under another sun

Up and re-editing Defenders of Guernsey , and a few hours of writing and admin before zooming off to London. Many communications on the train, including being offered a couple of weeks freelance, and a tweet from Jane, who is coming to stay in a couple of weeks, saying 'Just watched video. Change of plan. Will stay in B&B' after seeing my sinister little film  Janus . Also spoke to Betty who was having busy day with a showcase and an audition in town. South Bank to the Poetry Library and various bookshops, the temperature dropping and feeling like I have the beginnings of a cold. Then went to London Bridge station, under the massive Shard spearing up to the sky, and made my way to Borough Market, where I eventually found a restaurant called Roast to meet Aimee. A place with swanky pretensions, a lounge pianist and singer and stiff prices. Sat near the piano, looking out of the window at the closed for the evening market. Had a lovely meeting with her, discussing the b...

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...

Burning issues Up reasonably early today. Lorraine has a cold. In an unplanned branding exercise, I managed to scorch three fingers picking up an iron that Lorraine had turned off seconds before. Spent the next hour or so with my hand in water or on cold pad whimpering quietly whenever I removed it from the cold. The cold business worked however, as at the end of the day I had just a line of three small blisters. In the afternoon off to meet Lakshmi and Aimee at Brighton Station. Hadn't seen either for some time. Aimee now moved back to London. She told us about her Friday night, having seeing Coldplay she returned home to her flat, and decided to have a cigarette and nightcap glass of Scotch on her tiny balcony dressed only in her pyjamas. She has a complicated door, which while she was out there partially closed. She showed us the bruises on her arm caused by fishing around trying to get it open again. After some time she decided to tear off the net curtains and fashion a rope to...

Janet masked Zooming about today. To the gym again this morning. Still a very mild mannered workout, but good to be getting back into the habit. And feeling okay about it. Listening to The girl who played with fire on the hulk legs machine. Also putting together the first draft of a press release for This Concert. In the afternoon, after flyering my Twitten and dropping more leaflets off in The Eddy pub. I called around to Janet and Ken and was given a lovely cup of Earl Grey and much quality chat. Janet discussing her composition using fabrics of Canadian rainforest in her former home of BC. It will have 3D elements and branches will poke proud of the surface. From there bombed up to town to meet Aimee and Lakshmi in the hotel in Victoria. A good dose of gossip and conversation, not to mention overpriced drinks. Aimee is choosing to stay in Dubai for the time being on account of being a high flier. Tootled home on the train, and met Lorraine who'd been out with work friends. Didn...

A place where everyone's the same Much better day's work today. Worked well. The teethgrindingly annoying passage was effortlessly reworked in an hour. Calliope alternating between sleeping on my desk, resting her head on my keyboard (and occasionally contributing random punctuation) and bouts of demented miaowing as she chases flies about the house that she has smuggled inside in her mouth. I had the window half open in my study and she flung herself at it after a fly and I had to catch her as she scrabbled mid-air like the Coyote in Road Runner. Once caught, the flies are taken to my rug downstairs, which is a kind of insect killing field. Socks often find themselves there too, stolen from my sock draw to receive a savaging. Anna texted me to say that Klaudia has chicken pox. Up to the smoke this afternoon to meet Lakshmi and Aimee in Baron's Court. Aimee says she may be moving back to Blighty next year, which is a good thing. We met in a pub theatre, where Aimee's un...

The seedling's home Off to the smoke today for a couple more days working on MS. The agency I've been working for now has First Matie there, as well as Betsy and Matty Boy, so it is a bit of a home from home. I was partnered with Keith, the cheerful Welsh head of art, and we had quite a nice day working on fresh concepts. I broke off at lunchtime to go to Plum with Betsy, who is singing lots and is about to join a life drawing class at St Martins. Also bumped into Mike. In the evening off to Strand on the Green to stay with First Matie. Her and Graeme's flat is also home to about 100 pots of various germinating tomatoes, squashes, and other assorted vegetables on widow sills and in bathrooms and so on. First Matie delighting in the first of the pumpkins, which had reared its surprisingly large leafed head. Had a long overdue gossip with her over a plate of chili in the Bell and Crown, and then later we caught up with Matty who was in fine form, telling us about his trip to ...

