under another sun

Lorraine working from home most of the day today, which was nice. I had a busy start, working from 7:30 writing copy before Keith and I joined up at 8:30. A presentation at 10:00 which went well. Hoping to present to the wider team this afternoon, but this was postponed. Spoke to First Matie today, who had received a bizarre briefing where nobody knew anything, and she had to tell them it wasn't enough. She called me for a sense check on this, but as I was on a call by the time I returned it, the CD had already contacted her to apologise and give her a new brief. Very nice to chat to her though, and know that she is finding her way back into writing again, after a ghastly time of covid, and a diagnosis of epilepsy among other stuff. She is powering back. A bit of an awkward afternoon. Keith not feeling ropey on some hefty antibiotics, and us thinking we should do work, even though our presentation had been postponed till the next day. Lorraine had to go into school to go to her per...

First full day on a new job with Keith, working with an agency I have worked for before, but with new people at the helm. Slow progress on a baggy brief. My favourite moment of the day was Keith saying how much he had enjoyed Top Gun Maverick. Tom Cruise looked great he said, suddenly pumping a small dumbbell.   After work walked down to the gym again, and bumped into Adrian and had a nice chat with him on the street outside the Duke of Yorks. They like to spend lots of time in their place France, but Brexit is making that difficult. We both cursed Brexit and the causes of Brexit. Otherwise he and Di are fine despite having had covid lately. Teatime gym busy, but pleased I went. Either I am very fat or I have body image dysphoria. I strongly suspect the former.  Came home showered and prepared dinner. Sam went to Peterborough today to obtain a new passport, but did not stay with his Dad in London as planned, instead he repaired to the Park View after his long trek. He is going...

A quiet unhurried morning. Getting up and pottering about a bit. Lorraine had school reports to work on this afternoon, and so I walked down to the Batty to sit in the sun garden with Anton. He had been for a long walk this morning. A few cold lagers in the hot sun there, chatting about all manner of stuff. He is heading off to Spain to do some walking soon, so a cheeky beer beforehand was needed.   Fond farewells with Anton, and I sauntered back home through Preston Park.  Lorraine still working when I got back, and so I made salad and potatoes, and ate it with the chicken Lorraine had already put in the oven. She made a melitzanosalata aubergine dip too once she had finished, and it was lovely. A bit more Glastonbury (or Glastonberry as all kinds of people were calling it) from the gold sofa. Watched Kendrik Lamar perform. I enjoyed the theatre. His crowd lapped it up. Also enjoyed Years and Years lots. Very Brighton.  Saw a bit of Jack Black playing too whose work beyo...

Off to Bolney today for their village day. This is the last time I will feel the need to trail behind Lorraine like Dennis Thatcher smiling at local worthies, parents and children. Lorraine ran a little stall there where children threw tennis balls at a pile of painted cans, and into buckets. I ran around collecting balls and cans. I also judiciously had a pint of beer in a plastic glass. Two very pleased with themselves and annoying men who did all the announcing last year and for years before were banned last time for scuffling, so Posh Bob, last seen by me delivering a pub quiz in the Eight Bells, did the announcing for the village dog show, the maypole dance, the tug of war and so on. Said hello to various folks, the local vicar, folks at Lorraine's school including Zoe and Sarah and Dan, and the parent of kids who have now left Lorraine's school who was on mastermind.  From there we drove off to Seaford where we parked up near the sea, and scrunched down the pebbles toward...

A distinct Friday feeling. Woke up at 5am, and stayed awake. Did business admin, sent off three invoices to coax some doubloons from the ether. Had to upload passport photographs etc. to accept the job starting next week -- and had to call Keith who was driving off to do some camping.  Angie and Richard in Seaford called in a rather a worried state. The man next door to them is going to convert his loft, and they had got it into their heads that we would now not want to buy their house. They wanted to tell me themselves because they consider us friends now. Once I reassured them that this wouldn't change anything, they also said that the were going to shortly be able to move themselves, so the Seaford end of move is looking fine. Fingers still rigidly crossed for everything else. Had a nice chat with Mum while strolling across Preston Park and down London Road to the gym. She was going for a scan at Edgware General, and then was going to The Waggon and Horses afterwards. It was her...

