under another sun

Last day of 2023. A grey rainy day in Seaford, matched by a weirdly low mood for me.  However, a cheerful Beth and James called around for a coffee this afternoon, before going off to a party this evening at James's aunt's house. Beth the only person to have noticed that I accidentally shaved two patches from my eyebrows. I had been shaving my beard with my beard shaver a couple of days ago, on number 4. There is a bit under my lip that I take the cut down to number 1. I noticed my eyebrows were getting a bit Leonid Brezhnev and went to shave them, forgetting the number was on 1.   We had a party go to this evening too at Brian and Yvonne's house. A combined New Years Eve and Birthday, for Brian who was born on the first of January.  Patrick and Adele, and two other couples, Rick and Gabby, and Guy and Barbara. Brian had organised games, a sort of quiz of the year, then a how well do you know your spouses competition, which Lorraine and I won, and went away with a chocola...

Lorraine and I up to Edgware this morning. A relatively easy drive and we arrived in about two hours. Had a cup of tea and gave mum some birthday cards and presents, from us and from Pat and Maureen.  Then we got Mas into our car, and Lorraine drove us all off to The Waggon and Horses. Mum had booked a table by the fire, and we  had hoped that Robert would come too, but unfortunately he was unable. We did have an excellent time, the pub was weirdly empty while we were there, and it was as if we had done it deliberately. We had lots of attentive service from Harri and Wendy, Mum having a pint of cider given to her on arrival. And Harri also suggested a Guinness for me, seeing as I had drunk that last time I was there.  We had a pleasant meal, again Lorraine and I had falafel and more healthy options, and the staff came out with a piece of cake with candles in for Mum, and sang Happy Birthday.  This happened quite suddenly and the snap I took of the moment, was out of ...

Had Lorraine to myself today, and we lurked happily at home, apart from a spot of shopping, and a trip to the post office to send Maureen her medications that she left with us by mistake. A walk along the seafront. Snapping this photo me looking ruddy in the wind.

Up and breakfast with Pat and Maureen. Nice chat with them, and Maureen told me she felt she had got her daughter back after we got together as I was more sociable than Lorraine's first husband.    Lorraine drove Pat and Maureen home this afternoon. I left with them, and sauntered to Morrisons to buy a few bits and cook myself a stir fry. Turns out Maureen left her knitting bag and handbag with all her medications in, which was only noticed on arrival in Ashford.  I mooched about happily at home alone for the first time in some time. I cooked a turkey stock soup with a perhaps too random selection of vegetables in it.  I also used Lorraine's music app and did a guitar lesson, which takes you back to basics, which I enjoyed as it has been a while since I have played guitar with any regularity. Never having had a single lesson, I am very open to a back to basics approach. Lorraine is loving her piano lessons and audibly making progress. Lorraine home after eight, and h...

Boxing Day. A sense of relief at not having to do so much. I got up early and cleared up for an hour or so, before other people stirred. Breakfast together. Then at midday, after Beth and James had enjoyed a  hobbits second breakfast of a large Xmas scoobie snack they zoomed off to James's mum in Eastbourne. I had a much needed walk by the sea this afternoon, warm, still and calm, and the sun peeping through the pearly grey sea.  Home, and feeling a tad tired, made off to bed for a cheeky nap, and woke up two hours a bit bleary two hours later. A quiet night, eating a bit of leftover turkey, and watching movies. Including a pointless remake of the Lion King. We all enjoyed an episode of the formulaic fun of Death in Paradise, however. The day ended in a disappointing Match of the Day, with Manchester Utd staging a magnificent comeback after going down two nil. Boo. Enjoyed eating more simply today, and reinstated seedy, nutty, fruity yoghurt for breakfast, and so on. Important...

Christmas Day. Up and breakfasts... Scrambled egg and salmon on toast for everyone. Then a lengthy present opening session. I did well with lots of presents, including bamboo socks with pheasants on them, a book Anton gave me, about cooking Indian food on the BBQ, which seems an adventure. Lorraine bought me a picture which was an assembly of stamps, many of the Japanese, containing pictures of Peanuts characters. Really cool. And of course we all lapped up wine that Mum had sent us.  Despite Lorraine doing quite a bit of cooking yesterday, still lots to be done. Our turkey this year was more of an ambitious chicken really. Not too large, and was cooked in two and a half hours. All the usual veggies, including my special mushrooms cooked with sage and featuring some Kenny Farm celeriac made into a delicious puree. A happy and tasty meal, eaten in our dining room, looking resplendently festive with its red walls and twinkly tree,   In the evening we had a cheese selection with ...

