Old friends and a new book

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. Sophie gave me one of the Order of Service leaflets which I was unable to get at the funeral. It is full of photos of Andros, and his personality just pours out of the photos. I really liked Andros and I know I will miss him.

Then at about five I caught a bus heading towards town, and walked from The Angel into Covent Garden. Needing a pee, I paused at a pub by Saddler's Wells called The Shakespeare's Head, where I had a quick drink too. A pleasant walk then towards Betterton Street. Early, I forced down another drink in the sweltering Cross Keys on Endell Street just nearby, and then had a really good night of poetry. Antony Mair launching his book, Bestiary, and Other Animals, which is a very enjoyable collection. Antony read very well from he first half of the book Bestiary, in the first half of the evening, then two actors from Live Canon got up and performed poems from the book's second half. A really good evening. Enjoyed chatting to various folks, including one old pal of Antony's who was a retired judge. Antony's husband Paul very nice too. 

Robin was there, and she and I had a swift drink in the Cross Keys, it is good to talk about poetry with other poets sometimes. Then we shared a cab to Victoria. Fond farewells with Robin, and I  hopped on the Brighton train, which miraculously stopped at Preston Park.

Antony at his book signing.