under another sun

Low key day, as Lorraine under the weather, and I felt curiously bushed too, and slept for an hour in the afternoon. Got up very late, and dug out some email addresses to send to Madeline for Ken's will. Out with Penny and Steve this evening to Indian Summer. I went with Steve to park the car, and Penny and Lorraine went into the restaurant. A bracing walk along the seafront with him. A jolly good meal and a good chat. I do like their Hyderabadi Chicken very much. Penny had read Magnificent Grace and had liked it too, saying it reminded her of Neil Gaiman's Coraline a bit. Praise indeed. I should read it. Steve giving us an insight into the tricky dealings with people in the gem trade. I'll happily stick to scribbling. A lift home and a bit of Match of the Day, although Chelsea lost today to West Ham.

Woke up feeling stressed this morning, and my face was twitching. Perhaps this was due to Calliope again waking me at 3:30 and when I chucked her off the bed, vomited in protest a bit later. I felt like shaking her like a ginger stepchild. Meanwhile Lorraine had little voice, and was clearly going down with the evil cold Beth has had. She made off to work though. However, I found out first thing that mes amis in Paris where happy with the work I sent last night, so suddenly a day of capering about instead of slogging at my desk. A few bits to finish off this morning, and FaceTimed Mum before I scampered off into town to have a haircut. Nice chat in there, some of it around the notion of being Santa. Then to the Bath Arms to meet Catherine Pope, who as usual I found inspiring and today a great listener as I was, I am afraid to say, on broadcast mode, given to sharing my various opinions particularly about subjects in which my knowledge is sketchy. She forgave me though, and I came a

Bloody Calliope woke me repeatedly in the night from 3:30 by walking on me and so on. Infuriating. She seems particularly clinging at the moment, taking up residence on my desk all day while I was working. A day of slog. All day on my French agency work today... Quite a tricky cat-health brief in the end and ended up doing it from 8 in the morning till 7 at night, with a break for The Daily Politics and a quorn sausage sandwich at lunch, and another for a brisk 45 minute walk up to Hollingbury Hill, and a perspective enhancing view from the top. The odd chat with Beth. Received a rejection from Black Static magazine, a quality horror mag, who were very encouraging in their response asking me to send more stuff in, so pleased with that. Onwards! Lorraine stopped off to have dinner with Dawn tonight. Beth teaching this afternoon, and then lying low again tonight. I watched episodes of the wonderful BoJack Horseman, a dark masterpiece. Lorraine home, and she popped into Beth's r

Up early to spend the morning working on the French job around cat vaccinations, so spending lots of time looking at pictures of adorable cats at the moment and read, as I irritably fling my own cats off my desk, that cats respond to playing and attention. Interspersed with this, I readied myself for the school visit. Made off at lunchtime to Hateful Heath station and taxied out to St Giles school, in Horsted Keynes. Driven by a charming taxi driver, who chatted nicely as drove into something approaching the middle of nowhere by S.E. English standards. A lovely little school, that you walked through the churchyard to get to.  I arrived early and was greeted by the headteacher, one of Lorraine's contemporaries, Hilary. Then I was collected by a very polite boy, the class bishop apparently, who led me a few paces to the classroom. Pleased at last to be doing it, after thinking about it for a while. An hour in the class with the class teacher Alison. My plan going instantly out of t

Working all day on the French work, and Pat still hadn't got the email I sent him, so resent for the third time. Tricknology. Slogged quietly at my desk all day. Betty home and ill and keeping herself to herself. In the evening I made off around the corner to meet Ben at Rick's house. Rick who I had met during my stained glass course, lives literally just around the corner from me, and Ben was helping him with one of his stained glass window. I went there and Rick drove us down to park down along from the Shahi, weirdly though we went to the Eastern Eye, another Indian restaurant. When we got near the parking spot Rick removed his hands and the car started to park itself, which was an eye opener. It wasn't successful but the thought was there. Rick is a nice guy, who lost his wife a year or so ago, he amazed me by saying he had turned 75 recently. Had a bit of quite nice snap there, and then made our way to The Rose Hill for the 1930s Jazz night we go to 'On the s

