under another sun

To London this morning, via Brighton as the line from Lewes is still not safe. Doing some writing on the train, also asking Chat GPT about potential markets for my short stories. It is brilliant, like having a an efficient assistant. Arrived at Hampstead a little early and got chatting to the transport for London staff member, while waiting. She pointed out two people running through the barriers, who had just stolen things from the little confectioner newsagents in the station.  When Mum arrived we made off to The Old White Bear. She told me she has been in touch with Steve from the Waggon, who was pleased to hear from her, and told her where they now drink. Which is a pub on the same route that she drives to the Waggon. It had closed for a few years, but has now reopened.  This is great as Mum can see her drinking pals again. Mum had pea soup again, and I had an arancini. We sat next to a woman with a dog, which Mum liked lots. The Polish woman told us in her loud and cheery...

So off to Hampstead to see Mum and Toby. Bimbling as usual on the train and reading a couple of stories by the Canadian painter Emily Carr. Imagine my surprise when I looked at my phone when the train emerged from the the tunnel at  St Pancras, to see an email from Wolfgang accepting my full poetry MS One Day Forever for publication. I called Lorraine walking up from West Hampstead, she was really happy for me. It did not feel real at all, and still doesn't. I felt cautiously pleased, but was strangely unable to be entirely gleeful after achieving such a long-held ambition. For me the news is so momentous, it's taking me a while to get my head around it. Sauntered up the hill in good spirits to find Mum and Toby at Hampstead tube station, and we crept round to The White Bear, where I shared my good news. Lovely that I could do that with them. Otherwise, Mum pleased that we were both there to chat to, and she had her usual pea and lovage soup in what is now her favourite pub. ...

Enzo here this morning, and Lorraine looked after him all day. We had him on Thursday night as Beth and James had developed the spews in the morning. I made off to Hampstead. Bought a ticket at Seaford Station, and realised I'd left my phone at home, so missed the train. Otherwise a smooth journey, and met Mum and Toby at Hampstead station. We sloped down to The White Bear for some lunch. I wanted a photograph, but they both flinched like vampires. A cheery lunch, and great to see the Tobster of course. Toby had a pie, and mum had pea and lovage soup, this time sans the 'weeds', the pea shoots that were added last time. Mum was talking earlier about the man she calls the Parson. Sure enough he came and sat near us. Unfortunately Mum did not count this as a sighting, as he wore some kind of Hawaiian shirt, instead of a dog collar. His cowboyish hat on the table beside him gave it away. I had to return early, however, as I needed to get to The Walrus in Brighton, to host Tess...

Lorraine slightly sniffy this morning, but she went to do Rhyme Time, and I made off up to Hampstead to meet mum at the station at 12:30. As usual I stopped off at the Runaway Cafe in Lewes station for a cup of Ceylon tea. Today none of the electronic card readers worked just as I was buying my drink. There was a busy queue, so they gave me mine free. Few people carry cash these days.  Met Mum and we toddled down Flask Walk turning the corner by the school and up to The White Bear, where we were met in a friendly and very shouty way by the landlady. We sat in our usual corner, Mum looking in vain for the Parson. We had a couple of drinks, and soups and apple crumbles with coffee later. All very pleasant. And a new guy starting today, keen to make a good impression. Mum told me about going to John's funeral the day before. Her friends Margaret and John, just lived around the corner, and neighbours attended. After the service, there was a reception at a gold club for cups of tea and ...

Up to Hampstead this morning to meet mum. Working on my computer a little before I got there. Early in Hampstead, but so was Mum, so I was pleased she didn't have to hang about. We tottered down Flask walk, and around to The White Bear where had a good laugh in our usual corner. We ordered two soups and had a couple of drinks then switched to coffee with which we washed down a shared lemon treacle tart. Mum was on good form, and looking for the parson, a now an almost legendary figure for us, who we spot in there from time to time. He was absent, or not wearing his almost cowboyish hat. I gave Mum a mother's day card and a new calendar of AI cats playing guitar, riding rollercoasters, having a facial with cucumber slices over their eyes etc. having belatedly noticed recently that she hadn't found a calendar to replace the cute cats from last year.  Mum to the station, from where she got home safely, I had downloaded the uber app just in case, but she was happy to walk to th...

