under another sun

Another blazing day. Lorraine and I off this morning in the Qashqai to Hateful Heath to look at  tasteful light grey tiles for the bathroom.  Lorraine then dropped me off at Brighton station, before having to go to Bolney for the village day. The station was like a stirred up ants nest, as there were no trains to meet Klaudia for our golden ticket trip to London. After an hour or so, we had a cuppa in the station cafe and as the trains were so royally doomed discussed our options. After an hour, however, we caught a crowded train to Blackfriars, and eventually found ourselves sitting opposite a woman and her dog from Durham, both stressed about missing their connecting train. A couple of tube stops to Monument and then walked up to the Aldwych where we found the Duchess Theatre. We squeezed into a Byron burger joint and had speedy chicken burgers, gulped down a milkshake and a cloudy lemonade before we found ourselves having our bags searched to get into the theatre. We ...

The bliss of being able to think and work in peace.  Did some writing outside too, poems, blog posts and admin. Before it got too hot. Cats basking or slinking away from the sun. Sonia in this afternoon, doing her bit for Bulgarian tourism, showing me you tube video of her hometown  Veliko Tarnovo . Did some long outstanding admin too, which made me feel good. Lorraine home, and rather frazzled from the week. The end of the school year is a few weeks away, and as a Lorraine-watcher, I realise this gets to be a real grind. We went to the Preston Park Tavern for a meal. The prices have climbed greatly, and the beer is expensive, but its convenience just trumps it. Weird day with no football. Reading the Philip Roth book, The Anatomy Lesson . Not sure what I feel about it.  Not read Roth before, and his thinly veiled autobiographical stuff is either absurdly indulgent or brilliant. Or both.

Another scorcher, and peace reigned in Kenny towers for the first time in what seemed like ages. Drank coffee and wrote poems on the new and beautiful decking, blessing Clem's cotton socks as I did so.  In the afternoon I walked into the big woods above Stanmer Park, right at the edge of town. I followed the path out onto the downs for a bit too. Quite a strong breeze up there too.  Felt peaceful and at one with myself in the woods. I was listening to a new audiobook by Philip Roth, having not read any of his work before. But I soon took my headphones out in the wood, and listened to the wind in the trees. The woodland floor cracked due to the heatwave and drought. Looking down on Brighton from what seemed afar was good too. I just seem to be in an interlude in my life where I am reappraising everything, and having a mental spring clean, it's easy to spot the things that aren't working in my own practise, but the challenge now is the do things differently. Home having w...

The decking finished today. Clem did a fabulous job. Lots of power tools this morning, so thinking hard. It has been a pleasure having Clem around though, he is a really good bloke so not only do we have new decking, I also know my neighbour, who is very practical and creative much better. Wins all round. I finished reading  The Road To Wigan Pier . Orwell is an excellent and tough minded writer in so many ways. In the afternoon I moved all the stuff that had been strewn about the garden, which is struggling after the effects of the protracted drought.

Clem still hard at it. The job has taken longer than he thought, but we are going to give him a bit more. It is a thing of beauty though, although it does mean that the best part of my concentration, the morning is undermined. Tom arrived this morning, Lorraine's nephew and one of Ken's sons. He has a job working at Gatwick and will be staying here once in a while. He arrived and pretty much went straight to bed, and after a chat at about five he made off to work again. A nice friendly guy. Interesting how Pat, his grandfather used to be in the RAF and work on aircraft, and Tom does, and Derek in Finland's son Jason is also working with aircraft in the UK too. In the afternoon, I walked off to Hove for operatic reasons. To see Helen, and listen to the material she'd written. It has been a tough year for her the section she'd been writing was a struggle. The new music sounds very interesting though, and I said the struggle had paid off. She gave me a bottle of ...

Back to the drawing board feeling today. A poetry rejection, and another not placed in a competition didn't help, nor did the inevitable conversations, banging and power tooling coming from the back garden, which unfortunately make concentrating hard. Clem almost done now, and he's done a great job. It is looking pretty spiffy. He's a really nice guy too. Went for another walk while listening to The Road to Wigan Pier . Walking through the rags and tatters of woods round and about really makes me feel good. And further cheered by Lorraine coming home early from school. Watered the gasping plants, ate a delicious curry Lorraine cooked. Below sunlight on a path through a wood.

