under another sun

A rather glorious day today, where Lorraine and I decided to have a fun day, and drift about as the mood took us once we'd got up. We walked into town, had coffee, went shopping for a few bits and pieces. I bought a new pencil case. Last of the big spenders. Then we walked down by the seaside and along slowly to Hove. A bazillion people all sunning themselves by the sea.  The beach front a bit of a building site at the moment though, with areas being rebuilt. Found out that one of my poems will be on the Guernsey buses this year. Then we walked up to Hove, popped in to see Wayne, and arranged to see him later, then walked down to find Janet and Ken in their new home. I didn't know the address, but we tracked it down fairly easily, having seen a photo of it, and noticing Janet's car parked outside. They had moved in on Friday, and were still adjusting. A lovely downstairs apartment, big and roomy with loads of light today. A quick cuppa, and walked back towards Brighton ...

Another poor night's sleep which at least meant that I was able to wake Lorraine up when she was having a nightmare that Beth's ex-boyfriend Mark had turned into a cannibal. Mum up rested and bright as a button. In contrast I felt somewhat jaded. A quorn sausage sandwich helped a good deal however. The weather hideously cold and rainy. Took mum to visit St Bartholomew's church which she liked, then into the North Laine and into a second hand bookshop, where I found a book on Imagination by Mary Warnock, and into Snooper's Paradise. We thought this is a kind of museum of household bric-a-brac. Then to the Giggling Squid, forking down some lovely thai food in a leisurely way. We popped into see The Blue Route by Finnish artist Kaarina Kaikkonen, which was actually extremely impressive and strangely sea-like for a huge sculpture made from shirts. This made sense of the fact that the clock tower had been clothed in shirts for the last few weeks. Then into a bead shop...

Gingerly up after showering I wandered into the balmy morning around to Arkwrights to buys some bread and eggs. Stepping out an hour or so later, after Quorn sausage sandwiches and much conversation Jane, Lorraine were greeted by the first drops of unrelenting rain. Showing people around Brighton in torrents a familiar scenario dating from when Romy and Toby came last year. We walked into town, popping into St Bartholomew's church to wonder at the Italianate design and the vast upside down ark space of the church. Jane really liked this. Then to the Museum to see the Biba exhibition, which had been on there for some time and I had skilfully avoided. Actually rather more interesting than I thought it was going to be, especially when viewed with the perspective of how much the clothes reminded me of the work of Dr Seuss. Particularly taken with a hat with holes instead of dots. The clothes displays catnip to Jane and Lorraine. Off then to Specsavers where Lorraine and I picked up...

Good work on The New Idea this morning. Managed in five hours to finish a particularly thorny section. Took myself out in the rain to celebrate. As I walked down the backstreet passed a soaked woman battling with her umbrella, who said, 'turned out nice again' with an almost wartime spirit. Found myself in St Bartholomew's church again. My smile unreturned by the snowy-haired ladies who were guardians of the empty place. I took a pew for half an hour and looked at the altar's glistering Byzantine-style gold mosaic work. The halo of an angel triggered a Proustian memory of making Christmas cards with glitter at my first school St Martin's in Guernsey. Jotted some lines down in the church, and left with a question to myself that what if the Christian promise was actually true? How would you feel if it were suddenly proved beyond question that there really had been someone watching over you all the way from childhood? I wish I could believe it. Then to Sainsbury...

July and the drought continues. Today the rain relented only for an hour or so, and Toby and Romy set off among the bedraggled denizens of Brighton. I joined them later at the Marwood for a cup of coffee, and then, taking advantage of a slight brightening of the clouds we scurried onto Brighton Pier where it began to rain again. Romy said that it reminded her of places in Japan. Then off to The Giggling Squid for a pleasant lunch.  It has been wonderful to spend a couple of days talking to Toby and Romy. Then rain dodging through the lush Pavilion Gardens to the Brighton Museum. Am really beginning to warm to its eclectic collection, we spent some time happily drifting in there. On the way home, Toby suggested we go into St Bartholomew's Church , which I'd never been to before, despite its huge and austere brick presence in the New England quarter. It has an extraordinarily lofty interior, making you feel ant-like (in a pleasant, spiritually-uplifting way) as you walk in. ...

By the book To the quack this morning, who is going to organise an MRI scan for my knee. Burst in trying to take off my trousers to show him my knee, but he wanted some background before that questionable delight. Sainsbury's next, feeling flashes of happiness. The afternoon catching up with my books to get everything ready for my accountant. There is something curiously satisfying about filling in all the columns and knowing exactly what's what. Below St Bartholomew's Church just down the hill from where I live, picked out in the morning sun. Arrested by the green of the glass with the blue of the sky.