A text from Toby just before three saying he was on a Shinkansen with Raine and Eitaro. Up fairly early, and went for an early walk, dropping a card in to Brian and Yvonne like a xmas elf and then going for a cobweb removing walk along the seafront. Very warm for the time of year, about 14C, but with strong winds and a rough sea, and the salty misty spray felt tingly in my nose. People friendly and several people said hello. After popping into Morrisons for a few more bits of food, Home for breakfast. Then we all spent the day busily, building the second Christmas tree, Lorraine cooking for Christmas, me doing other cooking, tidying up, wrapping presents, etc.  Pat and Maureen also drafted into sausage roll making and so on.  Beth -- who stopped work this evening for Christmas, and James who arrived at seven and had gammon, egg and chips.  A cheery Christmas evening, a few drinks and chatting. Below a walk along the seafront, and Maureen making sausage rolls. 

A spot of shopping with Lorraine in Seaford, plus a big supermarket food shop. I popped into Gallery Uno, and they were very friendly, and bought Lorraine a little ceramic heart thingy and also some earrings from another place, to supplement the presents I had bought her ahead of time in Brighton a week ago. This evening met Anton in Steamworks, to swap a bag of presents and have a cheeky beer. Trains not working, so he had to catch a bus over to Seaford. Really nice just to chill out a bit, right a few wrongs with the world and play a game of bones in the pub. After Lorraine had taken care of Pat and Maureen, we were joined by Lorraine, and together we mooched off to Spice Village, where we had a  surprisingly delicious curry. Felt very holiday-ish. Left Anton standing at a bus stop and sloped home. 

A few hours of solitude after breakfasting with Lorraine. I continued to sort books out in my study, like meeting old friends again. But also moodily realising that 2023 had been a poor year for my own writing. Almost a complete wash out, except redeemed by five poems accepted in the last month or so. In washed-up hack mode.  A few other house chores before Christmas. Lorraine drove off to Ashford and collected Pat and Maureen and returned with them at tea time, ready to lap up some tea. Chatting with Mum, after she fed the foxes and nipped out for some teabags. They had been to The Waggon and Horses in the new car.   I cooked a pasta and chicken thing for everyone, which was rather tasty (sneaking in a little garlic). And had a relaxed evening watching the box. A Sykes programme from the seventies on BBC4, with Eric Sykes, Hattie Jacques and Derek Guyler. An oddly nostalgic experience, probably because I used not to watch the programme much as it seemed dated and slow to me ...

Fewer 'must-dos'. I spent much of the morning happily about the dusty business of placing books in my bookcase, two sides one broadly about philosophy, history, Guernsey, religion and a shelf for my must read pile. The other mainly poetry, with a bit of literary theory and stuff.  Otherwise a bit of straightening out. Then a brief doze with Lorraine before zooming off to Brighton. A flash of light shopping, and then up to the Batty to meet Anton for a cheeky beer. Lots to catch up on. Anton finally stopped slogging today, and is numbed and tired. Chatting about stuff, a bit light on laughs. Stav's funeral next month and so on. However we soon cheered up, Lorraine drinking her first quarter of a pint in one gulp as usual, just because that is the best taste of all. And we played a three-way game of bones.  Anton had to leave and cook for Anne, and Lorraine and I took a chance and ate in the Batty. As it is under new ownership, I had a delicious Caribbean chicken curry served...