Aimee and the Dell posse Things clicking into place on the Skelton stuff this morning. I just like writing it, simple as that. The agency wanting me an extra day next week and my pharma client want some more on the website, I'll be working till Easter. Then I am definitely finishing my outstanding projects - no matter what torpedoes the global ecomomy courses Kennywards. Up into London this afternoon, as Aimee was over from Dubai and this seemed a splendid opportunity to see her and other Dell posse chums who were at Marcella's wedding in Westport last Autumn. Great to see everyone and have an intensive gossip. Aimee sporting her usual bracing cheerfulness, and Dubai shades. We all met in a pub around near Great Portland Street in London. Phil talking about doing some standup again. He is a very funny man indeed, and I hope he does. Paula and Marcella's agency doing well still, and they are very busy, which is great to hear. Always feel more cheery after seeing all these fo...

Ninja daisy Breakfast with Ash and Phil, and later Aimee. Having cleverly avoided drinking myself into oblivion the night before, I actually felt fairly fresh this morning as we ate breakfast overlooking the mountain to the south of Westport that kept losing its head in clouds. I want to go back there one day. Wanted to pop out for a breath of air. Aimee in lively capering fashion decided to turn into a bit of a scramble around the perimeter of the grounds. She did this clutching a flower, which she called the Ninja daisy, which she used to compel me to follow her. After this adventure, off to pack and meet up with everyone before we went off to the beach under the cloud shrouded mountain. Was stunningly beautiful, with the sun spotlighting bits every now and then. The sky changes so rapidly everything looks different all the time. Makes me think of W.B. Yeats. The west of Ireland is a magical place. Then the long trip home. A drive through the countryside to Knock airport, where we at...

Friday night in Matt Molloy's Off to Ireland for Marcella and Adrian's wedding. A long journey from Brighton to Stanstead, but I met Aimee - who was over from Dubai for the wedding- on the Stanstead Express. After making it past oddly obnoxious security people met Phil, Ash and Paula. Once onboard I grabbed a window seat for, as everyone knows, my duty to is keep the plane aloft through sheer will power. Despite this, found time for a heart to heart with Paula. Landed in Knock airport after flying over beautiful Irish countryside, which seemed to have lots of lakes and is much emptier than England. We all shared the hire of a car and Phil drove us the lovely Knockranny House Hotel which was about an hour away. Lovely hotel, with a big welcoming fire in the lobby, and gorgeous views of mountains and down into Westport. After a cheeky 40 minutes sleep, we met more pals and got into a cab which took us down into town. This is the second time I've been here, the last time was ...

A happy Monday Aimee and Princess Lakshmi hit Brighton today, popping into the Twitten. Lively ladies both, and I had a splendid day with them. A brief tour of places of interest: looking at famous graffiti by Banksy, Madhatters, threading through the Laines, Pavilion, etc. which Aimee really enjoyed. Then sitting under a parasol in the hot sun near the doughnut sculpture on the seafront drinking cold beer and picking at antipasti, and having a protracted gossip about romances and jobs and other good stuff while looking over at the pier. From there off to the Cricketers where we were joined by Romy, who is Aimee's cousin. Romy has just graduated with a degree in anthropology and, interestingly, spent much of her studenthood living in a treehouse. Returned to the Twitten, to rendezvous with Aimee's taxi which was taking her to the airport and back to Dubai, where she is currently the second or third most important person, and doing some very high profile work to do with the oil ...