Up early with Lorraine and working hard to finish the first round of the tricky job for Pat. Had to email him to say that it wouldn't be ready till a little after noon. I sent it, but his email had problems, so it turns out he didn't get it at all today. I then got busy on the first on a small job and a longer job for amis in Paris. All in all a bit of a desk manacled day today. In between this I did some prep for my school visit for on Wednesday. My Magnificent Grace flyers arrived today, which I was pleased about -- one less thing to worry about on Wednesday. Structuring my session, having picked Lorraine, Rosie and Dawn's brains on the matter. Have judiciously decided   that careful preparation means less stress. Lorraine being very helpful when she got home from work too. Beth poorly, so I took her a cup of tea and bought her some special soup from Sainsbury's where I went to collect my Argos order of two printer inks at lunchtime.  Feeling quite busy, which is

A leisurely breakfast of salmon and scrambled eggs. John up and not particularly well. Sue dispensed paracetemol, in a way that seemed familiar and reassuring to me. Sue and Lorraine reminiscing about their first nursing days, with horrid tales of wallpaper alive with cockroaches, and ancient hospitals smelling of urine and so on, and the cast of characters they met there. They should collect all those memories. What's more they were doing some of these extraordinary things when they were still teenagers. Lorraine and I decided to leave not long after noon, as I was feeling increasingly antsy about the job I am doing for Pat, and wanted to do some more work on it. Also Val in Paris had sent me another job for next week, which is already busy. Lorraine also wanting to get home to be with Beth who is coldy and unwell.  Fond farewells with Sue and John. We really enjoyed our visit. I also greatly enjoyed seeing their ancient dog Paddy lap up his cup of coffee in the morning. A p

A good sleep, under heavy covers, which make you feel secure. Lorraine brought me a cup of tea in bed, and we got up to have a  lovely breakfast. Felt much rested after last night. Lots of chatting this morning, then off in John's car to Stratford. Many of the fields containing giant pond sized puddles, after recent flooding here, and the flowing water in the Avon and other streams we saw was high in the banks. They had been cut off in their village recently. To Stratford, where we saw a play, called A Museum in Baghdad.   I am pleased we saw it. At best it was an ambitious meditation on time and identity with characters in two time frames on the same stage attempting to preserve Iraqi archeological treasures. But despite the performances being fine, it didn't really work for us. I felt the script needed a hard edit, and the play told you things rather then demonstrate them.  Like for example when one character says to another ‘You’re angry!’ by way of helpful exposition. S

Up very early and slogging on the job for Pat's agency. I managed about five hours before having to break feeling that I had not cracked the problem yet, and this isn't even a concept challenge, it is merely rewriting a brochure. Brief chats with Sonia about the gorgeousness of Bulgarian weather, among other subjects,  I bussed off to Hove to meet Rosie in the Hixton Green cafe. We sat under the Christmas tree, and had a very fruitful conversation about Skelton Yawngrave and Magnificent Grace. Rosie is very creative when it comes to education so it I learned lots, and gained some good tips on next Wednesday's visit. We shared a pot of tea and tucked into cake, a large slice of carrot cake for me in lieu of lunch. A short howdy with Innis after, who was off to Portugal soon on a shoot, and Innis and Rosie gave me a lift to Hove station, whereupon I trained it to Hateful Heath. I noticed an old university chum Callum in the cafe there but as he was deep in a business meet

Took a brief this morning from Pat, and worked solidly all day on this, rewriting a longish brochure, but lots to get your head around. Also sent off a design for a flyer for Magnificent Grace to the printer. In the evening, melted away and had a quick catch up with Anton, who I had not seen for a bit. He is experiencing a seasonal gloom, aided and abetted by endless wet grey skies. We settled in the Shakey Head which was a cheery place, and for a while sat discussing life, and His Dark Materials TV series among other things. Home, and found myself buying a takeaway from Red Chillies on the way home. Yum. Lorraine texted a last minute request for Onion Bhajis. Ate this, then did a bit of packing prior to us zooming off tomorrow.

