under another sun

Running about this morning, as we were entertaining this afternoon. I zoomed to Morrisons, then spent the rest of the day drinking Prosecco with Guy, Tim and Tanya and tucking into the Guy's mushroom pate starter, and Lorraine's exemplary lasagnas (one meat, one veggie) and Tanya's almondy pudding. Catherine unable to make it, which was a shame. Guy and Tim have been travelling lots to Whitley Bay where Guy's mum died recently. Tim becoming prominent in the swimming club, Tanya indexing like fury and becoming expert in the economics of Singapore. A general sense of putting the world to rights, which you can with old friends. 

Friday and some time this morning to finalise what I was going to read tonight and collect together a few books and so on. Lorraine really busy, shopping with James for the shower tomorrow, doing the last stitches of the secret project, ferried Pat and Maureen from the pub with their new friend also called Maureen. After a wee snooze, I caught the half five train to Lewes, and sauntered over to the Elephant and Castle and sat quietly for a bit and drank a shandy.  Today was the launch of Robin's The Mayday Diaries  and she had been kind enough to ask me to read with her. She also asked Catherine Smith to join us. We discussed beforehand that we wanted to make it fairly informal, and a bit chatty like the podcast. When Nick and Robin arrived, we went upstairs and Robin and I arranged the chairs for the reading. Palo arrived early, with two prints which we put on chairs to be seen. I joked to Palo that she was my show and tell. Soon people were turning up. Many of the audie...

Missing Calliope this morning. But up fairly early for a Sunday and Lorraine and I zooming about getting ready for Guy, Tim, Catherine and Tanya who were arriving at around 12:30 for a Christmas lunch.  A festive affair, and a long afternoon of eating far too much, beef and chicken, roasties a plethora of veggies etc, plus Guy and Tim brought around some salmon mousse, and Catherine and Tanya had home made a delicious Christmas pudding, all washed down with a fair amount of Prosecco. A cheery afternoon with lots of chat.  Our friends left at tea time, and I lay on the gold sofa in a food coma, able to stir myself to watch the final episode of Wolf Hall. Henry VIII and Cromwell's enemies tratorishly turning on him. All rather sad, but brilliantly done. Also Match of the Day, with Chelsea now back to winning ways powering up to second in the league. 

Sunday, up fairly bright and early and made off to Brighton by train. It being Rememberance Sunday there were lots of people wearing poppies and sombre clothes. I feel a bit conflicted about this. I think those who died in wars should be remembered. But there seems to be a nasty reactionary whiff about it all these days, as if it were some kind of loyalty test. But maybe this is just my own prejudices speaking. In Brighton we met Guy and Tim, Catherine and Tanya in Petit Pois for Sunday lunch. We were early so did a bit of window shopping. Lorraine has her eye on some side tables. We met in the restaurant, and a jolly time was had. We celebrated a belated bumper birthday for Catherine, Guy and me. I got lots of presents, some excellent books, a jar of St Peter's honey and chocolates. Had a really tasty lunch, and then as is now traditional floated off to Brass Monkey's for ice cream and coffee outside. Lovely conversation with all of them as usual. Lorraine and I made our way h...

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...

Off to Brighton today, to celebrate Tanya's recent birthday. We trained to Brighton station, then climbed up Muesli Mountain, where at Catherine and Tanya's house we had our now traditional glass of fizz and a few crisps with them and Guy and Tim. We gave Tanya the gardening gloves, the same ones Anton had bought for Lorraine and I when we moved to Seaford.  We all walked down through town to Petit Pois for Sunday lunch. Apart from the vegetarian Tanya, we all ordered a roast called Three Meats, containing small amounts of lamb, pork and beef. A carnivore's delight. Cheery and interesting company. There is a Rembrandt in town, and Tanya went to see it the other day. Guy full of stories as usual. I was teasing Tim about his rebel rousing, last time we met. After lunch we made off to sit outside Brass Monkey for some ice cream. A great place for people watching as well as good ices. Some of us, Lorraine and I included, included a scoop of Pedro Ximenez ice cream which I'd...

