under another sun

Lorraine helping Pat and Maureen today and going shopping with them. Picked me up on the way back to carry and move a few bits. They are settling in well. They had been in Paradise Park. Maureen   complaining because she sat in her seat in the cafe and it was wet. She made me feel her bottom to verify the wetness. Pat and Maureen settling in well generally. Popped over to see Beth and James this evening as they wanted to trial their new barbecue in preparation for next week, when they are hosting James's mum and some of his family. James and I stood brandishing our Y chromosomes over the new barbie, which worked well. At indoors as it was a bit cool. The walls of the living room looking nice in their new soft truffle colour. Mickey the cat springing about. A cheery evening snarfing chicken Beth cooked with peri peri seasoning.

Back up to London. The train wouldn't start again at Seaford, but then all well, and a good journey, unremarkable other than a dog leaning with heavy fondness on me and licking my hand in one train. Got to Mum's exactly at 12:20 and after a cup of tea and a chat, and we sorted out a couple of bits like reloading Facebook on her iPad and sitting a heavy pot back on its feet etc. Her new wifi working well, although she doesn't like the little phones so much. We looked at a few old photos and then made off in the car, now parked outside on the newly-tarmacked street as the old disabled markings are gone, so she can park outside her own house without being given a ticket by Kafkaesque parking wardens.  To the Waggon on a fine, but coolish day. A few of the folks in the corner, all saying hello to us, especially Mum. The Bailiff guy was in, with two dogs which he told to sit on two chairs and they did, all the time he was there, even when he had to go out to move his chair. When...

Sam and Pat's actual birthdays today. Lorraine went out for lunch with Pat and Maureen, and had a good chat with Sam, who although not doing birthdays, was in good spirits. Lorraine sent him one of her crocheted bags. A morning being able to focus, which was marvellous. Have a sense, which I hope is not an illusion, of making a large step forward with the poems, and refining what the project is all about.  In the afternoon off to Brighton to get my hair cut. As last time a the same bloke walked in and started talking insultingly to Stacy about when his appointment was and so on. By chance he appeared last time I went there. He is a client Stacy inherited called Barry the Nightmare, and is in his phone by that name, which Stacy said was awkward when Barrry the Nightmare looked at Stacy's phone the other day. Stacy also told me I wash my hair too much. Then to my traditional ideologically unsound Starbucks, which has had a bit of a refurbishment to make it slightly less welcomin...

Up early with Lorraine, she was zooming off to do her physical training. I was off to London. Caught the usual 9:24 train from Seaford, changed at Lewes but only got as far as Hateful Heath where we were all turfed out of the train, and left on the platform. By eleven and there was no sign of escape and l people trying to get to Gatwick to catch planes and so on.   At this point I called Mum and rearranged my visit for Friday. Lorraine, called me, just having finishing her session at nearby Bolney, picked me up and took me to Brighton, and then went on to see Rosie in Hove.  At London Road, I just missed a Seaford train, half an hour for the next one only went to Newhaven. A bus home arriving at 1am, 3 hours 45 minutes since I left home. Later I went to Seaford Station, and described my morning in such detail to the nice ticket lady, that she gave me my money back so I would stop talking about it. I did bump into Adam Bushell on the way to Newhaven where he lives.  Adam w...

A peaceful bank holiday morning, despite the workmen next door.  Lorraine went off to help Pat and Maureen, and I went to the Seaford Art Club exhibition and went for a coffee with Palo to the cafe near the graveyard, The Lanes Eatery, and signed some more copies of Snow which are still selling well. She told me she had a chat with  Chris Whitty, who popped in to see the Art -- as Palo's background in public health meant she felt like she was meeting a real hero.   Then home, and I mooched off to the gym for a bit of not too frenzied trundling, before sloping off to Pat and Maureen's place and find Lorraine. And from there, after doing a few bits and pieces and loading up the car, we brought them home for a roast chicken dinner and Lorraine took them home later. Below mucking about with a photo I took when staying at the Tower Hotel with Lorraine the other week.