Got up and made tea and took my still-recovering wifey tea and breakfast in bed. Got up in time to watch England play Panama in the world cup. Had heard people say that Panama were exactly the kind of team England struggle with,  but by half-time, and England up 5-0, the pundits were all saying how Panama were like a non-league team. In-ger-land ran out out winners 6-1, the first time that England had scored more than four goals in a world cup before. This done, and a salad and hummus lunch consumed, Lorraine had to turn to school work. I went out and did quite a long walk. I have now learned how to thread my route through nearby woods and cross over the M27 into a big wood, which I walked about in today for the first time, while listening to my audiobook of The Road To Wigan Pier , by George Orwell, and there is a quality to his writing that is brittler than I'd noticed before. A cloudless day, and I felt happy to be outside and walking in woods, and even enjoyed the more expo...

More house stuff today. Domestic things being what this year seems to be about despite my best writerly efforts. Choosing showers and bathroom furniture today. Some time in the bathroom shop, which was good clean fun. And then we drove off to the tile place, which was closed. Something happens to a persons brain when confronted with a range of near identical looking shower heads and you're asked to choose.   Before we went to the bathroom place, we also person-handled our second (or booze) fridge from the dungeon. It had started to leak noxious stuff from the back, which smelled evil, and was about 20 years old. Off to the recyclers with it, but not before dropping the bastard thing on my big toe. A quiet afternoon, with Lorraine needing to sleep and repair. In the evening we were collected by Penny and Steve, and went to Mediterraneo a tiny restaurant near Preston Circus, which only seems to open on Friday and Saturday. Great food though, essentially excellent home made Itali...

A full day for Lorraine today at school. Also Beth was being interviewed for a teaching assistant role there. She phoned me after to tell me how it went. By all accounts she did excellently, but after long debate in the school, (not involving Lorraine) and another candidate just edged it.  In the evening Lorraine and I  went to Hove to meet Beth and John, after collecting some pizzas and we had a couple of beers, pizza and salad down on the beach. A beautiful long and clear evening, although surprisingly cool down by the water. Beth very resilient about her disappointment today as usual. Otherwise, I had got up early and started work for a bit, before Clem came around at just after eight. I walked to Hove to meet Chris Williams, one of my new friends made doing Stained Glass. Interesting man, who has now just finally retired. Keeps himself very fit, and does vast walks and cycling rides. He is interested in geography, geology and history, and has been a teacher, and now he h...

Up early and carrying the wood and old decking from the back garden through the house and piling it on the pavement with Clem. He'd arranged for it all to be collected, which it was. Lorraine back at work, going in late, and still looking a bit wan. Later the joists were delivered for the walkway by the side of the house, and we unloaded those. Was reminding me of my twenties, when virtually all the jobs I did involved carrying things. My best work is always done in the morning undisrupted, so little chance of this right now. However I did some work on poems, and also a quick blogpost about Antony's launch, and his new book . I went for a walk in the afternoon, as between 2:00 and 3:30 as this is the zone of no ideas. A gorgeous day. Lorraine survived being back at work, while not being anything like fully well. One of the parents said she was 'hangy', a Scots term for not fully recovered. Fishcakes for dinner. All well.

To London today, walked to Brighton Station, because due to the new timetable implementation services from Preston Park have been ruined. There is a facebook protest group and so on, and local outrage and Caroline Lucas our MP getting involved etc. Off to see Sophie up in Highgate. She is heartbroken, but having to keep everything together, and still managing her business. It is very hard. Christof was there too, but he didn't feel like socialising. Sophie prepared a bit of lunch, and then we walked in the woods behind her house for some time, sitting on a park bench drinking takeaway coffee from the cafe, where one of Electra's friend's Bliss was working. Now a young woman of about twenty, I met Bliss once before when she was a child, and I remember one of her parents bellowing up the stairs for Bliss, which always makes me laugh when I think about it.  Long chats with Sophie, there is not much to be done really, other than listen and talk and show your support. So...

Working on poems this morning, as well as talking briefly to Clem about the state of the decking. The wood that is currently strewn around the garden we've arranged to have collected on Thursday. The special joists to finish the job on the side passage, have been delays and promises broken, which means the job could remain unfinished for some time. Next thing to look forward to is an invasion of plumbers and tilers coming to fix our bathroom upstairs in a couple of weeks, at more cost and disruption. Thankfully, Lorraine showing signs of being somewhat better now. She crept down with me to the fish and chip shop (I'd had a sudden craving) and back, her first time venturing outside since last Thursday, and was on the phone talking to her team. First walk for a few days. While Lorraine has been properly ill, I have also been off colour with a persistent sore throat etc. the unusually high levels of  pollen may account for this. I walked up to the Hillfort, and in the woods ...

