under another sun

Friday and a sense of a little mental space opening up. Caught up with some correspondence including a long overdue reply to Sarah Barnsley, a note to my accountant and so on. Sonia here today, and said she is going to Bulgaria in June. We will have to find another person to clean for us, but more importantly I will miss her making me laugh with her no-nonsense perspective.  Wrapped up agains all possible weathers, I sauntered down to London Road in my sunglasses, and hopped on a train to Lewes to meet Robin. Lewes under threatening dark skies however.  Lovely to see Robin IRL (in real life), and it was great to just have a beer and shoot the breeze. It made a change from the purposeful stuff to do with the podcast, although there was a wee bit of that.  Threaded through town and went to The Gardeners, somewhere I went to with Matty boy and Graeme many years ago, and also have since visited with Mark Hartley. We were outside in the little alleyway, but I had a pint of Har...

Felt somewhat stressed first thing. Awake from 4 this morning, with the scaffolding boys arriving first thing.  I cleared the way for them, and was impressed with how they managed to get everything through the kitchen window and out of the house without trashing the place. Meanwhile Mum called to discuss meeting up on Saturday. And Keith texted me about the job -- as he had a bit more to do today. Things a little calmer after the lads left. Tidied up somewhat, then a bit of to-and fro with Robin till we uploaded the Planet Poetry episode on the dot of 4.00pm. You can hear it here.   Then a few quiet wins. Having appealed their IR35 tax decision, the agency I am working with has now decided I am in fact not an employee, but am actually a person who has worked for themselves since 2007. Grateful to a man called Amir at the agency. This means business as usual (although I have stopped being an Ltd company officially now). Also, the Poetry Translation Centre sent out a tweet about...

Manacled to my desk again. Light rain. The first April showers of the month in fact, on the 28th.  Meanwhile in my bunker Keith and I clawed our way to the end of the job. He was in a poor mood, with no obvious cause. Soon, however, The Gods of Software supplied one. An hour or so before we were supposed to do our final presentation his Adobe design programme went mad, threatening our six days of work. After an hour Keith managed to sort it out -- bead of sweat emoji -- and we presented. Our idea was accepted over that of the other team working on the brief -- I suspect they had been hard pressed for time. At six Robin and I did a spot of recording for the new episode which will feature LeAnne Howe, talking about Native Nations writing and so on. Finished recording with Robin, then had to do a bit more on the freelance job. This managed to empty out the last dregs of my brain. Dimly happy, however, that another stint was over. I got paid for the work I did in March too so all well ...

Poor Lorraine streaming with hay fever in the night, and her tooth, which is being treated with antibiotics, uncomfortable too. Up early. One of the wins of the day came from Robin who wrote a marvellous letter to the CEO of the translation centre, who had asked us to feature the Sarah McGuire Prize, which led to me interviewing Yang Lian, Brian Holton, and Alireza Abiz, and budding a whole podcast episode around it. Despite tweeting them with the episode, tweeting another request to their twitter account about the episode, writing in a forthright way to the woman I had been dealing with and then seeing my note forwarded to the social media manager, no finger was lifted to promote the episode which was all about them.  After Robin wrote to them, being generally boss, we got a wonderful apology from the CEO and then from the social media manager -- and a promise to feature the episode in forthcoming publicity. Robin was ace, and I was reminded again of not pussyfooting around the is...

A bit of a gruelling Monday where I barely left my desk. Started at 7:30 and completed everything past 8pm -- the last hour or so working on the podcast finishing off the edit of the interview I did with Native Nations writer LeAnne Howe.  Big presentation this afternoon of the ideas Keith and I had assembled, and these went down very well, there was another in-house team on it, the writer of that team had Keith's regular copywriting partner Ross. Otherwise the day enlivened by Lorraine sending me a video of Erykah Badu on Sesame Street singing about friends .  Slumped on the sofa at the end of the day, sipping a glass of ginger beer and watching the great British sewing bee, or some such, with Lorraine and Jade. My brain was tired.

