Kay Inglis

Bournemouth Strikes Again

Sunday, February 15th, 2009 | Uncategorized

Just back from Bournemouth, and another wonderful weekend in the company of my top mate ‘Niles’. Frasier, the cleaning junkie, was away on holiday, which meant we could have spent the whole weekend causing messy havoc, bouncing on the beds and smearing chocolate on the walls, and not fear being reprimanded for it (so long as we cleared it up before he returns tomorrow). However, I’m pleased to report we didn’t spend the whole time rearranging the cushions or sprinkling bags of dust across the room. Instead, we knocked our creative heads together.

On Friday night, we popped around the corner from Niles’s flat in Boscombe, to a somewhat dark but delightful curryhouse, and stuffed ou faces with some of the most delicious curry I’ve ever tasted. While there, we started developing ideas for another fantastic animation series. I’ve said this before, but when my friend and I get together, ideas flow like creative diarrhoea, and we’d soon filled several pages of notes on his iPhone. The writing synergy that exists between us never ceases to amaze me; one day I hope we’ll manage to do something with it other than make our fellow diners think we’re a bit potty!

Because Frasier was away, I didn’t stay up all night talking politics and bemoaning the state of the world for a change, probably just as well as I’ve been exhausted all week. So, after watching a wonderful Morrissey performance on Jonathan Ross’s show, we had a fairly early night.

On Saturday, we arose early and drove to the Isle of Wight (or to the ferry, at least). Despite an altercation with a Chavmobile at the scary roundabout in the middle of Newport, we had a great time. Best of all was our visit to an animal park, which featured all kinds of creatures, including some rather friendly penguins and monkeys we both wanted to take home. I think Niles pulled, twice; an armadillo and a meerkat showed particular interest in him, and I’m sure he was trying to get the rather miserable looking monkey in his pocket.

Great amusement abounded when the anteaters decided to procreate, in front of a group of none-the-wiser children and their tittering parents. There’s always got to be one - or two, techincally - although Niles was adamant that they were just ‘having a cuddle’. Ah, how I pity his poor partner sometimes!

Back in Bournemouth, we embarked on an epic mission to bake a chocolate cake. Though I firmly believe Niles would have drowned me in the dishwasher if he’d had to wash another spoon, five hours later we had a passable cake. However, it being almost midnight by the time the cake was ready, we decided to save it for the morning. Despite a small tiff, our creative synergy seemed to extend to our cooking too. Indeed, there’s nobody else in the world I can share a kitchen with without murdering.

Sunday morning was a day of epic cleaning, as fastidious Frasier would be returning at some point in the middle of the night. I dusted, vacuumed, helped Niles work the washing machine, and mopped the bathroom, en suite and kitchen floors. Possibly not the standard way to spend your ‘break’ and I appear to be in danger of turning into a 1950s housewife. The strangest thing is, I really don’t seem to mind too much! Great story ideas come when dusting your best friend’s rowing machine (really!) and while, sadly, I don’t think I’ll have time to extend The Greyhaired Monster to 20,000 words for the sexy shapeshifter competition due at the end of the month, I have nevertheless got some great inspiration to play with!

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