So managed to get the podcast out on time today. Robin cut more out of the Gregory interview which really helped focus it, and then we recorded assorted banter and I edited this and built the episode, sending it off to Robin who cut a few seconds out where, she said, she 'sounded a bit numpty'. Then I wrote the blurb and uploaded. Made off to the gym. A bit of social media promotion and I was done. Felt like plenty for one day. Emailed Gregory to thank him. Sent off boiler servicing stuff to the solicitor. Then made a complex salad of my own invention with  boiled potatoes and sausages. Also received an offer of work for exactly the same days as my booking on Monday. Drank beer and watched Star Trek next generation, after Lorraine had watched Sewing Bee, Darning Wasp thing.  Lorraine had a difficult day. But Summer freedom is coming...

Woke up after dreams of being attacked by giant octopuses, which made a change from the usual tsunami dreams. Feeling exceedingly irritable most of the day. Not helped by interruptions from the day's task of trying to edit a complex interview. A long chat with Keith this morning was followed by a plumber arriving two and a half hours early forcing me to decamp with my big computer out of the study.  I managed to get it done and send the initial edit to Robin late this afternoon. One interruption more welcome... Keith and I were offered work starting next Monday for a week and a half.   To the gym at tea time which helped.  Listening to the audiobook called Airhead by Emily Maitlis which is the behind the scenes stories of her interviews. Not including, however, her recent encounter with sweaty Prince Andrew. A pleasant listen but no major revelations. Home and Lorraine late, and having a tough day. Sat outside in the sun and drank a can of lager. We decided to phone out ...

The longest day. Interview with Gregory at 5pm in New York who I have corresponded with intermittently for several years. Fascinating guy, and I really liked him. We shared an early love of Yeats, and like existentialism. Funny to hear birds singing outside his open window, and thinking how those were birds a continent away. Modern tricknology eh? Otherwise a day of getting my ducks in a row for the aforementioned interview, communicating with solicitors, and cooking this evening.  Below, and the sun goes down in the west on the longest day, and a cheeky screen grab of Gregory.

Father's day and Lorraine and I drove off to Kent, to take Pat and Maureen off to the Blacksmiths pub, where we had a tasty Sunday lunch. As we drove there Beth phoned Lorraine and also wished me a happy stepladders day (a reference to the is this your real ladder or is it your stepladder joke). A nice time with Pat and Maureen, a good meal. We all had roast lamb, which is bold for me. We are migrating to the small amount of meat less often approach. Maureen told us about the nightmare of cat sitting. She barricaded the old cat flap they still have, but the pesky cat still manage to escape, and the next day was spent tracking it down (successfully thankfully). Then we returned home to watch tennis from The Queens club, which is not far from where I used to work in Hammersmith. I even worked inside the club house there one time, as some of us were sent there as a treat to inspire creatives by putting them in different environments. I suppose you have to find tennis inspiring in the ...

Sticky night, and a hot start to the day. Up and sipping coffee and eating breakfast. Called Mum, who was being helped by Ben to fix the car. Mum and Mas certainly have angelic neighbours. Off to Anton for an afternoon barbecue. I sprang out of the taxi at seven dials to go to the Magduisa Polski Sklep to pick up some cold beers. Sweltering heat that was forecast. But the heatwave came to an abrupt end as the afternoon progressed and I did not once have to deploy my new Panama hat. Had a really nice time chatting to Anne and Klaudia and Oskar drinking Polish beers and eating paella cooked outside. Oskar finally receiving the present we had bought for him months before his birthday, a wallet with a bit of cash in it which he liked despite it being a bit old school in these days of cashless payments. I loved the way Oskar was calling Anton Father too with a mixture of affection and Victorian flavoured irony. Lorraine saying how excellent Klaudia and Oskar are when we got home early in t...

