Having access to the cat palace through Lou is a tremendous privilege on days like this. Right in the best part of Brighton with rooms twice the height of your average room, door to seafront in five minutes or less, two friendly beasts when you return. On days like this, the whole world descends on Brighton. I wouldn’t want to have to look for an Airbnb or pay for a hotel as the prices will be hoiked up with the temperature, and you’d be paying to be in a crowd. It’s brilliant that she’s catsitting for so long and that the owner trusts me enough to let me be here.
Knowing my love of people watching, Lou suggested I rent a bike and we cycle down to Hove Lagoon. She probably knows my imagination is full of pirates at the moment so she figured she could sell it to me with the name. Arrr.
The last time I got one of those Brighton bicycles it was so memorably terrible that it scarred me slightly, so it was with a degree of trepidation that I selected and unlocked one of only two bikes that were left at the rack. The basket was full of empty cans of gin and crisp packets, but apart from the handles and brakes being sticky in different ways there was nothing else wrong with it. Functional heavy bike. We went to Hove and beyond with the wind behind us.
It’s not far to Hove Lagoon. The sun was hot but the wind was cold. I couldn’t work out if I was too hot or too cold when we stopped and stared at a puddle and a playground. We turned round and slung into the wind to get us out of Hove and back to the mass of humanity that makes up Brighton seafront on a bank holiday Sunday. Hove Lagoon was a distance, not a destination.
Happy Easter. Eostremonath. Time for rebirth. Crack out of your egg in this Libra pink moon and rebalance yourself. It’s an auspicious time…
It’s the beginning of an avalanche of busy. I made the mistake of getting stuck into my diary today and updating it, and I’m about to get swamped cos I’m doing a spot of lovely theatre, plus a bit of filming that I’m gonna have to learn super tightly as most of the other actors will be speaking German. Plus I’m trying to slot in workshops when I can to keep the positive money flow. I’m not going to have many more opportunities to lounge around with Lou surrounded by pedigree cats in a cosy Brighton seafront hideaway. The boulder is rolling down the hill again.
I remember saying in lockdown that we’d all miss the peace and quiet. And I will for sure. I’ve had time to look around a bit even despite my ability to distract myself with shinies. Things are gathering momentum. Life is wiggling again. Gonna get busy. Gonna be fun. I’ll even get to go to Sardinia for twenty days in June. Aaaaa.
I’m feeling chilled and happy. Perfect after a Sunday. I’ve synchronised again. After the little cycle trip we wandered just five minutes to get to The Thomas Kempe in time for a very tasty late Sunday roast. Not even that crowded compared to the beachfront where we were nose to tail. Tomorrow I’ll have to drive up to Peterborough and crash in another Premier Inn before hauling myself back into the Tuesday grind of screaming children full of Easter chocolate building batteries. Right now though, a comfy long sleep to make sure my own batteries are fully recharged, and it won’t be too long a drive tomorrow…
AlBarclay 