Lorraine and I up and tidying the house in a frenzy of hoovering and dusting and so on. Not long after noon, Catherine, Tanya, Guy and Tim arrived. And we had, as is traditional, bubbly and crisps first. Great to see everyone and catch up. Tim greatly recovered now from his illness, and is looking very well. A cheery throng. We sauntered off to Amie's kitchen for some anglo Vietnamese food. Even though there was only six of us, we had to order it a day or so in advance. I had a noodle soup and splashed my shirt with it. Sitting opposite Tim who with a naughty gleam in his eye was talking about throwing off duty and responsibiltie and just doing what you want in life. Why didn't I, for example, just go on a writing retreat for two months?  Went for ice cream at Holy Cow! and we sat outside. Guy making friends with two older ladies and a dog. Then we all went for a stroll along by the seaside. I had a lovely long chat with Catherine while walking along, a fascinating conversatio...

I got up at 6:45 and did some freelance stuff and sent it off. Later I ended up having to have a meeting about it before it could be killed off. IT playing up, bandwidth problems, meetings disappearing from my desktop calendar and so on. I have two and a half days work in January too. Keeping a small freelance iron in the fire, but with little enthusiasm. Also did some editing on the podcast and got this loaded and published this afternoon. Tidying and doing food prep with Lorraine as Guy, Tim, Catherine and Tanya were coming around at four. I managed a nap though and a shower, after which I felt a bit perkier.  A quick chat with Mum, who has her new car now. A cheery late afternoon and evening. Lots of Prosecco and chat. We'd done a bit roast dinner and we had Christmas pudding it was all festive and cheery. They left at a sensible hour, and we pottered about a bit before an early night. Revelling at the idea that I won't have to get up early. I am feeling a bit worn out. 

Off to Brighton this morning, rain dodging to the station and up Museli mountain to Cathrine and Tanya's house to celebrate Catherine's birthday with them and Guy and Tim. Great to see Tim looking well after a difficult health year. Such wonderful conversations with these folks.  Talking to Tanya about EM Delafield, who she would like to write about, and her current indexing job is for a book on Schopenhauer, talking to Guy about interior and textile design and family, having deep conversations with Catherine and Tim about life in general. All good. A few glasses of bubbly there, and we  walked into town to go to Petit Pois. Love this restaurant, and always good food. Lorraine and I both had vegan food, toothsome  mushroomy and leeky main courses which we shared. Then, as is tradition, off to Brass Monkey, the ice cream place, where we sat outside under the awnings having ice cream and coffee and watching the rain. On East Street Lorraine saw a 12X (the fast bus to Seafor...

So a busy Sunday. Off to Seaford Station on the icy pavements, but the trains were delayed or cancelled due to ice on the third rail and there was no foreseeable train for at least half an hour. This country going to the dogs etc. So we got a refund on our tickets, and decided to drive instead. As soon as we left the station and were almost home there was the galling sight of a train arriving.  Nevertheless a pleasant drive to the University of Sussex where we met Paul and Dawn to see a fantastic French string quartet, The Quatuor Arod, The concert had been relocated from the usual concert hall to the Meeting House, a modern church building with effective stained glass in simple blocks of colour embedded in the encircling concrete of the round building. A lovely setting, although perishingly cold and everyone sat with their coats on, except for the four young guys in the quartet.  First they played Mendelssohn's Op.44 No.1 with sparking competence, but the piece itself left me...

Up fairly early this morning and we zoomed off to Tanya and Catherine's house for a few glasses of bubbly with them and Tim and Guy to celebrate Tanya's recent birthday. Excellent to see everyone and have a gossip. Comparing notes with Catherine and Tanya about their house move. They are staying in Brighton, and moving a few streets higher up muesli mountain than they are now.  Tim and Guy on entertaining form as usual, Guy is such a natural storyteller. We sauntered down into the old lanes to Petit Pois for Sunday lunch. Excellent, decently priced food there. We had booked thankfully. I had roast lamb for the first time in years and talked lots to Catherine and talked about visual art with Tanya, and we plotted to go to a gallery together at some point. Then we walked off to eat ice cream outside Brass Monkey. Fond farewells with everyone, and Lorraine and I bussed home. Sprawled happily, and very tiredly, on the gold sofa from tea time. Star Trek The Next Generation our curre...

