Grey Area

I wasn't expecting such horrible weather. Gale force winds, rain and leaden skies... horrible.

Went for a pint in the Jenny Lind last night. All the power was out from the top of Old London Road - all the way into town - even the streetlights. No moon, just the occasional candle in a window - and sometimes a car headlight. Quite strange and scary, and not that easy to find my way about.

The Jenny had a band on and was pretty busy so we went to the Filo. It cost £7.30 for a pint of larger and glass of red wine, I could have wept.

Outside in the dark I saw a stunning girl with a beehive and trendy retro coat - inside she turned out to be about 70 and wearing a funny hat. A very old woman who needed helping in and out of her chair stared at me with horror or fascination in her eyes all evening.

Overheard a woman in her 30's at the next table -

Look, he goes to work - the money Lawrence earns pays for the bills and the food and mortgage and everything we need - I only work because I'll get bored in the house all day and that money is mine - he's go no right to ask me to contribute - it's for my treats and the things I want to do, 'nuffing to do with him.

It's going to be sunny tomorrow - just as well, I still have a box of spring bulbs to put in that are getting a bit eager to go out. After a week of work the house is a wreck, I only see it in the dark and there is very little incentive to be houseproud when I'm tired. It was a actually a pretty good week and I made some big innovations on the course that real really going to help - I have an IQER in March - which is a 'soft' Ofstead for Higher Education, I have to have all the paperwork that I would normally have ready in August for the Exam Boards - ready in 10 weeks - actually, I think it's quite handy - It does no harm to be on top of things. The UCAS applications need to be completed by the 15th and sent off, it's all electronic now - I have to check them after the students have finished and add my comments - and then I wait for the deluge of applications we are expecting due to the increase in fees. I have no provision in my teaching hours for interviews and I did over 50 last year - could be double this year.

I'm going to buy my first newspaper of the year later - only for the telly page. Talking of which, I had a late night sales call from BTVision, a bloke in a call center in Ireland somewhere. I generally make the effort to be courteous for the first 30 secs, it's not their fault they have to work in a call center - and I despise the way most British people get stroppy when a call comes through from India or something. I ended up explaining that I didn't really watch TV and wasn't interested in any subscription services - and that I preferred the radio.

"what do you listen to" he asked


"erm, mostly radio 4, and radio 7" I replied


"Isn't that the one with drama and old stuff"


"yeah - I like that - I work and home and it's actually pretty good - and radio 6 too"

Ended up being on the phone for 40 mins talking about music, it did occur to me that I was probably the only person who has been nice to him all day.