under another sun

Lots of conversations today, chatting to Mum who had got the card I had sent her using her own painting as the design for the front, to Carl who was chipper, and it was great to hear from him, and Anton. Meanwhile Lorraine spoke to her brothers Ken and Derek, and Laura and Claudia, and a quick chat with Sam, and Pat and Maureen.  A clear but cold day. Our bird-free bird bath had ice in it all day. In the afternoon we made off to Hove, and Lorraine had to scrape ice off the car's front window. We met Beth and James outside both in shades and bobble hats and looking like skiers. They stowed a microwave they had picked up for us in the boot. The last one was on its last legs, and Brian  having sprayed on it, so that despite thorough cleaning, when you started to use it it emitted a distinct and unpleasant smell. It simply had to go.  We went for another bargepole style walk, to the seafront as the sun began to slide towards the sea, and the last light of 2020 was beginning t...

Mum's eightieth birthday today, so I felt sad not to be able to see her in person to celebrate. However with the pandemic raging away, there is no option. We chatted for an hour this morning, and during the day she received flowers from Toby and Romy, and more flowers from Lorraine and I, and had lots of messages and phone calls and presents, so I suppose it could have been a far worse.  Lorraine went in to work to let a workman in, as her premises manager had broken her wrist some time before Christmas. Lorraine enjoyed the peace of a quiet school to do filing and other tasks uninterrupted. She also wait to hear the Government's health secretary's latest tightening of pandemic restrictions. Secondary schools are having their opening delayed, but not primary schools at present. I fervently wish they would. I went for a long walk partially retracing my steps from yesterday's jaunt, and had a healthy walk around Wild Park. I had made noodles with miso soup before I went, ...

Lolling about in the lull between Christmas and New Year Lorraine and I drove off this afternoon to Stanmer Park, and as there were no places to walk, to Wild Park not far from it. We met Rosie and Innis, and walked through the woody bits, and scrambled up a steep hill to the circular pond I usually arrive at from a different angle. We walked in pairs for most of the walk, so were trying to be as legal as possible. Pippi the dog wearing a fetching little green coat, and is becoming quite a well behaved little dog these days. Home to hot coffee in the car.  A long chat with Toby tonight, home briefly after a trip to Deviation Road. He and Romy are heading back soon to be there for new year too. What better place to be?

A gorgeous day following a wild night of high winds and rain. Lorraine started the day feeling a little coldy, and we got up fairly late. But we had a sensible and enjoyable porridge breakfasts, and then for a walk together. Lorraine got a good way up the hill, then turned back and arrived home in time so Beth and James could pick up her things. Excited reports of soup making later in the day, with the slow cooker Lorraine had found for her. I continued my walk for another hour. It was a gorgeous day, and there were people walking everywhere some of them in big family groups. The sun makes a huge difference to everything. Playgrounds crowded with children and parents, and the skateboard park at Hollingbury rammed with teenagers. I overheard people saying that the beach was rammed today to. Tier 4 seems to be being taken with a pinch of salt by folks. But who can blame them, the mental health aspects of this year will cast a long shadow.  Did a fair amount of slugging this evening o...

Christmas Day, and Lorraine texted by Beth, who still radiated excitement about Christmas. Up and we'd only just finished breakfast before Beth and James came around. James just popping in for coffee and a mince pie while Beth was Christmas elf and we unwrapped presents, quite a few were joint ones for him and Beth seeing as they are now officially living together. Good to see him.  Then we were three, although we FaceTimed Mum, Pat and Maureen, and Sam Jade and Sian. Lots of lovely pressies. Lorraine bought me a bottle garden, which is something I have always wanted. Among other gifts, Anton gave us Woof Woof sauce, which is excellent. It briefly crossed my mind to suggest Woof Woof Turkey, but perhaps not.  Most of the day spent mucking about, with Beth our harbinger of Christmas in a dinosaur jumper. A good deal of  sitting in the kitchen laughing and drinking bucks fizz. A relaxed Christmas day, although we still laid the table and put candles on. Great food, lots of ...

Obviously a different sort of Christmas Eve. After breakfast I went for a long walk, as I was badly in need of one. Quite cold in the wind, and only just above freezing. Chatting to Anton as I set off about all manner of things.  Last minute bits and pieces today. Lorraine wrapping books for the next door neighbour's kids. One of which was quite brilliant by Emma Yarlett called Nibbles the Book Monster,  about a monster which eats its way through books on your bookshelf, and interferes with the stories such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears as it passes through. Lots of cooking this afternoon, with Lorraine making sausage rolls and mince pies and apple pie and other PK pleasers. I kitchen portered, one of the jobs was to peel the sausages. Because thanks to a Beth innovation, we use actual peeled nice sausages for the interiors of the sausage rolls and not the bland sausage meat sold for the purpose.    Lots of calls to folks and Lorraine and I enjoyed a drink over t...