Up just before eight when a man called Andy arrived, and set about installing shelves in a cupboard, and screwing another cupboard to the wall in the utility room, and going on later in the morning to make new bookshelves from adapting my other bookshelves into my study.  I left to go up to Edgware, before most of this was done, pausing only to help Andy move a bookshelf and banging my eye socket painfully.  Then the four trains to Edgware to see Mum and Mas. Caught the wrong Edgware bus at Mill Hill Broadway, and it took me through Burnt Oak, somewhere I'd not been for years. It had changed since I last was there, with the high street shops all changed reflecting changes in populace, with greengrocers with exotic veggies, and at least on grocery with Arabic script. Got off at the crossroads, and walked up Stonegrove and through the little alley onto Kings Drive.   Today the new car was signed over to Mum, the neighbour came and very kindly logged onto the government site...

Feeling a bit sluggish but a perfect Monday to do a final bit of billing, and fix a computer problem as my meetings were suddenly no longer showing up in my calendar. Then I was able to decline a meeting for later this week, and drew a line under the freelance year -- not that I have been slogging this year. Still psychologically nice.  Spoke to Mum and confirmed I was coming up tomorrow. Took all the books from my shelves and moved most of the things in my study into the spare room, in preparation for shelf building tomorrow. Lorraine and I went mooching about in a few Seaford shops, and popped into Morrisons and loaded up on non-perishables. Dawn was meant to come and hang out with Lorraine in the afternoon, but wasn't feeling well. Everyone still very conscious of not infecting one another post covid. Otherwise find myself enjoying Sampha's new album Lahai . Deeply emotional, soulful and restrained, with bursts of staccato vocals and rhythms that take a time to adjust to. Re...

Beth and James stayed overnight. Chatting with them in the morning, before they pushed off. It had done them both good to do something fun last night. Otherwise a much needed quiet day -- interspersed with a bit of gardening. Lorraine out there for some time. I broke off to speak to Tobs, all is well and he is off to Japan at the end of the week to join Romy, and hoping for no appalling travel shenanigans like last year. In Blightly, an evening for watching men and elves fighting orcs on TV.

A slow morning, thankfully just pottering about and feeling happy it is Saturday. Beth and James around late this afternoon. Poor Beth shattered from so much work this month. After an early dinner, off in the evening with Beth and James to The Wellington, where we went to the beer and carols session in aid of a church charity. Basically a room full of people singing with absolutely unrestrained gusto. Our pals Brian, Yvonne, Patrick and Adele were there, and James and Beth enjoyed meeting them. A strangely wonderful time singing with friends, which felt cathartic. So much fun and so Christmassy obviously too. Beth and James especially happy with the idea that laughs were available in abundance in Seaford, helping her and James picture what life might be like.   Below Brian lurking tidily on the bed between us.  

I got up at 6:45 and did some freelance stuff and sent it off. Later I ended up having to have a meeting about it before it could be killed off. IT playing up, bandwidth problems, meetings disappearing from my desktop calendar and so on. I have two and a half days work in January too. Keeping a small freelance iron in the fire, but with little enthusiasm. Also did some editing on the podcast and got this loaded and published this afternoon. Tidying and doing food prep with Lorraine as Guy, Tim, Catherine and Tanya were coming around at four. I managed a nap though and a shower, after which I felt a bit perkier.  A quick chat with Mum, who has her new car now. A cheery late afternoon and evening. Lots of Prosecco and chat. We'd done a bit roast dinner and we had Christmas pudding it was all festive and cheery. They left at a sensible hour, and we pottered about a bit before an early night. Revelling at the idea that I won't have to get up early. I am feeling a bit worn out. 

Lorraine had arranged for a supermarket delivery to come this morning between 7 and 9. So up before the sparrows. However, when she checked it, the delivery was going to be made to our old address in Brighton. Lorraine having to make lots of phone calls, where she was assured she could drive to Hove and collect the order this afternoon. This a 40 minute drive. She drove off, and she'd been told a load of bollocks on the helpline, and so had to do the whole shop from scratch. Basically sorting this out took hours and was very frustrating considering the whole idea of a delivery was to save time. Meanwhile, I did the stuff for my client and sent it off to France around lunchtime.  Broke off so that Robin and I could re-record a conversation where on playback the channels recorded two Robins instead of both of us. Late feedback from the client, who tryingly true to form, wanted to make changes. Means I am going to have to do it tomorrow morning, which left me feeling a tad irritated. ...

