under another sun

Fairly fresh and hangover free on the first day of the year, which is always a good thing. A slow start, having had a poor night's sleep due to the pesky trapped nerve in my back. But surprisingly sparkly this morning. Made off to the local shop first thing to buy bacon and eggs, and Lorraine, Toby and I had a cheery breakfast. Meanwhile Beth and her pal Amy stayed in bed all day, eating the Ace pizzas they'd acquired on the way home last night. Phonecalls to a groggy Anton, and Lorraine drove us and Toby down to the sea to meet him, and we had a stroll about along the sea front. Windy, cold and bracing. After mooching about in this for a while, Anton took his hangover home, and we drove back home. Toby and I sat chatting in the kitchen drinking coffee for much of the afternoon. As tea time approached, Betty and Amy emerged from bed.  Toby and I sloped off to meet Anton in the Preston Park Tavern for a cheeky drink. Anton arrived sporting his Russian hat, possibly in respon...

Got up for a wee and notice the time on Lorraine's beside alarm clock. Almost six. Shortly after, it made its infernal parping, Lorraine got up, dressed, showered, fed the cats, had breakfast and so on. I sat up blearily looking at my laptop and sipping the tea Lorraine had brought me. Then Lorraine said, have you seen the time? For some reason it was 4:44 and the alarm clock was wrong. Shaken by this trauma, when I eventually got up I was full of murderous fantasies about what would happen to the solicitors if my house sale did not complete today. Went off to the gym again, to work out my grrring, and by the time I was home it was lunch time and as I ate a large ham and salad sandwich, I was emailed by one of the solicitor's underlings to say the sale had completed.  I had so little trust in them that I had to check my bank account online before I could believe it. A huge amount of stress gradually lifting from my shoulders. And a glee at not having to deal any more...

Saturday and we had a last house viewing before we take L's place off the market necessitating cleaning up on a grand scale this morning. In truth this was mostly done by Lorraine, but I feel I was there in spirit. L and I had slugged in bed till 11 and by the time the cleaning was over, and I had let in the viewer (about 12) and estate agent (about 13) and gone to the gym it was time to storm out into town. Sam down in Brighton for the evening with Beth and they were standing outside The Basketmakers when L and I arrived. Good to see Sam for the first time in many months. He is looking exceptionally handsome, and was there with his old friend John, who I'd not met before, and is in the RAF. Ate food in the Basketmakers and were soon joined by Matt and John and we drank a good deal. Sam assured everyone that The Basketmakers was the best pub in the world, and he got no arguments on that one. Even had a star spot of the bloke that played Zammo in Grange Hill who was drinking s...

Worked at home, then packed up and went to the gym for another workout. From there to the ideologically unsound Starbucks where I consumed a cinnamon swirl and a large cup of tea, and had another good session. I can't understand exactly why I work well in Starbucks when I have a perfectly good study. I can only put it down to a simple change of perspective, and perhaps that I had been exercising in the gym. Really making great strides with the book. In the afternoon contacted by the folks in Tavistock Square, to discover that I am wanted for freelance up in London next week. Only omnipotent God knows what the story will be on Monday. But the prospect of a bit of coffer top up definitely pleasing. Lorraine out with various ladies, and Anton, called around for me. He was only partially recovered from a lively night taken out by the agency he employs, which involved several shots called Jägerbombs. I had a few drinks as Anton supped glasses of water and the occasional half, in Th...

L and I to the Twitten this morning, and met Sonia there who had agreed to do a deep clean on the house. Lorraine took the car home, and I sloped off to the obnoxious Budgens by the station, where I had to browbeat them into helping me find oven cleaner. I painted out a small gold tag scrawled on the green wood. But the green I painted on was the wrong green, so I will have to repaint the pesky thing when it isn't raining. D'oh. Met Hilary one of my old neighbours and had a chat with her while her dog, who has always disliked me, barked and strained malignantly at its leash. Unfathomable are the suspicions of hounds. Mooched around town town, where I encountered Adrian carrying a bag of fresh fish. Chatted about work, and photographing the contents of women's handbags. A brave man. Pressed on buying a plug adaptor and drain unblocker. Met Lorraine in the Laines and we snacked in the Délice before Lorraine left for an afternoon of song with Hullabaloo. Home to tinker wit...

Thank God for the weekend and not having to get up before dawn. Lorraine and I didn't spring out of bed till late. Worked on poems today, and had one or two excellent suggestions from Jane. Lorraine doing some work too. Rain all day outside. Spoke to Mum and Mase for a bit, had a pre-going out sleep and then set off in a taxi with Betty and Lorraine. A really fun night out. Off to the Hove Kitchen for drinks to celebrate Betty's birthday last week. Lots of all our friends, including Wayne and Matt, Jonathan, Rosie, Ross and Lene, and lots of Beth's pals too. Good to see Ross, who I'd not had a pointless beer with for a while.  Jonathan told me that he used to have a speciality juggling with seven or eight lemons. Much taken with this as I have always had the name of a story called "The Man Who Juggled With Lemons" for about 30 years without ever having the story itself. He told me that in the eighties he played classical guitar very well and was employed on ...

