Trains and rains

Raining most of the day. Up early, a fast breakfast, and made a flask of coffee and headed off to Seaford Station. By chance, met Dutch Mike on the platform, and we chatted all the way up to Gatwick, where he got off to fly home to Haarlem.  

From Elstree station, and a stroll in the thankfully light rain to The Waggon and Horses. Mum and Mas already there, but the pub empty, and the cooker not working in the kitchen for a while. Mason wanted nibbles and we were given a plate of olives and those big mild pickled chillies, unusual foods to wash down with a Guinness. However normal service was resumed, and we ate some cooked food (grilled Halloumi and falafel for me). The pub also filled up lots towards the end. The man with two dogs arrived, and I thanked him for phoning Barnet about the parking spot outside her house. He advised me to keep an eye out for the parking fines they had accrued erroneously. Mum and Mas in fairly good spirits, and I left them there and made my way back to the station. 

Next back to Brighton, dodging the aggressive ticket people, by getting off at London Road as my return ticket was for Seaford. More enthusiastic rain. I walked to Brighton Library, where I was able to dry off and work on my poems for an hour or so. Then found Peter in the Evening Star sitting on a table next to where people were playing Toads. Chucking large coins at a small angled wooden box with a lid, a bit like an old school desk. The toads bouncing and rolling under our table etc. Mark arrived, and I had a couple of the special weak beers I was drinking with Anton the other day. Nice to see the pair of them. Then we went back to the Library Square and ate in The Chilli Pickle, which was tasty and dry and we washed our chicken birianis down with another pint of lager. Fond farewells at Brighton Station, and then after Mark got off at Lewes I happily chugged home on the Seaford train, and was back in the dry on the gold sofa with Lorraine, who had spent the day quietly with Pat and Maureen, and I watched a couple of episodes of Family Guy and crept happily to bed with Lorraine. 

A snap of St Pancras Station. It looked much more interesting in my head.