Up and getting myself ready to go to Edgware. Calliope subdued and not moving much.  I called Mum but she was on the line to the Police as her car had been stolen this morning. Later Mum told me that Ben across the road's security cameras caught a car arriving a little after 5am, one man got out removed a headlight, and stucking his arm into the car and somehow turning it on and driving off with it. Bastards stole it from their disabled parking spot, with Mason's disabled pass in it.  To add to the general joy, on my way to Seaford Station Anton called telling me that his old schoolfriend Stav, who I'd met two or three times and had rather liked, had died. Anton obviously gutted about this, as they had been friends for decades. I made my way up to Mill Hill broadway. Doing some freelance work on the train. While walking to Edgware I called Mum, and she said they wanted to go to go to the Jolly Badger for lunch. I was a few yards away from the place, but I was a bit doubtful...

Awake before dawn, and pulled the curtains to see the dawn over a grey and Lorraine-less Seaford.  A shower, and breakfast with sleepy cats. A bit tired and wan. Spoke to Lorraine this morning.  First order of the day was a bit of Santa business. Brian called around with the costume, which I put on at home, and then we drove across Seaford to his house, nobody we passed even noticed Santa was sat in the passenger seat. At Brian's a three year old Jude and baby Sebastian with their mum Annabelle and Yvonne. I found it quite easy to get back into Santa mode, and enjoyed myself immensely. Brian had a list that Jude had written containing two items, a dinosaur and a train. I clarified if the dinosaur was a toy dinosaur otherwise it would be hard to get down the chimney and liberally deployed the ho-ho-hos and Santa banter and the whole thing ended in a certain amount of comedy dancing. Yvonne handed me a glass of port, with a straw, and I sipped it through my nylon beard. Then sli...

Up early with Lorraine, and walked her to the station to start the long journey to Leuchars up in Fife where she would be collected by Jade. Felt sad to be saying goodbye at the station even for just a few days. Nipped around to the supermarket and then back. A nice bright day however. To sort the kitchen out, change the cat litter, read poems by Christina Rossetti, and listened to someone reading Goblin Market her longish and most famous poem on YouTube while  Robert the herring gull was trying to get in again. I had the back door open.  Its original title was going to be A Peep at the Goblins , which seems to me to be hilarious. Lively stuff, and I talked about it in the podcast. I was also waiting for a man to measure up the window and the catflap so a hole could be cut in it, to arrive. He, naturally, did not turn up. A bit of a pane.  In the afternoon more recording with Robin. Then I set out for a walk for an hour and a half just as it was getting dark. Robin texte...

A day at home. Feeling in the need of a day doing little. The cats no respecters of people who went to bed very late. Spoke to Mum, who'd had a difficult day yesterday, and then had a leisurely breakfast. Mainly a lazy day after a flurry of sorting things out this morning. Watched a movie this afternoon called The First Wives Club from the nineties, which was fairly perfect for a rainy Sunday afternoon. Lorraine packing to go up to Scotland tomorrow morning, and we made fisherman's pie for dinner. All well. To bed.

Hosing it down this morning. A filthy day. Many of the trains weren't running thanks to industrial action, including those I take to get to Mum, so I called her first thing and rearranged a visit to next Wednesday.  A suprise visit from Matt, who had come to Seaford to see his grandfather, and get his wee boy William to meet him. Lorraine cooks us some soup. William was delightful, and extremely well behaved. Great to see Matty boy again, last glimpsed on Chiswick High Road in the summer. Good to have a catch up on some gossip, but also to see Matt being such an exemplary dad. All heartwarming.  Then later in the afternoon, Lorraine and I set off to Brighton by car, to catch the train to Victoria. Arrived in good time, bought a snack from M&S and caught the tube to Embankment and walked up through the festive throngs to the London Coliseum  St Martin's Lane, where we saw Max Richter lead the performance of his piece Voices, based on the Universal Declaration of Human ...

