under another sun

Lorraine off to her personal trainer this morning. I was up early and had a good morning's writing, stuff coming with pleasing fluency, until I texted Adele to find out when the glass meeting was. Turns out it had already started, then I spoke to Mum and to text to Keith.  As there are train strikes, Weds and Friday, Mum and agreed I shall come up again on Monday, which will be fun. Talking about Dave's propensity to throw plates and cups into the air. Felt bad about not going to the glass class. It seems one of the things makes me squirm most letting people I like down. Anyway, I returned to writing as I was on a bit of a roll until about two. Meditation at lunchtime with Lorraine, then I zoomed off to the gym where I lummoxed about for about 45  mins, and Morrisons, and on my return sat happily in the glasshouse with Lorraine, making up strange pots with big wholes and cutting out circles of water retentive fabric for the bottom as she repotted assorted plants. Our glasshous...

Up and writing early again on my own writing -- mainly poetry this morning, I am focusing on one part of one particular manuscript. Because of course, being me, I have two manuscripts in development at the same time. It was also a Podcast day, so there were a few bits and pieces to be done on that. The new episode features Robin's interview with Greta Stoddart, I got a chance to talk about my old pal Richard Fleming too which pleased me. Also Val in Paris got in touch for a cheeky dab of work tomorrow. Lorraine and I meditated again. This is clearly a good habit to return to. I have not regularly meditated for years, and it is so simple and beneficial, I need to have my brains checked about why I haven't been doing it. Lorraine is liking it too.  A quick afternoon saunter into glorious Seaford. A lifeboat and helicopter over the sea, and I read later that the turning tide and north wind had rushed two local people out to sea on an inflatable. Within minutes they were mere spec...

Up early this morning, and settling into a very happy routine. The first four hours of the day devoted to writing and editing,  as well as a recording with Robin -- these sessions increasingly relaxed and more like having a chat with a mate than doing recordings these days. I hope that's a good thing for how it sounds.  Then zooming around the house and garden for an hour or so tidying things, doing laundry, hanging out washing and so on had lunch, lorraine making chickpea flour pancake things stuffed with a mix of salady goodness.  Broke off at two to meditate -- with Lorraine. My friend Sarah Barnsley sent me a free month's link to a meditation app, and it has been a useful springboard this week to start to have a mindful interlude. Another bout of doing things, Lorraine lead a mission to put a small shelf in the airing cupboard where the boiler is. This accomplished, with a bit of help from me. Able then to tidy study. A gold sofa interlude. Lorraine reading, and I wro...

Lorraine zoomed off to the Chelsea Flower Show this morning. I did some recording with Robin, and spent the morning enjoyably writing.  A gorgeous day for walking. In the afternoon I sauntered around the Eastern edge of Seaford, and back down to the sea. Finishing, as I did so, my audiobook of The Moon and Sixpence by Somerset Maugham which Brian lent me, and I have read about half and half as a paperback, and as an audiobook. A very interesting book in many ways. Loosely based on the life of Gaugin, but the parts based in Paris much more interesting before it went a bit Tahitian. Home again, and more writing. Lorraine having a great time looking at flowers with Tanya and Guy. I went to meet her at Seaford Station and took the opportunity to drink a pint of American Pale Ale in Steamworks. Lorraine joined me for a half, and showed me several pictures of plants and gardens, particularly hostas and acers. Below over fields to the chalk cliffs and the sea, a military helicopter and ...

The job I had agreed to do with Keith, at short notice yesterday, was bumped today. Was actually quite cheery about this as I am getting into a bit of flow with the writing. Maureen was feeling a bit rubbish this morning, but perked up as the day progressed. Lorraine and I seem to be doing lots all the time, which included Lorraine driving us all out into the countryside to get bags of topsoil which on return I emptied into the last raised bed. This evening, Lorraine had booked a table in the Old Boot. We all went and met Steve, for some very acceptable pints of beer and strapped on the nosebag. Maureen deciding to be pushed there in her wheelchair, and then levered herself into place at the table. Steve great with Pat and Maureen, who he has met before.  A few drinks taken. Pat insisting at one point that he normally has five pints, when he goes to the pub -- something he has not done for a while.  Steve really friendly and chatty with Pat and Maureen, and he enjoyed zooming ...

