On the Road Again

This morning it was Eastbourne and a hurridly arranged meeting about hate crime. There is some Government funding available which might extend the reporting racial incidents (rri) service beyond its currently poor state into something which might have some community ownership. We kick this around for a little while and agree to reform again once we have a draft of an approach clearer in our heads. This will mean lots of e-mail exchanges back and forth over the next couple of weeks but we shall see. A little bonus on my way back to the station when I visit the Marie Curie charity shop and get for a mere 50p a late Miles Davis album (Tutu) which I used to have on vinyl but haven't heard for some time. I saw Miles Davis at the Fairfield Halls in Croydon which must have been the tour associated with the release of this album. Actually, it is the first performance I have ever seen which started with a slow handclap and ended with a standing ovation. Mr Davis was about half an hour late on stage and the audience were getting miffed. But his playing was both faultless and effortless and resulted in him being cheered to the rafters with, I think 3 encores including Kind of Blue which is a personal favourite of mine.

Anyway, I digress. Back to the office and catching up with a funding return, paperwork and the inevitable e-mails. Today we have an unexpected power cut caused, I think by the work taking place next door to our building. I leave the building in darkness with no one being able to do much, meet with the site manager who is waiting for Seaboard and then move to the White Rock Theatre. Here, I attend a meeting of Hastings Age Concern - a local organisation I have worked with a lot and I have a lot of time for. Basically they are experiencing something of a funding crisis and have reduced the core service to as small as you can get it. The next 12 months is likely to be their "make or break" year and I want to show my support by going to the AGM. Ironically in the midst of all this uncertainty they have seen more clients, gained more benefit on their behalf and opened new areas of service which is a real tribute to their determination. The work they do ranges from the campaigning to the basic (a first class toe-nail cutting service I am told). From there it is home to complete my board report and look at a lease (seeing if I can recall the basics of the landlord and tenant legislation from law school - it has been a while).

When I get in Holly is on the sofa and unwell and Sue comes in at about 8.30 saying she thinks she has the flu. I make Heinz tomato soup for them both which has to be the best comfort food ever made when you are ill. I play the part of Florence Nightingale - or given that it is actually Black History Month Mary Seacole - that's how right-on I am!!! And they are now both in bed.

The day is now winding down at about 10.30pm which seems an awfully long time since I boarded the 8.15am train this morning. I am finishing a rather well written biography of Nick Drake who, although he only recorded 32 songs, has had such an influence on a whole range of musicians and writers. Todays lyric is, of course, the great Willie Nelson a truly iconic American singer songwriter and here is a little montage of his career to his signature tune http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVuUH3YmnG8