under another sun

So I happened to watch Theresa May's speech today. I am occasionally drawn to watching big political speeches. I remember watching Neil Kinnock's electrifying speech in 1985 when he threw Militant Tendency out of the Labour party, which was electrifying. With the embattled position of Theresa May, I thought it might be interesting political theatre. The resultant speech, which I watched about an hour after it was made, having caught a snatch of chat about it on Radio 4, was as other people have said an appalling anxiety nightmare of a speech. First being handed a P45 by a comedian who is then gives the thumbs up to Boris Johnstone saying 'Job Done, Boris.' Then the struggles with her voice began, and she almost lost her voice completely with 25 minutes to go. Her chancellor having to hand her a throat pastille. And then, the inane slogan on the set behind her beginning to shed letters towards the end of the speech. None of these things were within her control. She looke...

Halloween. Lorraine and I off to town to buy a few bits and pieces, such as a frying pan, and music centre as we'd not had anything decent to play music on for ages. My French clients had paid me, so I was rather cheery. This done, the rest of the afternoon given to preparations for our night out to celebrate Halloween and  Dawn's birthday, which happened when we were in Guernsey. Beth putting lots of effort into making us all up. She did me first, so I was able to spend a while pulling depraved faces (see below) as Beth and Lorraine, plus John and Rosie got ready. Beth was a zombie pirate wench, John a zombie hillbilly, Lorraine a sort of bride of Frankenstein and Rosie a kind of sexy demon with several cuts. Lorraine, John and I off in a cab to the Brunswick where we were the first monsters to arrive. Luckily we were soon joined by various zombies, vampires, ghouls, devils, evil clowns, people with scars and stitched faces and so on. And friends, Dawn and Ellie were zombi...

Back up to London. The enthusiasm for the week at a lowish Friday ebb. Saw TV's Alan Davies on my morning bus from Victoria, for the second or third time, clamped behind protective headphones. Was clamped into my own headphones during the day tiredly chunking out lots of copy. The job I am working on is long, which is excellent for the coffers but feels quite a bit like having a normal job. Dozing on the train home, but then walked home where the lovely Dawn picked me up outside The Shahi and drove us to Hove. On the way there I spoke to Lorraine and was tasked to bring fish and chips to the advance party on the beach. Dawn bought some beers and then we parked up on the seafront and crunched down the pebbles to find Lorraine, Claudia, Anton and Rosie sitting on blankets on the rapidly cooling beach. Also two people I'd seen in the fish and chip shop who turned out to be two of Rosie's mates. Fish and chips eaten, and the temperature dropping, Rosie's mates (who I ne...

What a difference a day makes Rain gouting from the sky I, however, was cheery. In the morning a thundering on the door heralded the arrival of a pallet of CDs. And not just any CD, my CD. They look as well as I could have hoped, and sound great. Matt called around in the afternoon for coffee and to take some. Both feeling quietly proud. Also I have been in touch with The Sussex Beacon an aids care charity, who will be doing a bucket shake at our concert. It is good to have an ethical dimension to things, and The Beacon took good care of my old pal Tim Gallagher in his last year or so, and I have never forgotten this. Lorraine home early, and after I had cooked, she drove me off to listen to the choir rehearsing at Matt's, and Lorraine popped in to see Rosie. There were a couple of new faces including a promising Polish singer called Peter, and Adam Swayne who fancied helping and singing. Adam, Matt and I went off to meet Wayne at The Brunswick where there was their regular Jazz...

Blunderbuss communications Got to grips with my Guernsey projects this morning discharging a blunderbuss of email in all directions - the Chief Librarian of the Prilaux Library, to Catriona, the This is Guernsey website, The official Denys Corbet website and so on. Plus Richard of course, and copying Matt as I'd like to take This Concert to Guernsey. A cold rainy day and I walked to The Brunswick at Hove to try to buy two tickets for The Dr Space Toad Experience show this weekend. Dr Spacetoad is Paul, an old friend from my days performing in the Troubadour Cafe. I have recently got in touch with Paul again who now lives in Paris. Annoyingly I turned up at The Brunswick slightly dripping and wearing an unflattering beany hat. The pleasant guys there told me that you can only buy an advance ticket over the Internet. I must have been looking particularly slack jawed as his colleague asked me kindly if I had access to the Internet, and talked me through the web page as if I were som...