Up early and took a phone brief at nine thirty, and simply slipped on the desk manacles and worked at it all day, or more accurately worked on it and struggled to focus on it. Popped out a couple of times to walk through around Blakey's Park and so on for short interludes of looking down at the sea, and walking among falling leaves. I cooked a roast chicken tonight and served it up for Lorraine and Beth when they got home. Otherwise little to report. I spoke to mum briefly. Lorraine and I watched His Dark Materials . Went to bed and read a story by Ray Bradbury. Tired.

Lorraine and I up and off to Ashford to see Pat and Maureen, now mostly recovered from the nasty chest infection bug they had. We went to the Supermarket, where we all did some shopping. Maureen likes to scan as she goes, and so gave Pat a stern warning about putting things in without scanning them, which happened last time apparently. Then, provisions safely in the boot, we drove the short distance to The Blacksmiths for a remarkably nice slices of roast turkey (Lorraine had lamb) all washed down with a couple of pints of Harveys. Really excellent veggies and good value too. We sat in the bit where Pat plays darts on a Friday night. Home and we chilled out, and I even had a snooze. Maureen toasted crumpets with butter and honey, and showed us a whole collection of knitted figures she had made. Then a long drive home listening to the radio, before getting home in time to watch the new BBC version of War of the Worlds, which I found very irritating as it introduced all kinds poorly

Lorraine and I, when we got up eventually, made off to Bolney to her work pal Jo's house, where there was a fundraising open house for Hope House in Haiti. I chiefly contributed by buying a large piece of strawberry sponge cake and drinking two cups of coffee. When I moved into the other room I discovered Lorraine lying on a sofa with a woman poking her hands up the bottom of her trousers and massaging her knees. Home again, and we went into town, did a bit of shopping and went to the Walrus where we were to meet Beth, Innis and Rosie, and Dawn and possibly some of Beth's mates to celebrate Beth's forthcoming birthday. Lorraine and I arrived first and I went to the bar where a man roundly abused me for attracting the barman's attention. It all got somewhat heated, and could have ended in a fight. I resumed my seat with drinks feeling a bit shaken. You don't expect that sort of thing in Brighton. Beth and Rosie and Innis arrived. Beth a bit disappointed that her

A bit of a mind-blowing day. Went to London to meet Bob under Nelson's Column, leaving Beth to deal with the washing machine guy. From there we had a quick coffee and then went to two exhibitions at the 180 The Strand. They were totally immersive, Transformer: a rebirth of wonder, and Other Spaces . Both were installations, in that every room was an environment, with sounds and moving light and so on.  Transformer particularly was quite trippy, moving from room to room having gained access through a sloping concrete ramp into the back of a building being rebuilt. Fascinating stuff, with environments that dwarfed you and made you feel puny or whispered-to or as if you had wandered into the set of a SF film. Other Spaces was perhaps more consistent in quality, and there was less work there. Both Bob and I found the experience really good. I was feeling slightly anxious. I had mislaid my usual debit card (which I found at home later). But was feeling a bit strange generally, that

A quiet day of regrouping. Enjoyable day's work, chatting to Matthew Rees via email. Happy at the prospect of tea drinking followed by an early night. Evening spent reassembling the collapsed kitchen cupboard with Lorraine and replacing all its content. Then taking down the big shelves in the kitchen so that the washing machine guy can have access to the relevant pipes tomorrow. And so, rather tiredly, off to bed.

Up at six thirty with Lorraine but not feeling somewhat hungover. I have four social events planned this week, and after the first of them I feel like I need a week of drinking mineral water. However the day was strangely productive, as I did some really good work this morning, putting together the overarching thought for next year's changes to my business model -- which in my own head I am calling project guru . I think I have stumbled across a way of talking about how the imagination relates to business that may prove quite useful. Beth cheery today, and also helpfully arranging for a man to come and fix the washing machine, which has treacherously broken down again. I had arranged to meet Richard and Steve tonight in the Evening Star, and drank some gorgeous dark porter rather gingerly. The place unusually crammed at first, including half a dozen Chinese guys who filed in to the place slightly nervously and wonderingly, but they were soon supping happily like everyone else.

