Calm evening in Brighton with cats

A warm night by the sea. If you’re outside there’s still far too much cold air moving around. But indoors, it’s cosy here at The Cat Palace. I didn’t think I’d make it back here. I’ve got cover for Dilly all week though so it seemed like the perfect opportunity.

The seaside, and despite it being a festival weekend here in Brighton, this beautiful property is peaceful.

We joined the throng in the morning though. Starfish and Coffee, where we consumed remarkable vast breakfasts accompanied by the howling of young children old enough to know better. While their tired hungry parents were distracted or indifferent their younger siblings hurled projectiles for the waiters to clean up. We enjoyed the food, but we were in the thick of it so escaped to a quiet bit of park as quickly as possible. To our favourite bench in Brighton, in Queens Park. The bench bears a tribute to “Dave Verney”. He smoked his first badly rolled spliff there, we are told by the plaque. Good choice, Dave. A good view, sun on the face, and all the birds. We had a very close encounter with a curious robin, a brief seagull visitation, and plenty of cooing. The pigeons are a-bothering. It’s the time of year that they follow the ladies around like ill-self-governed drinktwats on the way home in London.

Is summer beginning to kick in? Oh please.

Lou has a workshop now out in the Downs. She’s taken a punt on it for a year and I think it’ll bear fruit. It’s in a beautiful area – airy and peaceful. I had picked up some shelves and cupboards from IKEA. I came down loaded up with them and we spent a good half an hour hauling great big bolts of fabric down the stairs of her flat to move them over in Bergman so she can see them and work with them. It’ll make so much sense for her there I feel, but since she doesn’t drive it was a good opportunity today to make use of my muscles and my wheels. Working away from home makes sense. I work hard when I’m not in my flat. I struggle to do it when I’m there.

A couple more nights in the palais des chats. A bit more time with these two fluffy friends, with the high ceilings and the sea. Having taken so much fabric out of Lou’s place it’ll be much clearer up there when her temporary tenancy here is finally over. But with my diary filling up I honestly didn’t think there’d be an opportunity like this until late summer. A peaceful weekend by the seaside stretches ahead. I hope yours works out well too! I can hear the distant sounds of a dance tent. But I don’t feel called to it. And it’s far enough away that I can block it out and snooze.