Up and enjoying not having to do much. Spoke to Mum and Lorraine spoke to Maureen and then Lorraine and I caught the train into Brighton to meet Guy, Tim, and Catherine and Tanya. After popping into Pen to Paper and infinity foods we them all in the Chilli Pickle by the Library for lunch, and as a belated celebration of Tim's birthday. Lovely time as usual, and we gave Tim a bottle of olive oil and a crocheted bag Lorraine had made. I also gave each couple the Mariscat Sampler, as Tim has read some of my poems and listens to Planet Poetry, and Catherine and Tanya have been interested in my poems too.  A lovely meal, and well priced. We guzzled a few starters and I had lamb balti grand thali which was almost too much. Catherine had gunpowder fries and Tandoori Chicken Xacuti. Lorraine had an aubergine grand thali. Then, as is traditional, to Brass Monkey where we sat outside licking ice cream. Spoke most to Catherine, who is working from home again full time now. She has now turned...

A stormy morning, Lorraine and I hoping that Pat and Maureen would be sitting looking at the grey sky and lively sea thinking this may not be what they had signed up for. So up and read through and sent off the stuff for mes amis in Paris. Then breakfast with my babydoll before she set off to do Story Time then go round to help Pat and Maureen. I wrote to Valérie today to tell her that I had closed my business but would do odd jobs for her still. Lovely reply from her. Otherwise did a smidge of my own writing (it has not been a good writing week). Also watching some of the speeches from the Democratic National Congress in the US. Some fine speechmaking on show, exhibiting rhetorical skills currently thin on the ground in the UK. Well written speeches, seeding in ideas sometimes very subtly.  Longish chat with Mum, who told me Tanya suggested they go out with Robert to an Indian Restaurant, and that the road was now done. I am going up next Tuesday to see her. Also spoke to Anton at...

The day, I thought, of my latest interview. When I chased the publisher's publicity person, she said that they'd not even sent the questions to the poet who I was interviewing at 9am Central time. I sent them a crisp email about this.  But as usual when I send crisp emails, turns out I was the buffoon, having got the day completely wrong. Somehow as all the correspondence had the 22 August in the subject line, I'd forgotten this was the launch date, and not when I had agreed to interview the poet, which was 11 September.  Quite a startling mistake, and not like me, also a bit peeving as I had push myself to get it all done in time. However, now all the preparation is done, I can relax until I interview the poet next month. This let the steam out of the day. And I worked calmly on a short job for Val, having decided a while ago that I would turn work aside, except for my favourite client. It a fun mind-mappy thing anyway, proposing taglines for a portfolio of new animal medi...

Lorraine and I up at seven thirty and after breakfasting and poking an antibiotic into Calliope's mouth etc. off to Ashford. As we were driving through Rye, Lorraine noticed that the van behind us was from the removers. We got to Pat and Maureen's house a little before them. A father and son removal team from Seaford, the son suffering from kidney stones, which is a bit grim, and the dad not much younger than me. Luckily not too much to move from Pat and Maureen's house.  Lorraine knew what to take and what not to take. I dug up a rose in the garden that had been given to Maureen by her sister. I felt something end-of-chapterish about leaving Pat and Maureen's house, and of course for Lorraine it was the family home since she was a little girl. However little time for sentimentality,  we  zoomed off, back the almost two hours to Seaford eating peanut butter sandwiches en route.   More complicated to unload stuff at Stratheden Court, and take it up to the second floor...

Up and finalising my questions for my next interview which took a lot of work and thinking. I sent them off to Danez Smith's publishers with the link to chat on Thursday. Was pleased to get this finished, as the preparation on this interview has taken ages, and I still feel a bit underprepared. Spoke to Mum this morning as it would have been Mason's ninetieth birthday and he came to my mind several times during the day.  In the afternoon off with Lorraine to Stratheden Court, took some of Pat and Maureen's things and did a spot of cleaning, although the flat had been left clean and in excellent condition. Then to Morrisons, which was crowded but with a shortage of checkout people, which Lorraine talked to a manager who shrugged it off and said there were no people. Home and Lorraine cooked up a lovely mild chicken curry. A quiet night for me, though Lorraine off at book club. We are off to Ashford tomorrow to oversee the movers and pick up a few bits.    Below another vi...