Up and we walked down to Catherine and Tanya's place on Muesli Mountain where we met them, and Guy and Tim and drank a bit of bubbly. Really good to see everyone, and it feels like the turning of a page somehow from winter into spring. Turns out that Catherine and Tanya are thinking of moving soon too, but only a couple of streets away.  Then we all walked down to Ship Street for lunch. Had a good catch up with Catherine, before we had reached  Petit Pois, a lovely cafe restaurant with a French owner. Really good food, and very reasonably priced too. I was sitting opposite Tim, and we had the best conversation we'd ever had about memory and myth and childhood and so on. From there off to the usual ice cream place where we sat outside licking lovely ice cream. Guy is such a natural story teller. He can talk about something as trivial as a dream he had last night and make it completely compelling.  Fond farewells with everyone -- I didn't talk to Tanya due to where we were ...

Lorraine and I had a nice afternoon. We whizzed over to Catherine and Tanya's house for some fizz with them and Guy and Tim for Catherine's birthday. We gave Catherine some cheese and cheese plates. Guy and Tim brought Catherine a trip to the circus. Guy told us that he and Tim had bought each other genetic testing kits, and found out they were both bog northern, with a touch of Irish. Guy surprised to learn that he had above average Neanderthal DNA too, finally dispelling his dreams of really being suavely French.  Then an amble down to the Giggling Squid followed by Brass Monkey ice creams, consumed int he cold outside. Excellent ice cream. I had a black sesame -- the first time I had ever had licked a black ice cream. It was nutty and nice. Spent lots of time chatting to Guy, who was telling me about the appalling journey he had to get a diagnosis and operation just a short time ago for an endocrine problem which has been blighting his life for the last seventeen years. Tim ...

Bank Holiday Monday. And nice weather too.    Jade doing a tense interview for a University position today, for a St Andrews university. She had to give a lecture first thing, and then do an interview. By the afternoon they offered her the job -- a tremendous achievement. She has shown enormous resilience, and as far as I can tell as a philosophical plains dweller, absolutely deserves it.  Meanwhile Lorraine and I cabbed over to Catherine and Tanya's house, where we also met up with Guy and Tim and had a bit of bubbly to celebrate Tanya's birthday. From there we sauntered down into Town to a restaurant called The Flint House, where we had more bubbles and tapas-style food. Loved talking to everyone again, and I sat opposite Catherine, always a conversational treat. After we went to the Brass Monkey ice cream parlour where we all had a dessert. I had scoops of hokey pokey, a honeycomb ice and a ginger ice cream. Both delicious. Fond farewells with everyone. Lorraine findin...

Got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning, and felt strangely grumpy all day, despite having lots of nice things to do. I phoned mum, and then got dressed. Lorraine and I walked down to Cote for lunch.  Lucky Lorraine had to endure a bout of me moaning about my lack of success in poetry and writing and so on. The usual litany of January stuff from me. However my lovely wife had helped me sort my head out by the time we reached the restaurant. Problem is when I have a large moan I feel much better very quickly, but make everyone else feel horrid. Nevertheless we met Catherine and Tanya, and Guy and Tim. Interesting chats with everyone, including Tanya, who is a big fan of visual art. Was approached by old friend and colleague Spooner too as I ate. Then Lorraine and I grabbed a cab, so I could get home in time to be picked up by Robin to go to the T.S.Eliot award readings. A tricky journey as part of the motorway was closed. However we managed to get to the South Bank i...