Off to the Jolly Badger this morning walking to Seaford station under blue skies. Trained up to Mill Hill very easily. Took my MacBook Air and actually did some good work in between train hopping. I am working on a loose idea, and am just splurging words down at the moment in messily uncritical kind of way. A bit early reaching Mill Hill, so I mooched down a few side streets to see what there was to see. Most of the side streets are cul-de-sac and dead ends, and the houses are big and wealthy seeming.   To the Jolly Badger, where I bought a pint of Guinness and waited till  Mum and Mas arrived. Mas had his Covid jab yesterday, and he seemed a bit unsteady, and was quite sleepy. Mum okay, and had a pint of cider. The food was okay, and the waiter cheery, and had lived in Brighton before swapping it all for Edgware. Mason asked to be let out the fire escape door, as this was closer to the zoomy new white car. I promised to go up again soon. I made my way back, a bit of a slow jo...

Off to the University of Brighton this afternoon. I met Robin and bumped into Jeremy at Lewes station. Robin had a knackered heel so we bussed to Kemptown and the Brighton University City campus. Lou Tondeur had roped us in to form a panel for her creative writing course third years, to be quizzed about publishing and podcasting the writing life by some bright as a button students. Felt like a bit of a coelacanth, but fairly relaxed despite this. Was curious to hear what the students had to say for themselves. One girl, who was already making progress as a spoken word artist, had brought her dad, who seemed quite interested and engaged.  Lou got us going by asking the panel about what we were reading... My mind often goes blank at this point -- partly this is due to the fact I tend to have several books on the go at the same time. After, Robin and I went to the pub with the Lou and her students and colleagues, before heading back to the station, pausing en route at the Fountain Hea...

Ah. Sunday. Up early and had breakfast, fried tomatoes mushrooms and egg on toast. After Lorraine had finished some sewing we drove to the gym and did about 50 minutes in there. Felt knackered by the cross training half hour as I was pushing it a bit. Then a few weighty bits and home where we decided to clear away a huge pile of garden waste and drive this to the tip. A proper deforestation of bits of bay tree, buddleja and conifer as well as the Christmas tree left over from Christmas. Took a few visits to the recycling centre in Seaford. The last journey Lorraine made alone as there was no room in the passenger seat, while I concentrated on sweeping up all the detritus left behind.  Steve came by shortly afterwards for a cup of tea and to pick up some seedlings that he and Lorraine had been talking about. Having spent a couple of weeks in Portugal with a friend, and having Mike stay from Holland, he said he was happy to spend some time alone. He described all the clubs he belongs...

I spoke to Mum to arrange to come up next week. Edgware was overcast. In Seaford it was glorious. The sun was bathing the grounds. Birds about their frisky business. A pair of wood pigeons are nesting in one of the tall palm trees, seagulls are kerfuffling and yarping on the roof over our bedroom. They also seem to be making a nest. This is being done near a tv satellite dish which no longer works, since the pesky gulls started bumping uglies. Magpies nesting in the hedge. This means Brian the cat is being menaced by a magpie clattering and flying at him when he wanders about in the garden. He's a bit too old to seem  bothered much or be a real threat. Patrick and Adele came by for coffee this morning. We sat outside in the sun chatting, after Patrick kindly used a special sensor to check that where we going to drill wasn't the site of hidden wires. Cheery banter in the sunshine. Patrick talking about poker and chess. He wants me to play poker but I won't. They are lovely f...

To Wimbledon today, by train to East Croydon, and then caught a tram to Wimbledon, which having done it a few times, still strikes me as a bit of a novelty. To the Hand and Racquet a decent but unremarkable pub a short walk from the station. I was there to meet Simon, probably my best pal when I was at University who I have not seen for about twenty years. We just sat in the bar drinking beers all afternoon catching up. It was a bit weird at first, but when Simon sauntered over to the bar I had a bit of a Proustian moment, the sight of my old friend buying beers was so familiar something in me fell into place.  Lots of news of course, like the fact we had both got remarried. He had lived for six years in the north of Scotland. His three boys are now in their twenties. And he had a major health scare to do with his pancreas and blood sugar which put him in a coma several years ago, a bit of a landmark in his life. I found my old friend at a good time in his life, happy in his own s...

Off this morning to the Crypt in Seaford. We saw some of Adele's work on display, and looking lovely. Also we bought a print by Kitty Oakley, who happened to be there. She told us about following an obsession with a nineteenth century woman called Maria Scratton, a seamstress who married excellently to a rich man who adored her, despite people looking down on her, and wore splendidly fashionable clothes. Downstairs there were two excellent thrones, and I persuaded two people to let me take their photos while sat on them. Home and did more work in the garden, I bolted together the last bits of a smaller raised bed. We now have three of the beauties. This involved a good deal of rugged, manly hefting and tightening coach screws by hand. As soon as you start to grow things, you have to also have concerns over them. Lorraine's courgette seedlings have been devoured by an unknown assailant, but clearly not a snail as there were no trails. In for supper and I spoke to Mum, who had ju...