 Lorraine and I off today to Steyning to hang out in the field behind Dawn's house on chairs with Dawn, Anton, Rosie and Innis. A cool but sunny day, and when I got back home Lorraine and I both had glowing red faces with sunburn. Just ace to be chatting with old friends again, celebrating Lorraine's birthday this week. Anton bought one of his impeccable Polish baked cheesecakes, and Rosie brought a delicious salad full of all manner of goodies, Dawn baked one of her famous flans shaped with rice instead of flour, and we drank a few drinks and generally caught up with one another. Anton said it was the furthest he had been outside Brighton for half a year.  It is the simple pleasures of seeing friends that is so important.  Innis and Anton discussing playing cards in enthusiastic detail.  Lovely village field, with people walking their dogs, and one neighbour who knew Dawn, coming to tell us about his newish dog in even more enthusiastic detail for at least ten minut...

A terrible night's sleep. I am convinced I have a bad reaction to MSG as I woke up with a racing heart and feeling rubbish in the night. Drank five glasses of water and felt a bit better. The food had been very nice, but it doesn't seem to agree with me. Spent five minutes on a poem before hooking up with Keith today and struggling on with the difficult brief. During the week Keith said to me that X 'could send a glass eye to sleep' which made me laugh lots. Something his grandfather used to say apparently.  Meanwhile Lorraine came home at lunchtime, attended a conference online, received the flowers I had sent several days ago to add to her collection, and then sauntered off to the dentist, which for her is just across Preston Park. I finished my work and came to collect her. Not a great result as she needs root canal work, and in the current climate this will take a while to sort out. Meanwhile she has been given antibiotics. Nevertheless nice to stroll in the sunligh...

Lorraine's birthday. Up early and had breakfast together before L zoomed off to school. I gave her a pressie of a new iPad and she opened some card and went off to school. I got down to a day's work with Keith, which was fine, although the job we are working on is hard.  I had ordered flowers to be delivered to Lorraine at school, but these did not turn up on time, necessitating lots of chasing up and they will be delivered at home tomorrow, which rather defeats the point. Luckily however, Lorraine received five other bunches of flowers during the day. Poor love has toothache however, and is streaming with hay fever at the moment too. However she has an emergency appointment with the dentist tomorrow. In the evening Anton came round bearing presents for Lorraine, and flowers from Anne too. Anton now a fearless scaffolding monkey scaled up the scaffolding and showed me how to fix the crack in the brickwork around my study window, and reseal the window. This was excellent, and di...

New briefing this morning. However I got up with the larks and walked over to Anton's place and managed to catch Oskar, whose fifteenth birthday it was today. He is now observably taller than Anton, and will soon have a helicopter view of the area of concern on the top of my head before long.  Nice to mooch back through the park. Stopped to look at tadpoles in the pond by the cafe for a moment.  Then it was all business and no play. Another vague briefing. Keith and I puzzling on it and scratching out some first ideas during the day. Also a chat with a nice guy called Amir from the agency we are working with re the IR 35 malarkey. Having to upload some bits during the day too, for the new business account I have started. Quite nice to finish, and go for a short saunter up to the top of the hill, to give me a good day's walking.   Lorraine with a bad tooth, and taking painkillers. Jade cooked a nice curry tonight.  Otherwise all quiet in Kenny Towers. Below: tadpoles ...

Spent much of the morning doing hideous things related to banking and tax and business and all that other stuff that makes me feel anxious but has to be done. Also some admin and so on. In the afternoon, however, a nice walk with Jade up to the top of the Hill then down through Wild Wood. Jade really cheerful to be going somewhere new and taking some snaps here and there. Good to walk with her, and she is really springy up hills and so on as she does lots of running these days. Enjoyed having her to talk to about all manner of subjects on my daily saunter. Snapped her standing on the wall of the hill fort on the way back. A beautiful day. Arriving home it seemed rude not to have a glass of cold lager sitting in the taverna by the scaffolding. It was plenty warm enough. Then I cooked dinner which was fun. Lorraine, Jade and I then watched Iron Man 2, which though silly was great fun. Below Jade on the hill fort wall.