Up and breakfasted early, leaving Lorraine in bed and was collected by Brian who drove us off to Friston Forest. A lovely walk, the going soft and puddly, and the chat excellent. Brian stopping and making me look at things, like the colour of leaves under the beech trees. Marley the dog zooming about happily. Then back to Brian and Yvonne's house for a cuppa and to try on their Santa clothes. They want me to go around next week while their grandchildren are there and BE Santa. A man with my years of Santa experience couldn't really say no.  Then I walked home. A beautiful clear day, and not raining which was rather miraculous. Lorraine off at lunchtime to see Laura, and meet her baby Layla, and then on to hang out with Beth, and help her get her flat ready for the buyers who are coming around again tomorrow. I simply did some bits of work, billing and so on but wasn't in the mood to apply myself to anything.  I made off to meet Steve and his dutch pal Mike again, for a few ...

Lorraine kindly drove me to Newhaven to get a massage at lunchtime. Chi made me laugh, telling me it was easy to be Santa because I didn't have to do anything. Felt nicely released by her deep tissue stuff. A bus back feeling floaty. Recording with Robin this afternoon, which went fairly smoothly.  

Working on concepts for Valérie again today. Sent them off this afternoon, and received an almost instantaneous positive response. Working with Val is lovely. Also billed my other client, then went for a walk late in the evening, just to blow the cobwebs off having been manacled to the desk for much of the day. Lorraine had been off to her personal trainer this morning and was out and about. Felt in a good mood, having completed my jobs. Spoke to Mum, then went for a drink with Patrick and Andrew. Was fascinated by Andrew telling me that he can't see pictures in his head. He read an article in the Guardian about someone who had never been able to visualise people or things in their heads and realised it was him too. A story made even more remarkable by the fact that he had worked for years in Police surveillance. A rather a good and interesting evening, and I enjoyed myself. Both men very interesting. We had a perhaps unnecessary absolute bloody final in the Cinque Ports having met...

Up alone, apart from the cats. Simply got on with working all day and early evening on the concepts for Val. A peaceful working experience. I do well left to come up with concepts on my own. Spoke to Mum a couple of times, and had a short walk in the teeming rain at one point by way of an interlude. Lorraine arrived safely home this evening. All well. Received a poetry acceptance from  The Wee Sparrow Poetry Press, another one based in Scotland. 

Off in the rain to meet Dawn and Paul in Brighton. We met in The Dorset where we had a bite to eat and a small glass of wine, then we wandered down to the dome to see the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra (who style themselves 'The Beating Heart of Brighton'). My visit compromised by an appalling experience in the gents. I marched in and peed in the thigh-high metal trough. I looked about me and could see people outside through the doorway so I hunched in. Only after a while did I realise that I was actually peeing in the sink. Nobody had said anything. But I was mortified, and the cringe was hard when I told Lorraine, Dawn and Paul afterwards.  So the music. Today they played Arvo Pärt's piece Spiegel im Spiegel , then a longer piece that I'd not heard called Lamentate .  I didn't find the first piece played to my taste. The piano sounded mechanical and soulless and the violin tentative and trying too hard to be interesting. Lamentate was episodic and certainly some ...

Very nippy still. Didn't do nothing, but did next to nothing. Lurked at home, Lorraine and I slipped out to the supermarket to do some shopping. Lorraine then cooked an absolutely delicious chicken biryani curry and a green lentil dhal. Ate like a Raja. Pat and Maureen watching snooker on TV most of the day. Reminded me of my grandmother Gwen, who liked snooker a lot in her later years. Something about the mental arithmetic which she was always excellent at. Read some poetry for the podcast, but it was mainly a day for staring at the walls.

Woke up very, early and went to my desk -- and got to work. But not before sending an email to Matt about the idea for flute and voice we'd been talking about in Slaithwaite. He sent me an email in the evening -- wishing we could pop out for a beer and a brainstorm. Apparently snow in Yorkshire, which Phoebe revels in. Great to be in touch properly again. Later in the morning I had a good chat with Valérie, looking chic even when working from home. She was very kind about me, saying they always thought of me as a member of their team. We have worked together often over the years, and it's like checking in with an old friend. Happily chugged on with her brief during the day. Working with Val is always calm and productive. Nipped out at lunch with Lorraine to do a spot of shopping, dipping into a few shops and buying a stool.  Then I spoke to Mum who was okay, and Mas not too bad. Luckily Mason was happy to stay at home. Then took a call from Gabriel.  Finished at 4 as I had bee...