This morning made it to London fine, but Victoria tube station closed due to crowding. However happily discovered a new bus route that was a boon. Learned that my poems are going to be on the buses again in Guernsey, and in the Airport and so on. Cheering news. More lung disease at work, but had a good laugh sitting next to First Matie, who got me via facebook to get her a cup of tea. In the evening to the Salisbury where I met Aimee for a cheeky few beers. When you can get a seat in the Salisbury, it is one of my favourite pubs. Lots of news to share, and always nice to see the spirited Aimee. She is like a breath of fresh air. And good to hear that she has dragged a new boyfriend through the catflap, who seems to be very nice and is much liked by her family too. Just missed a train at Victoria, so rather late getting home. Bought an Ace Pizza and ate it on the bed chatting to Lorraine. After a few slices, I managed to drop face down on the floor, leaving a pizza print on the carp...

Good work today on the book. Also a funny conversation with Sonia, who was asking me if Sherlock Holmes was a real person. Then an enjoyable evening. For Lorraine had suggested we go to the New Venture Theatre, to see an evening of eight 10 minute plays. A fun format giving you loads of ideas in one evening. Every play worth watching. The first was by a friend of Lorraine’s and had some enjoyable farcical elements. Two plays about writing, which I enjoyed less, and one about a prison visit, which was excellent. In the second half there were plays about children in a back garden, lost romance, a psychiatrist's visit and silence (which got my vote) and a comedy about mistaken identity in the park.  Every time I go into a theatre I feel happy and they have a great little space there. I will join when I get back from my holidays. As we filed out at the end of the night, each audience member was given two marbles and asked to vote by dropping them into a sealed container,...

Redefinitions Another day mooching on with redefining my business, and working on a new portfolio, plus chasing up new agency who despite sending me papers to start working with them, have suddenly fallen into silence. I am however feeling much better about things, and am realising that my experience in my particular field of copy is difficult to beat. A note from my stepfather Gerald who is staying with Toby in Toronto and got in touch with me after many years in December. Met Matt after work, and had a drink with him in the Basketmakers, and I gave him the words for the new piece to be sung by choir in a shopping centre which I have been working on lately. We also discussed various bits of business, and had a cheery time for a couple of hours. Lorraine had a govenor training meeting in the evening, and I arrived home clutching the tasty evil of an Ace Pizza.

Leaves Up to London again. Working with Andy on a somewhat confusing pitch brief. Lunch with Keith and Hamish in a pub, me on chicken and two pints of soda and lime laughing about unfortunate medical accidents, starting with digital rectal examinations and prolapsed rectums and moving down market from there. In the afternoon Andy and I soldiered on, mainly in a room overlooking Tavistock Square's autumn trees shafted by low autumn sunlight. It was so beautiful that it kept drawing my eyes. On the opposite wall light and shadows were playing on the wall shifting and filtered through the leaves. Andy took a couple of snaps. After work a quick drink in the office with First Matie, The French Bloke and others, and found myself talking people's heads off about Mexico, smallpox and the Aztecs mode of warfare all about taking prisoners, rather than killing people (having listened to a podcast about it recently). The FB talking knowledgeably about Derbyshire Thicknecks, people with iod...

Friday at last Kept awake by the stormy night, and what my Hypochondriac's Handbook (a thoughtful recent gift from Richard and Jane) tells me is Chinese Restaurant Syndrome. Up hideously early walking through a rainwashed Brighton. Train slow this morning, crawling north. Work quite hectic. Agency Fridays are often a bit frenzied as everyone rushes to meet deadlines of one sort or another. Deafening fireworks near the office, then spilled out onto the street at 5:30 with The French Bloke, and had a lightning fast drink before I caught my train. The FB is growing a moustache for Movember , and it is making him look like Lemmy out of Motörhead. Straight to The Basketmakers. Betty, Lorriane, Matt, Wayne, Cath, Linda and Linda's mate Karen squeezed around two tables. Supped pints of seafarers and talked to all these friends for hours, before Lorraine and I with Cath walked home. Beth collected by Amy and Jamie. L and I bidding farewell to Cath outside bloody Ace pizza as I had not ...

A monologue Cut myself a little slack. Found things to do that were fun. Got keys cut for the cleaner, caught up with emailing, and in the evening went off to the London Unity where The Shakespeare Trio were playing. I was given a free copy of their excellent CD. Dipak and Richard on fine form, and really touching to see how cheery Dipak got having to sign copies of the CD and knowing that at least one person had come from as far away as Kent to see them. They played wonderfully. Fingers at The London Unity too and arrived with Claudius and a Danish friend called Bo, or certainly a name like Bo which I attempted several times but not to Bo nor Glen's satisfaction. Also chatting to nice speech therapist Pemma who runs the event. I tried out a monologue, but this not very successful as I hadn't completely memorised the words, and the pub was exceedingly noisy by this stage. But it was useful as I think there is the germ of an idea in that monologue that could be the start of some...

Excitement at Sticky Mikes Feeling more cheery. Worked hard sorting out my accounts so I can fish around for mortgages armed with up to date accounts. Turns out in the last tax year I earned a reasonable amount of money. This means lots of tax to pay this year though, which has been a bit leaner. Did a spot of work for the agency too. The French Bloke's younger sister died. He put a note on facebook and I duly sent my condolences. He knew it was coming, but that makes it no easier. Put my own peeves into perspective. In the evening, went out. I met Anton in the Great Eastern. Anton helpfully told me to put my deafness down to old age. And from there we set off jauntily to a club called Sticky Mikes. The Hi-Sides were playing there, and it was good to see John, Rick and Pete and see that their sheer exuberance of playing still communicates itself. Having a deaf ear was almost an advantage in the noise of the club when the rock bands started. After the Hi-Sides there was a young thre...