under another sun

Halloween. Lorraine and I off to town to buy a few bits and pieces, such as a frying pan, and music centre as we'd not had anything decent to play music on for ages. My French clients had paid me, so I was rather cheery. This done, the rest of the afternoon given to preparations for our night out to celebrate Halloween and  Dawn's birthday, which happened when we were in Guernsey. Beth putting lots of effort into making us all up. She did me first, so I was able to spend a while pulling depraved faces (see below) as Beth and Lorraine, plus John and Rosie got ready. Beth was a zombie pirate wench, John a zombie hillbilly, Lorraine a sort of bride of Frankenstein and Rosie a kind of sexy demon with several cuts. Lorraine, John and I off in a cab to the Brunswick where we were the first monsters to arrive. Luckily we were soon joined by various zombies, vampires, ghouls, devils, evil clowns, people with scars and stitched faces and so on. And friends, Dawn and Ellie were zombi

Up with the keener avian fraternity this morning, and off after Lorraine had very kindly ironed a shirt for me at six nasty in the morning. Working in the train and to Chiswick where I met Matty and had a most of the day meeting with two of our nice clients about the work we'll do based on the Chad trip. Nice to be working in Chiswick, I can see where I used to live in my less than happy year before moving down to Brighton. But coming back again regularly is beginning to make me feel nice about the place again. I spent many years living in Chiswick. After the meetings a quick beer in the Tabard with Matt discussing various subjects before leaving for  Brighton. Home briefly before going out with Lorraine to the Red Roaster Cafe to see Sarah Barnsley read. We were very early so found a little pub that served cocktails at your table, called the Plotting Parlour, which we liked a lot. It was like a mini-date. A reasonable Pighog night. I read in an open slot. I did Someone-else

As usual, sad to go from Guernsey. We self catered a large breakfast of eggs and fried tomatoes and toast, and packed up our stuff and left it at reception. A walk next. A grey, cloudy day, with a little drizzle from time to time, but nothing much. To Icart Point again. I was feeling weirdly vertiginous today, which wasn't good. But I still loved to lurk around looking out to sea, which was banded with dark blue and watching a kestrel quartering the clifftop for prey. Walked back along the road, then onto the cliff path opposite the Saints Bay Hotel, and then down the path to Saints Harbour. Here it started raining with a bit more enthusiasm and we were running out of time so we returned to La Barbarie for soup and I had a pint of bitter, and the ladies had cider. It is only a couple of days from the end of their season, and the staff were clearly done with the year. Still we were made to feel as welcome as usual. Then off by taxi, the same driver that picked us up at the air

Two years ago today, Lorraine and I got married. Clearly the best life decision I've ever taken. I never thought that being married would be so fantastic. Nor did I expect that being married would improve our relationship still further. Up early and off for La Barbarie's breakfast. A full Guernsey Breakfast for me, despite confirmation in the news that red meat, and processed meat such as sausages and bacon are bad for you.  I almost never eat red meat, and very little processed meat, so I took my life in my own hands. Very tasty as usual. Another unexpectedly beautiful day. We took ourselves off to town on the bus. I went to the joke shop, stuffed full of witches costumes, rubber spiders and ghost masks and asked if they had a Frankenstein's head. 'No, we don't have anything like that here,' said the woman behind the counter unhelpfully, with no attempt to cross sell me on, say, a zombie head. A spot of shopping here and there, some wine for tonight and s

A breakfast in our self-catered room of Guernsey tomatoes fried in butter on toast. An unhurried and excellent way to start the day.  Eventually we organised ourselves, and Mum went off to see Ken a brother of my Granddad, while Lorraine and I popped into The Captain's to book a table and then sauntered down to Moulin Huet. It was a gorgeously sunny day with the tide having turned recently and starting to come in. We lurked about, Lorraine finding rocks to sit in the sun on till the sun started lapping at her feet, reading and absorbing the Moulin Huet loveliness. I lurked about with my camera snapping at everything with complete abandon eventually as the sun went behind some clouds and things got cooler we made our way up the hill again. And met Mum coming the other way. She went down to the bay to take some snaps. Lorraine and I made our way to The Captains where Mum met us a little later. A good Sunday lunch to be had there, and couple of refreshing pints of beer as I mentio

Up early and packing for Guernsey. Hadn't had much time to think about it till yesterday. Lorraine starting a cold, and I find myself somewhat sniffly too. Quick chat with the neighbours as we left who said that Guernsey was posh. An easy train ride to Gatwick where we met Mum. A shopping spree in Gatwick. Lorraine buying face creams that literally cost thousands of pounds, and also some his and her headphones. A fairly incident free flight, though a bit bumpy for my taste. The journey is so short you never get up very high before you start descending again. A wait at Guernsey airport for half an hour for a cab, which had me grinding my teeth a bit. Big queue of people, but this being a Saturday lunchtime, the local cabbies are at home eating their lunch. Finally made it to La Barbarie where we had a quick sandwich and a pint of beer. Then off to Icart Point. Sat on the famous engagement bench, and wandered about in the soft light of a cloudy day. Beautiful as ever, with patche