A brilliant day
Up to strap on the nosebag this morning. Full Guernsey breakfasts all round, which was splendid. Then sitting about in the garden for a while. The day absolutely gorgeous. Hot and sunny.
After a while I left Lorraine happily doing some embroidery and walked up the road and bought some flowers from Brouards and went to the graveyard. Noticed that Gwen and Dave's gravestone needs the lettering repainting. I also mooched about, and noticed the ranks of graves advancing. One recent addition was Peter Hamon, who was my grandfather's brother in law. I almost met my own demise there to, stepping off the sward into the path of a reversing stonemason's van. For some reason I thought this was quite funny. Then I paid my respects to the Gran'mere who wore a crown of flowers for the occasion. I walked past my old school and saw a young black boy in a push chair, and experienced an irrationally strong sense of identification with him.
Back to the hotel, and joined Lorraine in the garden. We then caught the bus into town, and mooched about doing a bit of half-hearted shopping. Sipped iced coffee in the harbour itself, looking at the boats and me talking excitably about things, including strategies, postmodernism, truth, happiness and so on. I have an excellent wife.
Then we mooched up to Moore's terrace opposite Christies where we met Jane and Richard for afternoon tea. Richard gave me another copy of Stone Witness, as well as presenting me with a Fleming's Own® hand-fashioned Gran'mère. Excellent to see them both, fresh from being in Italy and following in the footsteps of poetic giants, with Richard's excellent book doing well, and the launch having gone swimmingly. Jane sporting an Ebeneezer teeshirt.
From there we went across the road to have a couple of drinks in Christies, before we bid each other fond farewells. Lorraine and I mooching back towards the buses and discussing dinner options spontaneously decided opted for an Indian restaurant called Taj Mahal or Taj on the Esplanade. Surprisingly nice food, and Lorraine and I discussed what our core values are as individuals at some length. We opted for a taxi home, and then sat in the bar of the Barbarie talking to lots of people, including two Swiss women, an ex-headteacher and his wife, a mature gentleman who hadn't been to the island for over 40 years and so on. I drank beer and grew quite loquacious.
Shepherded to bed by Lorraine having had a splendid day. Only-myself-to-blame heartburn on going to bed totally worth it.
After a while I left Lorraine happily doing some embroidery and walked up the road and bought some flowers from Brouards and went to the graveyard. Noticed that Gwen and Dave's gravestone needs the lettering repainting. I also mooched about, and noticed the ranks of graves advancing. One recent addition was Peter Hamon, who was my grandfather's brother in law. I almost met my own demise there to, stepping off the sward into the path of a reversing stonemason's van. For some reason I thought this was quite funny. Then I paid my respects to the Gran'mere who wore a crown of flowers for the occasion. I walked past my old school and saw a young black boy in a push chair, and experienced an irrationally strong sense of identification with him.
Back to the hotel, and joined Lorraine in the garden. We then caught the bus into town, and mooched about doing a bit of half-hearted shopping. Sipped iced coffee in the harbour itself, looking at the boats and me talking excitably about things, including strategies, postmodernism, truth, happiness and so on. I have an excellent wife.
Then we mooched up to Moore's terrace opposite Christies where we met Jane and Richard for afternoon tea. Richard gave me another copy of Stone Witness, as well as presenting me with a Fleming's Own® hand-fashioned Gran'mère. Excellent to see them both, fresh from being in Italy and following in the footsteps of poetic giants, with Richard's excellent book doing well, and the launch having gone swimmingly. Jane sporting an Ebeneezer teeshirt.
From there we went across the road to have a couple of drinks in Christies, before we bid each other fond farewells. Lorraine and I mooching back towards the buses and discussing dinner options spontaneously decided opted for an Indian restaurant called Taj Mahal or Taj on the Esplanade. Surprisingly nice food, and Lorraine and I discussed what our core values are as individuals at some length. We opted for a taxi home, and then sat in the bar of the Barbarie talking to lots of people, including two Swiss women, an ex-headteacher and his wife, a mature gentleman who hadn't been to the island for over 40 years and so on. I drank beer and grew quite loquacious.
Shepherded to bed by Lorraine having had a splendid day. Only-myself-to-blame heartburn on going to bed totally worth it.
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