Lorraine in no shape for work today. I generally felt her forehead, now not so alarmingly hot as before, and she looks much brighter. I made sure she was regularly smoothed, fed and watered etc. while quietly amassing brownie points. Otherwise working through the big list of things to rethink, and also entered the  Sin Cycle manuscript in another competition.  Also went into town to collect a prescription, and have my hair cut. A nice chat in the barbers. Tonight it was England's first match against the mighty Tunisians. Shockingly England played excellently in the opening spell, and squandered a dozen chances before a dodgy penalty for Tunisia meant that the score was level at half time. An excruciating second half where England looked stodgy, bereft of ideas, with penalty shouts ignored, they started reaching for the self-destruct button, when Harry Kane scored a last minute winner.  A nice, if yawny, chat with Mum then, whose relations with her pal Pat hav...

The weekend spent nursing my poorly wife. Lorraine's temperature, which was raging on Friday, and still hot gradually calmed down somewhat by the end of the weekend. Lorraine dozing and sleeping lots and slowly improving. She is nowhere near ready for work though. For entertainment I had the world cup, which I love. Various games, my favourite being the Mexico vs Germany, where the Mexicans beat the Germans 1-0. The pleasures of footballing schadenfreude. Also booked tickets to see The Play That Goes Wrong , with Klaudia, and sent a birthday text to Tobs today. Very much looking forward to him coming to Blighty soon.

Lorraine off work today, and iller than I have seen her since we had flu one Christmas. Took care of her, as best I could, and feeling her forehead lots. She is very hot but the pills are helping. She crept downstairs in the evening, and dozed on the sofa. We watched Spain vs Portugal, the most exciting game I have seen in long time and a 3-3 draw before we crept back to bed.

Up and Lorraine complaining of a sore throat. I got on with stuff, and went to the gym after a few hours of work. Looked in at the barbers, but there were too many people waiting again. Felt good in the gym, and walking back through the park, but then unusually tired in the afternoon. Received an Amazon order, a new translation of the Mabinognion , the selected Adam Zagajewski poems, as well as a book of his other writing, and a selected poems of Thomas Hardy. My interest having been piqued by listening to my new audiobook, which is a life of Thomas Hardy, a time torn man, by Claire Tomalin. I downloaded it by mistake, but have really enjoyed it. I have only ever read Far from the Madding Crowd , for O level English. I should read some more I think. I remember it well, which must stand for something. Lorraine came home from work early, which is not like her at all. She had a fever, and went straight to bed. I fed her pills and drinks, but mostly she slept. The first day of the worl...

Much more positive today. Due to a) having a quiet word with myself and b) the fact that Lorraine was working from home. Actually a day with a smile on its face, and I got lots done, sent off the pamphlet MS to someone else, sent some poems off to a magazine, was sent a fascinating pdf of a book called The Wet Bicycle , by its author, Gregory Vincent St. Thomasino, the editor of e.ratio in New York. Also received two collections by Janet Sutherland. Strangely tired this afternoon and conked out for the best part of an hour. In the evening I sauntered down to The Joker, where I met Anton, and we ate some wings and curly fries, and shot a fair amount of breeze. We went then to the Great Eastern, and then somewhere else for a game of Flintstones-themed pinball while talking about books, which Anton won of course. Playing pinball is one of the first things I did with Anton. Then to the Batty for an absolutely bloody final beer. Not been in the Batty much recently, and it is no different ...

Donned the hair shirt, and embarked on a big mind map to assess where I am with my writing, and work out a few next steps. This involved casting a cold eye on all my activities. And it wasn't a pretty sight. The children's novel has been completely ignored or rejected by over a dozen agents, so it may be unpublishable dross or my approach is all wrong. I need to find out. I have a single poem in the publishing pipeline (and today received confirmation that my collection had got nowhere in the poetry business competition) no plays, no music (the Centaur project seems to be at a halt), no stories accepted, no big ideas, and now no freelance. To the gym, which helped a good deal. And walking through the park and literally smelling the roses. And an invitation from Antony to go to his book launch later in the month Bestiary, and Other Animals , which should be fun, and a note from Catherine to meet up soon. Heard that Jade had not got the Oxford job she'd interviewed for. ...

