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Hastings Diary Day 12 May 2016 TEMPLATE

Sharing our stories and making connections…

Had morning coffee with mum before returning to the office. We sat out and watched the wet mist transform into a beautiful yellow glow.

At 88 mum is facing what is likely to be her last house move. She is shocked at the solicitor’s and estate agents fees and asked if I could make sense of them. Every nonsensical action itemised. She wants me to tell her she is either being ripped off or not ripped off; I am not sure which answer will satisfy her at this moment. I do neither, I tell her she needs to ask her agent to explain everything to her.

I am wracked by a terrible sadness as I drive away. How people’s situations change so drastically; one minute holidays abroad, a partner to enjoy ones old age with, and then alone and confused, at the mercy of adult children. What more to look forward to?

At the office the young ones are talking about diets again. If they used the time they took talking about diets to go for some exercise they wouldn’t need to be dieting in the first place.

I have lunch on our lovely new pier. It has turned out to be a gloriously hot day and the pier   provides a warm breeze. I love the space and the clean wooden planks. Today they are preparing for the first outdoor film screening - perfect weather for it.

Eat lunch at the new cafe/restaurant. Sitting at a table near the pier edge I remember coming to the same spot when the Gritti Palace was here, several years before the pier burnt down, to watch England play in the world cup. They had an old fashioned television outside with a sofa and even a standard lamp with a tasselled shade, like a front room from my childhood. I sat myself down with a strong dutch beer and watched the match along with a handful of likeminded strangers. And as the sun went down over the west of the pier we all cheered in unison when England scored.

I love the new pier but I miss that whacky Gritti Palace. 

Watch the seagulls perched above the cafe roof as they watch me eat my egg sandwiches. I’m onto them! I know how they work in pairs, one to distract while the other steals your food. I don’t take my eyes off them and then become paranoid that they are both the decoys and the real muggers will swoop down from behind. I ask the nice lad cleaning tables if they ever get a problem with seagulls and he replies not as yet, they seem well behaved, that he thinks we are not eating the sorts of things seagulls like. I remind him that they mess our town up every week breaking into bins to gorge on human detritus. We both agree it is our fault, the Brits, who don’t know how to effectively seal our rubbish, clear our al fresco tables, stop people feeding them!

A black labrador plays with the waves below while its owner sits on the sea defences reading. He swims in circles and appears to be trying to catch something, or jumping the waves like we did as children. He reminds me of my old dog, long dead. We always had Labs, always getting sprayed by the big shake they make as they stroll up close after emerging from a smelly stagnant pond. One day my Lab demonstrated his Canadian fishing dog heritage by jumping into Alexander Park duck pond and coming out with a fish in his mouth, which he promptly swallowed. Then he jumped in again and came out with another fish - gulp! It was like being in the middle of a disney cartoon. 

I catch the indoor fish market just before closing. The fish are put away but they find me a mackerel -  head off, gutted and in the bag. I clutch my fish bag close, survey the territory and manoeuvre my way cautiously back to the office. I know those seagulls are still watching me. 

Diary HS05

Hastings Diary Day 12 May 2016 TEMPLATE

Sharing our stories and making connections…

Write whatever comes to mind, hour by hour, a reflection or something that stands out. It’s up to you. Photos and drawings welcome.

Worked in Eastbourne yesterday, Thursday 12 the May, doing drop in creative stuff.

Worked mostly on music.

In the morning 2 year 4 girls worked on a song. They had both hurt their feet. One of them talked about how she liked making up songs all the time. She said some things about life at home not being much fun at all the moment. She made up a little song with me called 'Alone in Space'. I liked a line she made up about how she was boss when she's alone in space. I guess she meant when she's alone and away from everyone else she's the boss of herself...perhaps. She came up with some lovely images of looking down at the world in the distance below her feet.

We tried to sing it but she couldn't get through the first line without giggling nervously. Her friend worked on a picture about the song...she drew all the planets in the solar system in tidy rows around the edge of the picture with a space in the middle for the words to the song to go.

Eventually got them singing very delicately. It's a really gentle and subtle song. I played guitar...some very dreamy chords I found in G tuning.

We recorded it on my ipad. Recording them focussed them on singing and they stopped giggling and sang beautifully. We performed it to their class at the end of the day. I think they really enjoyed it and sang out proudly!

Before that, at lunch, we did Room 13 'choir'. Choir is no longer really choir. No one sings anymore- it's basically morphed into a freestyle improvisation group of the core kids who are really interested. There's about 10 kids now. They have progressed so much with their musical sensitivity... from doing just half an hour each week for about a year. We made a democratic choice to stop learning songs but to go improvisational pieces each time. At the moment we follow a pattern where one child starts a simple repeated phrase on glockenspiel of four notes maximum. Everyone listens really carefully and comes in one by one on different instruments. It worked beautifully today. The bit I loved most was Madison answering Heather's phrase on the big mellow glockenspiel with a tinkly high phrase on the high cheapo glockenspiel. We made this really mellow, gentle piece of music...I think we all went into a bit of a dream. I did some noodly solo stuff in G tuning over the top.

