under another sun

Up and running about tidying as Lorraine baked some courgette bread. Last night she announced that her nursing pals were coming around this morning: Chris, Anne, Chris and her partner Gary. We sat in the garden and I gave them drinks and so on. They made off to Beachy Head to sightsee. Lorraine and I went into  town, a huge swarm of scooters driven by aging mods heading in the same direction, probably inspired by the Quadrophenia film. There was a huge gathering of them in Brighton for the weekend, also marking nostalgia for the days of the Battle of Brighton . Lorraine off to see Pat and Maureen. Maureen had been upset this morning, so Lorraine wanted to spend some time with them. I popped in to see the Seaford Art Club's exhibition. Eileen and Palo on duty, so it was nice to see them both. I then went off on a longish walk. Late afternoon Lorraine and I bussed into Brighton. Along the route an outbreak little St George's Crosses attached to lampposts. Much about this in local...

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...

Awake at 6:30 and already light. Breakfast, then to Baca to meet Palo for coffee. Nice to see her. She showed me some pictures she's been making combining painting with pressed flowers, which I liked. I like Palo lots and we talked about having dinner with our other halves soon. Palo also said  she will come along to the reading I am doing in Lewes to launch Robin's book on the May 9th and also to belatedly celebrate my Mariscat publication, and Snow which I did with Palo.  In fact I have a mini tour:  a reading in Seaford on April 12th, one in Greenwich on June 24th. I will have to shout about these from the social media rooftops soon. Then I met Lorraine after she'd finished story time and we went for another coffee in the Lanes Eatery. As we were leaving the cafe we met two mums (plus small gleamy-eyed babies) who had attended Lorraine's library session.  Lorraine and I went to Flowers to look at carpets, and booked a fitter to size it up on Monday for the s...

Sent off my amendments to Hamish Whyte this morning, just like a real writer. Also email with Charlotte, we are going to do a conversational interview for the Understory blog.  Lorraine and I then in a tidying and hoovering the house frenzy for a few hours, and also zoomed off to the supermarket.  In the evening Lorraine and I popped off to the Pump Barn at Exceat, just by Friston Forest where there was an art show featuring Adele and Palo among others from the last minute artists group. The room was full of friends, and we had picked up Debbie, one of the book club posse, and Patrick en route. Brian and Yvonne, Deana and John, several local artists that I have spoken to. Lorraine and I chatted with Palo too, and was very flattered by Palo asking me to open the Seaford Arts Club exhibition later in the month, which took me zero seconds to agree to. It was a great scene there in the private view, lots of folks a slightly jazzy band, a lovely room with a wee bar in the corner....

Catching up somewhat. Had a long chat with Keith this morning. Life as a freelancer is fairly slow. Much of it traceable to Brexit of course -- it is easier for the US pharma countries to do business with a country inside the EU -- which is why my continental clients were the only ones keeping me in business. Unless something genuinely interesting emerges, I feel I am now going to devote myself to doing PK stuff, a bit poorer but much happier. Listened to Robin's podcast edit, heard from Palo, we have been charging £5 for Snow, and will use the money for charity, MIND being the one we fancy. She thinks she has raised over £200 already. Astonishing. Linda Goulden, one of the writers on the Understory Conversation sent me a note asking for a copy too. Otherwise doing podcast stuff with Robin. Spoke to Mum, who was off to the pub later, and Anton who was at an event in London. Lorraine had driven off to Ashford and returned with Pat and Maureen early this afternoon. Maureen cheerful ...