Phew what a scorcher! Hottest day of the year so far. I got up early and slunk down through the par to the gym for 8am, which was different. Not sure if my body had woken up properly by then. Bumped into Clare Turner on the way back through the park. Did some recording with Robin this morning, edited this, then felt largely disinclined to do much more. Ended up having a snooze on the gold sofa, bought beers and later sat in the back garden with Innis, Rosie, Lorraine and Sam. Then a delivery from Wagamamas which we ate indoors. Relaxed banter, and always good to see those two.

Up early today, but raging. Sodding 1-2-3 reg had taken money out of my account for a domain I had cancelled. Got up and started a ticket with them. They make everything difficult. Then looked at books again, sent stuff off to the accountant. Met up with Keith and discussed the state of play. Completed filling in the solicitor's forms, which I got Lorraine to check this evening. Notes to Robin about the podcast and so on.  When I was talking to Keith Lorraine called and said she had fallen over at school early this morning. Then she did the sports day, which was held this morning, and only then came home at noon. She is okay though a bit bruised. I was worried about her obviously. She spent the afternoon resting. It was contagious and I ended up having a sleep too for an hour in our room with Lorraine with the big doors open. Very restorative. Lorraine okay though and, despite me worrying about her, seemed to be suffering no ill effects, although I suspect she had been a bit shocke...

Lots of stuff to do, quite a bit of it tiresome. Think through a podcast interview first, deal with plumbers, look at accounts again, check with German clients we were finished. A bit before noon I mooched down to the gym, then caught a bus to Patcham and walked back home. Very hot. Can't seem to do any of my own writing at the moment, which is irritating.  But finally nailed down a time with Gregory in the US to do an interview this afternoon, which I am pleased about. Spoke to Estate Agents in the evening, started filling out a new form from the solicitors and cooked for us all. Chatting with Sam who was finding it difficult to renew his passport. Luckily he sorted that out today, and got an appointment at a passport office next week. Star Trek tonight after I cooked a stir fry for us all, Lorraine and I also watching a man on YouTube called Rokkit Kit  who stays overnight on remote Australian islands and goes fishing from canoes or dives coral reefs and so on. Visually very...

Up early and moved my computer to living room as Luke the plumber was around so we can get a certificate for our boiler. He called me to say that our luck had run out again, as there was two holes in the boiler covering. More money down the drain. We will have to get it fixed of course.   A good chat with Carl today. Makes me laugh he does. He is coming south to see a neo-prog band called Big Big Train soon, and hopes to pop in and see Mum.  As this going on I also finished my work for the pleasant Germans, and presented it to them. Sent them the document expecting their comments this afternoon but none came.  Off to the gym instead. Hauling my dinosaur carcass through the springy mammalian students. Home to requests for more information from the account and other joys. Spoke to Mum in the afternoon, she had a successful conversation with her GP, her blood tests were okay, more tests in the local hospital soon. A quiet evening in. Lorraine and I obsessively binging Star T...

Lorraine almost finding the days when she is not working at least as stressful as those when she is at the moment. However we spent the day fairly calmly, and I mooched off for a Sunday stroll in the afternoon. A hot day and we had a drink this evening, listening to music as we cooked together. In the evening, Lorraine, Sam and I played the card game Golf this evening, which was fun. A picture of my view, and a selfie sitting on the bench on the wall of the hill fort.  If we do move, God willing, I may not be coming up here so often.

So up slowly this morning. Grateful for not having to rush anywhere this Saturday.  Lorraine and I getting ourselves sorted out and catching up on some life admin in the morning. Lorraine's cousin Kay was going to come today, with her son Matt as they were visiting a college in Brighton. Also I had a cousin coming today too. And soon Liz her husband Sean, and their son Thomas, who was looking at a medical school at Sussex University arrived. After we all chatted with Lorraine, I made off with the cousins off to The Preston Park Tavern where we had a bite to eat. Then we mooched into town, through the North Laine and down to the sea. I found I really liked all of the family a great deal, and there were no awkward silences and so on. Just felt perfectly normal. Sean is a lovely guy and an engineer, Thomas a bright young lad set on studying medicine. Apparently Thomas was told that students at this particular school get a cadaver to share when they start, which really amused me. (Prob...