Up working early and, with Lorraine's help, finalised my proposal for going into schools with Magnificent Grace. When Lorraine kindly sent out the note, one head teacher answered instantly and affirmatively and instantly bought the book online. This is good news and get things rolling on that front. Lorraine is the tops. Heard from Matthew G Rees today, who has put up one of his own stories The Snow Leopard of Moscow on the Horla Website. I had a quick read of it, and it is strong and brooding and features beggars and plays horrifically to Jungian archetypes. Off to the gym at lunchtime too, which although not fully powered up yet, still I managed a decent workout. Also contacted by Pat today with some freelance coming my way next week. In the evening I went off to meet Innis and his pal Phil, and Phil's pal Tom in a pub called the EST just around the corner from the chalk venue. I ordered a pint of beer called Revelation, while I was waiting, and by thunder it was goo

Tired and inclined to hibernation. Poor Lorraine up and pushing off to work early. I did a pretty decent day's work and have a good list of purposeful things to do. I also wrote to Clare to tell her how much I had enjoyed The Missing List . In the afternoon, I took a stroll around Hollingbury Hillfort. Bracing and quite windy, but not (for the time being) raining. Also wrote to the editor of Butcher's Dog who forwarded me an email they supposedly sent in July rejecting my poem, which never made it into my inbox. There is a little path on top of the low wall of the hill fort, and I took some snaps there.

Lorraine woke up sniffing and coughing, and I snuck down and made breakfast of bacon and egg sandwiches with a side dish of tea and paracetamols. Up ridiculously late, and Lorraine simply transferred onto the gold sofa. I took the opportunity to have a gold sofa day too, and finished Clare Best's The Missing List , which is a fine, if harrowing, memoir of having survived sexual abuse as a child from her father, and then having to be with him in his last, unrepentant, days. Lorraine rallied briefly and magnificently to cook shepherd's pie, and apple pie before returning to the  gold sofa, and then bed. I watched Match of the Day alone, with Chelsea's team of inspiring youngsters back on a winning streak. Then I slipped off to bed. Below, a picture of Brian for no good reason.

Rather pleased with myself today, as I woke up feeling brighter than I had done all week, and simply used that positivity, after a conversation with Beth about prevarication, to sort out the stuff I need to send to my accountant. In fact I finished this early in the afternoon, and after chatting to Sonia on a range of philosophical subjects, went for a walk in the fleeting bits of sunshine we have been having. Still rather bushed and weary, however, so did not stray too far. Went into a cafe, and had a piece of carrot cake and coffee to reward myself for my efforts and began to read The Missing List by Clare Best, a memoir about child abuse. I found I was sitting next to Philippa from next door, so we chatted briefly, but she had snuck away to do some work, so I did not interrupt her too much. Lorraine home, frazzled after the week. We met Beth in the Open House for a bite to eat, and all in a fairly cheerful mood played cards there and had a few drinks. Home, and to bed exhausted,

Still a bit groggy and sluggish first thing this morning. Can the flu jab really have made me feel so wussy this week? My lovely wife brought me a cup of tea in bed today. Fine it was. Then up and falling on some work given me by my mes amis in Paris which was a good half a day's work. This complete I ate a fish finger sandwich and chatted to mum, then sauntered blinking in the sunlight over to Helen's place this afternoon for a long overdue discussion on the Centaur project, now cantering towards the finale. She had put an immense amount of work into a fiendishly difficult passage, and we discussed this at length,  clarifying things pretty well and having interesting conversations en route. I can't imagine how you can hold hours of music in your head. Helen also gave me three paperbacks which she had read while on a Scandinavian cruise with her sister, by Laini Taylor. Home, dodging the rain and onto a bus to cook, and feeling a little brighter than I have been for a

Far from springy again this morning, but I made a small but achievable list of things, and simply plodded through them. I wrote a proposal for taking Magnificent Grace into schools, and sent this to Lorraine, and wrote to Sarah, Robin and Charlotte to plot poetically about readings early next year -- to coincide with Sin Cycle bursting out into the world.  Also having spent some time looking at the poems of Janet Sutherland , who I like very much, I did a fanboy post about her brilliant poems on my other blog. I adore her poems, and always get the feeling of wishing that I could have written her poems or something just like them. Made an excellent chicken stew tonight, even if I say so myself. Masterchef tonight, and another early night.

