under another sun

Clocks forward today. Lorraine, Betty and I off to Ashford today to see Maureen and Pat. It is Mother's day, and also Lorraine and I will be away in Scotland next weekend, when it is Maureen's birthday.  A nice day there, Lorraine's brother Ken had cooked lamb, which I had not eaten in ages. And Pat and Maureen's old pal Cindy was there too, and it was nice to see her. Beth and Maureen a bit of a double act At one point Maureen screwed up a ball of paper and string and, looking at me darkly, said I throw my rubbish where I throw my love , and chucked it at me. Lorraine and I snuck away for a walk down to the church nearby, and down to a little stream that when she was a child was surrounded by fields that she and her brothers used to swim and catch sticklebacks in. Now it is bordered by new buildings and on one side by the high speed rail link to the Eurotunnel. Home again listening to the wittertainment Kermode and Mayo talking about films. Out of Blue sounds like...

Saturday, some time before eight a sound of roaring flames and a workman re-coating next door's kitchen roof. Betty chatting with him, having an early morning coffee and cigarette outside, a conversation she replayed with voices to us before going to work. Up fairly early, and pottering about. We went to sit in Hove Town Hall for a while waiting to see the parking people, as we need a new yearly permit for the car. Then a shopping in Hove where I judiciously invested in some brown shoelaces. Then Sainsbury's and back home to sit in the garden for a bit as although there was a bit of sea mist over the water, it was a warm and sunny day. Beth home tonight and we ate salmon, and salad, and the ladies did some jigsawing, while I read an absolutely wonderful short story by Thomas Ligotti called In the Shadow of Another World . When he is good, he is exceptional. Then a game of three-handed euchre, enlivened by Lorraine producing a second joker during one hand. All well, and Lor...

Up and working on the horror story for a bit this morning, after I had prepared three invoices. At eight o'clock the next door neighbours gardener came to mow the lawn. A tiny thing I could have done with my human powered mower in under three minutes. This job took a professional gardener half an hour's noise pollution with the world's noisiest strimmer, followed by half an hour of electric mowing. Baffling, and deafening. However, off to Brighton, and there caught a train up to meet mum in town. Reading a Thomas Ligotti story and translating something into English for Val on the train. We met in the Salisbury, and just hung out there having a couple of drinks and eating, gave her a card for Mother's day, and a couple of ciders and we shared a bowl of nachos and shot the breeze. Mum reminded me that Dave had once had a shop in St Peter Port, which I had forgotten if I ever knew it. Nice to reminisce and chat with Mum. Fond farewells after a few hours and I hopped on a...

Hurrah, time to do a bit of my own work this morning, or at least start to make lists again. A bit of writing this morning, and then Ben called around at lunchtime as he asked me to help him install a window in a tricky site in a street close to mine for half an hour. Quite fascinating to see how this installation was done. The window was rather beautiful had many broken bits of glass, which Ben had not only replaced but cast himself, making dimpled glass by  baking the glass onto clay tiles he had made, adding dimples by rolling a marble on the clay, and then setting the melting glass on it, thus producing dimpled glass to match the probably victorian window. Slightly nerve-racking as for various reasons the window had to be installed from outside the house, and I had to lift it up to Ben on the ladder. A window of that size is quite heavy and there is a lot of give in it too. The window a bit big, requiring folding of the lead to make it fit. Mission accomplished, then inside...

A desk day.  A smidge of writing of my own stuff, while awaiting feedback from the new agency. A few walks around the block while doing so. Feedback arrived at midday, and spent the rest of the day reworking the brochure before sending it off at the end of play. But the job is going well, and everyone seems pleased, which is the idea with a new client. Attempting to utterly ignore the politics at the moment, although it is the best soap opera in town. May now offering to resign, if her deal which has already been voted down three times, goes through. Below Steve Bell on May taking back control.

