It's been a long, long time ....

I don't suppose many people keep diaries anymore now that Blogs have taken the limelight. Barely a day goes by that another entry from a famous Blog is reported on - Barack Obama for instance. How does he get the time? I find it hard to put aside 30 minutes now and then to bring this one up to date and that's just running a guesthouse, not as guardian of the free world!

I kept a diary when I was 17 for some months. Of course, I had to write it in code so that my mother (who was bound to find it) would never unravel the goings on of her teenage son. Even Bletchley Park would have taken a while. But as the sultry summer of 1980, interspersed with a landmark holiday in Greece, came to a close so did the diary.

For me it's the same with a Blog hence my long delay in coming back. And that's without me Twittering or updating Facebook! I haven't really cottoned on properly to these yet although I'm trying. Presumably it's like a round robin every day so that people can keep up with the minutiae of your daily life - 'I thought I'd be bold and wear red socks today'. How lovely.

Not that anything's come to a close here, oh no. We had the most exquisite time in Paris despite it being about twice as expensive as Brighton. We just changed our habits and ate at home (we booked this charming little flat in Le Marais on the Rue des Rosiers - the heart of the Jewish Quarter - opposite was a Kosher Pizza parlour). And this time we paid upfront for everything - those Pre-Paid Mastercards are great because you already have the money and they are so much more convenient than carrying substantial amounts of cash. We did eat out at night of course but still managed to spend about half as much as the last time.

Here at Avalon Brighton we've had the Labour Party Conference too - a great bunch of people but you get the feeling they are not overly optimistic of success in the near future.

We have the signed Gilbert and George prints (one person thought they were pictures of me and Tom).

Two good friends have sadly left us. Linda was taken ill on a break in Brighton and died very suddenly.

Ken Wynn (pictured at the top with the delectable Miss Sophie, Martin's Jack Russell and also on this Blog last year for Trafalgar Night) - so sad that we only knew him as a good friend for the last three or four years - passed away last week and his funeral was on Tuesday. I want a funeral like that - the right balance between respect, solemnity, mischief and sheer fun. Martin spotted me across the room upstairs at the Pumphouse in the Lanes handing an Avalon card to someone (who asked me for one) and hissed: 'Have you no shame - carding a wake?!'

Not really.

And so the Avalon Brighton today sails slowly into winter with a full complement of Belgian and UK martial arts enthusiasts. Tom has taken George to the cinema to see Saw 6 (George loves these movies where people are turned into joints of meat - give me 'Room With A View' any day).

So I find myself with half an hour to bring things up to date - well it's more pleasant than digging out all my tax info for the accountant but don't worry Geoff I'll do that in the morning. Anyway there's a postal strike!

We've had so many lovely people stay again this year - many new friends to add to our Christmas Card list (that's a metaphorical one because we usually forget to send any). Keep in touch through this Blog or on brian@avalonbrighton.co.uk to let me know how things are going.

And I dedicate the week to the lovely Romany Van Bosch, longtime friend of Ken's, tirelessly helping him in his later years as his illness and age took their toll, being an absolute diamond to everybody, organising things and generally being a star. I watched her walking up St James's Street the other day and didn't recognize her at first as I thought it was someone in their 20's! Romany if I can have only half the zest for life you have it will do for me. Ken must be immensely proud to have picked the right friend all those years ago (around the time of the Queen's Coronation) and for that friendship to have survived through its ups and downs but intact and as strong as ever at the end. God Bless You!