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Robert Hugill

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  1. Robert Hugill
    Sorry, I realized I got the time line wrong. On my list of corrections!
  2. Robert Hugill
    Many thanks to everyone who stayed with the story over the weeks. When I first conceived the idea of The Grange with the two contrasting brothers, beginning with what is now chapter two, their discussion about the future, I had no idea that the story would develop so much. I have no idea 'what happens next' but sometimes these things have a habit of working out in my brain. Over the next few weeks I will be working through the story, apply Mike Leigh's edits to my existing texts.
  3. Robert Hugill
    Once back from Southwold, all I wanted to do was put the exhibition behind me, at least for a while, and concentrate on other work. To pretend it hadn’t happened, at least temporarily. But, of course, I wasn’t allowed to. Everyone else wanted to talk about the exhibition, my talks and the book project - all the things I would have preferred to put in a mental box and leave to one side for the moment. Jacob managed to corner me on Tuesday evening as we both seemed to arrive back at the ho
  4. Robert Hugill
    It wasn’t how he’d choose to spend Christmas every year, but there was something engaging about doing it with his family, even with two rather boisterous boys. He was allowed to wake up late, the boys subsequently telling him rather solemnly that they had been playing in the front of the house so he could sleep. Russ had laughed to himself. He suspected that “because you are old and ill” was a phrase they mentally tacked on. Over a welcome coffee, he had to admire their presents. His own se
  5. Robert Hugill
    I should probably warn everyone that the next chapter is the last. We bring things full circle with Gray and Vince alone at The Grange having deep conversations that echo the opening chapters.
  6. Robert Hugill
    We made coffee at the flat and then walked over to Vince’s hotel where we met them for breakfast. It was the usual hotel breakfast buffet, but rather less run of the mill than many and it felt fun having smoked salmon with my scrambled eggs, and the option of having Bircher muesli too. This latter had caused much discussion amongst everyone in our party, though only Peter and I essayed it. Vince, Peter and Freddie were planning on stopping in Walberswick on the way back. But Matt and I w
  7. Robert Hugill
    Because life's not like that really!
  8. Robert Hugill
    On Monday, Jamie arrived promptly, dressed casually but warmly with a heavy, patterned sweater that looked distinctly homemade. As Russ manoeuvred himself into the little Fiat, he commented on the sweater and Jamie laughed. Evidently, his mother was a great knitter and was convinced that he would freeze to death in Ireland. “If it’s not rude, how did an Englishman end up working in Ireland?” “Dual nationality. Granddad was Irish, came over to England for the work.” “And never l
  9. Robert Hugill
    Matt got up first. The bed did not really make you want to linger; it was functional but little more. He said that he was going to look for breakfast and came back with coffee (the flat was at least equipped with a cafetiere), bread, pastries and such. We should have thought to bring things with us, and I rather regretted the lack of Matt’s nice bread or decent pastries from Treasures. Still, we sat in bed and had our coffee and such, mulling over the previous day. “What are you planning
  10. Robert Hugill
    Sunday morning, Russ really did ache all over, and bits of him were turning alarming colours. Still, nothing felt damaged, and he couldn’t face queuing at A&E or whatever they called it here. He had health insurance, a good one. Did it cover unprovoked attacks? He couldn’t face a phone call with his PA, Felicity; she’d want details and insist on him doing things properly. He emailed her, saying he’d had a minor accident, nothing to worry about. But it had set him thinking. Almost by r
  11. Robert Hugill
    Slightly more than that. 3 more I think.
  12. Robert Hugill
    I had intended for Gray to be more unlikeable but somehow as the character developed the corners rather rubbed off. But it was still nice to bring back the crankieer elements occasionally.
  13. Robert Hugill
    The bed was a disaster. Matt had bounced on it jokingly only to discover that it sagged so badly that we would both be rolling into the middle. And it was way too short for him, his feet hung off the end. He was resigned to it, but I was horrified. The alternative was me sleeping on the sofa, so that he could sleep diagonally. That just about worked but was hardly the weekend à deux that we’d had in mind. Matt said a firm no to that one. The flat was OK. I had stayed in worse. The déc
  14. Robert Hugill
    I wasn't even aware there was an American spelling of 'kerb'!
  15. Robert Hugill
    After a relatively late breakfast the next morning (Saturday), the boys wanted to get stuck into football straight away. But Lisa had other ideas and hustled them away; they had tasks to do. There were groans, but they were surprisingly tractable. Russ wasn’t sure whether the tasks were genuine, or whether Lisa was being tactful and not throwing him in the deep end straight away. Whichever it was, Russ was grateful. Con offered to show him round the rest of the house, though the other g
  16. Robert Hugill
    Yes, the story begins in July and ends in December (so a bit more than summer). Having started writing it, I went back and mapped out the passage of time so that it works. Sort of!
  17. Robert Hugill
    Tolly, Matt’s friend from college, was of medium height, chunky with a mop of curly blond hair and smile that made you think he was going to be trouble. Instead, he hugged Matt with a cry of “Matt, my man”, then smiled at me. Bloody hell, he even had dimples. And he said that it was a pleasure to meet Matt’s mystery man at last. We were going back to the Old White Horse. The Immanent Dance Crew, the band with a queer following, was back by popular request and Matt and I were going with s
  18. Robert Hugill

    Family Life

    Robert Hugill commented on Robert Hugill's story chapter in Family Life

    Yes, I have always assumed that too
  19. Robert Hugill

    Family Life

    Robert Hugill commented on Robert Hugill's story chapter in Family Life

    Technically Paki is an insult for those from the Indian subcontinent, but laterly I heard it as a general racist insult. Here it's meant to suggest the yobs' ignorance
  20. Robert Hugill
    “How’s the house coming along?” Con stiffened behind the steering wheel but didn’t say anything. So Russ ploughed on. “I’m only asking because I’m interested. You said there was progress.” It was intended simply to be conversation in the car, as Con had picked him up from the bus station. But clearly the subject was still touchy. “Not as much as we’d like. Lisa’s cousin Donal and his mates are a great help, but…” It hit Russ what the problem was. “They’re doing it as a barro
  21. Robert Hugill
    Not intentionally, I just like the name.
  22. Robert Hugill
    Maxi came through with the recording and we sent that off to the radio company along with all the paperwork, duly supervised by Vince. I was now waiting to see if the company made good its promise to commission a series. But I worked on the idea, anyway, trying bits and pieces out on Matt and Vince. Maxi and Jacob seemed to be an item. He was around a lot. Jacob kept himself to himself, restricting his socialising with us to just dropping in for the odd coffee and nothing more. Sensibl
  23. Robert Hugill
    Thanks. Probably too late to change, alas!
  24. Robert Hugill
    That's another story, isn't it! The lady and her son do reappear, but not quite in the way you think....
  25. Robert Hugill
    The countryside sped by and looked, well, green, at least as far as Russ could tell through the sheets of rain battering the bus windows. The bus was a real novelty, and Russ found the experience not unpleasant. With a successful business that took him from his base in Parborough across the UK and beyond, Russ was used to being driven, to having the luxury of his own company and the space to work. He certainly wasn’t alone now. He had been surprised at quite how many got the bus from the air
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