Shiver me timbers.

I went down into town - not to participate in international pirate day - but to see the BBC filming on the roundabout, they are using Hastings as a template for the 'big' society on Newsnight and were trying to see if enough people could be motivated enough to turn up and plant stuff on the seafront roundabout. Dairmund Gavin was there to turn the sod, looking slimmer in real life - but rather bored and underwhelmed. Actually it looked like the good people of Hastings had done rather well - plenty attractive greenery and more coming.

I walked back through the old town, there were over 6 thousand pirates in the count - 3 times the previous world record. To be frank - I may be a miserable old cunt but I rather like stuff like this, I'd never participate myself - but huge numbers of people had really made the effort and it looked like a lot of fun, at least it didn't rain - although it seems that most pirates have day jobs as ladies of ill repute - lots of 'sexy' pirates.... 'slutty' pirates... and down right pornographic pirates. In truth - Hastings does stuff like this really well, and we should support it. Old town carnival tomorrow - Grindrod is coming down for the day. I shall be drinking beer and talking about myself as usual.

Earlier today I resolved a really difficult plumbing problem which means that my bath now drains correctly - despite the fact it's a cast iron Victorian number than is too low to have normal drainage and is supposed to drain down through the floor. I have one of those pine drainage things you stand on in the bathroom from Ikea - so I bought a load of timber and built a bigger one as a platform for the bath to rest on - it looks OK and I managed to fit a really shallow U bend underneath - I am quite pleased with myself.

In fact... so pleased.... I'm drinking beet at 4pm. Fuck it - I've had a horrible week and frankly, I need it.