To Lewes for a giant reading

Train by the skin of my teeth, then to work in a much better frame of mind. Busy in the agency. A brief walk at lunchtime, chatting to Mum as I escaped... First wearing sunglasses, then slinking between cover in the rain. Left work 40 minutes early and the journey all smooth to sleety Lewes, and despite showing people my return to Brighton made it through without having to pay any extra.

Lorraine, Robin and Nick were already at the John Harvey Tavern, along with little clusters of poets having snacks. I had a small pork pie and a pint of Harveys before I joined Robin upstairs, moving things about. A plethora of proper poets tonight. Everything went swimmingly, I introduced the night, with a passing reference to Plato. Sarah and Robin continued both on excellent form. Robin tying up Telltale nicely, at the end with a speech as this was the final publication from us. A highly enjoyable evening, with the anthology proving to contain lots of wonderful poems, in the readings that were given. A little more about the evening here. Enjoyed chatting to Nancy Matteson again.

We drove home, and were in bed by eleven, which was great, as it work tomorrow.

Below a shot Lorraine took of the readers on the night. Louise Tondeur, Jeremy Page, Clare Best, Catherine Smith, me at the back, Sarah Barnsley (kneeling) Jess Mookherjee, Mike Bartholomew-Biggs, Abigail Parry (kneeling), Janet Sutherland, Abegail Morley (with Charlotte Gann), Stephen Bone, Marion Tracy, John McCullough, Robin Houghton, Judy Brown.