Up early and finally finished reading Bluff by Danez Smith. A brilliant book. I also had to think about tonight. This complicated by the fact Palo contacted me this morning to say that she still had Covid. Tidied the place up a bit, and Lorraine arrived with Pat and Maureen. Very happy to have my wife back home with me. Shortly afterwards we drove off to the new flat in Stratheden Court, and met the owner and took the keys. This was a big moment, but naturally I had left my camera at home.   Beautiful view of the sea across the way of course. Pat and Maureen walking about it trying to take it all in. Maureen scowling at a large streak of seagull guano on the big window. I crept off to the Seaford Art Club's seventieth year exhibition at six, parked my imposter syndrome and went in and met Eileen and Jeremy and then lurked around the paintings, of which there were around 150, and chose three as prize winners.  I was introduced by Eileen, and gave a speech about wardrobes into N...

Other than clean a bit of weed out of the pond, and do a bit of laundry, and cook and nip to Tescos I spent the bulk of the day quietly reading. Finished The Sandman by E.T.A. Hoffmann, which was quite intriguing. No wonder Freud liked it, although his idea that it was all about fear of castration seemed to me far fetched. Also reading the excellent  Bluff by Danez Smith, who I should be interviewing next week.  I am also opening the Seaford Art Society exhibition tomorrow, and choosing the winners.  Messaged Palo, who has been at home with Covid, but will be released back into the wild tomorrow.  Calliope slept with me last night, and didn't get off the bed till 4pm. I will get her antibiotics on Monday, as the vet suggested yesterday. Missing Lorraine who is still in Ashford busy helping Pat and Maureen pack. They will all be back here tomorrow. This bit from The Sandman which made me laugh. I posted it on Facebook and Yvonne said it sounded like me and Lorraine,...

Up and breakfasting early, Calliope with me as I carried her up to be with me. She was purring all night. At lunchtime I caught the train to Brighton and met Anton and Oskar at the station. We walked down to Preston Street and stopped at The Brick for a cheeky small beer (and a wee for me). First time I've had a drink in a pub with Oskar, as he only turned 18 at the end of April. We sat outside to down our small beers, when a random guy asked to sit down with us which was a bit weird. He was harmless though. Then went down to the boules area on the beach. Quite busy but there was a free bit at the end. There was a homeless guy in a tent who started shouting at us to help him get his tent up, while also claiming to be an ex-soldier and that we were all bastards for not helping. Anton and I played one game, and then I dropped out and Oskar began to play with Anton, when an old geezer wearing a boules tie came over and insisted we join him and two other people to play a six handed gam...

Hot sunny day. I went out into the garden first things to breath-in lungfuls of poo-tainted air, as the local farmers and been manuring their fields again. Pat and Maureen went back to Ashford with Lorraine who will stay to help them with packing, before, fingers crossed, they return to become Seafordians next week.  At one, I took Calliope to the vets. Normally she is howling in the car, but she peeped only once as I carried the cat basket on foot to our nearby vet. Friendly guy behind the desk, with a bulldog snoozing at his feet. A woman vet I had not seen before, weighed Calliope and said she has lost a good deal of weight. I agreed to a blood test as her thyroid dosage needs adjusting. I hope it is as simple as that, as Calliope is just two weeks short of her 16th birthday. As I was about to pay, a woman came in brandishing a dead grey squirrel which she had found in the road. The vet listened for a heartbeat, but the squirrel was dead. A bit sad and a bit surreal at the same ...