Up early and having to get a wiggle on to complete my work before a presentation with new German clients at 10. Luckily I seemed to exceed expectations so they were all smiles, apart from them disagreeing with each other, in a sternly protracted way, over which of my concepts was best. They asked for a few more bits, and another regroup on Monday morning, but happy to have pleased them. Spoke to Keith just after, who was going into town this afternoon for a strategic beer. Another agency has sent us NDAs and stuff, so there will be work there too. The drought seems to have ended.  Worked at my desk until the day done and I strolled up to the Hillfort as I had been manacled to the desk all day. I have a bit of an eye twitch going on at present. Looking at wild flowers a bit but too much going on in my brain at the moment to relax much. Good house news. The survey done for the house in Seaford. No nasty surprises, the things that need work have all been outlined to us in great detail...

Up very early and sent some poems off. Then slogging on concepts for my new German clients all day today, in the field of cosmetic surgery, which at least means I could be a bit more colourful in my language. Pausing only to hang up laundry, and house tidying and squirting thyroid medicine down Calliope's throat and leaving a series of unreturned voicemail messages with the clowns who did our path. Off to Lewes again this evening for another poetry reading.  The train ticket costing me considerably less this time because I have availed myself of a senior railcard app. The money offsetting the horror of seniority. To the Needlewriters at the John Harvey Tavern the centre of all things Harveys. Availed myself of a pint of a rare Harvey's mild after I saw Jeremy drinking one. A decent night hearing poetry from Alasdair Paterson, Ruth O’Callaghan and David Swann. Particularly taken by Ruth O'Callaghan's work and I bought one of her books afterwards. Chatting afterwards in a...

Not too much going on today, sent a short story off rather speculatively. I emailed Sarah to thank her for inviting me to read last night. Took a briefing from a pleasant duo in Germany on a short job starting tomorrow. Calliope Microsoft Teams bombing. More gainful employment on the cards. Spoke to Mum.  Anton called to say that Klaudia had been really ill with a savage sort of tonsillitis,  her throat so badly swollen that she couldn't swallow water and was crying in pain. Took her to the doctors and having to phone 111.  Panicked him a bit I think. Perhaps worse is that it means that she was too ill to take her A levels. 

A sort of interlude where nothing really happened. I had no freelance so had space to work on poems but didn't find myself in the right headspace to make the best of this. Raining for much of the day turning our newly concreted front path into a big puddle -- we are negotiating with the people who did this to redo it.   More happily I plan to meet Liz (my sudden cousin) and her son Thomas this Saturday for a coffee, as they will be in Brighton to check out further education. In the afternoon I sloped off to get a haircut. Enjoyed walking through the park. A Stacy special taking the best part of an hour. You learn lots in the barber's. Apparently there are three cases of monkey pox in the local hospital. One of Stacy's pals came in and there was protracted banter at his expense, which he was laughing at ruefully.  I like the fact I am known by name in the barbers. Maybe I'll keep going there when I am in Seaford. Home and cooked a veggie chilli for Lorraine and Sam. Lorr...

So back to my desk, while Lorraine worked downstairs with Emma the head who will be replacing her at her school, and the two Sarahs. I had a quick meeting with Keith and then got on with finishing the work I was doing for Pat, Michel and Perky. Had a meeting with them virtually and was done by one, thankfully as I felt a bit wan and tired. Lorraine was finding work hard today. Just a few more weeks for her to go -- but getting to the end of the year, even in the best of years, is always tough. I had a spot of lunch with the teachers, and then did admin and other stuff.   In the evening sauntered down to London Road station and from there to Lewes, where SJB was having a launch party for her fabulous book The Thoughts.  With typical generosity she invited some friends to read poems too: Stephen, Charlotte, Jeremy, Robin and me -- as well as Louise who read excellently and also hosted. I really enjoyed the event -- Sarah's book is wonderful and she read with great humour and emo...

