under another sun

Sending Lorraine off to the front line, while I simply do some work for my French client and editing podcast material. Also was sent a lead on possible business from a pal, which I followed up instantaneously. Dawn came by this evening, and she had dinner with Lorraine, while I made off to The Caxton. For my musical pals the beermonsters had convened for the first time since February. Jolly good to see them, although The Caxton not our usual haunt, but we were able to sit outside, and soon we were able to move our reserved table to one far away from anyone. I long for the times when you can simply have a beer in a pub with your mates, without neuroses.  Trying not to talk too much about Covid and so on. Alarmed to hear about Richard's strange nerve problem in his back, which means he is limping somewhat and unable to use one of his arms well enough to make a barre cord on his guitar. Apparently temperature triggers the effects, and it came on when he dived into the sea in the heatw...

Final morning in Guernsey. After breakfast we went to Brouards to buy some flowers to put on my Grandparents' grave. This done, and a certain amount of looking at other graves and thinking of the people Mum and I knew in them, we went down to St Martin's church to say hello to La Gran'mère and pop into the Church for a brief mooch about. From there we walked to Icart Point, and sat on the bench and looked at the cloud patches on the turquoise water and felt rather sad to be leaving all this beauty. Collected by a cab from La Barbarie and off to the airport. Little to report here, a pleasant enough flight with clear views from my window over Alderney and the French coast. We flew over Brighton too. Fond farewells with Mum at Gatwick train station. Lorraine and I speeding home with a cheery taxi driver from the station. Beth and John at home, but I had to go upstairs and start work taking a brief on the freelance work I am going to be doing over the next few weeks. Th...

A very busy day. Up and hiring a new accountant, sending a copy of A Guernsey Double off to a thoughtful buyer, reading notes from Helen in Germany who has translated Heidegger in the Forest (more on that on the Notebook site soon), popping into the doctor to arrange my yearly blood test, posting a birthday card for Mason, redesigning the wedding invite card as we are having it reprinted for several slightly infuriating reasons. Then off to London to collect a brief at noon in Tavistock Square about blood thinners. Jotted down the draft of a poem on the train. Then rushed to the meeting with the charming Yazia, and briefly saw a greenish First Matie who has a queasy bug. Homeward glancing at material on blood thinners. To the bank, then home to re-redesign the invite for a third time before sending it back to the printers, which involved a bout of swearing and bad temper, which was not my finest hour, especially as Lorraine was working next to me. Then back on with my blood thinn...

Perhaps due to the heat but finding it very hard to focus today. Kept thinking about all the things I should be doing, rather than simply doing any of them. Just as I was about to leave for the gym, I received a phone call from young Elijah, the son of Max and the French Bloke, who was delighted to receive his long lost giraffe which was found behind a wardrobe. Lorraine and I enclosed an account from Skidaddle of what he had been up to in Brighton in the interim, which Elijah read back to me with some incredulity. Very sweet. Also spoke to Max afterwards too. To the gym but little gas in the tank, returned via Sainsburys and faffed about generally. Lorriane home early though. After work, and the consumption of fish and salad, I went up to Anton's house where I helped Anton lift his new high powered enormous TV onto a stand we had to construct. The TV came with 3D glasses and everything. Rather amazing. I left Anton toying happily with this new gadget. Then to The Caxton where ...

My recent interest in paleoanthropology is producing strange dreams. Woke up this morning after dreaming of myself as some kind of cave man. I was able to see my face which was mine, but more primitive somehow. Could see it clearly as I woke up. Broke off from working to wash gravel and add it to the tank. Suddenly feeling quite holidayish. Betty and her pal Kayleigh popped in while I did this, and it was good to talk to them. Kayleigh has just taken her exam to be a dance teacher. After work, off to meet Matt in the Shakey's Head for an overdue catch up. Matt recovering from a cold and has longer hair than I've seen him with. I think composers should have long hair, especially if they conduct their own work. Our plans for this year are fairly modest, due to an absence of funding and time, but that doesn't stop us assembling new material. However there will be a concert of Matt's new choir in June who will do some of our work, and po...