Did some good writing first thing, but then decided I needed to get  away from my desk, and cut a hedge, ands trimmed the edges of the lawn and so on for a while. Lorraine happily joining me. At least a couple of hours of this sort of thing. Very calming and nice, and Lorraine doing all kinds of wonders clearing out the caterpillar farm of a raised bed. The luxury of a short doze, before Beth and James around for supper to see Pat and Maureen. Hopefully this will be the first of many. Maureen on fine form this evening and telling funny stories. Beth telling us about rehearsing Vagabond Skies. All exciting stuff. Spoke to Mum, who had been to the W&H at lunchtime with Ben. He had been trapped in his house and unable to get his van out for work due to the resurfacing work. Mum, who had cunningly parked around the corner outside her friends' house, drove them off for lunch. Waleed at the W&H asked her how many boyfriends she has. Some of our plums, from the sapling we planted ...

Enjoyed chatting with Pat and Maureen this morning, when Lorraine was off doing rhyme time. Maureen was talking about her next door neighbours, one of them she called 'nose ointment' drove with her husband to Seaford, to find out where they were moving. Laughing about 'nose ointment' all day, which apparently has cockney roots, but one I'd never heard. Why ointment ? Maureen can't wait to move to Seaford, and it's looking like they might be able to do it next week. Lorraine, being a star. Pat and Maureen lurking outside in the garden lots. I fiddled with a big new memory poem, went to the gym this afternoon and finished The Uncanny this evening. Freud's weird and wonderful essay about DaVinci I'd saved for last. Quite remarkable and well written, even if it seems to me to be a bit wrong headed at times and takes a few wild intuitive leaps, one based on the symbol of a vulture as mother, as Leonardo had a fantasy with a vulture in it, which Freud wen...

Up early and slowly organising my thoughts into a new longer poem, and reading a bit more Freud. I have almost finished The Uncanny , the Penguin collection of his essays and I have really enjoyed it.   Pat and Maureen and Lorraine went back to the place they are buying, and also had a chat with the property manager. Then, being the ideal daughter, Lorraine organising everything so that in the afternoon, we were able to zoom off to Brighton. I nipped out of the car and dropped off the legal documents for Pat and Maureen's move at the solicitor's office (we are using Healeys again in the Old Stein so it is Jess's daughter Kate helping us again). Really enjoyed Lorraine and I just having a drive together and a chat, and look at the sunshine on the south coast. Just one last push to get Pat and Maureen here in Seaford, which they are both looking forward to immensely. Home again, and I picked up the threads of the writing I was doing and spoke to Mum who seemed fairly perky. T...

Very hot this morning. Lorraine up early, before doing a boomerang trip to Ashford to collect Pat and Maureen. I stayed at home, full of half ideas, which I sketched down. (So lucky to be able to do this) and then went to the gym after avocado on toast for lunch, listening to the Leading podcast.  Hurrah for the postie. I had sent away for a second hand book (a pocket sized Penguin Little Black Classics of The Sandman by E.T.A. Hoffmann, a horror classic discussed by Freud) using the wrong house number. It was still correctly delivered. Astonishing in this day and age. Also took delivery of some teeshirts for generously proportioned gentlemen, and six bottles of wine I got half price.  A low sea mist settled over Seaford halfway through the day. A relief of pleasant cooler temperatures. Lorraine arrived with Pat and Maureen seeming a tad frazzled. Maureen had left a case of her clothes in Ashford. Contracts and so on to sign for Pat and Maureen tomorrow, and they are going ba...

A blazing hot day. Lorraine and I got up slowly and then made off to find Beth and James who were lurking on the beach. Lorraine and I went in twice, and actually the water temperature was perfectly nice once you were in. If I had been swimming lots rather than a bit of bobbing about, I could have stayed in for ages. Hardy types like Brian report the glow of wellbeing after getting out from the cold water in January. But I certainly did feel my mood improve and feeling fresher and more alive afterwards. I'd never been down to the beach when it was so crowded here. Not enough for it to be oppressive, however. Nearby a bloke was catching mackerel by casting out a trace with small shiny lures on it. He reeled in three at once, one time. I have thought about doing this myself, but seeing the poor things thrashing about made me feel sad, which of course is very hypocritical of me. Part of me likes the idea of nipping off to the sea and returning with a brace of mackerel for our dinner t...