After lunch I was so tired I could barely do it. I sat in one place all afternoon while the children created their things...there were 8 kids in the afternoon. I felt like if I closed my eyes for 5 seconds I'd fall asleep. Luckily they all got on really well. They did lots of making with collage and drawing until we drifted into doing some music. I was so tired I bypassed the felt side of my mind completely, I reckon. Went into this dischordant noise that made perfect sense in my tired state.

 On the way home I stopped for 5 mins to avoid falling asleep at the wheel. Had a prawn sandwich and perked up. Listened to 'See You On The other Side' by Mercury Rev all the way home. This is the best album in the world- an atmosphere of some silvery otherplace with wonky brass all over it and massive waves of inspirational sound I get lost in.

In the back of my mind I had been looking forward to doing some plastering on our house all day long. I loved working out how best to get this messed up bit of wall in our house looking good again. Used that special plasterers tape for the first time and attached one of those metal corner things before plastering until 11:30.

Sadly not much of a family day- saw them briefly before S and R went to the theatre. I guess I didn't say much to F 'cus I was so involved in my lovely plastering. Enjoyed having a 'play' fight with him though. When I say 'play'- he tries really hard to do some damage. Proper hard punching and biting. A violent 9 year old beast of pure aggression and power.

Had an exhausted chat with S at bed time...completely in fantasy world. S's face lit up with laughter about something Bobby and Lola said...I can't think what now. Something about their honeymoon I think.

Diaries

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Woke about 6.30am-Cup of coffee and banana-take tablets for Gastric,

heart and diabetes.

Answer emails, check Facebook and respond to a number of posts.

House work including ironing

Walk into town-National lottery got it wrong again and say I didn't

win-when will they get it right?

Work on my painting-'The Master of the Griffin' but unhappy wth the

flames and wings-will re do when current paint drises but being oils

will take some time.

Lunch-salad sandwhich-heard on news Government plan for BBC-very upset

about Trust status-must not go ahead.

Another walk into Town; accosted-in the nicest possible way by ladies

frrom Hastings Speak-videoed in Boxed Castle-bizzare.

It is now 3.30 will spend next three hours  on my novel which is going

very well and I am pleased with it.

Will have coffee, apple and another tablet at about 4pm

Will have my tea about 7pm vegetate in front of TV

Diaries

Here we go..the first of the Day Diaries for May 12th. Enjoy.

HS003

12 MAY 2016: DIARY DAY

8.00 mobile alarm sings out the hour, wakes me up. Automatically hit Radio 4 button but, as per usual, don’t listen to a word: the Today programme increasingly annoys me and I end up shouting at the radio. M. still fast asleep. Slippers on, dressing gown on, clean teeth and wander downstairs where the little dog is fast asleep at the foot of the stairs, very reluctant to wake up — like her other owner, she is not an early riser; into sitting room to feed ancient goldfish, who is now huge and translucent, having lost all trace of orange. Back to dog who is delighted to see me, turns over to have her tummy tickled — there is nothing like a dog’s excitable welcome to banish morning negativity and ensure that every day starts happily even if it doesn’t always stay that way.  

8.30 kettle on; little dog gallops into garden for a wee. The garden smells wonderfully fresh after a night’s heavy rainfall and I notice the slugs have come out in force, horrid creatures. Dog back into her bed (she has three sleeping places in the house) while I make tea (for M.) and strong black coffee for me. It is absolutely impossible for me to get started without black coffee, a habit going back years to the days when I wrote frantically into the small hours to meet publishers’ deadlines and once upon a long time ago, accompanied by a roll-up, but no more.

8.45 partner up and dressed; it takes me much longer while I ponder the right clothes for the day. I may work from home but I always feel the need to chose my clothes carefully. Hot, relaxing bath, while I think about the numerous things I need to get done today, dress and take the dog for a walk over the West Hill. The grass is fresh, the air is crystalline, the sea is sparkling, the view from the West Hill over the higgledy roofs of the Old Town, the fishing boats and sea stretching to the far horizon is truly gorgeous, one of the best views in the world. Dog walk turns into social occasion as, coincidentally, while I’m walking past my good friend J’s house, builders are entering and she invites me in for coffee. Chat and general gossipy catch-up make up a pleasurable and unexpected bit of socialising, while dog sits quietly, then back onto the West Hill, avoiding large dogs and make a circuit of Ladies’ Parlour, gazing at the ruins of Hastings castle, while always admiring the view. As dog and I wander home completely content, the first raindrops arrive. Today is due to be a day of sunshine and showers. It’s so good though to feel the warmth and hints of summer to come. My spirits rise when the sun shines.  

