under another sun

Up and off to see Mum and Mas today. Down to Preston Park station to catch the the 9:29 train this morning. Was surprised that the nice man from the Daily Grind stall remembered my tea order after all this time. The power rail arced menacingly shortly before the train drew in, and a Kiwi guy and I standing near it were startled.   An easy train ride. Near-empty train, and I changed at West Hampstead, so I could stand outside. Then to Mill Hill and I walked from there, popping into Tesco to buy some bits and pieces to eat. We had some lunch, and talked about things.  Apart from Mum choking on nothing, and Mas a bit uncertain on his feet thanks to a bad back. Listened to music on mum's iPad, including Mahler, and when I started to walk back to Mill Hill in the late afternoon, Mum walked alongside for a bit and I playing her Africa Speaks, America Answers on Spotify. Mum and Gerald had this album when  Toby and I were kids.  Caught the train at Mill Hill, and got to We...

The train dragging itself late into St Pancras. Writing more of my book on my lap for a while, until I gave in and played a few rounds of the hugely addictive Candy Crush. London sweltering today, and the office little better. At lunchtime off with Karam, Slug and Alan to a local pub where we sat in the sun on a cobbled area of a pub called The Lord John Russell. Drank a pint of Fosters shandy baking in the sun discussing among other things the resilience of Londoners in the war. Working on cough medicines during the day. Work done I walked across town to The Salisbury to meet Toby and Mum. Very good to see Toby, who has tufty hair and a tiny new manbag, but otherwise seems in fine form. He and Mum had been walking about in Hampstead during the day. Caught up with some gossip and chatted generally before crossing the road to a Spaghetti House, which was on the borderline of annoying, but that may have been the heat. Ate pizza hungrily and had another good chat. The call of th...