under another sun

To Hampstead first thing. Rain and thundery liveliness forecast this week. A fairly easy journey this morning, and I was able to do some writing on the train.  I early to Hampstead station, and mum was already there. We sloped down Flask Walk, up past the school to The Old White Bear. Quite empty when we arrived, but a few people filtered in. We ate some rather good fish and chips, and had some drinks in a cheery fashion, even when we had a divergence of opinion over how much wine Mum might want. Back to the station, and fond farewells. I had a smooth and fast journey home too, which was excellent. Lorraine off doing her pottery class and arrived home at 9:30. About half an hour later, I was called alarmingly to say mum had pressed her pendant and couldn't be reached. While I was trying to contact her, they called back to say that she had let them know it was a false alarm. I tried to call her several times after but she was not picking up, which was unsettling just before bedtime....

Up to Hampstead this morning to meet mum. Working on my computer a little before I got there. Early in Hampstead, but so was Mum, so I was pleased she didn't have to hang about. We tottered down Flask walk, and around to The White Bear where had a good laugh in our usual corner. We ordered two soups and had a couple of drinks then switched to coffee with which we washed down a shared lemon treacle tart. Mum was on good form, and looking for the parson, a now an almost legendary figure for us, who we spot in there from time to time. He was absent, or not wearing his almost cowboyish hat. I gave Mum a mother's day card and a new calendar of AI cats playing guitar, riding rollercoasters, having a facial with cucumber slices over their eyes etc. having belatedly noticed recently that she hadn't found a calendar to replace the cute cats from last year.  Mum to the station, from where she got home safely, I had downloaded the uber app just in case, but she was happy to walk to th...

A steady rain, and fierce sea visible from Seaford station this morning. Breakfast with Lorraine, then off up to meet Mum at Hampstead. A fairly easy journey. Took one of my yellow book and sketched out some   practical next steps, and trying to get a grip. Last train a little delayed so I had to yomp up Arkwright road up to Hampstead. Met Mum slightly late, but we mooched down Flask Walk and then around to The White Bear which is now serving food again. The place empty. The new menu fairly unappetising, and the woman who runs it despite being quite friendly, was very pushy. Mum ordered a high quality sausage roll with fennel, and I had some risotto, which I had to send back as the rice was still hard and grainy. I ordered something else which was a bit meh. Mum unimpressed by the sausage roll's short and stubby shape, but was delighted by the Spanish house wine, and had three glasses of it. We like The White Bear. People began arriving as we were leaving, and there was a merry fir...

To London, after confirming with Mum that it was okay due to the extreme heat. Flitting between shadows on the uphill walk from West Hampstead Thameslink to Hampstead station where I arrived early, but just couple of minutes before Mum. We slunk down Flask Walk where Mum really likes the houses as they are beautiful, and also remind her of her grandparent's home in Folkestone. Then into The Olde White Bear, which is proving a perfect little pub there, as there's always space and friendly and covered in pictures and prints featuring white bears in vintage advertising and so on. We lapped up some cold drinks, lager shandy seemed to be the ideal drink for me today, and some food. Mum in good spirits. So lucky that we are still able to meet up in Hampstead. Among other things, she told me her miracle herbal pills seem to be really helping her knee. After a couple of hours we sun dodged back to Hampstead station.  Trespassers on the track somewhere in south London had created train ...

Up to London to meet Mum in Hampstead. Pleasant journeys both ways, despite the trains being stuffed with holidaymakers heading for the airports and, on the way home, even one family with heavy cases but looking forward to their holiday in Seaford. Big thundery looking clouds around today, but I saw no rain, although my lightning tracker went off once or twice, mystifying a little girl sitting opposite me as my trousers rumbled with thunder. I had arrived early and so snuck into Waterstones and treated myself to a couple of books and a new Moleskine notebook. I had a fleeting vision slimming my shelves down a highly-curated library and taking the rest to charity. But this was a moment of madness.    Mum also early at the station, so we mooched down Flask Walk past the school and up New End to The Old White Bear. Had a lovely time with Mum enjoyed a long chat over lunch and a couple of drinks and coffee. I gave her a little glass necklace which Adele had made, and she told me a...