10.00 More coffee, some toast, quick glance at the Guardian; apparently David Cameron is fulminating on the need to rid corruption in various countries; he’s not necessarily wrong about Nigeria and Afghanistan but it might be an idea to investigate our own nation’s corruption before pointing the finger at others. Cameron himself after all is the son of a man who made full use of the off-shore tax legislation, which conveniently left him very well off and with a privileged education. Hey ho. Politics are pretty ghastly at the moment; it’s difficult to keep faith in humanity and hope for the future sometimes.

11.00 Finally sit down and do what I’ve been intending to do for ages, namely tidy up paperwork, bring diary appointments up to date and most importantly sort out my mother’s banking and other details. There is much to do to collate all her papers. I’ve been putting this task off but today have finally got stuff in order — for the moment, which is pleasing. Deal with some of my outstanding paperwork also, what an ex-partner used to call “getting my personal environment under control.” Catch up with emails, think about book ideas and workshop projects I want to get underway. I need to clear space for these but instead decide to email GlaxoSmithKline to suggest Ventolin inhalers design some means of indicating how many doses are left, something I’ve been meaning to do for ages.

1.30 Change into smart-ish white trousers and down to town to do a brief stint for Hastings Speaks, although the table is well attended and B. points out there is probably no need for me to worry. The weather is fabulous: hot, bright sun, some people wearing shorts and T-shirts. Enjoy myself accosting passers-by inviting them to complete a diary, however small or large, for today. As always, when engaging with the public, there are such interesting people: one, pierced striking young woman dressed in black, hurrying for a job interview but says she will record her day later; another woman who tells me her day so far has been one of stress, smoking and work; while a third tells me that no sooner had she sat on a bench, when a drunk came up and asked her to have sex with him. QED: a cross section of life in Hastings today! I enjoy interacting with folks but can only spend a brief period in the town as I need to be at my mother’s care home for a meeting at 4pm latest. On way back to pick up my car, I pop into H&M and buy what I think is a very attractive white cotton shirt that can be my mother’s birthday present to my sis. Also a sparkly b’day card.

4pm Talk at Mum’s care home about the Butterfly Project, linked to Dementia Care Matters, a new approach to people living with dementia. Interesting and engaging presentation, kicked off with an intriguing exercise asking us to draw, from memory, a 2p piece. Realise I have absolutely no idea what a 2p piece looks like, so sit with a blank sheet of paper which transports me straight back to school days and feelings of rebelliousness, my standard reaction when I couldn’t do a task. The exercise sparks considerable discussion, which is both fascinating and engaging. We learn that the project, or more correctly programme, promotes a new and entirely person-centred approach that is being picked up in UK, US and most recently Australia. Dementia is a cruel disease but the programme advocates focusing on the person and feelings rather than the disease and loss of cognitive functions, a very positive approach. Feel both saddened and encouraged by the presentation. Afterwards a mighty spread is offered (unfortunately caterers rarely consider vegans, and I guess why should they. but it does mean I end up eating cherry tomatoes only), then up to spend a little time with Mum who is perky though sleepy.

7pm Home for a chilled spritzer and relax in my much-loved garden, which has seen many transformations in the 37 years that I’ve lived here. The swifts have now arrived and watching them dart and swoop through the sky as sunset approaches is an annual delight.

9pm. Watch Mulholland Drive for movie club next week. Weird film, very weird. It’s disturbing and intriguing. Check out various reviews to discover that it has a massive online following and so to bed around midnight.

What we've been up to...

It's been a really busy few weeks - well month really since Diary Day May 12th. We now have most of our expected day diaries in. We have over 110 postcard diaries and days in pictures, plus a fantastic response (600 plus diaries!) from local schools. We've also had some instagram and twitter diaries, and one project produced around 40 'One thing I learned today postcards'. Added to all these are over 80 formal day diaries sent in by individuals, and organisations.

We've coded all the entries now - so we can begin posting them on here as anonymous diary entries to provide a lasting digital record of our days'. We've set up a separate hastingsspeaks junior blog to post as many of our younger entrants diaries as possible. 

We're busy planning our live literary event to be held on Wednesday 28 September 2016 at 7.30 pm at the Albion pub, George Street, Hastings. Put the date in your diaries. It is going to be a lively and fun night - with live readings, films, and even a little music (possibly). Tickets will go on sale soon via eventbrite. (Though of course free to all our lovely participants)

We're starting to think about how to put together our anthology - whether it is by theme, and what are the important themes we have had in diaries. Housework, the new pier, SATS, food, mental health, the arts and our town are just a few. The anthology will be ready to purchase in time for our live literary event.

My colleague Chris has created a small project strand around psychogeography, whereby people have recorded random walks taken during May 12, via photography, video and text. She's talking to people know how to put these together, and include in our events.

We're also planning not one by two exhibitions to be held at Hastings Museum and Art Gallery - the first on psychogeograhy, the second in September focused on the diary writing and day recording.

We're also pulling together a couple of articles about the project for the Hastings Independent Press - keep an eye out for us in this excellent free local newspaper.

And finally, well, we're about to start sharing all the diary entries we can with you.

Here's a little day postcard to provide a taster...