under another sun

A morning at my desk, as Sylwia did her magic, surveying my fallow field and perhaps noticing one or two green shoots. In the afternoon some walking around and about in Tide Mills. I'm challenging myself to go to places that feel a bit triggering and then using CBT to try to work out what's going on. In the evening off to The Evening Star, where I met Messrs H & H. Mark newly a grandfather to young Ivor, Melissa's new baby. Ivor was born in Glasgow, where Melissa now lives. Saw photos of the wee bairn who looked very much like a baby, and of proud parents and a very cheery Carol. An enjoyable evening, stopping in at Fatto a Mano.  Told the cheery young Italian woman who was front of house how good she was at her job, which pleased her lots. Then to The Brighton Tavern for an absolute bloody final. As you do there, I found myself talking to a sculptor, having admired a Paul Nash picture on the wall. Altogether a cheery evening and not too boozy. Home with my top hat cent...

Writing about sepsis, taking a briefing at 8:30 in the morning from Matt, and working on it the best part of the day on it. I also spoke to mum, and am planning to to up to London soon. Had to tell Matt I wouldn't be coming to his Birthday party, where all my pals would be meeting, because I had not told Lorraine about it, and she had asked Sue and John down from the Cotswolds this weekend. All completely my fault, and I felt like a chump as I made my excuses. Sepsis done (with no bad blood), and after a brief call with Val in Paris (all happy with my work luckily) off to the shops. I bought some smalls from M&S. Used shocking language as instructed by the title of the menswear department (arf) and we went on a hunt for a US flag that Beth is going to use in a show. I needed a haircut, but pitched up at the hairdresser five minutes after closing. Stacey, who often does my hair, legged out and said he'd do it anyway which was kind of him. His partner is a dog walker but...

Valentine's day today, and Lorraine with a day off too. As well as a card to my lovely wife I also bought on impulse some Krispy Kreme heart shaped donuts. Krispy Kremes sound like something out of the Simpsons to me. We consumed these in bed, and welcomed diabetes type 2 into our lives with every bite. Unbelievably sweet things. As for Valentines day, it does feel a little irrelevant when you have married someone and dedicated the rest of your life to be with them. A card doesn't really sum all that up, however nice. A day of action in the garden. With Lorraine and I digging up a section of the lawn, and piling up the scrappy turf. The soil looks pretty good, although is chalky in places (unsurprisingly). Both felt very pleased with ourselves for this, and we were only at it for a couple of hours. The cats delightedly springing about the place as we worked. In the late afternoon Lorraine and I went into town for an overdue beer with Matt in The Brighton Tavern. Really go...

Bumped into Adrian this morning, telling me about struggles to get the council to remove graffiti from brickwork, blasting it off himself, before the Green run council agreed too late to remove it. Told him I saw press coverage of Brighton's ruling Green party with a 'Wilting Greens' headline. Betty at home but snoozing through the day. L and I went into town to watch The London Gay Symphonic Wind orchestra in a free event in the Dome. Called en route by Matt who told us to come to the Brighton Tavern first. This was thronging with cowboys and squaws and so on.  Matt had entered The Tavern Stampede, see photos below, this involved half a dozen or so folks pelting down the street to return in coffee bean sacks, asking for a cowboy blow job cocktail, and some business of changing shirts. All rather hilarious. Thence to the dome with Matt and John, now sporting a white stick, to hear the London Gay Symphonic Winds. Rather good actually, playing everything from Elgar's ...

Off to Lorraine's friend Carolyn who was hosting a coffee morning and art sale on behalf of Macmillan. Looked at her pictures, she is very good at detailed botanical work. There were a dozen or so ladies who'd worked in the upper echelons of Education or who still did, talking a good deal in the kitchen. I repaired into the garden after buying a cup of tea and a bit of blueberry cake and basked in the sun beside a little garden pond. Soon joined by two men with whom I happily discussed football, gardens and fishing until it was time to melt away again, with Lorraine having bought a picture of snowdrops. Lorraine and I then then drove off to a Sussex Nature Conservation area, Burton Mill pond, and the Burton and Chingford ponds . Had an hour and a half walk through woods, and past swanned and dragonflyed ponds. Also walking past somewhere called The Black Hole, and walked on a plank walk above the peaty black water and dense vegetation. It is connected with ancient ironworks w...