Up fairly early this morning and we zoomed off to Tanya and Catherine's house for a few glasses of bubbly with them and Tim and Guy to celebrate Tanya's recent birthday. Excellent to see everyone and have a gossip. Comparing notes with Catherine and Tanya about their house move. They are staying in Brighton, and moving a few streets higher up muesli mountain than they are now.  Tim and Guy on entertaining form as usual, Guy is such a natural storyteller. We sauntered down into the old lanes to Petit Pois for Sunday lunch. Excellent, decently priced food there. We had booked thankfully. I had roast lamb for the first time in years and talked lots to Catherine and talked about visual art with Tanya, and we plotted to go to a gallery together at some point. Then we walked off to eat ice cream outside Brass Monkey. Fond farewells with everyone, and Lorraine and I bussed home. Sprawled happily, and very tiredly, on the gold sofa from tea time. Star Trek The Next Generation our curre...

Gradually getting ourselves together. Laundry to be done among other things. Bought myself a rail pass, and tried to download it into an app, which would not work and after struggling and re-downloading, I ended up phoning the helpline and they said it was a problem with the app itself and try again in a day or two. Gah. Plus they have siphoned off what I have paid quite happily. The afternoon off to Seaford, to meet Richard and Angie again, who took us around what will hopefully be our house in the not too distant future. Richard was showing us how everything worked in some detail, and also filling in a form about what he wanted to leave or take.  Lovely to look around the place again but I have become such a pessimist that I am trying to keep a tight lid on my enthusiasm till we know we are over the line, whereupon I shall caper like a spring lamb. We arrived at 2pm and left at a quarter to seven, having been given bread and cheese and tea and cake. They are incredibly hospitable...

Flying off today. Mixed feelings about leaving. Not long enough after three years, but certainly far far, better than nothing.  Up for breakfast, and then packed. Lorraine not wanting to be rushed, so I went for a short walk past the house that is still called Chelsea, where Gwen and Dave used to live, and where Mum had the Tobster. The house looks a bit tatty and unloved, but it was nice to see it. After paying up, Lorraine and I walked down to Icart to 'our' bench were I had proposed, and just hung out. I took some photos, and Lorraine knitted another tentacle just happy to be out in the fresh air. Our stay had felt a bit short, but so nice to feel that so much remains unchanged too. We walked a little around the cliff and then back to La Barbarie for a cold drink and some crisps. Ravis came and shook our hand as we left. All very friendly and nice. A taxi to the airport with a mumbly but amiable driver. Guernsey taxi fares very pricey: £15 from La Barbarie to the Airport. Se...

Up and a full Guernsey breakfast. A quiet morning. Lorraine has been reading me the book she is reading, called Spoon-Fed - why almost everything we've been told about food is wrong by Tim Spector. It is full of the latest thinking about food, and challenges assumptions. One of the first things I have decided to do is remove artificial sweeteners which I take usually in coffee and Lorraine is going to give up low sugar orange squash. We are also going to look after our gut biomes and introduce more fermented stuff into our diets have meat less often, but of higher quality and ensure we are getting a wide variety of veggies. It's the start of a quiet revolution. A lovely interlude when Jane and Richard came to La Barbarie and we sat outside having coffee and chatting. Did my heart good to see them, both of whom were looking tanned and healthy, having slipped the leash at last and gone to Italy earlier. Richard said he felt being locked down on a little island made the trapped f...

First of the month, and a big day. After the full Guernsey breakfast, I mooched off for a walk leaving Lorraine sunning herself by the pool. On the way to St Martin's graveyard, I was accosted by a woman in her fifties who asked me what I was photographing and lots of other questions and she told me where she had been to school in England. In the graveyard I browsed among the graves for people I knew. There are several there including Gwen and Dave of course, my grandparents. I moved on after a while and then went into the graveyard where I had a lengthy chat with the man who looks after the place, and keeps all the lawns trim. Friendly bloke and we talked about the recent lack of rainfall and so on. Afterwards I remembered a dubious character called Graveyard George who I used to speak to when a child. He smoked lots but always respectfully tipped the ash into his hand and put it in his jacket pocket.  Back to Lorraine and after a bite to eat, caught a cab out to the west Coast to...