To Hampstead with Mum today. Finished Epitaph for a Spy by Eric Ambler. Outside my usual reading ambit, but fun nevertheless. A really easy journey for me, though Mum's train had to be taken out of service. I met her at Hampstead station and toddled all the way down Flask Walk, round the back of a school full of children in the playground demonstrating their healthy lungs. Into The Old White Bear which is one of our new haunts. In the Old White Bear a table full of posh theological students nearby, the most valuable wearing red trousers and a wide brimmed hat. Being God focused clearly not irreconcilable with being a dandified fop -- which I liked. Mum and I were talking about art, and I was reminding her of painting and artwork she did when she was younger and we were living in Neasden, for example a tall totem pole made out of vertebrae, a nail picture of the sun and moon and swirling stars. I remember her hammering many nails into an old door and spraying gold and silver onto i...

A bit more rain overnight, then this morning, Lorraine and I both woke at 7:30. I got up and we had breakfast before I hurried off to Seaford station, and I zoomed up to West Hampstead, then walked up to Hampstead station to meet Mum. A gorgeous warm day. We went for a little walk about and happened on the White Bear pub, which I had been to a bazillion years ago. It contained lots of pictures of white bears, and was empty when we got there apart from a nice barmaid from Calgary in Canada. I told her I'd been there. Mum and I settled into a corner and had a couple of drinks and shared a bit of food. Just lovely to be in there, with the sun coming through the windows and plenty to talk about as we'd only seen each other online for some time. I showed her some pics of Beth's baby shower, and about my reading and Scotland and so on. She liked Carolyn's dress lots. She also gave me some jewellery for Lorraine -- two rings -- which Lorraine absolutely loved.  Fond farewells ...

To Hampstead this morning. A smooth journey, did a little writing on the train, and read a couple of entertaining chapters of Headlong Hall by Thomas Love Peacock. A star spot: Romy Madley Croft (of the group The XX) getting up from a seat near me as the train pulled into St Pancras.  Walked up from West Hampstead tube to to meet Toby and Mum in the cafe in Waterstones in Hampstead proper. After a coffee we decided to hop up the hill to The Holly Bush, a pub I've not been to since deep in the twentieth century. We had some lunch there and a drink, and it was all very pleasant. First time we three had been together since August 23. Toby bought us lunch there which was kind of him. We walked back to Hampstead Station, but the trains were kaput, so we had to bus to Swiss Cottage where Mum went north to Stanmore, and Toby went south to see Mike Sassarini. I had a smooth journey from West Hampstead to Seaford -- with no wait between trains longer than five minutes. Home and Lorrain...

Up to Hampstead this morning, fiddling with my poem on the train. A gorgeous sunny day, I arrived early at Hampstead tube station, so popped into Waterstones for a cup of tea and bought Giving up the Ghost , an autobiographical book by Hilary Mantel. Met mum, and we walked all the way down to Belsize Park looking in the kinds of clothes and shoe shop windows that have no visible prices. In one there was an elegant reindeer decoration, and mum pointed at it and made the shop people laugh. Eventually we found ourselves in The Roebuck, just opposite The Royal Free hospital. We had a bite to eat and a drink sitting either side of a table on plush bench seats, one much lower than the other. I swapped with Mum after she began to look like a hobbit. Mum said that she remembered watching people come into the Roebuck from the hospital when she had her cancer in 2008. A lot to be grateful for in her continual health. As we left mum told the man behind the bar that she was only paying because she...

So a big day. Accepted the offer made yesterday on our house, actually did this in person by dropping in on Brand Vaughn. Then I called Michael the estate agent in Seaford, and confirmed our offer on the house in Salisbury Road. Eek! Very exciting stuff. Chats with Lorraine when she was out of  meetings. Very happy about it. Then I caught a train up to West Hampstead Thameslink station, and walked up to Hampstead to meet Toby and Mum. I was early so found myself in The Flask for half an hour. Sent a message to Carl from there, as it was one of our old haunts.  Then met the Tobster and Mum in the cafe in Waterstones. Great to see Toby. A bit of a weird place as the people in the cafe sat working on it in silence, and seemed to resent us chatting -- or maybe I was imagining it. Eventually we mooched down the road and went into Côte where we had a good meal and a glass of wine. Mum said that Mason wanted to pay for it, which was very kind of him. Nice for us three to be together,...