Ghosts

Every time I go to Brighton, I see a ghost from my past - for some reason people seem to gravitate there. This week it was a bloke called Dougal I knew in London about 18 years ago - he looked exactly the same and was still very prissy, I had difficulty remembering his name - I generally referred to him as 'That Irish Queen' - he was fingering a lampshade in habitat and looking very prissy - I'm glad he didn't see me. last week it was a bloke I worked with - again in London, who's name escapes me - he actually hated me, and I could tell he recognized me - but I didn't let on I knew him. He looked terrible, very sallow and aged - like the Yellow Man from Sin City.

As I go there on an irregular basis, I see people I knew every few months, and there are people who have been in the same jobs for years - the bloke who works on the till in Snoopers has been there at least 15 years - he used to be very dashing and well dressed - but now he's very bald and fat with big bags under his eyes. the girl who does Cyber fashions is still dressed and made up exactly the same - but has gone from a zany, fresh faced club Kid - to Wee Jimmy Krankie in drag.

The blokes from Jump The Gun all look exactly the same as they ever did, and I saw a bloke I used to know who dresses as Morrissey - and has done all his life - but from behind you could tell his quiff was a gigantic well glued comb over.

One thing I generally do is have a drink in the Battle of Trafalgar - I love that pub, made even more perfect by being right by the station. It's exactly the same now as it's always been. The only problem is that if I drink anything and relax, I forget 'when' I am and automatically turn the wrong way when I leave to go 'home' to my old house in Hove. I hate it when that happens - it makes me really sad. Like the last 8 years never happened and I could just wipe them away and start again.