Bah... Sprang up optimistically hoping to get on with all my stuff, but found I was feeling shivery and tired and unable to hold anything in my head. I was contacted about a job, however, which I agreed to start tomorrow in London. However, this was quickly biffed by the agency in the afternoon and I can't say I am sorry. As our washing machine is doomed, I went around the corner and sorted out a service wash, from a nice lady who a couple of hours later, phoned me up and when I collected, proudly said, 'and no ironing needed!' She was right. Trying to work on all kinds of things today, but a bad day at the coal face. Tired tonight, and I was happy to slink early into bed with Lorraine with and an Ovaltine. Guy Fawkes night and a certain amount of boom-crashery going on, but I had no appetite for it. Gold sofa for me.

So Lorraine back to work, and me back at my desk first thing looking out on torrential rain, but then had to push off to the quack to discuss my ears, which are sometimes painful and are now howling with more or less continual tinnitus. I was given a nose spray to help clear out sinuses generally, and told to try olive oil in my ears to soothe the inflammation, which did not respond to the previous spray. The young doctor also jabbed me for flu. Then to the gym, where I did a haggis- and beer-atoning workout, the chemist, Sainsbury's then walked home in the rain, chatting briefly to Mum. After a bite to eat, worked on some stuff my French client had sent through till 4.  And got back to tinkering with my own things. I prepped and Beth made some delicious chicken wraps, before she headed off to a meeting about a show. Lorraine survived her inset day, and we slumped on the sofa. Lorraine chatting with Maureen, as Pat and Maureen still recovering from a very nasty bug. We went to be

Up and a happily less talk from the annoying little man this morning over breakfast. I had haggis as part of my traditional breakfast, and Lorraine added haggis and black pudding. Passive aggressive hoovering outside our door just before it was time to leave. Funny wee men, but otherwise our room was clean and tidy and the breakfasts very good. The bus along into Princes Street, where we lurked about shopping, as Sam, who has been having trouble with his sleep patterns, decided to stay in bed. Instead Lorraine arranged to have two pairs of shoes, identical to the ones she was wearing, sent to Brighton. Journey home fairly unremarkable, played cards and read a little, and stared out of the window at the grey North Sea off the Northumberland coast. Rightly ignored advice from St Pancras staff to travel to Victoria to get the train, and caught the next scheduled train to Brighton with a delay of a mere five minutes or so. Beth kindly collected us from Preston Park station, and home at

A fair-ish morning, trending to rain later. The loquacious Alan had others to share his passive aggressive opinions with this morning. Lorraine went into breakfast with no shoes, and this was clearly disapproved of. Lorraine and I bussed to The Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, which was a very pleasant garden, which was good to stroll around, and we paused for coffee and a scone. Then there were tropical hothouses to lurk in, with the slight dissonance of grey Scottish light filtering through the glass.  Lovely place though, with koi filled ponds and loads of lovely vegetation. Back to Kew House to dry out, and have a sleep. Both of us oddly tired. Then in the evening, we caught a cab to see Sam again, and had a nice night eating excellent fish and chips which were delivered, and playing cards and chatting. It did Lorraine good to have lots of time to talk to Sam, and to give him a hug or two. Below the underside of a fern that Lorraine spotted and loved, and Lorraine in a hotho

A dreich day, the Scottish word the only one for Scottish weather. A slow start after another loquacious breakfast. I added haggis to my traditional breakfast this morning, and I was not wrong. Into town and it was very wet. We walked about as the rain grew heavier, along the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle, but as we had only an hour or so left before we were going to meet Sian we decided against paying £40 for the pair of us to get in. Instead, we found a lovely Scottish pub, where we took our time nursing a pint and having a lovely pie with lots of good vegetables and a bit of creamy mash. Then down to the Station where we met Sian from her train and had a coffee with her, swapping birthday cards and catching up before going with her to collect her hire car and picking up Jade from near the university. Jade and Sian then began their drive off to Mull, where they were going to celebrate Sian's 60th birthday. Fond farewells with them, before Lorraine and I had a cheeky drink in t