I have given myself permission to be on holiday now, so of course I woke with some urgent ideas waiting to be written down. I got up and did so for an hour and then took Lorraine some tea, and simply went back to sleep for a bit. Later, Lorraine and I made off to see Dawn for a stroll along the seafront at Hove. Saw betty briefly beforehand to drop off a couple of things. Then we met Dawn, just as a truly dark cloud was gathering.  The light was beautiful, however, so I snapped a couple of shots with my phone beforehand. Moments after we met Dawn, rain started so we walked a bit then took shelter for a bit on the seafront. When it abated we walked again, and the sun began to shine as we had a coffee from a stall near Rockwater.  Dawn a bit upset as an aunt is very ill and her cousin phoned her in a bit of distress just before we arrived. Still once we had talked this out, it was very good to see her, and rain dodge.  As soon as it was clear from news outlets this morning ...

Off  to the park this morning, and saw my glassmates Ben, Adele, Sally, Kate, Kate, Deana, Francis and Jane. Felt rather ashamed as I turned up empty handed, and was given a mince pie and a bottle of Adele's blackberry vodka, and three cards, and a small bar of black handmade soap by Deana and a box of chocolates from Frances, and a tree hanging from Jane.  Lovely to chat to them, standing in two rings in the park which was cold and bit windy. Walked back across the park with Ben afterwards, hoping for better times next year.  I bought a card for Sonya to slip into her bag of wee pressies, and wished her happy Christmas, from a distance of course, like all the business of the day. Chatted to Mum and Anton today. Lorraine's last day at school today, which was excellent. Home, tired but with bags of pressies. However not long after being at home, a phone call which meant she had lots of work people to call till seven. I collected a curry, and we had a happy night indoors be...

Woke up at five and could not go back to sleep. A few loose ends today, publishing and promoting the last Planet Poetry podcast of the year, billing mes amis in France (God bless them) and of course doing some writing.  Anton calling, wondering if he and I should take up pétanque/boules, as an outdoor sport. I saw no good reason not to. A walk up to the Hollingbury Hillfort while listening to podcasts. A cool haze over Brighton below, and rather beautiful in its own way. Lots of golfers walking about the course like they owned it. And one man with a radio controlled car, zooming on a green that wasn't in use just that minute, which must have been annoying to the 18 holers. I sloped along the prescribed paths, and felt a bit worn out. I am looking forward to Lorraine stopping work at the end of the week, as it will help me feel more relaxed too I think. Lorraine home after penultimate day of school. Feeling really proud of what she has achieved this year.

So a bit of writing first thing, polishing up an old story A little quiet time  for republication and doing some podcast bits. Then off, just before lunch, with Lorraine to her school, and preparing for a day of Santa banter. Feeling a little nervous to be honest, before I started getting into the red clothes in Lorraine's office, while Lorraine was busy running around being a busy headteacher in the time of a pandemic. This time I had  an immense nylon beard with elastic hoops to put around your ears. Lorraine then pinned my green facemask onto it, with authentic plague chic.  Usual ontological debate about whether Santa exists or not, which I simply refute by being there. Also the how do you get everywhere on Christmas eve? questions. (Answer: with great difficulty).  One kid called out ' haven't you been arrested ?' when I walked into one class, which threw me. The older ones have to be approached with a degree of knowingness. They are happy to play along, but as...

So the morning further polishing Diabolus in Musica , which has now reached 6.5k words, which is long for me. The more I polish it, however, the better it gets. This in contrast to the three or four poems I am working on which refuse to fall into place.  Robin and I did a bit of recording on the pre-Christmas podcast. I like how Nick, giving Robin a cup of tea, takes in his stride the sight of his wife at her desk, talking into a microphone with a blanket on her head. Later I made off to the post office, where I joined the masked ration queued for an half an hour in the street. This done, I was just setting off on a walk, when a seagull precision bombed the area of concern with guano. Having not even a tissue in my pocket, I had to slope home right away to shower. Luckily the offering was only on my head and in my hair, and not my clothes. Talk now of tightening still further the Christmas rules, in the light of a new surge. For some reason, the figures for Sussex are very low. The...

Heard from my pal Dave Morgan, who was sailing from Ipswich in Graham (aka Wham) and would be mooring at Eastbourne. However plans to meet up were scuppered.  Dave wrote We set out from Ipswich yesterday and battled through epic seas en route to Ramsgate, but decided to turn back in view of the conditions. In hindsight we had only got about third of the way there in about 6 hours, so we would have been very late arriving in Ramsgate had we continued. So we're back in Ipswich and Graham will leave the boat here for another three months. I am no expert but the prospect of pleasure cruising in the North Sea in December during a pandemic seemed an unorthadox wheeze even for Wham. And the prospect of a rendezvous on a bench outside at Eastbourne marina, which Robin told me this morning was several miles from the train station, has been scuppered. Spent a couple of hours recording with Robin this morning. She was doing it from the cupboard under the stairs, running an ethernet cable in t...