A decent night's sleep in the Tower Hotel in St Catherine's dock. Got up for breakfast but there was some mix up in the pass keys we had been given, but eventually we met up with others. Fiona and Paul, Moira and Jim. Nice relaxed breakfast. Jim an ecology professor and a very interesting guy. A good breakfast there. I'd enjoyed meeting the London nurses and some of their husbands lots.  I was keen to get back home to Seaford, and left Lorraine to hang out with her old pals, enjoying a day of bus and river trips and a drink at lunchtime. I hurried past the Tower of London, and decided to tube to Victoria. There I caught the Eastbourne train with five seconds to spare. Had been rushing for it as if it were a matter of life or death, which was very  weird and I still don't understand why it suddenly became so important. Home, and extremely happy to be dozing with cats and reading. Lorraine home early evening, and sinking happily into the sofa after lots of walking today. ...

Up to London with Lorraine, she was off to a reunion of her cohort of nurses from the London Hospital, and I went up to see Mum. After a bit of chatting we zoomed off to a very lively Waggon and Horses, where we drank some cider and had lunch. Mum loves it when it's like that. Steve and Paul and the other guys at the bar, laughing and there was a part of a wedding party with the young women dressed in gorgeous colourful south asian clothes, and blokes of those Indian silk shirts, matched with tattoos for an unusual look.  Home again for cups of tea, and then after a fond farewell I caught the bus Mill Hill Broadway station, but instead stayed on it till I reached Finchley. Here to do a bit of mooching about in Gordon Road, where my paternal grandparents lived, and where I was looked after during the day when mum was at work. I have some patchy memories of this time, and I was hoping that by visiting the street, I would have my memory triggered. A nearby footpath felt lined by trees...

Lorraine and I made six jars of plum jam today, from our own plum tree. Very industrious of us.  I also did some admin for the podcast, arranging for an interview. Then I had a two hour meeting with the Understory Conversation folks, which proved interesting and very useful for me.  I also received the absolute bloody final proofs of the Mariscat pages, they looked very good. Looks promising in the great Pat and Maureen move too... Hopefully they will be installed in Seaford in the not too distant future. Innis and Rosie around at tea time, having spent a good deal of time with this afternoon with assorted raptors, as a birthday present for Innis, sharing lots of detailed information about raptors and their ways.  Naturally this needed to be further discussed over a beer in the Boot, followed by noodles in Amie's kitchen. I had a phô which was rather nice -- I don't remember having one of those before -- and it was quite pokey in the chilli department.   Below Innis...

Lorraine off to do Rhyme Time in the Library, I fiddled with a poem, but felt at a bit of an impasse. Part of me wants to have one of those university reading weeks as I have an ever mounting pile of books to be read, but there is always something else that seems must be done. However today I re-read Freud's essay on The Uncanny , as well as one called Screen Memories (a seemingly-banal memory from early childhood, that the brain then uses as the basis for repressed feelings from later life). This I found very interesting, and set some cogs whirring in my head. I don't agree with all he says of course, but he is an amazing writer. Also I am arranging some interviews for the next season of the podcast. Trouble is reading begets more reading. Now I want to read The Sand Man by E.T.A. Hoffmann as Freud was glossing it. Also began reading Bluff by Danez Smith, a US poet, who I will interview. Made an absolute gaffe writing to the publisher's publicity, calling Danez him inst...