Nosebleeds morning, finding out about new bank accounts, and what I need to do business wise, now that I am folding the Ltd company down and reverting back to being a sole trader. I always think Soul Traders would make a good name for a band. Did  bit of poetry stuff, and sent assorted emails. Spoke to Anton about fixing walls, and had an alarming few moments when Sam came to tell me that the overflow pipe on the boiler was gushing water.   In the afternoon I strolled into town and met up with Chris Williams for a cup of coffee and a chat. He has been researching family history during the lockdown, and making stained glass. A bit of a walk about town, before I boofed into Clippers Barbers, where Stacey,  despite complaining that he didn't know where to start and that his arms ached, he managed to tame the bedraggled Kenny mane.  I snapped before and after pictures. Sauntered home through Preston Park and arrived home soon to be joined by an early Lorraine. We idled o...

Up fairly early, and feeling slightly wan after staying up late with Sam and Jade. Lorraine off to Paul the hairdresser this morning, then stopped off to see Beth and then took her car to the carwash. I took the opportunity to do some reading: John Cage's Essay   On Nothing  which is an essay structured like music -- and more of a book called Caste  by Isabel Wilkerson, which is looking at race in America through the lens of caste.  I also had a long chat with Mum, who has been blinking in a friendly way at a fox and said that Ben across the road had taught a dog to wink. I am going to go up to see them the week after next.  Lorraine returned sporting a longer, swishier style than usual. After some lunch we took a turn walking around Blaker's park this afternoon. People quaffing and eating outside The Cleveland Arms. Lots of cooking this evening, and the gradual emergence of Sam and Jade. The week rounded off with Lorraine, Jade and I watching Frasier  and ...

Saturday -- and a gorgeous sunny day here in Brighton. Lorraine and I got up fairly late, not having to open the door to anyone today. I popped around the corner to collect my sliced chewy brown, and bumped into Rick. The glassmates had gone to the pub yesterday lunchtime.  In other news Prince Phillip was buried today. I am not a royalist, but the sight of the Queen on alone on a pew was rather touching and sad.  After I'd made breakfast, Lorraine and I then went outside. I took advantage of the scaffolding for a few rooftop capers, washing my study window from the outside, and climbing onto my flat roof. I scooped out a third of a bucketload of gravel and dusty soil, rusty screws and bits of peanut shells from the gutter. Meanwhile Lorraine busy planting and potting. I scooped earth out of the bottom of the composter. There is something quietly miraculous about the rich dark soil that emerges from all the peelings and bits and pieces you sling in. Teabags leave frail ghost b...

So up this morning and chatted with Darren the roofer, who was able to do a good repair on the door lock, and would pay for the decking damage. That's the way to get customers and ensure people recommend him on. Nice chap.  Texts from Toby today. Toronto cases very high and full of variants -- a lockdown there. He is worried that Romy has to be so busy and go unjabbed.  Not long after, the two cheery Geordie roofer lads came to finish off the job, and leaving Sam with them,  Lorraine, Jade and I hopped in the car and made off to the River Adur, a little nearby river where we found a parking spot and met Rosie and Innis and went for a walk along the riverbank and had a bit of a picnic. Great to see them both, who were seeming okay, although it has been a  long hard winter of discontent for everyone I think. Jade happy to talk to Rosie and Innis, as new people. A seal popped up from the water bold as brass which Rosie saw first. Obviously by the time I had gathered my ...

Roofers today, arriving punctually and scrambling up the scaffolding and at their roof business with gusto. Polite hard working guys, one was the son of the owner, and two young Geordies. Once they were about their business, and had done most of the job by the afternoon when they packed up. While they were working Lorraine and I drove off to the new Lidl in Hove, which has wide isles and we bought a few bits and pieces there, including lagers. It was not very busy, and so it seemed quite a pleasant place, and the prices were great.  The roofers packed up mid afternoon, muttering warily about rain about to come and so on. There was no rain -- it has been very dry here lately. However holes have been covered up in the roof.  Lorraine and I sat in the front room in the afternoon reading and chatting, listening to the front door banging as they carried loads of stuff out. And after they left, we found that the lock had been loosened with the continual banging of the door on the la...

