. Soaked by a downpour as soon as I left work. Train delayed, and stuffed full of smelly dripping people, though at one point I saw a rainbow against the bluish grey clouds. Home at last, and capered across to The Shahi to find Lorraine, Jane and Cath already in place, and a cold lager brought to me as soon as sat down. A fun night talking with everyone, and feeling very buoyant to have finished the week's work. Cath left early, being rather tired having flow in from surfing on the wes...

Completely different day, great night's sleep and sprang out of bed feeling chipper. A really busy day at work, however, with the only break affording an opportunity to slope out and buy a salmon and cucumber sandwich. One person so stressed they had to be taken to hospital but thankfully was found to be fine later. Finished Mark Hill's MS on the train this morning. A very readable read: I think he's cracked it and am inspired by his example. Home to find Jane safely installed, having flown in from Guernsey this morning and regally explored Brighton during the day. Jane and Lorraine having had a glass of wine having tucked into Lorraine's special chicken grape and lettuce dish. Jane's over to see an Italian pal who is staying in Brighton. However a mix up over dates meant that Jane only got to see her for an hour late in the evening, which meant we had plenty of time to chat. When Jane did slope off she found herself being lionised by thirty Italians, who wanted...

Nightmares of frustration and anxiety. Woke early and read in bed. A short burst of palpitations made me feel disproportionately rattled. Still got up and had a nice breakfast with Mum and Mas, despite the fact the cat had brought in a mouse, and Mas drove me off to Edgware station.  Chugged in on time on the Metropolitan Line to Euston Square. Into work and discovered that the file I had worked on all yesterday afternoon, after personally promising the client would be done by this morning, had vanished from the server. IT people and others helping, but all to no avail, so had to start from scratch. Lunchtime out for a walk to a bookshop with First Matie, and had a chat with Matty boy next to the statue of the Mahatma about Graeme, who will be having his operation soon. My heart goes out to him. We sloped off and bought a short life of Dante for £2.99, which was a bargain. Nice to hang out with Kate, who helped me feel a lot more normal after a weirdly  twitchy morning. ...

Up to the smoke again. Reading The End of The Party by Andrew Rawnsley again. A very interesting read, Gordon Brown comes out of it very badly. Work fine, snuck out at lunch with First Matie who went off looking at shoes, while I bought stuff and returned to work to find a fascinating website at lunchtime a Virtual Sea Odyssey , showing the Burgess Shale creatures of the Pre-Cambrian ocean. A really interesting experience, and one featuring my favourite extinct animal: Anomalocaris. After work sped off to Edgware to see Mum and Mas, lots of chatting and we had an enjoyable evening catching up with the gossip, looking at candles, and drinking some wine, and as a special treat I got Christmas pudding and custard, which I wasn't expecting. Played mum some Laura Mvula, which she enjoyed. Early night, chatting to Lorraine before bed.

Bleary morning. Dragging myself unwillingly to work. Left my flask of tea on the side so as the dire First Capital Connect trains have nothing onboard drank my first cup of tea at an unprecedented two and a half hours after getting up. A poor experience. Reading an MS by Mark Hill, a writer who I once worked with, who is living Portugal. Interesting book about him leaving London in the midst of a mid life crisis, with a broken heart and a drink problem, and his gradual recovery living in a small village in Portugal. A series of small things got my day off to a slightly askew start: being shouted at not to use a lift I was walking into because it was for a paramedic in the office reception; an email from the people who are managing my property saying that someone had crowbarred the door knocker from my door in the Twitten and what was I going to do about it. And an irritating discussion with unhelpful colleagues: a collection of small Pooterish peeves.  In a lull, I happened...