Breakfast with Lorraine, then hopped on a train. Lots of blokes in smart casual garms on the train.  Turns out they were all off to the races at Plumpton. At one point there was a call for any medical personnel to report to one of the carriages, but nobody was helped off at subsequent stations, so I think it may have been some kind of a prank. Meanwhile Beth and Enzo, released from hospital, and fortunately the wee lad is far better today, after his adventures last night. Everyone relieved of course.  I continued to Hampstead where I met Mum at the tube station, and we repaired to the The White Bear. A nice drink with Mum, and some food. We discussed her coming down to stay with us for Christmas, while eating unusually tasty cheeseburgers. Very happy that she will not be alone this Christmas. Of course she is sad about Felix dying. She was telling me how kind Wynford had been, and he was even praying as poor Felix was put down.   We sat near the fire, and Mum drank red wi...

A steady rain, and fierce sea visible from Seaford station this morning. Breakfast with Lorraine, then off up to meet Mum at Hampstead. A fairly easy journey. Took one of my yellow book and sketched out some   practical next steps, and trying to get a grip. Last train a little delayed so I had to yomp up Arkwright road up to Hampstead. Met Mum slightly late, but we mooched down Flask Walk and then around to The White Bear which is now serving food again. The place empty. The new menu fairly unappetising, and the woman who runs it despite being quite friendly, was very pushy. Mum ordered a high quality sausage roll with fennel, and I had some risotto, which I had to send back as the rice was still hard and grainy. I ordered something else which was a bit meh. Mum unimpressed by the sausage roll's short and stubby shape, but was delighted by the Spanish house wine, and had three glasses of it. We like The White Bear. People began arriving as we were leaving, and there was a merry fir...

Up early, and looking at a poem, before heading after breakfast to London, and this time I flowed like a young otter from train to train, arriving at West Hampstead Thameslink in good time, unlike Monday's attempt. Reading Light by M. John Harrison. Not far from the station an absolutely skeletal woman jogger. I wondered what trauma that made her keep running and, apparently, not eating. I felt my heart go out to her. I met Mum at Hampstead station. We snuck down Flask Walk and made our way to The Old White Bear, where we are now known. Mum was looking for the man she calls the parson, who I think looks like a preacher from a cowboy movie. (He wasn't there, but we bumped into him on the street and afterwards he said hello.)  I had taken my laptop and we began to investigate chimney sweeps, and coal effect gas fires and so on. Chat GPT is my friend here.  Then we had a spot of lunch, and a couple of drinks and a good chat. Mum and I looking at the colour of the walls. To me it...

Early at Seaford station, so I walked around the corner to look at all the messages and flowers left at the murder scene. I had half a mind to take a photo of them, but there was a young lad standing in silent thought there, so I decided it was in poor taste. As I stood there looking at the teenage messages and bunches of flowers a man stood next to me, and told me that the murder was over £20 (I read later it was to do with a minor drugs debt). He also muttered darkly about drugs crime in Seaford, after I said I thought it was rather a sleepy place. The murdered boy was from Newhaven, just a few miles west along the coast.  Off to meet Mum in Hampstead today. The sea particularly beautiful and full of white horses over the Salts. I got off at Lewes as usual, and bought a cup of tea and bumped into John White, a fellow poet, who I have met a few times but never spoken to at length. We chatted all the way up to East Croydon. John had worked as an editor at the BBC, mainly producing ...

A bit more rain overnight, then this morning, Lorraine and I both woke at 7:30. I got up and we had breakfast before I hurried off to Seaford station, and I zoomed up to West Hampstead, then walked up to Hampstead station to meet Mum. A gorgeous warm day. We went for a little walk about and happened on the White Bear pub, which I had been to a bazillion years ago. It contained lots of pictures of white bears, and was empty when we got there apart from a nice barmaid from Calgary in Canada. I told her I'd been there. Mum and I settled into a corner and had a couple of drinks and shared a bit of food. Just lovely to be in there, with the sun coming through the windows and plenty to talk about as we'd only seen each other online for some time. I showed her some pics of Beth's baby shower, and about my reading and Scotland and so on. She liked Carolyn's dress lots. She also gave me some jewellery for Lorraine -- two rings -- which Lorraine absolutely loved.  Fond farewells ...