Manacled to my desk doing French work all day, about encouraging cat owners to vaccinate their cats. My own cat Calliope of course doing everything in her power to interfere.  Perhaps she is an anti-vaxer like Sonia who is convinced that the vaccine is more harmful than Covid, and spent some time kindly warning me against it. She means well. Finished on the dot at four, having started before the sparrows were up, and Lorraine collected me and we went to Gladrags for the now traditional sourcing of Santa gear. Not many Santas this year so I had my pick, including a swirly Santa cape, and buckled boots with red flames on them. I look forward to meeting the pony with antlers when I go into Lorraine's school next week.  Home and off to red chillies to pick up a takeaway. They all know Lorraine when she phones, and call hello Peter cheerily when I arrive. Rather nice.  Enjoyable evening, sitting on the gold sofa eating curry. I am worried about drinking. I had three cans of be...

Took my life into my own hands today, and a quick dash up to Kew Bridge on the train to visit my dentist. London now trembling on the edge of Tier 3, but my experience of the train was fine. I went off peak, and only around one in six seats were being used. When you add in people travelling together, I was always had a seat with nobody around -- what's more every train arrived on time. I arrived early so I got off at Chiswick station and walked past some of my old abodes before ducking into the dentist. Nice to see Lucinda who, admonishing me for a build up of plaque, said she had to go old-skool with a metal hooky scraper as there are many restrictions on what equipment they can and can't use. You even had to rinse your mouth drinking from one cup and spitting into another. Home again to get on with some work for mes amis in Paris, and a long chat with Mum. Once home, Lorraine busy making videos of dancing festive elves with family faces on them and writing cards for pupils. ...

Working on my story still, and was contacted by mes amis in Paris with a bit of concept work, which I agreed to do by Friday. I sloped in my mask through the streets, stopping at a charity shop to buy some cards, then off to see Stacey at 4.00pm who spent ages, being a perfectionist, sorting my barnet out and speculating about the next national lockdown. My hair had been driving me a bit mad, growing in clownish lobes either side of the area of concern, and it was most excellent to have it cut. Stacey said cutting my hair made his arms ache.   

Enjoyably chugging on with my story, which is now much improved, and looking at some poems too.  Happened to glance out of my window and saw nine magpies, which my facebook friends tell me that nine is for a kiss. Also looked up that the collective noun for magpies is a mischief which is rather nice.  Nipped out in the afternoon and did a spot of Christmas shopping in a real shop, and dove into Sainsburys to buy some wrapping paper.  Everything you do outside home just reminds you how everything is so different. Hopefully next year's festive period will be a lot more fun. 

Lorraine and I were just getting up to meet Dawn for an outside walk, when she called to say her car had been vandalised. She got into it, and the rear window simply collapsed having been broken. A neighbour said he had heard something in the night a couple of days ago, but couldn't see any damage to anyone. So instead we got up anyway, had breakfast and after a bit drove off to Bolney, where we bought a very early Christmas tree.  Before we came home, we had a walk around the millponds at Bolney. Actually felt pretty cold, although we came across a man who had been fishing, wearing an amazingly camouflaged jacket. He said he had had a some roach and rudd. Beautiful reflections on the water however.  Seems everyone's decorating early this year, to cheer themselves up. Got it home, and I had heard on Gardener's Question time that it was good to take a little bit off the bottom of the stump, so that the tree would be able to take up water better. Surprisingly infernal job, it...

Up sluggishly. I popped around the corner to get some bread, and Lorraine and I had bacon and egg sandwiches. Lorraine spent the afternoon with Beth, whose heel had an ouchy injection lately, which is taking a long time to recover. Lorraine picked up some crutches from Argos for her. I took myself of for a walk, walked into some hail at one point, and as it was quite blustery, it stung your face. Luckily I had a hood on. A mooch around in the hail and rain, and was pleased to get back to a cup of hot coffee, pausing only to get some emergency chocolate for Lorraine. Home and I had a good chat with Mum on FaceTime.  Watched the final part in a three part documentary about Berlin in 1945, and was on the gold sofa listening to some classical music when I got back. I heard a piece by Tchaikovsky, the string quartet No.1 in D Major on classic FM the other day, which I rather like. Lorraine tired when she got home, but rallied to make mushroom rice and fish which was rather splendid. We ...

End of another week, and really having to dig deep to find any motivation, which is unlike me. Got the new Planet Poetry  podcast up, with me chatting to Tess Jolly and Krishan Coupland  about the uncanny. Learned I had been calling Krishan Krish nan in my emails, on blogs etc. and worse when I interviewed him. He was too polite to correct me so I continued blithely. Only a couple of days before we uploaded the episode, did I notice my faux pas with a good deal of mortification. So had to go back and re-edit, and Robin and I had to re-record some bits.  Otherwise a week of slow progress. Tinkering with my story Diabolus in Musica , which is not quite coming together yet. Spoke to Mum and the Tobster. Lorraine soldiering on, but enjoying her new fitbit, which gives complex information about her energy levels and so on. She does a surprising amount of steps at school. A couple of snaps from my walks. Loving the contrast in light at this time of year. The pond which was...