under another sun

Halloween. Offensive weather this morning. The news buzzing with rumours of a English lockdown next week. We set off to see Mum and Mas, and at one point even considered turning back as the motorway just north of Brighton. The wind was very strong, the road surface running with water, the air full of spray and rain.  Stressful driving for Lorraine, and the rain causing delays on the M25 so we were delayed. Mum and Mas in a little corner by the fire away from everyone, and we joined them for lunch and a couple of drinks. Lovely to see them. Mas rather sleepy after eating and in the warm, and not getting on particularly with his hearing aids.  Food better today, and the pints of Guinness I drank were nice. Lorraine enjoyed chatting with Mum and Mas. Mum saying about trying on her auntie Kay's clothes when she was a kid and they all lived in Ridge Road. Soon after we had arrived, I was sent a photo from Toby of him and Romy. I sent him ones back of us, which was nice. In contrast...

 Beth popped in for coffee this morning, and in the Evening, Lorraine collected Sam from Brighton station and drove him to Chichester where Gary was having a belated sixtieth party. Gave Lorraine a good chance to talk to him. Otherwise we lay fairly low today. The weather fairly hideous, although we took a turn around Blakers Park in between the rain. Spoke to Mum. Read some fiction by Matthew Rees and an excellent poem Sarah Barnsley sent me for an opinion on whether it should have an epigraph or not. I thought it should and she said others had said that too. While Lorraine was out early this evening, I watched the third of the documentaries about Trump on BBC. It is chilling. Trump is not over yet, and despite him supposedly lagging way behind in the polls, I think the reality is very much tighter. Terrifying what another infliction of Trump will do the US, let alone the rest of the world. Infection figures are rocketing in the UK, projections are saying the impact of the second ...

Day started at around 4 am with disturbed cats. The black and white bastard had let itself in and was busy spraying the place and eating all the cat food. It fled as I went downstairs. Our cats traumatised. Locked the door of the cat flap, which is not working properly, and returned to bed, and lay awake trying to decide how to murder the black and white cat. Lorraine utterly awake too. Eventually we put on a meditation tape and fell asleep to it.  One of the dispiriting consequence of yesterday's account bonanza was realising just how much money I was paying for broadband. Lorraine found an enormously better deal from Virgin, and I applied for this. Then phoned up BT to cancel my account, who then countered with an even better deal than Virgin, which I accepted, and then had to have interminable conversations with Virgin to cancel the order I had made an hour earlier. All calls to these telecoms companies requiring at least 10 mins of waiting before you could speak to anyone -- fo...

Lorraine doing school work from home, and zooming off midday as there had been a recall notice on the car, something to do with a child lock in the back. I spent the day getting spreadsheets ready for the my accountant. Fairly dispiriting stuff, but a big relief to get it done and sent off.  Mid afternoon, I managed a rain dodging walk. Reached the far side if the hill fort when big spots of rain, began and my lightning tracker app rumbled in my earphones. Sloped home through the woody bits in soaking rain. Happy to be home, and sit with Lorraine on the gold sofa as the rain poured outside.   Before the rain, walked past these starlings. I liked how a single bird is taking wing.   

 Dawn's 60th birthday today. Foul day of lashing rain. Lorraine and I had a slowish start this morning, then zoomed about. I got a private flu jab at Kamson's down on Beaconsfield Road, which was quick and easy, although being jabbed while looking at heart attack risk charts not my favourite interlude of the day.  Then Lorraine and I drove off and shopped in Churchill Square, where I had not been in since the beginning of the year. Lorraine bought some skincare stuff with some vultures she had been given at school, and I bought a new watch strap. This a lengthy process, as the first one they started to put on cost £59 which I rapidly nixed. The second one, at a more reasonable tenner, was put on and as I walked out of the shop simply fell off my wrist as the buckle was faulty. Third time lucky. Then off to Martlet's charity shop to drop off Pat and Maureen's rug. I ran out in the rain to ask if they were accepting them. The woman charity worker weirdly bolshy. Is it jus...