Off in the car listening to Laura Mvula to Kent to celebrate Maureen's 75th birthday in a pub called The Windmill, which had an all you can eat carvery. A challenge if ever I heard one. Hearty fare with Pat and Maureen, Maureen's old friend Cindy and Pete, who is Lorraine's nephew. Pat bumped into an old friend, whose wife kissed and squeezed Maureen with protracted gusto. Maureen makes me laugh, and has a funny way of saying things. She told me the food she was unable to eat when pregnant, a story now condensed to: 'Lorraine was fish, Derek and Ken were tinned tomatoes'. Then back across the rec that Lorraine and her brothers played in when they were kids. The sun actually out and it was a pleasant, if still cool day.  A pleasant afternoon.  We walked past the Sir William Harvey pub, which Pat said is where the great man lived. I only learnt about Sir William Harvey this week, funnily enough, at work. He is the man who in 1628 first established that the circulato...

Achey eyes lately, and so went for an eye test.  General eye health very good apparently, which is nice to know. Nice ophthalmologist with whom I had quite an in depth chat about AMD and other subjects I have written about. He was screamed at with glee by two little girls after he took me upstairs. These turned out to be his daughters. Lorraine arrived to give me a second opinion and have ordered some new prescription reading specs. Two intellectual looking pairs on order, both not previously sat on, which will be nice.   Then to see Janet and Ken. Ken in vigorous spirits, and upstairs with a man helping to sort his computer out. The occasional nautical language spilling downstairs as Ken described cyber struggles. He actually looks much better than I have seen him for some time. Janet showing us all kinds of new techniques she has learned for her embroidery work, which includes printing patterns onto silk using a computer printer. All rather excellent, and Lorraine was ge...

Up to London again. I am going there next week too now, which is good for the doubloons. Working on pulmonary hypertension, a medical condition which is short on laughs.  A busy Friday in Tavistock Square, but left work promptly with First Matie and we snuck off to a nearby pub called the Skinner's Arms. A long time since I have had a post work booze with Katie, so a good deal to discuss. This drink made even better by the fact Lorraine was in town too, having gone to see an exhibition of early Picasso with her pal Carolyn, and met up with Sam who was down in London, she joined us there too. Felt nice to meet Lorraine up in London. Fond farewells with Katie. And Lorraine and I got the train home from St Pancras. Phoned ahead for a takeaway which we picked up after a cheeky extra beer in Circus Circus. Home scarfed my food, and boofed to sleep on the gold sofa, while Lorraine caught up with Masterchef and shepherded me to bed when the time came. Below First Matie an...

A lengthy day at work, and late home. Some snaps two of buildings round the corner from Tavistock Square, and one of the platform at St Pancras.

A pleasant enough day at work. Walking in the squares for a little at lunchtime talking to Loraine and Mas. The wind blowing keenly through them, and my hand was cold holding the phone. Reading Primo Levi on the train home, after doing a little more Invaders of Guernsey. Looked up from my book, thinking there was fog over the Downs. Walked out of Brighton station and realised what I had seen was something of a blizzard. Home coated in snow. Calliope ran away from me when I got through the door. Lorraine had cooked some delicious stir fry. I like having her home when I get back from London.

Up to the smoke again. Working on the Defenders of Guernsey on the way up. But seemed to have sprung from the wrong side of bed this morning, and felt vile and tetchy all day. Not that the day's events helped, with clarity about what Jules and I should be working on hard to come by. Late to leave work. Missed the train by a second, having to arrest my gallop on board due to crowd of small children suddenly underfoot. Galled by this and prompted to some John Cleese style ranting on the platform. Galled too, after waiting tetchily for the next train, by the woman I made room for to sit next to me in the crowded train, who held my glove disgustedly between her manicured fingernails. Read the Primo Levi book on the way home. An interesting book, as much for its form as its content. Home and Lorraine had been painting parts of the living room white, a great improvement, as the wall was a species of cream with patches of dirty white.  Lorraine is on holiday and I feel a little bad ab...

L and I up early, with steely glints in our eyes, driving off to paint and other painting accessories. For we are sprucing up the house, or at least doing a good deal of talking about sprucing up the house. Decided to de-worm the cats, which although simple to do, and requires only a drop on the backs of their necks. Calliope as usual fine with medical things, Brian has to be swaddled in a blanket and zoomed out of Lorraine's arms as if released from a UFO. I managed to breathe in vapours from the worming liquid we were dabbing on and had a nasty taste in my mouth for hours. The upside, however, is that I shall probably remain tapeworm free for months.