Lorraine and I slow at crawling from bed, a token breakfast then soon we were heading to The Geese, to celebrate Catherine's birthday, with a Sunday lunch. Wayne, Guy and Tim were also there, and we had an extremely jolly meal. L & I had pork belly. A cold wind, as befits a Remembrance Sunday. And colder still when we left The Geese and headed home. Usual great chats with everyone. Such good company. Lorraine and I both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I also complimented the woman behind the bar on her amazing stag beetle tattoo, and she said she recognised me from the Shakies Head. Planning with Tanya a self-employed people's 'office party' in Brighton. Poor Lorraine had lots of work to do, I pottered about the house, did laundry, ironing etc. called Mum and generally had a bit of a sleep, as befits a Sunday afternoon after a good lunch. Doom-laden as I went to bed, as my ankle had started feeling odd, and I had forgotten to take my orc-foot pill in the morning. A...

The execrable Calliope waking me up at 5:30 again. Pesky thing. I got up to make some tea and feed it. Weighed myself, I seem to have put on weight since yesterday. The graph on my app is going completely the wrong way. Lorraine had designated today to be her day of work. I phoned Mum this morning, and then slunk off to meet Catherine and Tanya in a pub called The Geese, for Sunday lunch. It was a celebration of Tanya's birthday. Guy and Tim were there, and Wayne. A very cheery lunch, surprisingly good too. I had roast pork belly, and we all sat by a big open window with the sun coming through. Then we wandered down to the Level where there was a tent of Vegan food providers. Things like Vegan Baileys were to be had there. We'd all eaten Sunday roast so felt a bit rebellious. Great to see Catherine again, and hear how she was fresh from a triumphant Book Sprint. The idea is to lock several academics into a room together over four days and get them to produce their chapter, ...

Tired this Sunday morning, Lorraine up early and working on school stuff. I was up and working on bits too. Off for lunch, we walked down to the Chilli Pickle where we met Catherine,Tanya, Guy and Tim to celebrate Catherine's birthday on Friday. A tasty and light Indian meal followed by some icecream in the street and gin and tonic in The Office. Really nice to see everyone, and it was all very cheery and friendly. After Lorraine and I had walked home, I spent the rest of the time reading. I finished Howard's End is on the Landing  which Catherine had said she'd read, and didn't particularly enjoy. The second half of the book was dull. Susan Hill seemed to forget the idea of the book, which was to spend a year reading the books she had left unread in her house, and instead it became a list of 40 books she liked best. I sat on the sofa reading this while Lorraine worked, an early night with a toast-based snack before bed. Below Catherine and Lorraine, and Tanya, G...

Slow to crawl out of bed this morning. A small breakfast for Lorraine and I who answered a Papal Summons to be at The Bath Arms with Catherine (Pope) and Tanya for Catherine's birthday. Catherine and Tanya both looking slim and well. Catherine inspiring everyone as she talked about going to the gym for two hours a day, which she is doing with characteristic devotion and wholeheartedness. Tanya just finishing a course on book indexing, to move from working at the University to become a professional book indexer. This too seems to have made her slim. Guy and Tim where also invited, and Lorraine and I had not seen them for ages.  Guy talking about being chased into Boots by a homeless man randomly shouting Stop Thief!  at him, after seeing Guy at a traffic lights transferring some rubbish from his pockets into his bag. This causing scenes with Boots security, but Guy eventually apologised to. Just a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon, eating roast Sunday lunch, and sipp...

After a morning of purposeful shopping, ironing and tidying, off to The Bath Arms for a long and leisurely birthday Sunday Lunch for Catherine, who is 40 tomorrow. As well as Catherine and Tanya, I met their pal Juliana for the first time who had drunk in the Bunch of Grapes, haunt of my teens. Also there were Matt, Wayne, Tim and Guy. Some really funny and interesting conversation, I find Catherine and Tanya refreshingly smart, and both are in the final stages of their PhDs and have giant brains. A good lunch, and I managed to cram down some apple crumble too, a last hurrah for gluttony as I am returning to virtue tomorrow. We all sat about for hours companionably, just one of those days when I am so pleased I live in Brighton. Catherine was bought lots of chocolate, Lorraine and I got her a phrenological head that as a Victorianist, we thought Catherine might enjoy. Wandering back in a group through Brighton, saying goodbye to people on route, till it was just Lorrraine and ...