Our seventh wedding anniversary, and the first day of L's half term. So I was mainly on holiday. A leisurely start to the day, although we had to get up eventually as Lorraine had to go to the dentist. In the afternoon we went for a brisk walk and took advantage of some sunshine. Then to M&S to buy ourselves a few nice bits of food. We stayed in and had a candlelit dinner, played cards and even performed a spot of romantic dancing. All nice. Wine, and starters, and main course of fish pie, and micro greens, dressed with Sicilian balsamic vinegar (bought last year at the price of liquid gold) and was very delicious, then little strawberry tarts for dessert, and cheese even. Lovely. Cats sat on empty chairs for lots of the meal, which was a bit comical. Spoke to Mum, who was pleased to receive a kokeshi doll from Toby and Romy.  Below Lorraine and I out and about, and the present Lorraine gave me for our anniversary, which now sits proudly on my desk.

Lorraine and I off this morning in the rain to see Pat and Maureen. Traffic jams on the way, but we reached there. Took Pat and Maureen off to a local retail park, where Maureen looked at rugs to replace the one she said she was sick of the sight of, because Basil cat often brought its prey there, which left stains. A bit of struggle choosing the right ones, looking at quite a few. Children playing among the hanging rugs, underneath the signs that said do not let your children play under these hanging rugs. Maureen struggles to wear a facemask at the same time as her hearing aid, which makes shopping harder.  A grey rug secured, Pat and I sauntered back to the car. I opened the car stuffed in the rug, and then lost then briefly lost the keys on the back seat. Pat then urgently needed a wee, and we had some trouble finding a place, but eventually emergency was averted in Costa Cafe.   Home again, and Maureen talking knowledgeably about wool, double knits, four-plys and so on. A...

Saturday, and reading in bed some lovely notes from Toby and pals like Sarah and Charlotte had sent to Robin and me about the podcast. Eventually I sprang out of bed and bought some chewy brown bread from the corner for a leisurely breakfast.   Weather fairly unspeakable. But no problem for us, as it was a power down day. I saw the main task of the day to be ensuring Lorraine relaxed, and she did cross stitching and working on a puzzle and so on, which was good to see. I finished reading the excellent Normal Lewis book Naples '44 and took delivery of Matthew Rees's new collection of dark fiction.  Cooked together tonight, Lorraine making a rather excellent fish and leek pie. All well. 

Quite cheered by how the podcast business is going down. Lots of lovely comments coming in during the day, which is gratifying. Feels like a step in the right direction. I particularly like having it on my own phone, listed with the other podcasts I listen to. Feels like it is a 'thing' as they say. Cheery chat with Sonia today, who was explaining that we should live in Peacehaven like her, because it is heaven, which made me smile somewhat.  Off this evening, and out for the first time on a Friday night for ages. We met up with Beth and James at a restaurant called Med, and had a rather good tapas type meal, and drank some nero d'avola. Fun to be out, and a lovely evening. Beth on sparkling form, and James cheery too. And we sat by a table on its own by the front door, which they opened for quite some time. Still everyone had to get their masks on to move about the place, and the waiters were all masked. Feeling carefree is not something easy to come by these days. Home by...

Got up early, gave Calliope her antibiotic, which she ate up with no problem. Lorraine working from home this morning. Reading the TES is part of her objectives now, and she did it in bed first thing. I was working on Doctor Spotlight first thing, which is falling into place very nicely. It is anxious and horrific, which is what you want in a dark tale. It is about a comedian being ambushed on stage. Betty phoned today, and I was able to consult her about the names of lights.  Robin and I had a meeting at 11.00pm and decided to press the big button and publish our first Planet Poetry podcast this afternoon. All rather exciting. A much brighter Calliope joined the call too, after scratching the door like a poltergeist. Robin and I recorded a bit more banter about a poem, and then got on with the day. A brisk lunchtime walk in the sunshine, around my usual haunts. This time unmolested by dogs.  Home and then pressed go on the podcast, and the Robin and I sent out tweets, blog, ...