One toad, several ladies Crept into work today feeling fragile. But perked up later despite a mountain of work to finish before my holiday. Out in the evening to the Salisbury, where I met Aimee - who I'd not seen for several years - Lakshmi and Marcella. Aimee is in London (she lives in Dubai) on a course, and she is having a difficult time. Her aunt, who had been ill for a long time, died yesterday. Despite her being sad, we had a cheery night considering. We all met at the Salisbury and then had an adequate curry off the Strand, and an excellent evening of gossip and renewed friendship. A night out with the girls is a fine thing. Sleeping on the train home, when I wasn't thinking about golden toads that is. For Christiane and I have been corresponding on the matter. I consulted the ever-reliable Dictionary for Dreamers and became interested in the contradiction between the ugly toad and its golden quality. Christiane was looking into native American totem stuff... where toa...

A statue of affection Sluggish start to the day. Due to an infernal tube strike after getting to London I ended up walking from Putney Station to my offices, which took about 40 minutes. But it was a very beautiful morning. And I felt free and happy walking across Putney Bridge and along the river. I saw some statues I'd never noticed, including the one below, called Affection. Curiously I had a head full of sludge all day, and every time I opened my mouth something faintly idiotic came out of it. But after presenting some work (which I did badly but got away with it) we went out as a team with our clients for lunch, as one of them was leaving to have a baby. Ate some nice sea bass steamed in a bag with Jersey potatoes. Said one or two more slightly idiotic things while waving my fork about but did no damage. I have had to postpone my holiday yet again due to work stuff. The people I flew to Basel to discuss sticking needles in people's eyes last week are going to give us the ...

A toe in the water Off to work feeling untraumatised. Arriving at the office, I found there was little to do, and the Gnome still on holiday. So had two brief chats with Anton about Dragons, talked to Mum. And swapped emails with Aimee who has had lively time of it when her friend fell off a fire escape down three stories and broke lots of bones and bled heavily. She said that she went for a manicure the next day, and the manicurist was complaining about her dirty nails not knowing it was her friend's blood. Also First Matie who is under the cosh as usual, and Sprinkles who was having ideas for TV programmes. Spoke to the French Bloke who has also taken up gardening, with a chainsaw. Happy to sit at work, watching the red buses cross the river on the green and gold of Hammersmith Bridge every now and again. A lovely warm day and Trace and I had a walk for an hour at lunchtime talking about psychics. Little to do in the afternoon too, so I melted away early. Wonderful to be heading...

In the Lanes with Lakshmi The very nice Lakshmi came to visit me in Brighton today. She is a good friend of Aimee in Dubai whose excellent blog you can see in my friends menu. Aimee had a suspicion that we would get on. And we do. Spent a cheerful day mooching about through the the wonders of Brighton, its beaches, pier and lanes. Then strapped on the nosebag in a nice colonial-style restaurant. Lakshmi at one point diving into a bookshop to score some dusty PG Wodehouse books which are as treasures to her. Later we went to the splendid Mock Turtle for a nice cup of tea and cake. Where I had a tooth-endangering crunchy flapjack. We also found the international sweetshop, where she was able to buy something called Mountain Dew which she coveted from her time in the US, this shop alone she said was reason enough to come back to Brighton. Before her train left we popped into the Battle of Trafalgar and sat on a table next to some smoking transvestites to give her a final flavour of Bright...

The camomile -sipper's notes Missed the train this morning and was disgracefully late into work after another night of poor sleep. I finally fell under the spell of Hypnos (after camomile tea and another chapter of Jane Eyre) only to be woken again at 4am by two men in the Twitten loudly debating outside my house if they should phone a friend to go around for a couple more drinks. 4am! But then, of course, I am a camomile -sipping sort of bloke at the moment. Work surprisingly okay with The Gnome. At lunchtime, while munching a crunchy salad from a bag, I managed to send another poetry manuscript off too. Also emailed Aimee in Dubai - her Notes from a sandy country blog entry for the 19 th was really funny. She suggested we have yin and yang blogs, as mine has been more of a herbal tea affair of late while her one has been very lively indeed. I put it to her that if she needs a few quiet nights in, so that mine will liven up a bit. Trace was telling me about Narcissistic Pers...