A rather glorious day, with all clients at bay, and time to think and read, and write a little of my own stuff. Woke up feeling lethargic and a bit rubbish, but decided to go to the gym early, and found I had gas in the tank and this perked me up lots. Read another story by Ligotti today, called Flowers of the Abyss , and started reading his philosophical work The Conspiracy Against the Human Race . Also researching horror podcasts. I am becoming increasingly interested by doing my own podcast in one form or another. In the evening, after cooking a rather spectacular chicken stew, and fed Lorraine leaving her about to watch The Great British Sewing Bee, I sloped down to the Rose Hill Tavern to watch a Jazz combo and meet Ben. Good to see him, and had lots of chats in between the music. He really is a lovely man. A strange night, with a troubled but talented saxophonist/clarinettist who kept complaining about his borrowed equipment, apologising for wrong notes that nobody could spot...

Up with Lorraine and the larks and doing some ideas for my French clients for several hours this morning. This all sent off, I walked over to Richard's new flat, phoned en route by Val to discuss the concepts. Arrived at and found him and Silvana ready to be photographed. Fortunately it was a glorious day. We went into St Ann's Well gardens, right by where Richard now is, but there were no good places. We went down to the sea, and I was able to take a few snaps of them. Richard not in his happy place being photographed but he relaxed eventually. As I was doing this, the new clients called asking for some copy tweaks in the middle of this, so had to nip home fairly smartly afterwards to get that work done and returned. Star Trek tonight, with Lorraine, who was somewhat bushed having started a sore throat yesterday. An early night. Below some snaps I took of Richard and Silvana -- aka Bossa Love.

Lorraine and I had great fun today, falling on the garden. There are big plans for this year, if the stars align. Lorraine had an idea for a pile of pots set one upon the other in decreasing sizes full of gravel mixed with compost and she poked in the succulents we bought yesterday. I mowed our little lawn and planted another fern, and Lorraine created order in the rest of the garden. At one point she nipped indoors and returned with a jug of Pimms rattling with ice and full of bits of fruit, and some bits of cheese and cut up apple, and some Italian dried bread snacks and we sat outside for the first time this year. It was hot in the sun, and cool out of it. A luxurious afternoon snooze late in the afternoon, as I still feel a bit drained and sore throated. Called Mum, and chatted about meeting up next week, then sat with Lorraine as she cooked, which is always fun. Watched two TV documentaries, one about the golden age of Children's TV, and another Deep Ocean voiced by David ...

I felt vey tired today, and Calliope as ever no respecter of weekends and was climbing on me at at six. A full day once we did get up. Took a mattress to the recycling centre, then bought some hardboard to do glasswork on, and then went to a garden centre, and Lorraine bought a few succulents and bags of gravel and compost. Then off to Bolney village hall where there was a horticultural show of spring flowers. Lorraine's school had entered some, and the prize for the single tulip went to the school, which made me smile. Lots of snowy haired keen-eyed folk wandering about looking critically at daffodils and voting in boxes. If you were a member of the horticultural society you got a vote. Then a cup of tea followed by a talk on the Modern Kitchen Garden by Barry Newman, I enjoyed saying loudly to Lorraine that she had told me it was Gary Numan. Weirdly, as we are just planning on doing more stuff to our garden, we both enjoyed this talk, and Barry was an excellent speaker, and h...

Up and slaving like a dawg to get the document ready for the new agency on time. Managed it, and had  a couple of hours to spare in the afternoon. Went to the gym, but felt weirdly underpowered and sweaty, so simply stopped after twenty minutes and walked home again feeling a bit wussy.  Then started work on the French stuff.   At the end of the day, rather pleased that I can stop working for a couple of days, and really cheery that I have had work which is earmarking doubloons for the Kenny coffers. Very tired this evening. Finished reading The Dunwich Horror by H.P. Lovecraft. Went out and scored a small curry when Lorraine came home to a deep discussion with Maureen about the new wood burner she had installed today. Photos had already arrived. Tom arrived this evening to stay. Chatted to him, but both Lorraine and I in a bit of a zombie state.