Off today to Hove. We went to Taj to buy Anton-recommended ™  charcoal to use on our barbecue and popped into Waitrose. Then off to an artists open house in Blatchington Road, where Innis was showing some of his prints for the first time. These looked excellent, he is using his own photographs as a basis for the prints and is loving the process. His daughter Eve was also there. We'd not seen her since before Covid. Then home, and we assembled our barbecue (again, an Anton-recommended ™ product) where we downloaded an app, which had instructions. This built, and our barbecue sparked up, we sat in the back garden, down by the glasshouse to get the last of the sun, and barbecued basic things like halloumi, and chicken, sausages and large mushrooms and so on. Popped open a few tinnys too, and all we at outside feeling everything was well with our world.    Below Innis and some of his prints, and Lorraine watching the charcoal burning before we put it in the barbecue.

 So rain and the coronation of King Charles III and Camilla. Thinking of Jane, for whom these are exciting and busy times as the country's leading Camilla lookalike. She has been as busy as anything and interviewed in The Sun newspaper and on assorted foreign TV.  Lorraine wanted to watch it, and I did too with the fascination of watching a historical reenactment. I am no fan of Royalty and their antics. Found myself genuinely impressed by tory MP Penny Mordaunt carrying a massive sword for so long in a striking Star Wars tribute uniform of her own devising.  After this, Lorraine and I sloped off to Morrisons supermarket and a few home and garden chores were done. But generally a much needed down day, with me lapping and sparkling water this evening.    

A bit of business admin. Lorraine off to London to enjoy meeting Sam at the Royal Festival Hall. Sam staying with his dad for a few days.  A message to Carl whose birthday it was.  I did some of my own writing this morning, and had some productive thoughts. Made off this afternoon, to Brighton where I met Anton in the garden of the Batty for a few cheery beers and a couple of games of Bones and a good deal of talking. Followed by more of both in The French Horn, where we had a raclette , and did finicky heating of cheese and bits of meat on little plug in raclette grills which ticks lots of boxes for a finickmeister like Anton.  A cheery afternoon and early evening. Rolled down the hill for an absolute final in the Batty before I zoomed home. But only to find the train stopped at Newhaven, and I had to catch a bus from there to get home. Surprised to find a poem I wrote in the 80s quoted by the Priaulx Library on facebook -- also featuring Richard of course. One must take...

Started with a mind map, this morning. What do I do first?  I have two poetry collections being written simultaneously.  I have about ten published short stories (and I today I found one that was published back in 2004 called Coelacanth which I had completely forgotten) to organise into a ms, I have 70% of a novel called Nothing Compares To You; plus the eternal question of whether I should have another go at Magnificent Grace,  (on that I had a note from Tess Jolly recently). I also have a play, for which I have a title only, to write, and a new project which I have been thinking about recently. I need to avoid wasting time flogging dead horses  -- and need some quick wins. Yesterday I learned that I was placed nowhere in a poetry pamphlet competition. Poetry loves letting you down when you need a win. I am trying to make some mental space for all this, but freelance stuff keeps intruding. I pulled out of a freelance job supposed to start with Keith on Thursday. I p...

Lorraine off to the gym this morning, looking increasingly trim. I however, felt iffy and sluggish. Sat down at my desk and instead of being productive, felt a bit overwhelmed and unable to concentrate. Eventually I sent out three poems.   Spoke to Keith today. I am not going to do the job this week -- and told the client I was unable to do it and connected them with a replacement writer. Sent an email, to six people, none of whom replied.  Otherwise a bit of light flame throwing in the garden, with a present Anton got us for Christmas. Better than weedkiller as you roast the stubborn weeds, and they die from the inside. Sounds gruesome. Anton says it is effective against snails too.  Shortly after Lorraine returned, two men came with a new mattress to replace our old one, which was giving Lorraine backache. The mattress is vacuum packed, so it comes in box that looks far too small. You drag the dense flat thing onto the bed and once you've taken the plastic off, it start...

The day started productively. I felt a bit queasy, first thing but thought nothing of it. Had a live yoghurt and fruit and seeds and oats breakfast, and went upstairs to call Mum.  Afterwards I cleaned the cat litter tray and area. After this aromatic delight I decided to empty the buckets of salty water we had been chucking snails into. The buckets had been brewing for a week or so, and when I poured out the water, the smell was so unspeakably foul it was all I could do not to projectile vomit. I have never had a reaction like it. Lorraine finished that job.  While Lorraine hard at work in the garden. I began to bolt sleepers together, but soon The felt wussy. Felt sick and had an upset stomach, so sunk off to the gold sofa, where I slept, and ate only a cup of miso soup and a couple of crackers for the rest of the day.