Rueful about last night. I should know better than allow myself to be provoked by idiots. Pouring with rain this morning, and I felt somewhat gloomy, but wrote steadily. Cheered up a little by a call from Anton however. I always feel better after a self-pitying whine. Very good news later, however as Calliope's tests came back fine. Her vitals and bloodwork are good. They thought she might have a pancreas problem, but she is okay. The vets say she has either eaten something weird or has an infection. I had thought she might die this week, which was an upsetting. She herself is a lot perkier, although far from her normal self. In the afternoon I walked across to Patcham and picked up some antibiotics from Top Cats. Lorraine picked me up as I walked back, and as I had not prepared any dinner yet, stopped off at Jennys for fish and chips. Once in a while, fish and chips is an excellent thing. A more cheery evening, watching comfort TV with Lorraine while sipping a ginger beer.

Calliope very unwell today, vomiting, felt hot to the touch, breathing rapidly and looking upsettingly distressed. Beth kindly came by this morning, in between working, to drive us off to the nice folks at Top Cats. We sat outside, while Calliope underwent several tests, and had an anti vomiting jab and antibiotics. Once home, Calliope she sat on the chair next to me all afternoon, looking poorly.  Otherwise I worked on a promising new story called Doctor Spotlight , and other bits and pieces. Made salmon stir fry which I ate with Lorraine, before mooching off into town. I met the Beermonsters, and we ended up sitting on a bench outside the Evening Star. Good to see them again, although obviously the whole scenario was abnormal. Felt quite drunk as I haven't been drinking much lately, and all was cheery and fun till it was time to go. I needed a wee, so popped into the pub. A masked employee who we had not been speaking to, stopped me, even though the pub was almost empty, and I wa...

I wrote a list and managed to tick a few things off it. Luckily Robin had been able to connect our podcast with Apple. This is good news. Walked to the local chemist, who when I asked about flu jabs, said 'Over 65?' to me. When I rather primly said I was under 65 they said they had none, but might have some in a while. Also set up a dental appointment for December 10th. Walked my 10k paces, into the autumnal woods, encountered two women dog walkers, walking together with a pack of  11 dogs all off their leads met me in the woods. Two of the dogs began barking at me. I don't know what it is, but dogs have been barking at me this year. The more they do it, the less I like it, and the less I like it the more they do it. I don't mind the odd dog, but 11 in one go makes you feel like a fox. Down to some writing this afternoon, but one of those anti-Midas days when everything I touched, especially the most promising things, tarnished instantly. Gave the afternoon up as a bad ...

On a bit of a mission to get stuff done. Lorraine completed switching us onto a different power supplier, we cat herded the cats and protected them from worms with a spot on treatment. Then we assembled the sentry box style wee garden shed we had sent away for. Worked well as a team. Just as we finished this I went into the dungeon lent over to do something and evilly did something to my back which went into a painful spasm. However I kept moving and put a hot pad on it, and it loosened up again. In the garden we cut down the tomato vines, and put them in the compost, moved some pots about and generally got busy. Then a more leisurely afternoon. I am reading Naples '44 at the moment, a brilliant book by Norman Lewis, that Anton got me for my birthday.  It is Lewis's diary when he was an intelligence officer in Naples in 1944. One of the scenes of going down into the Catacombs to look for Nazis among the ancient skeletons worthy of any horror story. Just brilliant on all fronts...

Dreadful nightmares. Up fairly early for a Saturday, and we drove off to Hove. We stopped at the small parade of shops on Richardson Road not far from Betty's place, and Lorraine went into a flower shop to buy a a sort of mid autumn Secret Santa pressie they were doing at work. I loitered outside, finding myself looking at Lion Mews, the name of which made me smile somewhat, ('mews' being a cat noise to me.) and even more when I discovered there was a Cat Grooming service in one of units.   I was still Pooterishly chuckling about cat grooming at Lion Mews when a cheery Betty hove to, and Lorraine came out of the shop and we wandered down to the seafront.  Betty was in good spirits, helped by her and James going nicely. She was off in the afternoon with James to see his mum and cousin.  You could really see the sky there, with occasional minutes of blue skied sunshine, when it grew surprisingly hot, and then bands of ominous cloud. Beautiful light. We ambled along and sat ...