A bit sore throaty. But after working for a couple of hours in the morning, took myself for a long and wooded walk through the woods that are around the golf course at Hollingbury. Saw kestrels, and rabbits and generally revelled in being outside, apart from when I walked through a horde of stinging nettles. Home by 11, and I had already almost done my ten thousand paces, and a couple of hours of work. I am mainly thinking laterally at the moment, and coaxing new ideas from my brain. I writing well, more of my new sequence of poems, which I am calling Consolations. I had a completely undisturbed day. Luxury. The final bits of the decking won't be done till next week, Clem told me today, as the joists for the bit running by the side of the house have not been delivered. Reading Genesis in bed. It's a great way to send Lorraine to sleep, especially the bits were the names of sons are listed. I have read it before, obviously. I approach it as ancient literature, like The Epic ...

While Lorraine supported Beth in making a job application, I made off to the gym. Preston Park busy with sporty people. Another trundle on the cross trainer for me. Feeling a bit down on my own efforts today. I realised that over the last few years I have had fairly big artistic projects to get involved in,  such as launches of poetry books, concerts with Matt, plays with Betty and so on. This year by comparison feels fallow. Home, and Lorraine and Betty finishing off, and Beth's pal Laura came by and they zoomed off together. Lorraine and I broke up the small shed that had been used to keep rabbits in by the previous owners. We emptied it out, then unscrewed it and crowbarred it into obedience. The garden now has new decking, almost complete, as I spoke to Clem over the fence and the last joists have not yet arrived to complete it, but is strewn with the old decking, and bits of shed -- so a bomb site basically. Calliope hiding among it. Luckily, Clem knows people who will tak...

Up fairly early for a weekend. Lorraine off to her gym, and then a haircut. I worked on a new poem, and then walked to Hove to see Lorraine emerging from he hairdresser looking sleek-haired and chic. We drove from there off to Henfield, a nearby town, to meet Dawn, who had cycled from Steyning, to mooch about in the open gardens.  Had some food in the first one, salad and then a piece of cake, I had a piece of excellent apple and cinnamon cake. There are a lot worse things to be doing than eating cake and drinking tea on a warm day in a garden. Conversations to be had with Dawn, about human relationships, then we mooched happily about looking at the open gardens. Always interesting, and lots of lovely English gardens with roses and lavender and a thousand other flowers.  Fond farewells with Dawn, then we drove back home and Betty came around, and we had chicken wraps and chatted. Beth then enjoyed a long bath, and Lorraine and I watched a gardening programme. Everyone tired...

Up and chatting to Clem about the decking stairs before walking down to Brighton Station. Wrote a bit on the train, and caught the tube to Gunnersbury, and as I was early for the dentist, walked around enjoying Strand on the Green and its gardens full of flowers. I passed Grove Park Terrace, and Grove Park Road, where I lived and then along the river path to Kew Bridge. It realised again that I had been incredibly lucky in my life, as I have lived in some excellent places, even if I crammed in a bedsit for years. At the dentist it was told I had broken a tooth, which is mostly filling anyway, if it goes again it will have to be capped. Half an hour of injections, scrapings and a bit of drilling. I am not bad at going to the dentist. They even have a screen overhead you can look at wildlife films. At the most mouth crammed bit, I watched several lions savaging each other. Then, back into town with a numb face,  and I was early to meet mum so we mooched about Trafalgar Square, lo...

Indoors all day today, apart from being in the garden talking to Clem about things. I was determined to get some work done, and managed to suddenly blurt out two rather good poems, which pleased me lots. I have had the idea of writing a sequence of poems to complement Sin Cycle , which I am going to call Nine Consolations , and I now have three of them.  On that note, the pamphlet competition results are going to be announced next Monday in which Sin Cycle has been entered. They will naturally tip off the winners beforehand, and as I've heard nothing I guess it has gone the way of all my other competition entries. However once Clem was done (after making great progress) I made pork meatballs in a rich sauce. Rather good reviews for this from Lorraine, who is feeling tired after the week.

A day to get on with things. Clem building new bespoke decking outside. I am in deep admiration of his practical ability, and the way he carries the entire project in 3D in his head. Occasionally I help him carry something, or have a chat about preferences. Having him here is not entirely brilliant for my own work as I increasingly need to feel insulated from everyone to think best. A chat with what may be a new client for me this morning, Pat Norrie put us in touch. Then simply staring at my list and trying to think clearly about next steps until I made off to the gym in the afternoon, for another mild-mannered cross training session. After Lorraine got home, we went for a walk in the park together, pausing over the pond in Preston Park which is squiggling with newts, tadpoles, and baby frogs swarming about on patches of algae on the surface. This made us both happy, and Lorraine could barely tear herself away. Have started reading Genesis again in the King James version. It is ...