Another day manacled to my desk, albeit punctuated with brief walks. New agency phoned this afternoon. The client who selected the route I had created, with images of people and quotes, now says he is really happy with this route except he doesn't want images of people or quotes. Sigh. The agency knew this yesterday but only thought to tell me about it this afternoon. All the emails I have sent to the agency went into their junk folder. Naturally they still want the job delivered for Friday. More happily, Valerie phoned me from Paris, pleased with what I had done, and wanting a smidge more from me on Monday. Two agencies, but it's chalk and fromage. Had another Thomas Ligotti book delivered today, cheerfully entitled The Conspiracy Against The Human Race, and have discovered a podcast called The good friends of Jackson Elias, from a website called Blasphemous Tomes . They have a bazillion episodes mostly about H.P. Lovecraft, but horror in general, but it strays into H.P. L...

Chased the new clients who, after a bit, gave me the green light on the job. While I was waiting I had started working on my novel pushing that on by a cheeky 500 words, and had yet another idea for a short story, which I just jotted down. The rest of the day a slog, gradually rewriting and humanising a 28 page brochure previously written by a robot. Had a quick walk before lunch and then a longer one in the park after five, when my brain and eyes had given up. Ate boredom bread and jam today. Spoke to Mum, after I had finished and all being well I will zoom up to see her next week. We are on the cusp of spring, but things are bleak beyond my own little bubble.  Brexit has been delayed, Mrs May has written to the EU to request an extension. The country and its government is quite rightly an international laughing stock, and there is no foreseeable outcome that is not dreadful. Even a so-called soft Brexit leaves us far poorer, financially of course, but also culturally and in t...

Waiting for an update from both clients today, but update came there none. Treated the day as a breather, and simply got on with my own horror work for a bit. And sent some of the photos to Richard. Looking again at the story that had come out of nowhere yesterday, and toying with another short story. Later I returned to the novel, when it was clear no freelance was going to arrive. Mooched into town this morning, and went to the gym, and came back and simply worked on my own stuff. Only did the cross trainer as my back was at me. Home and feeling tired I even had a luxury 40 minute snooze. Read The Last Feast of Harlequin today. Thomas Ligotti writes some excellent stuff, and this story a bit less clotted than some of his earlier stuff. Lorraine and I watched Fleabag which was excellent, lovely acting and every line a zinger. Here is the cover of my Ligotti book. I'm learning a lot from his approach to horror.

Up and working early on the project for my Parisienne pals, but only after I had blurted down in about half an hour, a complete short story of about a twelve hundred words. Wrote itself guv'. Currently called The Dream House . Broke off for a bit after lunch to zoom off to Preston Street to take photos of Silvana and Richard, as Richard asked me to help. They have a Bossa Nova duo, called Bossa Love. Felt rather stressed by this as work was full on, and they were both looking at me a bit blankly. The venue, called The Medusa, was a nice little bar, and the owner very friendly. However it was a very dark and cluttered interior. I took them outside but it was raining, so all in all not much joy. Leaped on a bus and then made it home quickly and was able to resume work on the animal health business which I sent off at the end of the day. The day a bit of a slog. Very pleased to see Lorraine home a bit earlier than usual, who sorted out some salmon and salad and couscous for our d...

Working for a few hours today on the various freelance bits. Lorraine went to the gym for a leisurely session while I had the desk manacles on. Afterwards when she came home we ate some hot cross buns and went for a small walk down to the walled garden, looking at the twisty branches of the magnolia trees, and hellebores and other fragrant white flowers. Then down to the wee Sainsbury's pausing at one of the pubs at the bottom of the hill, called The Crown and Anchor inn, and spontaneously deciding to go in it, as it seemed to have been refurbished and we had never been in there.  Nursed a pint in its high ceilinged spaciousness for a while, and chatted. It smelled of polish. Then to Sainsbury's to buy some cheese and dreamies for the cats.   Home and a vegetarian supper tonight, we tried cauliflower steaks, slabs of cauliflower put into the oven at a very high temperature for a short while. Lorraine put olive oil and cumin and paprika and pepper on them, and they were tast...