Good in parts. Somewhat galled to learn, via Keith first thing this morning, that the job for next week had evaporated.  Now they want Keith for to work for two days with an in-house writer. Naturally the agency said nothing to me till I chased them. Inconsiderateness which to be industry standard for 2020.  More positively, the Planet Poetry podcast, is creeping forward, and we now have a trailer that is listenable to here . We will link to iTunes and so on shortly so that it can be downloaded like any other podcast. Sonia telling me about her visit to Stirling and Edinburgh. They went by plane which made me feel a bit twitchy as she edged into my study to share the experience.  Went for a walk and drifted into the edges of Wild Wood. Feels happy to be among trees in autumn. Everything feels precarious, but the sheer freedom of being able to walk about in woods is not to be underestimated. There has been many an autumn day over the years, when I have had my nose to some ...

Have been pencilled in for more work next week, working at home for an agency up in town that I worked in with Keith for a few months a few years ago. If all goes through, I will be working with Keith again. Otherwise all the usual things. Wrote some PK stuff, edited episode 2 of the podcast and went for another walk up and around the hill, pausing to look at the engine parts in the woods. Listening to a highly intelligent podcast by The Good Friends of Jackson Elias, a podcast about horror and gaming.  They had  two podcasts about current conspiracy theories, and I learned all about the madness that is QAnon , the far right conspiracy that is every kind of blended madness: democrats and celebrities, particularly the Clintons, are running a global Satanic pedophile ring, the Trump is fighting a battle against the deep state, children are being farmed for blood products, time travellers are going back and forth in time to speak to tell presidents when they are children that the...

Pressed on with poems -- the new one about Hollingbury Hillfort good I think, and may be the sort of poem you can enter into a competition -- and editing of episode 2 of the podcast. Took down the masking tape and touched up a few bits of the bathroom and made good, also went for a long walk.  cleared my study of the mountain of DIY stuff that had been in there. Made a cheeky stir fry with grilled salmon this evening, Lorraine home early but then into a long zoom meeting.  I sat in my study armchair and read more of All My Yesterdays , by Steve Howe. He comes across as egotistical, meticulous, and private. There is precious little insight into, or appreciation of, other musicians he played with. A few veiled mention of squabbles. However I did learn that my boyhood hero Chris Squire struggled with alcoholism, which saddened me. When Lorraine emerged we watched another unchallenging and vaguely comforting episode of Death In Paradise .  Views on my stroll today up and arou...

Started writing a poem about something, which quickly morphed into a poem about Hollingbury Hillfort, the pandemic and so on. It arrived almost completely formed and has promise. Had a meeting with Robin, and pressed ahead and rerecorded some bits. I worked out how to use Audacity to remove the worst of an irritating whine from the interview I recorded with Pascale. We are going to go live soon.  Painted the ceiling again in the bathroom. Spoke to Mum this evening, who had been to have a MRI checkup, the MRI machine is now in the car park and she was pleased she have her coat on as all the doors and windows of the hut were wide open. She had taken the tube there, for the first time in months, and she said it was okay as it wasn't busy, although there were people without masks. When not writing or editing or painting I mooched about looking with new eyes at the Hillfort today. The top photo is of a little rise in the land, which apparently is where the original fort wall was. I read...

My actual birthday. Sixty blinking one. This one however not at all traumatic. Lorraine gave me another pressie, which was Steve Howe's autobiography -- which certainly reveals, ah-hem, a lot about his personality and guitar geek side. Also a Molesworth book from Richard and Jane in Guernsey, and a card warning me against the evils of drink from Pat and Maureen. The outside world somewhat grey and dour.  A bracing lunchtime walk however, after eating a cheese and tomato toastie which I snapped and sent to Beth. Dozens of lovely messages from people on Facebook, email and so on. Maureen and Pat phoned this morning, as did Anton and Katie. Lorraine home early today, which was nice. A very pleasant day, after a cheery birthday weekend. Below a snap from the wall of the hill fort looking slightly southwest in gorgeous black and white.