A hearty aftermath Up surprisingly early this morning after a few hours sleep. Lorraine and I up, finding a slightly-wan looking Betty on the sofa accessorised by three cherubic children who were all sitting on her. Gave Betty birthday presents -- as today was her actual birthday. Then a long slow morning nursing hangovers, Lorraine cooking breakfast and The FB and Max and Kate emerging with various need for liquids, toast and painkillers and antihistamines for Max's cat allergy. Matty boy returned looking fresh and rested after a night in a hotel, as did Richard Gibson and Maria. Richard was too worse for wear to cycle home the previous night, and searching for his guitar capo, which later on manifested itself in his jacket pocket. When everyone had left, Lorraine, Betty and I had a short few minutes doze, before starting the party again in the Sussex Yeoman where we ate roast dinners with Wayne and Matt. A cheery lunch before Betty had to go back to college. Then the rest of us m...

Meeting Mr Coombes Working on French stuff a little this morning, and other bits. Decided this afternoon, as it was bright and sunny, to go for a long walk. Walked for a couple of hours along the coast and back, and felt decidedly good for it. In the evening off to see a processionally staged adaptation of plays by Pinter, with Lorraine and Sam by Beth and Mark's college. Forgotten how bleakly funny Pinter can be. "If you tell me one of our dogs bit this woman without giving his name, I will have that dog shot," made me laugh in an excerpt from Mountain Language . Some of the acting done outside, with Beth flinging herself to the floor with great gusto in moves she choreographed herself. She also ended the show with a long solo song. Very good. After, and as it was Matt's birthday, Lorraine and Sam and I went to meet him in the Brighton Tavern for yet more drinking. He appeared with Linda and we gave him a dinosaur birthday card. Much chatting and we were joined by an...

Protesting in the sun Had a cull of old clothes and rancid shoes this morning under Lorraine's supervision. Throwing old ratty stuff out is ace. The Labour Party conference having a big effect on the town today. The Twitten very quiet last night. This morning, however, constant helicopter noise. There are parts of town blocked by big concrete blocks, and homeless people moved on from around the station. Machine gun sporting police lurking around. Lorraine and I walked to the seafront which was unusually quiet for such a beautiful summer's day. Watched a noisy but mild mannered protest from the newly rebuilt bandstand. Police everywhere including two filming the protest. They were approached by someone remonstrating with them and telling them it was like the Soviet Union. They looked sheepish. Despite this everything passed off in a mild mannered way. Hard to get worked up about things in the sunshine by the sea. We walked along to Hove and to drop a package in at Lorriane's...

New beginnings Lorraine and I up to the smoke today to Diane's party in the Garden Cafe in Regents Park. Very stylish venue and Regents Park in full bloom and busy in the sun. After recovering from a cancer operation last year Diane decided to have a party "to celebrate new beginnings". Mum and Mase were there, and we met lots of Diane's family I had not seen for many years. Nice food and bubbly and plenty of friendly chat. Mum and Mase recovering from a cat emergency as Salty returned home needing stitches this morning. Diane enjoying things, and gave a nice short speech over a candled cake. Then we returned to Brighton and snoozed. A delightful little girl of perhaps four talking to her father all the way down. As we were pulling into Brighton she asked "how do people with only one leg go to the toilet? Do they hop on?" Out with Sue and John, who we'd visited in the Cotswolds last year, and are very close friends of Lorraine. We had a nice Japanese mea...

A night in the Tavern So Saturday, felt a bit downcast when I read my emails and discovered another from the big pharma client with more changes to the references of the website: the vision of my weekend evaporating was depressing. I went for a much needed haircut and as the sheep wool disappeared, I came to a brilliant solution: that I would take Monday off from the agency. Phoned Betsy and explained. Then on returning home, set to work writing up the interview I did yesterday. Noticed with alarm water coming out of my shower unit. Some species of new plumbing horror, but it is only slowly dripping at the moment. A splendid evening out with Lorraine, also newly haircut. Her pals Matt and Wayne were celebrating Matt's birthday party in the Brighton Tavern. We had a really nice night out, with lots of interesting people and a really good atmosphere. In the general melee, I was delighted to meet Lorraine Bowen , (I urge you to visit her site) the hilarious lady with the ironing board...