A leisurely morning, or at least it would have been if not for Calliope waking me up by whiskering my feet. Up and made breakfast in bed. Did a few bits of work on the bovine poos work, and then we loaded up the car and zoomed off stopping off at Martlet's charity shop in Hove to drop some bits off, then off to Shoreham to Lidls for a bit of variety, and then to Sainsbury's. Dropped some stuff off at Beth and John's place, and picked up a chair they no longer need. Then home for an interlude before bussing it back to Hove where Beth preparing home made coleslaw, and couscous and bits of chicken and halloumi. with the help of Lorraine. John and I sat about listening to more far out bits of King Crimson. Beth bouncing back after a disappointing week, with not getting a part she was really after. I felt for her. Rejection is so much part of an artist of any stripe's life. A fun evening, and Rosie and Innis, just about to go off to Brazil next week, brought Pippi the do...

Slipped off the manacles at lunchtime and zoomed over to the Caffè Nero on Western Road to meet my glass buddies. They had reserved tables at the cafe. Nice to see them all, especially Ben, Chris, Yvonne and Adele. Lots of chat about glass, and Ben and I arranged to go for a cheeky jazz beer soon. Yvonne chiding me for not having got my glass work station ready yet. Jumped on the bus on the way home, and got back to thinking about multiple sclerosis and a touch of bovine diarrhoea. Finished listening to Horrorstör  tonight just before Lorraine came home. Although it was a horror story and had gore and a few bits, it mostly reminded me of a superior children's book. Chatted a bit with Sonia, as I mooched on. Eventually stopped work at tea time. Lorraine home quite early, and feeling shattered. I slipped out into the blustery night and got some takeaway food. Lorraine very pleased to be at home, and snuggled on the sofa. We watched a documentary called Three Identical Strangers , a...

Quietly working on the new brief from the new agency all day today. Lorraine working at home in the morning, lunch of pieces of layer pie with pickle, then in the afternoon I broke off from work to go to the gym. I found myself sweaty but I suppose this is a good thing. Home and a bit more work before dinner with Lorraine. Just working, and happy to be doing so.

Having to chase the new agency to get information today. However some stuff sent me, which I duly pored over. Luckily Valérie sent me some work to do from Paris, so I simply got on with that. Unbelievably, it is another shit job. This one about cow diarrhoea. The glamour. Still, all this keeps me out of trouble guv. I had got up early too, so I managed a bit more on the new story. A few walks to stop the brain from seizing up. Have been listening to Horrorstör , a rather fun audiobook, a horror story set in a downmarket Ikea-a-like store. Made one of Mum's layer pies, a firm favourite as a child. It is a pie, which I made in a bread tin, lined with pastry, and then layered with chopped onion and pork luncheon meat. Beaten eggs, a dash of milk mixed in with a bit of turmeric and black pepper, are then poured slowly into the pie, letting it settle in between the layers. It looked rather good once pulled out of the oven and rested. I cut it revealing stripes inside. Nice. A quic...

Some communication with new agency, and Val called me from Paris to ask if I have any availability too. This all good news. Two lots of work now speeding towards me. This is great as people will generally pay you for it. Feeling a tiny bit like a money magnet again. Worked for several hours on my story. However, today something of an interlude. I read a book about plotting called, Take off your pants! Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing , by Libbie Hawker, which was about plotting and not flying by the seat of your pants. It was short but practical, and I gleaned a couple of useful things to help me with the current horror writing project. Background babble of Brexit chaos this week. It is a festival of headless chickens. Went for a walk before the rain started today. Saw the aftermath of the blown down tree nearby. Adrenaline pumping stuff round here I can tell you. Spoke to Mum today, and Mason getting new hearing aids which are apparently very good. When Lorraine...