A quieter day. I got up early and cleaned up after yesterday. Had breakfast with everyone, and did a little PK stuff, and went to the gym in the afternoon, while Lorraine and Jade were with Beth, and Sam went to Brighton to see a pal. Late afternoon I joined the ladies for a swim in the sea. First time I'd been in at Seaford. A degree of unmanly yelping at first as it felt rather bracing. Jade said getting into water was worse for men because of their exterior genitals. Beth just slipped in without hesitation. But once I was in I felt fine, and could have stayed in longer than I did, bobbing about with Lorraine, Beth and Jade. Bobbing about you get a different perspective, feeling more part of the sun over Newhaven harbour, and the golden light, blue sky distant downs, Seaford Head and so on.    Home and feeling hungry, enjoyed chatting with Jade. Sam home late and hungry. And so to bed.   

Breakfast, then Beth came round to collect Sam and Jade so they could visit her new house and garden. Lorraine and I zoomed about getting stuff ready. I sparked up the barbecue and dug up some potatoes with my hands while Lorraine prepping salads and so much more. A lovely time in the sun in the back. The barbecue behaved reasonably well, full steam ahead but then slunk into a sullen but steady low heat towards the end, so the burgers Beth and James had brought were slow cooked, but still apparently delicious. Lorraine really happy to have have Sam and Beth together at home with Jade and James. Lots of laughing and I felt a moment of my own luckiness in being part of a family. Beth especially relaxed as she did not have to work tomorrow. Below eating outside, containing a fraction of James. I am looking a bit weirder than usual because I am kneeling. Jade took a shot of Calliope giving Lorraine some love, with Brian snoozing in the background.   

Sent off my amendments to Hamish Whyte this morning, just like a real writer. Also email with Charlotte, we are going to do a conversational interview for the Understory blog.  Lorraine and I then in a tidying and hoovering the house frenzy for a few hours, and also zoomed off to the supermarket.  In the evening Lorraine and I popped off to the Pump Barn at Exceat, just by Friston Forest where there was an art show featuring Adele and Palo among others from the last minute artists group. The room was full of friends, and we had picked up Debbie, one of the book club posse, and Patrick en route. Brian and Yvonne, Deana and John, several local artists that I have spoken to. Lorraine and I chatted with Palo too, and was very flattered by Palo asking me to open the Seaford Arts Club exhibition later in the month, which took me zero seconds to agree to. It was a great scene there in the private view, lots of folks a slightly jazzy band, a lovely room with a wee bar in the corner....

Up at seven. Fiddling more with my other website, trying to bring it into the 21st century.  Big news for me during the day was that I was sent the proofs of the Mariscat Sampler One. It looks rather lovely, and I am pleased with the selection that has been made. I read Helen and Marilyn's poems today (the two other poets in the collection) to Lorraine while we were sitting outside. We were really impressed with their work. I am so pleased with it. The poems the Editor Hamish Whyte chose from me are these: The House With Blue Curtains, Forgiveness:A Guided Meditation, The Door in the Wall, Thunderstruck, Black Kawasaki KH250, Jack Daniel's, Chrononaut, Relic and The House of Hidden Hope. They will appear in that order, and hang together nicely.  I went to the gym in the afternoon again. Trying to get back into a routine, and enjoying it. Already, after just three visits this week, I feel the positivity it gives you. Lurking a bit in the garden this afternoon with Lorraine, who...

Hot, close night. Brian miaowing with great volume, being deaf, outside the bedroom door. He is banished from the bedroom. Then me waking me up hearing Calliope yowling with another cat outside as my windows were open. I went down and stood outside at 3am. The sky was flashing with distant thunder beyond Seaford Head, and while I was there a few spots of rain started but soon stopped. Couldn't get back to sleep, and Lorraine wasn't there.  A nice day for me, however. An early breakfast, and working slowly on a few bits and pieces, and in the afternoon organising my other website, and I went to the gym again.   Best news of the day came as I was cooking a curry for when Lorraine got home. I received an email from David Longhorn at Supernatural Tales, who said he'd greatly enjoyed my story What's Inside and will publish it next spring.  I'm absolutely delighted by this. Texted Betty this evening to tell her, as it was her summer job some time when she wore a rabbit s...