Up to Camden today to attend Andros's funeral at the All Saints Greek Orthodox cathedral on Pratt Street. The place was absolutely packed. A long ceremony, sung in Greek and bits of English, and then speeches. Sophie gave a short speech with enormous dignity. Christof also gave an excellent speech. There were other speeches too from former friends in the movie business, including the director Alan Parker who had known Andros since they were 11 and starting school together. He said that he had recently gone back to their school to give a speech, and he had invited Andros too. He had been given a page from a detention record that showed repeated entries for Parker and Epaminondas due to 'excessive laughter'. At the end of the service we all passed the coffin and I had the opportunity to hug and kiss Sophie and Christof and Electra. I found I had few words for them, but told Sophie I would be in touch next week to see her, once everything was over. Home, feeling rather s...

Lorraine had her senior staff, two Sarahs and Zoe, at home for an all day planning meeting. I meanwhile made a very businesslike list (which I entitled La Reconquista, for Spanish reasons) of the various things I need to do to take charge of my own life again. First among these was posting a form to my accountants, doing outstanding billing and squeaking into the gym, before more work in the afternoon.  Then we learned that Sam and Jade were in London, and were coming down to Brighton. We met them, with Beth and John in The Basketmakers. Lorraine very happy to be unexpectedly seeing Sam, in and was surging ahead once we got off he bus. A sunny evening, and happy reunion. Jade has an important interview for a university post on Thursday, and Sam came down to support her. We ate at the basketmakers, and had all kinds of discussions. Beth and John had to leave early because of work the next day, but despite it being late and a school night, we stayed in the pub late, before eventua...

Ah the joys of sleeping in your own bed, and to be able to slink downstairs to make yourself a cup of tea. The simple pleasures. Tidying the house, and chatting to Mum. Then Lorraine and I went to Sainsbury's in the Qashqai and stocked up. I always like shopping with Lorraine. In the afternoon, Lorraine having to get to grips with some school stuff. I began to organise myself, and sort out my study, and plan my week ahead. In the late afternoon we drove off to Hove, to Beth and John's flat and after Lorraine and I both had a go on John's electronic drum kit, that you can play with sticks but just hear the beats in your headphones, we set off for the beach with a picnic that Beth and John had made. John walking fairly well despite having badly sprained his foot at work last week. Chilled on the pebbles, eating and drinking a few cold beers. A gorgeous clear evening, with the sea still and glassy and the same colour as the sky. When we were driving over the hill to Hove, ...

Alarms bleeping this morning in our room. Although I'd not slept well and nor had Lorraine. Up and dressed, and carried our cases quietly out of Las Casas de la Juderia, and into the street. Just gone seven in the morning, but Cordoba still sleepy and cool. We walked to the station, through the park and the occasional violet carpet of Jacaranda tree petals.  Our baggage scanned again in the station, and soon we were zooming off to Seville again. The trains leave exactly on time, and arrive exactly on time too. We arrived at the station at 8:40 and our flight was 9:50 so we didn't hang about. We zoomed outside, and fortunately found a taxi driver who agreed to drive us, despite Lorraine greeting him with 'adios!' Into the airport, and I felt very relieved that we were all sorted and through security with time to spare. Lorraine and I bought some Iberian ham and cheese rolls, and then boarded our plane. We were at the back row crammed into the twitching tail, despite th...

Last day in Cordoba old town. We heard the owl again last night. Up and as now traditional, made our way to Salon du Té for our Andalusian Breakfast and good cups of vanilla tea. However not entirely idyllic this morning as there was persistent drilling from workmen who are expanding the place. Back and straight back to the Mezquita and to the wall with the mihrab on the qibla wall. These are new words I've learned, mihrab is the semicircular niche in the wall (the qibla wall) that faces Mecca.   I feel overawed by the this mihrab, which has exercised a strong fascination on me since I first saw it with Lorraine on Tuesday. Having drunk in this and the gorgeous arches either side of it, we wandered about again. I wanted to look more at the Cathedral part. The effect of all the light it contains is incredibly dramatic, and it goes up several stories. The contrast between the facelessness of Islam and the depictions of Jesus, God, Mary, various saints and angels is stark. To me it ...

Below Lorraine in the pool; Lorraine in the flower street; a horse in a square advertising a horses and dancing girls show; Lorraine and I in a selfie on the Roman Bridge; a glimpse into the cathedral gardens planted with orange, cypress and palm trees; other shots outside the Mesquita at night, golden doors and interesting shadows.