Lorraine and I driving off to meet Carolyn at Nymans gardens. So good to be seeing something new -- and chat to someone different. She is interested in sacred geometry, due to her deep study of plant forms. I mentioned about Ben's interest in them when we were all looking at camellias.  We had a cup of tea and a scone outside the cafe.  Glimpses of niceness at Nymans...

A bad night's sleep. Lorraine and I up early due to the scaffolders arriving this morning. Walking through the house with the long poles and poking them through the kitchen window out into the garden. They got the job done fairly quickly. While this was being done, I quickly sent off notes and tweets and so on about the episodes to various people connected to the last podcast -- then I was free as a bird for the day.  Lorraine went off to see Dawn for a walk. I chatted to Sonia when she came in, then made off to collect Anton, and we walked down to seafront near the Peace statue, where we set about playing pétanque -- unzipping two sets of brand new boules from their bags, his present from his children, and playing on the little ground there is for it. We began to play, and soon there were other groups of folks playing all around us. A cheerful vibe, and it was sunny down by the sea, and it was a fine thing to be throwing boules around without a care in the world for a while, with ...

So the culmination of much hard work today. Another eight-ish start with Keith and working on the new concepts with Keith after yesterday's redeployment of the goalposts. Met with the CD in the middle of the day, and then presented the ideas at 5, and was all done by 6:30. At the same time I uploaded the translation episode of Planet Poetry  with the interviews with Lian, Alireza and Brian up, after Robin made a couple of tweaks this morning. Also heard from my accountant and have scheduled in a chat about tax, IR 35 and restructuring my business next week.  Lorraine gradually looking less tired and I'm trying to encourage her to prioritise unwinding. She is playing a new game on her Nintendo Switch, which is called My Time At Portia . Felt tired but very relieved afterwards. A couple of beers in the evening, and sat chatting with Jade in the kitchen as she finished off cooking, cinders style. A cheery evening, and Lorraine, Jade and I watched Frasier episodes and laughed alou...

A slog today. Making adjustments to the podcast, and sending that off to Robin at the end of the day. Also working hard on the stuff with Keith, doing a presentation mid day. A senior planner involved this time, who was on holiday before, and he simply wanted the whole thing to go in a different direction. So back to the drawing board, although some of the original concepts were still liked. Also lots of talk between me and Keith about what the IR 35 means. I am going to have to make quite a few adjustments if my business can continue. By the end of the day I felt exhausted and roundly fed up. On the plus side I had a really nice chat with First Matie, who called me at lunchtime, where I had taken he opportunity for a walk. She has had a horrid year of it, bless her. Due to her epilepsy diagnosis she cannot drive, and has got a job in the co-op for a bit which is nearby. It will help her get to know some locals more, and Ian -- bless his cotton socks -- is being an absolute brick. ...

A family day -- with Jade and Sam already living with us, Beth and James were able to come around. Got a chance to chat more to James, who I really like. A cheery time and Lorraine although a bit shattered, very happy. We played Euchre I love how people are prepared to play this, as it reminds me very much of my childhood, and so feels like continuing thread of my life. We had a delivery of Vergers, which are vegan burgers made out of stuff that tasted surprisingly satisfying and beefy. No idea of what was in it of course.  Toby texted today. He has had his jab today too, which is excellent news. AZ like Lorraine and I.  

A happy holiday made up of talking to flesh and blood people. Made off to Preston Park to stand about with my former glassmate crew. Lovely to see them, despite an unforgivingly cold breeze. Sally's birthday and I gave her a card, and a nosegay of hellebores.  Rick feeling sad as two of his mates are very unwell. Otherwise I was given a slice of lemon drizzle, and chatted happily in distanced circles with Fran, Sally, Adele, the two Kates, Jane and her husband Ian. Ben there too and we walked back across the park talking about sacred geometry among many other bits and pieces -- it was so good to see him. Then the big excitement of the day... Lorraine and I went off to see Anton in his garden, which looked fabulous after he has put lots of effort into planting, and redoing all the brickwork. It felt like being on holiday sitting in the back garden playing a few hands of Euchre. Despite being blinking cold was quite bright and sunny and Anton treated us to delicious olives with hot ...